Mental Health News
A team of researchers at the University of Bath explored how playing the piano boosts brain health. The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The Study
The researchers randomly assigned 31 adults to either music training, music listening, or a control group. Individuals with no prior musical experiences or training were instructed to complete weekly one-hour sessions. The multisensory improvements associated with the benefits of playing the piano were then assessed.
The Findings
The results revealed that playing the piano improves mental health, brain health, and the processing of multisensory information. Musical training is found to also reduce depression, anxiety, and stress scores at its completion.
The authors added: “Learning to play an instrument like the piano is a complex task … The findings from our study suggest that this has a significant, positive impact on how the brain processes audio-visual information even in adulthood when brain plasticity is reduced.”
To Know More You May Refer To
Che, Y., Jicol, C., Ashwin, C., & Petrini, K. (2022). An RCT study showing few weeks of music lessons enhance audio-visual temporal processing. Scientific reports, 12(1), 20087. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23340-4