Music Engagement and Cognitive Health: Insights from a 10,800-Participant Study

Monash University analysis of 10,893 adults aged ≥70 found routine music engagement was linked to substantially lower dementia incidence—39% lower for always-listening and 35% lower for instrument players.

According to a Monash analysis, observational findings suggest music engagement may be an accessible, nonpharmacologic approach to support cognitive health in older adults.

The team analyzed a prospective observational cohort of 10,893 community-dwelling adults aged 70 and older who were dementia-free at baseline. Participants were followed for incident dementia and underwent objective memory testing during follow-up.

Always listening to music was associated with a 39% lower incidence of dementia and playing an instrument with a 35% lower incidence. The analysis also reported higher overall cognition and better episodic memory scores among those with regular music engagement. These effect sizes reflect population-level associations and are not precise individual risk estimates.

However, the Monash University report cautions that the study is observational and cannot establish causation. Residual confounding (for example, socioeconomic status, education, baseline cognition, or social engagement) could account for part of the association. Reverse causation is possible if early cognitive decline reduced music activity. Music exposure was self-reported rather than measured with standardized or dose-based metrics. Randomized trials testing causality are not yet available, so any mechanistic explanations remain speculative.

Key Takeaways:

• A large cohort links routine music engagement with lower incident dementia at the population level—39% lower for frequent listeners and 35% lower for instrument players.
• Older adults, particularly those aged ≥70, and clinicians advising on lifestyle strategies for cognitive aging are the primary audiences for these population-level associations.
• Discussing music engagement as a low-risk, supportive activity for cognitive health is reasonable, while prioritizing high-quality randomized trials and standardized exposure measures to test causality.