Drs. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Mike Roizen
Dr. Mehmet Oz is host of the popular TV show “The Dr. Oz Show.” He is a professor in the Department of Surgery at Columbia University and directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Dr. Mike Roizen is chief medical officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, an award-winning author, and has been the doctor to eight Nobel Prize winners and more than 100 Fortune 500 CEOs.

Dr. Mehmet Oz,Dr. Mike Roizen

Tags: music | brain function | benefits of playing a musical instrument | music and dementia | Dr. Oz
OPINION

Music: Defense Against Dementia

Dr. Mehmet Oz, M.D. and Dr. Mike Roizen, M.D. By Thursday, 27 September 2012 08:47 AM EDT Current | Bio | Archive


Humpback whales sing; honeybees buzz; even trained dogs can croon (check out the 93,000 YouTube segments of would-be-Pavarotti pooches). Music expresses complex emotions, impresses brain function, and just plain makes us all happier and smarter — particularly if you have the chance to play an instrument when you're young. (A well-kept secret: You don't even have to have much talent!) Infants who play interactive music games with parents are easier to soothe and more expressive. And if you have just one to five years of music lessons as a kid and you never touch an instrument again, your adult brain will still sing arias — although they're not guaranteed to be on key! Throughout your life, you'll be better at listening to others and at learning.

How does music do all that? It lights up many parts of the brain that groove to rhythm and melody, particularly centers that control emotions, motion, and creativity. And that increases your visual and verbal — not just auditory — skills.

So let the kids beat on the pots and pans (well, OK, maybe draw a line there), encourage piano lessons, and don't let your school eliminate music classes (in some states, half of all music classes have disappeared in the past five years).

And if you didn't have music lessons as a kid, don't feel discouraged. You still can kick-start your inner Van Cliburn. Adults who take up an instrument gain great rewards: stress reduction, increased self-esteem, and a defense against dementia. Start up the band!


© 2012 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.


© 2025 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.


Dr-Oz
Music offers many benefits, from enhancing brain function to defending against dementia to making us happier.
music,brain function,benefits of playing a musical instrument,music and dementia,Dr. Oz
264
2012-47-27
Thursday, 27 September 2012 08:47 AM
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