Older adults' brains 'rewarded' by music they don't even like, B.C. researcher finds
The brains of older adults feel a sense of reward when listening to music, even if it's a song they don't particularly like, a researcher at British Columbia's Simon Fraser University says.
Sarah Faber said her work on how healthy brains respond to music as they age creates a baseline for future research on people who have Alzheimer's or dementia to better understand those diseases.
“There's a lot of interest in how to predict who might be going to develop dementia or Alzheimer's disease and then once people do develop Alzheimer's and dementia, who is going to respond to treatment and what kind of treatment,” she said.
“The brain is fascinating, but it doesn't exist in a jar. It's attached to a body, that's attached to an environment, and community, and a social structure.”
The research published in the journal Network Neuroscience featured 80 participants, including university students and people as old as 90, who took functional MRI scans.
The younger group of adults had an average age of 19, while the other group had an average age of 67.
Everyone listened to 24 samples, including songs they selected themselves, popular music intentionally chosen by researchers and songs composed specifically for the study.
Faber said they found reward sections of the brain were activated in younger adults while they listened to music they liked or were familiar with, but older adults showed the same area being stimulated even when the music was new to them, or they didn't like it.
“There wasn't this gatekeeping functionality that we see in younger adults with their auditory network kind of being like, 'OK, well, if we like this, we get rewards. But if we don't like this, we don't get rewards,”' she said.
“Whereas for older adults, it was just like, 'Music! Reward! Yes!”'
Faber, who was a music therapist before becoming a neuroscientist, said research into people with Alzheimer's can be challenging if someone is unable to speak, or explain what they are thinking or feeling in a moment.
She said anything they can learn about how to make the music therapies more effective would be helpful, but the benefits go beyond that.
“Just understanding … how the brain deals with complex stimuli, through Alzheimer's, that would be a really good and a very useful bunch of information to get for people that are working in Alzheimer's, not necessarily just in music,” Faber said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Judge in Trump's hush money trial threatened to throw witness out of court for behavior on stand
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Oilers win Game 7 over Canucks, advance to Western Conference Final
The Edmonton Oilers weathered a late Vancouver Canucks charge on Monday night, beating the hosts 3-2 to win their seven-game second-round playoff series in the decisive showdown.
McGill says pro-Palestinian protest outside senior administrator's home 'crosses the line'
McGill University has denounced a pro-Palestinian protest held Sunday outside the home of one of its senior administrators.
Red Lobster probes 'endless shrimp' losses after bankruptcy filing
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
Katy Perry sings goodbye to 'American Idol'
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
Microsoft's AI chatbot will 'recall' everything you do on a PC
Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.
Judge cites error, will reopen sentencing hearing for man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband
A federal judge will reopen the sentencing hearing for the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer after the judge failed to allow him to speak during his court appearance last week.