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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Robyn Vinter

Playing a musical instrument or singing is linked to better memory in older age

Alicia Keys gives a surprise performance on Elton John's piano at St Pancras International Station, on 11 December 2023.
Alicia Keys gives a surprise performance on Elton John's piano at St Pancras International Station, on 11 December 2023. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

Playing a musical instrument or joining a choir is linked to better memory and thinking skills in older age, research has found.

The piano was especially associated with a better brain in those over 40 in the study from Exeter University, which reviewed data from more than a thousand adults and looked at how much experience the people had in participating in music.

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