Music

Older adults who played musical instruments showed higher resting state functional connectivity in key brain regions, potentially enhancing brain health and resilience, though further research is needed to determine its impact on cognitive decline and dementia prevention.

Listening to music with others, even online, boosts pleasure, generosity, and memory. This study shows that sharing musical experiences can enhance our enjoyment and positively impact our social behavior and cognitive skills.

A study found that atonal music is perceived as less pleasurable and familiar than tonal music, eliciting distinct brain activity patterns. Joyful tonal music increased left frontal brain activity, while atonal music heightened right frontal activation.

Musical training significantly boosts children's working memory and attention, enhancing brain activity in key areas, suggesting music lessons could play a vital role in cognitive development.

Familiar music activates brain areas linked to explicit memory, enhancing emotional and mnemonic processing. Conversely, unfamiliar tunes engage implicit memory regions, aiding in learning and integrating new sounds, demonstrating distinct neural pathways for different music familiarity levels

New research suggests that musical improvisation engages specific brain regions uniquely compared to formulaic playing, offering new insights into the neural basis of creativity.

Researchers found that over the past fifty years, English lyrics in popular music have simplified in structure and vocabulary, as well as grown more negative and personal in tone.

New research provides evidence that sadness in music can be directly enjoyable, challenging traditional views that pleasure from sad music comes only through indirect effects like feeling moved.

A study revealed that older adults' cognitive and motor abilities dynamically contribute to learning new skills like playing the piano, with cognitive demands increasing rather than decreasing as proficiency grows, challenging the notion that such tasks become automatic with practice.

Scientists have discovered that Ludwig van Beethoven had a surprisingly low genetic predisposition for beat synchronization.

A global study reveals a universal inclination towards simple integer-ratio rhythms in music cognition, while also uncovering significant cultural variations in rhythm preferences.

A study in PNAS Nexus found that a mix of age, gender, emotional state, personality, and cultural exposure can predict with 73.5% accuracy when someone will experience aesthetic chills, potentially paving the way for therapeutic applications.

Researchers discovered that rhythms of moderate complexity most effectively ignite our desire to dance. This groove sensation is mirrored in the brain's activity, especially within the left sensorimotor cortex, showcasing a deep link between our sensory experiences of music and...

The relationship between working memory and divergent thinking tends to be stronger in individuals with formal musical education, according to new research published in the journal Brain Sciences.

Individuals with varying degrees of borderline personality disorder symptoms exhibit distinct music preferences, according to new research published in Psychology of Music.