Music-based program may boost seniors' brain function, mood

By C. E. Huggins NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A music-based training program that challenges both the body and the mind may improve brain function and mood among seniors, suggests a new study from Switzerland. "The take-home message is that 6-months of music-based multitask training (i.e., Jaques-Dalcroze eurhythmics) - a specific training regimen which was previously shown to be effective in improving gait and reducing falls - has beneficial effects on cognition and mood in older adults," Dr. Mélany Hars, of Geneva University Hospitals, told Reuters Health in an email. Jacques-Dalcroze eurhythmics was developed in the early part of the 20th century by the Swiss composer Emile Jaques-Dalcroze as a way to better understand music through movement. A typical Jacques-Dalcroze session involves participants adapting their movements to the rhythmic changes of improvised piano music.



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