Starting formal musical training at a young age may be instrumental in preventing or delaying some types of cognitive decline in later years. A Canadian study led by scientists at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest has found that older adults who had musical training when they were young we're able to identify speech sounds 20% faster than their peers with a non-musical background. That means they were less likely to lose speech listening functions that weaken with age such as speech comprehension. The researchers separated healthy older adults aged 55 to 75 into groups of non-musicians and musicians who had at least 10 years of training in their younger years and were still playing.