# Classical music can help slow onset of dementia!



## Templeton (Dec 20, 2014)

According to the always reliable UK 'Daily Mail', researchers in Finland have discovered that listening to classical music can slow the onset of both dementia and Parkinson's. Here's the link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...excerpts-enhanced-gene-activity-patients.html

As usual, with the Daily Mail, the comments section often offers up better reading fare than the actual article. As an example;

_'What a load off nonsense, people who listen to classical are usually of higher intelligence and so earn more money and so live healthier lives hence dementia progresses more slowly'.​_


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Call me cynical, but this reminds me of the kind of research where lots of money is spent in order to claim something is good for you and then somewhere else a similar amount of money is being spent just so others can counter with the complete opposite.


----------



## Guest (Mar 17, 2015)

She must be listening to classical 'cause her iPod is still an early prototype...

View attachment 66456


----------



## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Really weird article.There appears to be some confusion between genes and proteins. The researcher is working in the area of "musical genetics".

We have statements like



> One of the most up-regulated genes was synuclein-alpha (SNCA), which is a known risk gene for Parkinson's disease. This gene is also how songbirds learn songs.


When you check wiki, you get



> The human Alpha-synuclein protein is made of 140 amino acids, and is encoded by the SNCA gene.
> 
> The function of alpha-synuclein is not well understood, studies suggest that it plays an important role in maintaining a supply of synaptic vesicles in presynaptic terminals. It may also help regulate the release of dopamine, a type of neurotransmitter that is critical for controlling the start and stop of voluntary and involuntary movements.


So we have a initial supposition followed by a chain of reasoning leading to a conclusion that music can change brain chemistry in a way that may, in the long run, help dementia if you like music. Then we get the newspapers jumping on another "Mozart Effect" and producing a funny story.


----------

