Scientists believe they may be closer to understanding why some people like pop music and others like classical.

Psychiatric consultant Dr Raj Persaud of Maudsley Hospital in London believes his studies of dementia patients show a link between taste and "hard-nosed intellectual function" - in other words, appreciation of classical music may require more brain power.

Persaud has observed that, as brain power diminishes in dementia patients, they sometimes go from liking classical to pop - but not the other way round.

"What this may mean is that you require more grey matter to appreciate classical music and that you don't need so much grey matter to appreciate pop music, so as you lose grey matter your taste in music changes accordingly," said Dr Persaud.

The thesis, outline in the June issue of BBC Music Magazine, has had support from Italian scholars.



