Effects of musical mnemonics on working memory performance in cognitively unimpaired young and older adults

Objective: To overcome memory decrements in healthy aging, compensation strategies and mnemonics have been found to be promising. The effects of musical mnemonics in aging have been scarcely studied. Methods: The present study examined the effects of musical presentation of digits (pitch sequences, rhythms, and their combinations) on working memory performance in young and older adults, as compared to spoken presentation. Results: A facilitating effect of rhythm was found in both groups, whereas pitch and melodic cues affected performance negatively in older adults only. Musical training did not moderate the effect of musical mnemonics. Discussion: To investigate whether persons with working memory impairment also benefit from musical mnemonics, follow-up research in older persons with, for instance, mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's dementia is recommended