A neurologist shared one of the best habits for good brain health (Image: Getty)
A neurologist has shared one of the “best things for your brain”. According to the expert, this hobby is a powerful way to “strengthen” brain networks and connectivity.
Many people are aware of the need to keep the mind engaged. Whether it’s completing daily puzzles, reading, or learning a new language, it is well-documented that these sorts of activities can help protect against cognitive decline and dementia.
Among these potentially beneficial activities is music. Not just listening to it but learning an instrument, singing, or dancing, is worthwhile, one expert said.
In a video uploaded to social media platform TikTok, a neurologist explained more. Dr Baibing Chen, who is better known as Dr Bing online, said: “Neuroscience shows that music can be one of the best things for your brain.
“And let me explain. Everyone says music is good for your brain, but if that were enough, everyone who listens to music would be a genius.”
He specified that “active” listening is most beneficial. Dr Bing continued: “But neuroscience shows that the biggest brain benefits from music do not come from just passive listening, but they come from active engagement with music.
“When you sing, play an instrument, or dance your brain lights up across multiple networks at once. And that kind of whole brain activity strengthens connectivity and neural plasticity.
“There’s actual evidence that musical training changes the brain structurally, and musicians tend to have stronger connections between the left and the right hemispheres through the corpus callosum and better auditory processing and working memory.”
This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to play an instrument, though. He said: “But if you’re not a musician, how you use music matters.
“And you need to let music challenge you, like learning a new instrument or dancing to complex rhythms, or even singing in a choir. All of that will engage your attention, your memory, and your co-ordination.
“And that cognitive load is what strengthens your brain networks. Compare that to passive background music while you’re scrolling on your phone or while you’re driving.
“Your brain barely has to work. So music itself is powerful, but the brain benefits come from participating in it and not just consuming it.”
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What does research say?
His advice is backed by a study, published in Neuroimage: Reports journal in 2023. This found that listening to music or playing an instrument could prevent cognitive decline in old age.
As part of the study, 132 healthy retirees aged between 62 and 78, who had not previously taken a music lesson for more than six months, were recruited. They were then enrolled in piano and music awareness training for six months.
The activities were found to promote brain plasticity and were associated with grey matter volume increase and positive measures on working memory. First study author Doctor Damien Marie said: ‘‘We wanted people whose brains did not yet show any traces of plasticity linked to musical learning.
“Indeed, even a brief learning experience in the course of one’s life can leave imprints on the brain, which would have biased our results.” Professor Clara James added: ‘‘After six months, we found common effects for both interventions.
“Neuroimaging revealed an increase in grey matter in four brain regions involved in high-level cognitive functioning in all participants, including cerebellum areas involved in working memory.
“Their performance increased by six percent and this result was directly correlated to the plasticity of the cerebellum.”
