It Takes Two: Interpersonal Neural Synchrony Is Increased after Musical Interaction

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Social Psychology
• Music Cognition

Background:

• Music's interpersonal nature links neuroplasticity to temporal dynamics, or synchrony.
• Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) correlates with behavioral synchrony in social interactions.
• Social interactions may have intermittent boundaries, prompting investigation into post-interaction neural signatures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if a neural signature of INS is detectable after a social interaction.
• To measure interbrain phase coherence before and after a cooperative musical interaction.
• To explore the relationship between INS and interaction duration.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a pre-post paradigm with ten dyads.
• Recorded electroencephalography (EEG) synchronously during non-interactive periods before and after the task.
• Employed a cooperative dyadic musical interaction (tapping game).

Main Results:

• Observed significant increases in delta band INS in the post-interaction condition.
• Found a positive correlation between post-interaction INS and the duration of the preceding musical interaction.
• INS during social interaction appears to reflect active synchrony maintenance.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest a neural mechanism for continuing social interaction after interruptions.
• INS may serve as a measurable indicator of neuroplastic adaptation in longitudinal studies.
• INS reflects active mechanisms for maintaining synchrony, not just parallel processing.