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Longitudinal Effects of Continuous Music Training on Cognitive Development: Evidence From the Adolescent Brain
Assal Habibi1,2,3, Eustace Hsu4,5, Jed Villanueva1,2
1Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|October 3, 2025
Summary
Music training enhances cognitive and language skills in children over two years. This music engagement benefits children across socioeconomic backgrounds, acting as a cognitive enrichment tool.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Music training is linked to cognitive and language development.
- Large-scale longitudinal studies on this relationship are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine long-term music engagement effects on cognitive abilities.
- Investigate the role of socioeconomic deprivation.
- Differentiate musicians from non-musicians using cognitive data.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.
- Analyzed continuous music engagement over two years.
- Applied classification models to cognitive task performance.
Main Results:
- Children with consistent music training showed higher scores on cognitive and language tasks.
- Picture vocabulary showed greater improvement over time in musicians.
- Socioeconomic factors moderated effects for non-musicians, but not musicians.
- Cognitive performance predicted music engagement, distinguishing musicians.
Conclusions:
- Music training supports cognitive and language development.
- Music engagement can be a cognitive enrichment tool.
- Benefits are significant for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
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