Music has been part of human life for a very long time.
Archaeological discoveries show that humans made instruments more than 40,000 years ago. Fossil evidence also suggests that humans may have been singing more than 530,000 years ago.
Even today, researchers are still investigating how music affects people.
Music and the brain
When people play music, they use many different parts of the brain at the same time.
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According to a review of research from Harvard Medical School published in The Neuroscientist, musical training can strengthen the brain’s plasticity. This refers to the brain’s ability to learn new things and adapt.
Studies show, among other things, that children who play an instrument can develop changes in the structure of the brain.
One part of the brain that connects the two hemispheres can become larger in children who practice regularly.
Music and health
Music may also play a role in illness and medical treatment.
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A 2024 meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons reviewed 35 studies of patients who listened to music after surgery.
The analysis found that patients who listened to music after surgery often experienced less pain and had lower heart rates.
At the same time, they needed less strong pain medication on average than patients who did not listen to music.
Lower risk of dementia
Music may also matter later in life. A study from Monash University in Australia, published in the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, examined more than 10,000 people over the age of 70.
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The results showed that people who often had music playing in the background had a lower risk of developing dementia.
In addition, playing an instrument was also associated with a lower risk.
Another study from the University of Zurich, published in PNAS, also shows that live music can create stronger reactions in the brain than recorded music.
Overall, the research suggests that music is not only entertainment. It may also play a role in both brain function and health.
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Sources: Popular Science, The Neuroscientist, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, and PNAS.
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