Why musical memory resists time

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The music seems to enjoy a exceptional resistance to the unstoppable march of time. Unlike many aspects of our memory, the ability to recognize and recall musical tunes remains remarkably preserved over the years. This captivating singularity deeply intrigues the scientific community, thus opening up innovative perspectives for understanding these subtle memory mechanisms and their therapeutic potential.

Intact memories despite age

A study published on July 24 in PLOS ONE led by Sarah Sauvé of the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom, highlighted an interesting phenomenon: the recognition of musical themes does not seem to erode with age.

For this study, Sauvé subjected approximately 90 adults, ranging in age from 18 to 86, to an experiment at a Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra concert in St. John's, Canada. Participants were asked to identify musical themes, sometimes familiar, sometimes unfamiliar, during the performance.

The results revealed a striking fact: the iconic melody of Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik was recognized with equal acuity by all age groups, with no discernible alteration among older people. The researcher rightly points out: “You will often hear anecdotes about people with severe Alzheimer's who cannot speak or recognize people, but who sing songs from their childhood or play the piano ».

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Emotion as the key to retention

Steffen Herff, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Sydney, puts forward this hypothesis: Emotion would be the central pillar of remarkable resilienceof our musical memory. He elucidates this phenomenon: “Research shows that the amygdala acts as an emotional filter, accentuating the importance of certain memories“.

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Thus, music, through its incomparable emotional power, is deeply anchored in the meanders of our memory. Moreover, the melodic and harmonic structures inherent in musical art greatly facilitate the recognition and recall of themes, giving melodies a certain predictability which consolidates their memory imprint.

Music: a potential cognitive support

Sauvé's work opens new horizons as to the use of music in cognitive therapies, particularly for people with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Although the study collected only limited data on the participants' cognitive health, it suggests that music could be used as a kind of “cognitive scaffolding“.

A novel approach, aiming to use music as a mnemonic catalyst for other information in individuals with of difficult conditions, such as some forms of dementia. This concept proposes to use this resilience as a foundation to support other potentially impaired cognitive functions.

These results, although promising, must be interpreted with caution, given the demographic and methodological limitations of the study. The study population, mainly from an advantaged socioeconomic background and predominantly white, does not necessarily reflect the diversity of the general population. In addition, variations in the structure of the musical pieces used complicate the interpretation of the results.

Nevertheless, they still constitute a solid basis for future research on musical memory and its potential as a therapeutic weapon. Targeted, music-based interventions could potentially help maintain or even improve cognitive function in older adults, offering new avenues for the management of neurodegenerative disorders.

• A study has shown that the recognition of musical themes does not decrease with age.
• The amygdala, linked to emotions, plays a key role in preserving musical memories.
• Music could serve as a therapeutic tool for people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

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