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Published on: August 12, 2019
Degree of musical expertise modulates higher order brain functioning
Mathias S Oechslin1, Dimitri Van De Ville, François Lazeyras
1Geneva Neuroscience Center, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland. mathias.oechslin@unige.ch
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|July 27, 2012
Summary
Musical training enhances cognitive functions, including working memory and attention. Brain imaging reveals that higher musical expertise significantly alters higher-order brain functioning, demonstrating pronounced cerebral plasticity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Music Cognition
Background:
- Musical expertise is associated with cognitive differences.
- The neural basis of how musical training impacts higher-order cognition remains incompletely understood.
- Investigating brain plasticity in response to musical training intensity is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of musical expertise on higher-order brain functioning using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- To determine if the degree of musical training intensity drives cerebral plasticity.
- To explore the relationship between musical training and cognitive functions like working memory and attention.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity.
- Participants included non-musicians, amateur musicians, and expert musicians.
- Participants listened to string quartets with manipulated harmonic endings, and brain responses were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Behavioral sensitivity to harmonic irregularities correlated with musical expertise.
- fMRI data showed stepwise modulation of brain responses by violation strength and expertise in a fronto-temporal network.
- Expert musicians demonstrated enhanced visual working memory, predicted by musical training intensity.
Conclusions:
- Musical expertise progressively impacts cognitive brain functions, extending beyond music processing.
- Cerebral plasticity is driven by the intensity of musical training.
- These findings highlight the significant influence of musical training on cognitive abilities and brain function.
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