42 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have 
developed a method that employs musical 
tests and a portable instrument for measur-
ing brain activity to detect cognitive decline 
in old age. 
According to the researchers, the meth-
od, which is based on the measurement of 
15 minutes of electrical activity in the brain 
while performing simple musical tasks, can 
be easily implemented by any staff mem-
ber in any clinic, without requiring special 
training. According to the researchers, “Our 
method enables routine monitoring and 
early detection of cognitive decline in order 
to provide treatment and prevent rapid, 

severe deterioration.
” 
The researchers further note that tests 
of this kind are particularly important in 
light of increasing longevity and associated 
growth of the elderly population. 
The study was led at Tel Aviv University 
by Ph.D student Neta Maimon from the 
School of Psychological Sciences and 
the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, 
The article was published in the journal 
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.
Maimon, who specializes in musical 
cognition, explains that music has great 
influence on different centers in the brain. 
On the one hand, music is known to be 
a quick mood stimulant, particularly of 
positive emotion. On the other hand, in dif-
ferent situations, music can be cognitively 
challenging, activating the frontal parts of 
the brain, especially if we try to concentrate 
on different aspects of the music, and at the 
same time perform a particular task. 
According to Maimon, if we combine 
these two capabilities, we can create cog-
nitive tests that are quite complex, yet also 
pleasant and easy to perform. Furthermore, 
music that is positive and reasonably rhyth-
mic will enhance concentration and perfor-

mance of the task. Thus, for example, the 
famous “Mozart effect,
” showing improved 
performance on intelligence tests after lis-
tening to Mozart’s music, actually has noth-
ing to do with Mozart’s music, but rather 
the fact that music creates a positive mood 
and stimulates us to a state that is optimal 
for performing intelligence and creativity 
tests. 
Accordingly, the researchers hypothe-
sized that with musical tools, it would also 
be possible to challenge the subjects to 
an extent that would enable testing of the 
brain’s frontal activity as well as raising their 
spirits, thus enhancing their performance 
on the test while the overall experience is 
pleasant. 

Neta 
Maimon

Using Music to Detect 
Mental Deterioration 
in Old Age

Helping to Identify 
PTSD in Veterans

A scientific breakthrough from the Tel Aviv and Haifa universities may 
facilitate speedy, objective and accurate diagnosis of people suffering from 
PTSD using saliva samples. As part of the study, the researchers character-
ized the psychological, social and medical conditions of about 200 partici-
pants, while at the same time collecting saliva samples from them.
The findings of this study show a typical microbial picture in the saliva 
of veteran soldiers who had experienced combat stress-related reactions 
(from the first Lebanon War) and are currently suffering from post-trau-
ma.

 According to the researchers, these results may help in the future 
to reach an accurate and objective diagnosis of people suffering from 
post-trauma, and to develop microbiotic-related medications (associated 
with the body’s microbial ecology).
This study was published in Nature’s prestigious Molecular Psychiatry 
magazine. 

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