Effect of music on the nervous system

Effect of music on the nervous system

The evidence was compiled from measurements of automatic brain responses of younger and older musicians as well as adults who were not musicians, to the sounds of speech.

The measurements carried out by researchers Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory of the University, showed that the rate of neuronal older musicians had an advantage.
Explains neuroscientist Nina Kraus, co-author of the study, in this regard, "the older musicians not only outperformed those of the same age who were not musicians, but also decoded sound stimuli as quickly and accurately as Younger adults, who were not musicians. "
The results reinforce the idea that actively experience the sounds, in the course of our lives, has a profound effect on the nervous system, says the researcher.
Kraus, professor of communication sciences at the School of Communication, and neurobiology and physiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at the university, has been published, along with other collaborators, the results of this research in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.
It also helps memory

The researchers note that, from the findings, it is shown that intensive musical training, even in advanced stages of life, could enhance mental processing of any speech and, therefore, increase the ability of the elderly to communicate in complex or noisy acoustic environments.
Older adults often have trouble distinguishing words in these contexts because the reduction of neuronal rhythm linked to aging prevents them decode sounds good.
In this sense, the music could be of help because according Kraus, "the musical experience selectively affects the timing of sound elements important for distinguishing the consonants".
In previous studies, Kraus and his collaborators of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory and were analyzed at length the effects of musical experience on brain plasticity throughout life, in clinical and environments, as well as educational media.
In these analyzes they were verified other positive effects of music on the brain, as it can reduce memory loss associated with aging.

This research was carried out automatically by measuring the speech sounds of 87 adults English speaking natives, and with normal hearing neural response. Measurements were made while participants watched a video.
Volunteers musicians had begun to study music before nine, and had been involved in musical activities continued throughout his life. Volunteers who were not musicians had studied music for three years at most.