Older adults who took a moderate amount (4–14 years) of music training early in life as children but haven’t actively played an instrument in decades have a faster brain response to a speech sound than individuals who never played an instrument, according to a new study by Northwestern University researchers.
More specifically, this music training is associated with faster neural timing in response to speech later in life, long after training stopped (>40 years).
These scientists suggest that early music training sets the stage for subsequent interactions with sound. These experiences may interact over time to sustain sharpened neural processing in central auditory nuclei well into older age.