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All Outputs (6)

Cognitive aging and experience of playing a musical instrument (2023)
Journal Article
Okely, J. A., Cox, S. R., Deary, I. J., Luciano, M., & Overy, K. (2023). Cognitive aging and experience of playing a musical instrument. Psychology and Aging, 38(7), 696–711. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000768

Musical instrument training has been found to be associated with higher cognitive performance in older age. However, it is not clear whether this association reflects a reduced rate of cognitive decline in older age (differential preservation), and/o... Read More about Cognitive aging and experience of playing a musical instrument.

Symptoms of depression and anxiety in young people in El Salvador: Associations with peer and family relationships, artistic activities and health behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic (2023)
Journal Article
Calderón Alfaro, F. A., Li, Y., & Okely, J. (2023). Symptoms of depression and anxiety in young people in El Salvador: Associations with peer and family relationships, artistic activities and health behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Affective Disorders, 339, 838-846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.024

Background Little is known regarding the correlates of mental health, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in lower income countries. Using data from almost the entire population of graduating high school students in El Salvador, we examine the association... Read More about Symptoms of depression and anxiety in young people in El Salvador: Associations with peer and family relationships, artistic activities and health behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sleep quality, perivascular spaces and brain health markers in ageing - A longitudinal study in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (2023)
Journal Article
Aribisala, B. S., Valdés Hernández, M. D. C., Okely, J. A., Cox, S. R., Ballerini, L., Dickie, D. A., …Wardlaw, J. M. (2023). Sleep quality, perivascular spaces and brain health markers in ageing - A longitudinal study in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Sleep Medicine, 106, 123-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2023.03.016

Background Sleep is thought to play a major role in brain health and general wellbeing. However, few longitudinal studies have explored the relationship between sleep habits and imaging markers of brain health, particularly markers of brain waste cl... Read More about Sleep quality, perivascular spaces and brain health markers in ageing - A longitudinal study in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.

Experience of Playing a Musical Instrument and Lifetime Change in General Cognitive Ability: Evidence From the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (2022)
Journal Article
Okely, J. A., Overy, K., & Deary, I. J. (2022). Experience of Playing a Musical Instrument and Lifetime Change in General Cognitive Ability: Evidence From the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Psychological Science, 33(9), 1495-1508. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976221092726

We tested whether experience of playing a musical instrument was associated with lifetime change in cognitive ability. Participants were 366 older adults from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 who had completed general cognitive-ability assessments at ag... Read More about Experience of Playing a Musical Instrument and Lifetime Change in General Cognitive Ability: Evidence From the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.

The Edinburgh Lifetime Musical Experience Questionnaire (ELMEQ): Responses and non-musical correlates in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (2021)
Journal Article
Okely, J. A., Deary, I. J., & Overy, K. (2021). The Edinburgh Lifetime Musical Experience Questionnaire (ELMEQ): Responses and non-musical correlates in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. PLOS ONE, 16(7), Article e0254176. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254176

There is growing evidence of the potential effects of musical training on the human brain, as well as increasing interest in the potential contribution of musical experience to healthy ageing. Conducting research on these topics with older adults req... Read More about The Edinburgh Lifetime Musical Experience Questionnaire (ELMEQ): Responses and non-musical correlates in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.