Emmi Pentikäinen1, Anni Pitkäniemi1, Sini-Tuuli Siponkoski1, Maarit Jansson1, Jukka Louhivuori2, Julene K Johnson3, Teemu Paajanen4, Teppo Särkämö1. 1. Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 2. Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. 3. Institute for Health & Aging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America. 4. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Choir singing has been associated with better mood and quality of life (QOL) in healthy older adults, but little is known about its potential cognitive benefits in aging. In this study, our aim was to compare the subjective (self-reported) and objective (test-based) cognitive functioning of senior choir singers and matched control subjects, coupled with assessment of mood, QOL, and social functioning. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional questionnaire study in 162 healthy older (age ≥ 60 years) adults (106 choir singers, 56 controls), including measures of cognition, mood, social engagement, QOL, and role of music in daily life. The choir singers were divided to low (1-10 years, N = 58) and high (>10 years, N = 48) activity groups based on years of choir singing experience throughout their life span. A subcohort of 74 participants (39 choir singers, 35 controls) were assessed also with a neuropsychological testing battery. RESULTS: In the neuropsychological testing, choir singers performed better than controls on the verbal flexibility domain of executive function, but not on other cognitive domains. In questionnaires, high activity choir singers showed better social integration than controls and low activity choir singers. In contrast, low activity choir singers had better general health than controls and high activity choir singers. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: In healthy older adults, regular choir singing is associated with better verbal flexibility. Long-standing choir activity is linked to better social engagement and more recently commenced choir activity to better general health.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Choir singing has been associated with better mood and quality of life (QOL) in healthy older adults, but little is known about its potential cognitive benefits in aging. In this study, our aim was to compare the subjective (self-reported) and objective (test-based) cognitive functioning of senior choir singers and matched control subjects, coupled with assessment of mood, QOL, and social functioning. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional questionnaire study in 162 healthy older (age ≥ 60 years) adults (106 choir singers, 56 controls), including measures of cognition, mood, social engagement, QOL, and role of music in daily life. The choir singers were divided to low (1-10 years, N = 58) and high (>10 years, N = 48) activity groups based on years of choir singing experience throughout their life span. A subcohort of 74 participants (39 choir singers, 35 controls) were assessed also with a neuropsychological testing battery. RESULTS: In the neuropsychological testing, choir singers performed better than controls on the verbal flexibility domain of executive function, but not on other cognitive domains. In questionnaires, high activity choir singers showed better social integration than controls and low activity choir singers. In contrast, low activity choir singers had better general health than controls and high activity choir singers. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: In healthy older adults, regular choir singing is associated with better verbal flexibility. Long-standing choir activity is linked to better social engagement and more recently commenced choir activity to better general health.
Authors: Vanessa Sluming; Thomas Barrick; Matthew Howard; Enis Cezayirli; Andrew Mayes; Neil Roberts Journal: Neuroimage Date: 2002-11 Impact factor: 6.556
Authors: Pablo Ripollés; Laura Ferreri; Marta Valle; Jordi Riba; Antoni Rodriguez-Fornells; Ernest Mas-Herrero; Helena Alicart; Alba Gómez-Andrés; Josep Marco-Pallares; Rosa Maria Antonijoan; Toemme Noesselt Journal: Elife Date: 2018-08-30 Impact factor: 8.140