While mild forgetfulness is common, she notes that more significant memory loss could be a sign of the early stages of cognitive decline or dementia.
How mentally challenging activities help future-proof the brain
The antidote to age-related cognitive decline, scientists agree, is neuroplasticity—the brain’s lifelong ability to rewire itself in response to new experiences. “When we learn something new, we’re literally building new neurons and pathways,” Shankar says. She likens it to finding a new route to work when your usual one is closed.
This adaptability underpins what researchers call cognitive reserve—the brain’s capacity to compensate for age-related damage or changes. Yadollahikhales describes it as “mental scaffolding” that helps keep you functioning even if one part of your brain starts to falter.
(Use this ancient technique to remember (almost) anything.)
An effective way to build cognitive reserve is by learning new, cognitively-demanding skills such as “picking up a new sport, painting, cooking, writing, coding, dancing, or learning a new language,” says Shankar. These types of activities enhance white matter integrity, support healthy neurotransmitter activity, and improve communication between brain hemispheres by strengthening the corpus callosum, the brain’s largest white matter tract.
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“It’s like a bridge because it plays a crucial role in communication between the right and left hemispheres,” says Yadollahikhales. Stronger inter-hemispheric connections can improve everything from multitasking to emotional regulation.
Why learning a new instrument can help offset brain shrinkage
While many skills can stimulate the brain, “learning a new instrument is probably the biggest bang for your brain buck,” Shankar says. That’s because playing a musical instrument enhances executive function and working memory by “engaging nearly every brain region and strengthening communication between them,” she explains.
Playing a musical instrument involves bimanual coordination and activates multiple brain structures simultaneously, thereby strengthening the corpus callosum. Some of these brain structures include those responsible for hearing, reading music, and coordinating hand and finger movement.
“Learning a new instrument is a full-brain workout,” says Gustavson. “And that makes it a potent tool for building cognitive reserve.”