Aging of resting-state functional connectivity in amateur singers, instrumentalists and controls

Aging is associated with alterations in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC), which can impact executive functions such as attention and inhibitory control; however, the extent to which lifelong musical practice can influence these age-related changes remains unclear. In this paper, we investigated age-related changes in RSFC and the relationship between RSFC and executive functions among amateur singers, instrumentalists and active controls. We analyzed the resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data using independent component analysis (ICA) collected from 106 healthy adults, including 31 singers, 37 instrumentalists and 38 active controls, aged 20 to 88 years. Attention was measured using the Test of Attention in Listening (TAiL), inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility were measured using the Colour-Word Interference Test (CWIT), and working memory was measured using the Digit Span Task. Our results indicate that while aging is associated with both higher and lower RSFC, age-related reductions in RSFC are more prominent. The musicians exhibited fewer age-related RSFC changes, with distinct patterns of association with cognitive performance for singers and instrument players. Our results indicate that the relationship between RSFC and executive functions is complex and varies across resting state networks, regions, and tasks. We end this paper by proposing a framework for the interpretation of RSFC in neurocognitive aging based on our findings.