26th Lecture on the Biology of Music
I Medici's Concert-Lecture April 26, 2014

Benjamin Rich Zendel, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow, International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC
(biography)

Use it or lose it: Musical training can mitigate age-related hearing difficulties

Abstract

Hearing difficulties are one of the most commonly reported health problems in older adults.  Age-related decline in hearing abilities reduce the ability to understand speech, especially when there is background noise.  In turn, this can lead to social isolation, depression and cognitive decline. Accordingly, finding ways to mitigate hearing difficulties in older adults is of utmost importance, especially considering that the average Canadian will live to over eighty.  The ability to understand speech in background noise relies on a number of complex mechanisms in the brain. Many of these mechanisms are enhanced in musicians through a process known as neuroplasticity.  That is, musical training ‘rewires’ or modifies the brain in order to optimize music perception. Interestingly, this optimization also improves the ability to understand speech in noisy environments because understanding speech relies on many of the same auditory mechanisms used for music perception.  More importantly, some of the benefits of neuroplasticity persist with age, and thus provide lifelong musicians with protection against age-related decline in hearing abilities. Like muscles, the auditory system can be strengthened by practice, and music lessons may be an ideal way to train the auditory system.  Use it or lose it!