Musicians have quicker reactions than non-players, says study
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Musicians have faster reaction times to sensory stimuli than non-musicians and this could have implications for preventing some effects of ageing, according to a new study from the Université de Montréal published in the journal Brain and Cognition.
The study compared the reaction times of 16 musicians and 19 non-musicians. The musicians were recruited from the university’s music faculty, started playing between ages three and 10, and had at least seven years of training.
Study participants were seated in a quiet, well-lit room with one hand on a computer mouse and the index finger of the other on a vibro-tactile device, a small box that vibrated intermittently. They were told to click on the mouse when they heard a sound (a burst of white noise) from the speakers in front of them, or when the box vibrated, or when both happened.
“We found significantly faster reaction times with musicians for auditory, tactile and audio-tactile stimulations,” writes lead researcher Simon Landry in his report. On the implications of his findings, he says: “As people get older, for example, we know their reaction times get slower. So if we know that playing a musical instrument increases reaction times, then maybe playing an instrument will be helpful for them.”
