Behavioral and Neural Correlates of Executive Functioning in Musicians and Non-Musicians

Abstract

Executive functions (EF) are cognitive capacities that allow for planned, controlled behavior and strongly correlate with academic abilities. Several extracurricular activities have been shown to improve EF, however, the relationship between musical training and EF remains unclear due to methodological limitations in previous studies. To explore this further, two experiments were performed; one with 30 adults with and without musical training and one with 27 musically trained and untrained children (matched for general cognitive abilities and socioeconomic variables) with a standardized EF battery. Furthermore, the neural correlates of EF skills in musically trained and untrained children were investigated using fMRI. Adult musicians compared to non-musicians showed enhanced performance on measures of cognitive flexibility, working memory, and verbal fluency. Musically trained children showed enhanced performance on measures of verbal fluency and processing speed, and significantly greater activation in pre-SMA/SMA and right VLPFC during rule representation and task-switching compared to musically untrained children. Overall, musicians show enhanced performance on several constructs of EF, and musically trained children further show heightened brain activation in traditional EF regions during task-switching. These results support the working hypothesis that musical training may promote the development and maintenance of certain EF skills, which could mediate the previously reported links between musical training and enhanced cognitive skills and academic achievement.

Musical intervention enhances infants’ neural processing of temporal structure in music and speech

“…This idea corroborates recent evidence suggesting enhanced higher level cognitive abilities (e.g., working memory and executive functions) in musically trained adults and children (41)(42)(43). Future studies that specifically examine the relations between music learning in infancy and the development of cognitive skills (e.g., executive function) are warranted.…”

Tuning the mind: Exploring the connections between musical ability and executive functions

“…For example, music is most often played in coordination with others (Palmer, 2013), which requires switching between multiple auditory streams (Loehr, Kourtis, Vesper, Sebanz, & Knoblich, 2013) and adjusting to other performers (e.g., Loehr & Palmer, 2011;Moore & Chen, 2010). Thus music performance may be associated with relatively general switching advantages, and musicians have indeed been found to outperform non-musicians on switching tasks (Hanna-Pladdy & MacKay, 2011;Moradzadeh, Blumenthal, & Wiseheart, 2014; see also Bugos, Perlstein, McCrae, Brophy, & Bedenbaugh, 2007;Zuk, Benjamin, Kenyon, & Gaab, 2014).…”

Neuropedagogy And Bioethics' Symbolism: Place In Knowledge Management

“…The statement is based on generalization of many research data. It was proven that density and quality of neural network and glias increased as a result of education, dendrites and axons providing the growth and modification of intracerebral connections; even the size of nerve fibers increases (due to intensive myelinization) (Zuk et al, 2014). That is, education is a direct impact on brain tissue (Alekseev et al, 2015;Chernigovskaya, 2010;Slioussar et al, 2014).…”

“…This discipline is interdisciplinary and involves usage of results obtained within other neurosciences. Since according to the modern research (Macajova, 2013) in the progress of education, the brain changes physically (Chernigovskaya, 2010;Slioussar et al, 2014;Zuk et al, 2014) and the very education is permanent and not always purposeful, it is important what information and which way the human being obtains it. It is a determining factor in understanding hybridization of neuropedagogy and knowledge management.…”