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Sex Differences are Reflected in Microstructural White Matter Alterations of Musical Sophistication: A Diffusion MRI
Mohammad-Mehdi Mehrabinejad1, Parnian Rafei2, Hossein Sanjari Moghaddam1
1Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|August 9, 2021
Summary
White matter integrity in males correlates positively with musical sophistication, while females show an inverse association. These sex differences in brain structure may explain variations in musical abilities.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Music Psychology
Background:
- Musical sophistication, the ability to engage with music complexly, is a key human trait.
- Understanding the neural basis of musical sophistication, particularly sex differences, is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex-specific white matter (WM) tract associations with musical sophistication.
- To explore how WM alterations correlate with active music engagement and music training.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion MRI connectometry was used on 123 participants from the LEMON database.
- Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI) assessed musical sophistication.
- Multiple regression models analyzed WM correlates of Gold-MSI subscales, controlling for age and handedness.
Main Results:
- Males showed positive WM integrity correlations in corpus callosum, corticospinal tract, cingulum, middle cerebellar peduncle, parieto-pontine tracts, cerebellum, and arcuate fasciculus.
- Females exhibited inverse associations between WM integrity in the corpus callosum, middle cerebellar peduncle, and cerebellum with musical engagement and training.
Conclusions:
- White matter microstructure in motor, somatosensory, and language areas correlates with music engagement and training.
- Significant sex differences in these WM associations suggest distinct neural mechanisms underlying musical abilities in males and females.
