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
Poverty report cards: Which provinces got the worst grades?
Poverty and food insecurity have worsened in most of Canada in the past year and most provincial governments aren't doing enough to address the problem, according to a just-released series of report cards.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.
With 10K providers offering care to 2M seniors, health minister defends dental plan
Canada's dental care plan is 'getting there' Health Minister Mark Holland said Wednesday defending the program's rollout that's now seen two million seniors sign up, but just 10,000 oral health providers enrolled to treat them.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Private island on Nova Scotia's South Shore listed for $15.8M
A private island on Nova Scotia’s South Shore has been listed for sale with a $11.5-million USD price tag.
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
WestJet calls for full federal review of aviation funding model
The CEO of WestJet Airlines says he is calling for a full federal government review of the way airports and aviation infrastructure in Canada are funded.
May’s full flower moon will light up the sky this week
Stargazers are in for a treat this week: The full moon returns for its May engagement, peaking on Thursday morning.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.