Alterations in brain structure-function coupling associated with musical training

Musical activity requires the coordinated integration of auditory, motor, and cognitive systems, making it an effective framework for studying brain plasticity. Previous studies have explored music training-related alterations in brain structure and function. However, the relationship between structure and function remains insufficiently understood. In this study, we applied a novel morphometric measure, morphometric inverse divergence, to assess the structural decoupling index (SDI) and evaluate differences in structure-function coupling between musicians and non-musicians.

A total of 39 participants (22 musicians, 17 non-musicians) were enrolled. Group differences in SDI were examined to assess regional structure-function dependency. Within the musician group, correlation analyses were conducted between SDI and musical training experience and age of onset of training.

Compared to non-musicians, musicians exhibited significantly lower SDI in the left superior frontal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, right parahippocampal gyrus and left posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS). Notably, the SDI in left pSTS showed a significant negative correlation with cumulative musical training experience and a positive correlation with age of onset of training.

These findings demonstrate that long-term music training is associated with enhanced structure-function coupling in fronto-temporal networks, particularly in regions supporting auditory-motor integration and memory. Furthermore, the left pSTS appears specifically sensitive to training intensity and timing.