Brain News
Researchers at the University of Chieti and the University of Padova explored how classical music improves memory. The study is published in the journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.
The Study
To understand the effects of classical music on the brain, the research team conducted a series of experiments with older adults. The participants were asked to listen to classical music (“The Four Seasons” by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi), white noise, and sounds that are not music.
Then, they had to complete two working memory tasks and their respective cognitive performance was assessed.
The Findings
The results revealed that classical music enhances cognitive performance and memory retrieval. This is called the “Vivaldi effect”.
It is further found that even in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, classical music helps fire off synapses—thereby creating or re-energizing brain pathways that were previously impaired or left dormant.
To Know More You May Refer To
Mammarella, N., Fairfield, B., & Cornoldi, C. (2007). Does music enhance cognitive performance in healthy older adults? the Vivaldi effect. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 19(5), 394–399. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03324720
