Music and Dementia Risk: What the Latest Research Says

If you have a playlist you return to every day — morning radio, old favorites in the kitchen, a choir practice on Thursdays — a new study has good news for you. Researchers at Monash University in Australia found that adults over 70 who listened to music consistently had a roughly 39% lower risk of developing dementia than those who rarely, sometimes, or never did.

Before the excitement runs ahead of the evidence, the honest framing: this was an observational study. It shows a link, not proof that music itself prevents dementia. Still, it is one of the largest studies of its kind, it was published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it has been covered by outlets including Harvard Health. Here is what the researchers actually did, what they found, and what it could mean for your daily life.

The study: who, how, and what was measured

The research was led by Monash honours student Emma Jaffa and Professor Joanne Ryan, head of the Biological Neuropsychiatry and Dementia unit at Monash University. It was published in October 2025 in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

The team analyzed data from 10,893 cognitively healthy adults aged 70 and older in Australia. Participants came from two long-running aging studies: ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) and its sub-study ALSOP (the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons), which track health, medical conditions, physical function, and lifestyle habits — including music habits — over many years.

Each participant reported how often they listened to music or played a musical instrument: always, often, sometimes, rarely, or never. The researchers then followed the group for several years, recording who developed dementia or cognitive impairment. They compared the “always” and frequent listeners against those who listened rarely or not at all, and they did the same comparison for playing an instrument.

About 7,000 of the participants said they listened to music most days — so frequent listening was already common in this group.

The key findings

The headline numbers compare consistent music engagement with rare or no engagement:

• Always listening to music was associated with a 39% lower risk of developing dementia — the largest reduction in the study. These frequent listeners also had a 17% lower risk of cognitive impairment (the earlier stage sometimes described as mild cognitive difficulty without loss of independence), plus higher scores in overall cognition and episodic memory — the kind of memory used to recall everyday events.
• Regularly playing a musical instrument was associated with a 35% lower risk of dementia, although there was no substantial evidence that playing an instrument improved cognitive test scores overall.
• Doing both — listening and playing — was associated with a 33% lower risk of dementia and a 22% lower risk of cognitive impairment.

One detail worth knowing: the study did not identify any particular type or genre of music as most beneficial. The pattern was about the habit of engaging with music, not about classical versus pop or any “right” playlist.

“Music was one of the areas we were interested in,” Professor Ryan told The Washington Post. She noted that over the follow-up period, frequent music listeners “performed better, consistently better, on the tasks of memory and also on a global cognitive function test.”

How scientists think music might help the brain

Researchers do not yet know exactly why music engagement is linked to lower dementia risk, but the leading explanation centers on how broadly music activates the brain — often described as a “full-brain workout.”

Listening to music is not a single-brain-area activity. It simultaneously engages regions involved in hearing, memory, movement, emotion, and imagination. Following a melody, tapping along to a rhythm, remembering lyrics, and feeling an emotional response all happen at once, drawing different brain networks into coordinated work. Scientists think this rich, repeated stimulation may help build what researchers call cognitive reserve — the brain’s ability to keep functioning well even as age-related changes accumulate.

Elizabeth Margulis, director of Princeton University’s Music Cognition Lab, explained to The Washington Post that listening to music activates motor areas, sensory areas, and the regions that process emotion and imagination, adding: “One of the things that seems to be really important is just getting all those areas to talk to each other in meaningful ways.”

There may also be indirect effects. Music reliably lifts mood and eases stress, and chronic stress and depression are themselves associated with faster cognitive decline. Music is also often social — choirs, dance classes, concerts, a singalong with grandchildren — and social connection is one of the most consistently supported protectors of brain health. The Monash analysis adjusted for age, gender, and education level, but in real life, these benefits likely add up together.

This kind of brain-friendly daily pattern is familiar from other research, too. A diet pattern rich in leafy greens, berries, and fish has been linked to slower brain aging in the Framingham study, and our roundup of 12 Habits Linked to Lower Dementia Risk, Backed by Research covers other lifestyle factors with real evidence behind them. Music looks like it may belong on the same list of low-cost, low-risk habits.

