Playing the piano improves the brain's processing power and helps get rid of depression

A new study published by researchers at the University of Bath shows that learning to play an instrument has a positive effect on the brain's ability to process vision and sound, and shows how it can help improve melancholic mood
.

The research team, which published their findings in the academic journal Nature Science Reports, showed that beginners who took only one hour of piano lessons per week for 11 weeks had significant improvements in identifying audiovisual changes in their environment and reduced
depression, stress, and anxiety.

In the randomized controlled study, 31 adults were divided into music training, listening to music, and control
.
People with no previous musical experience or training were asked to complete one hour of training
per week.
When the intervention group played music, the control group either listened to music or used the time to complete homework
.

The researchers found that within just a few weeks of starting classes, people's ability to process multisensory information, such as sight and sound, was enhanced
.
The improved "multi-sensory process" is good for almost every activity we engage in – from driving and crossing the street, to finding someone in a crowd or watching TV
.

These multi-sensory improvements go beyond the power
of music.
Through musical training, people's audiovisual processing becomes more accurate
in other tasks.
In tests asked to determine whether sound and visual "events" occurred simultaneously, those who took piano lessons showed greater accuracy
.

This is true
for simple displays that show flashes and beeps, or more complex displays that show a person talking.
The group that listened to music (they listened to the same music played the same music as the group that listened to music) and the group that did not listen to music (they studied or read) did not have this fine-tuning
of individual cognitive abilities.

In addition, the findings not only improved cognitive performance, but also showed that participants also experienced a decrease
in depression, anxiety, and stress scores after training compared to before training.
The authors suggest that music training may be beneficial for people with mental health disorders, and further research is underway to verify this
.

Dr Karin Petrini, a cognitive psychologist and music expert from the University of Bath's Department of Psychology, explains: "We know that playing and listening to music often brings joy to our lives, but with this research we wanted to learn more about the direct impact
of short-term music learning on our cognitive abilities.
"

"Learning to play an instrument like the piano is a complex task: it requires musicians to read sheet music, generate movements, and monitor auditory and haptic feedback to adjust their further movements
.
In scientific terms, this process combines visual and auditory cues and is a multisensory training
for the individual.

"Our findings suggest that this has a significant positive effect
on the way the brain processes audiovisual information, even in adulthood, when brain plasticity is reduced.
"