Listening to music is medicine for our mind in a range of contexts.
In 2022, a group of mentally healthy older adults were enrolled in an eight-week music intervention. Each participant, with help from a music therapist, created two playlists — one energising and one relaxing. For one hour every day, participants listened attentively to music from these playlists, consciously noting their emotional responses and memories triggered by each piece.
Brain scans before and after the intervention revealed significant neurological changes. Notably, connectivity between the auditory system and the medial prefrontal cortex — a key part of the brain’s reward system — was strengthened. Additionally, the right executive control network, involved in attention and decision-making, showed improved ability to process and represent music after the intervention.
This marked the first time a study demonstrated long-term enhancement in connectivity between auditory and reward areas through music. These regions are often disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, as well as in psychiatric conditions like depression and schizophrenia. This means that listening to music could be part of an effective treatment plan for all of these conditions.
One of the most important discoveries was that self-selected music — especially songs from a participant’s adolescence or early adulthood — was far more effective at engaging these brain systems than unfamiliar music. Participants were scanned while listening to both self- and researcher-selected tracks. The brain responded more strongly to music that participants both liked and recognised, particularly pieces tied to personal history. This supports a theory known as the ‘adolescent window’ — the notion that cultural preferences, including music taste, become deeply embedded during teenage years and retain their emotional resonance throughout life.
These findings argue against a one-size-fits-all approach to music therapy. Individual musical preferences, particularly from formative years, play a crucial role in how the brain responds.
A related 2021 study from the University of Toronto looked at early-stage Alzheimer’s patients who engaged in three weeks of daily listening to familiar music. Whether or not participants had prior musical training, the intervention yielded signs of cognitive improvement. Lead researcher Michael Thaut likened music to a brain gym, emphasising the value of listening to personally meaningful music in preserving mental sharpness.
Recent research from USC in 2024 further supports these ideas. When participants listened to nostalgic music, brain imaging revealed activity in the default mode network — associated with self-reflection and memory — as well as visual areas of the brain. The participants also reported that familiar music evoked happy autobiographical memories from their past.
A fourth study found that fast, lyric-free music, particularly when embedded with certain rhythmic frequencies, could help people — especially those with attention difficulties — synchronise brain activity and focus better on tasks.
All these studies reveal that personalised, emotionally significant music does more than lift our mood — it structurally changes brain connectivity, strengthens memory-related regions, and improves attention. How wonderful that something as pleasurable as music is a key to accessing memories and sharpening our overall brain function.
For a deep dive into the brain-benefits of music and singing, read chapters 67 and 81 of my latest book, Can Adventure Prevent Dementia?
Please share this Health-e-Byte with anyone who needs some music in their life.
Photo credit: I took this photo outside the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville Tennessee. The Grand Ole Opry is a country music radio show that is broadcast live, five nights a week, throughout the entire year. I was fortunate to be able to attend a lively, uplifting show at this fabulous venue during my recent visit to Nashville.
Second HEB in this series: Music can awaken a dormant mind
