Assessing the effect of musical experience on cognitive function in older age: a coordinated analysis

Current evidence suggests that older adults with musical experience demonstrate better cognitive functioning than those without. However, this difference is poorly characterized, and findings are mixed, possibly due to variations in definitions of musical experience, cognitive measurements, and analytical approaches. To address this, the current study used a coordinated analysis approach to investigate whether there were differences in performance in certain cognitive domains between older adults with musical experience and those without. Two datasets were analyzed: the Einstein Aging Study (EAS) and the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies (H70). Employing stringent matching procedures and combining frequentist and Bayesian approaches, the analysis provided a nuanced view of the data. Domain-level analyses compared cognitive performance in visuospatial abilities, processing speed, and memory (H70), and memory and vocabulary (EAS), as well as executive functions. Years of education and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores predicted cognitive performance across measures in both datasets. In H70, those with musical experience significantly outperformed those without in visuospatial abilities, processing speed, memory, and executive function. No significant differences were observed in EAS. These findings reaffirm the complexity and variability of the music-cognition relationship. Given that education and MMSE consistently predicted cognitive outcomes, differences between datasets were likely due to group characteristics rather than cognitive measures. Instrument playing, for example, may offer stronger cognitive benefits than singing, which was the primary difference between music groups across datasets. This research highlights the need for comprehensive musical experience measures to uncover whether specific musical activities enhance cognitive ability in older adults.