How to add more music to your day (no talent required)

The encouraging part of this research is how accessible the “intervention” is. Nobody in the study needed a conservatory education or expensive equipment. Here are practical, low-pressure ways to build a daily music habit:

1. Anchor music to something you already do. Play a radio station or playlist during your morning routine, while cooking, or on your daily walk. The people with the strongest results listened “always” — meaning music was simply part of the day.
2. Use the music you already love. The study found no “best” genre. Familiar songs you have known for decades are especially engaging for memory — and they are free to enjoy again.
3. Sing along. Singing combines music, language, breathing, and often joy. A kitchen singalong counts; so does a community choir, which adds the social layer.
4. Try a simple instrument with zero pressure. A ukulele, a harmonica, a hand drum, or a keyboard app on a tablet — the point is playful engagement, not performance. Local libraries and community centers often lend instruments or run beginner sessions for seniors at little or no cost.
5. Make it social when you can. Dance with a partner in the living room, join a music appreciation group, attend free outdoor concerts. If playing an instrument feels like too much, simply sharing listening time with others still counts.
6. Keep the volume kind to your ears. If you use earbuds or headphones, follow the 60/60 guidance many hearing specialists suggest: no more than 60% of maximum volume, for no more than about 60 minutes at a time, with breaks. Hearing loss itself is linked to higher dementia risk, so protecting your hearing is part of protecting your brain.

Start small. Even thirty minutes of intentional listening a day — music you actually pay some attention to, not just background noise — is a reasonable, enjoyable beginning.

Limitations and honest framing

This is the part that matters most, so let’s be plain:

• Observational, not experimental. The researchers compared groups they observed over time; they did not randomly assign people to listen to music. The analyses adjusted for age, gender, and education level, but other differences — income, general health, existing social lives — could still explain part of the link.
• Causation cannot be established. As the study’s lead author Emma Jaffa stated, the findings “suggest music activities may be an accessible strategy for maintaining cognitive health in older adults, though causation cannot be established.”
• Reverse causation is possible. Early, unnoticed cognitive changes could themselves make people less likely to seek out music — so the habit might partly reflect brain health rather than cause it.
• Music habits were self-reported. Participants described their own listening frequency, which can be imprecise.
• “Listen to music, avoid Alzheimer’s” is not what this shows. No study has demonstrated that music alone prevents dementia, and anyone promising that is selling something. What the evidence supports is that regular music engagement is a plausible, enjoyable, essentially risk-free addition to an overall brain-healthy lifestyle.

In short: the 39% figure is real, it comes from a large careful study, and it is worth knowing — but it describes an association in one population, not a guarantee for any individual.

When to see a doctor

Enjoying music is not a substitute for medical care, and no playlist replaces a proper evaluation. See your doctor if you or a loved one notices:

• Memory problems that interfere with daily life — forgetting recently learned information, asking the same questions repeatedly, getting lost in familiar places
• Increasing trouble with planning, problem-solving, or handling money and bills
• Noticeable personality or mood changes, confusion about time or place
• Difficulty following conversations, finding words, or completing familiar tasks

Early evaluation matters: some causes of cognitive symptoms are treatable, and early diagnosis of dementia opens more options for care and planning. If you are unsure whether what you are experiencing is typical aging, our guide to Memory After 60: Normal Aging vs. Warning Signs walks through the difference.

Sources

1. Jaffa E., et al. “What Is the Association Between Music-Related Leisure Activities and Dementia Risk? A Cohort Study.” International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, October 2025.
2. Monash University. “Music can stave off dementia by up to 40 per cent, Monash study finds.” Monash News Hub, October 30, 2025.
3. Alzheimer’s Association. “10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.” alz.org.
4. National Institute on Aging (NIA). “Cognitive Health and Older Adults.” nia.nih.gov.
5. Harvard Health Publishing. “Musical engagement may help lower dementia risk.” health.harvard.edu, 2025 (coverage of the Monash music and dementia study).
6. Mayo Clinic. “Music therapy: Can it help ease pain and stress?” mayoclinic.org.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. It is based on published research available at the time of writing. If you have concerns about your memory or brain health, please speak with a qualified healthcare professional.