Music Affecting Cognitive Abilities

Music Affecting Cognitive Abilities

     Music can improve memory recall and elicit emotional responses. Music can activate the limbic system which is responsible for strong feelings. According to a recent study, researchers found that thirty percent of the songs presented to the participants made them evoke their autobiographical memories. Positive emotions such as nostalgia and happiness were prompted. Music also allowed them to have higher arousal levels which became a memory enhancer for the participants. Therefore, since music affects mood and arousal, it causes a stronger association between memories and emotions.

     Music is also involved in multiple cognitive functions such as memory encoding, attention, flexibility, and speech processing. It engages various areas of the brain and establishes strong connections between them. Music creates a myriad of brain pathways and networks and allows for stronger memories. Studies have shown that musicians often have a stronger ability to remember, recall, and hear. Musicians tend to show a better verbal working memory than the average human. This is due to the process of learning music can improve the learning of verbal tasks. Another study showed that music allows for better recovery of verbal memory and attention. The speed and tempo of the music can improve the speed at which information like speech and auditory information are processed. As a result, it improves attention and ability to recall. 

     Introducing musical experiences early in life equates to lifelong neuroplasticity. Therefore, processes like learning and memory recall can come faster to those who have played instruments at a young age. Other studies have shown that music education from an early age can impact brain development and boost cognitive function. Children who are introduced to music can have an easier time with language and learning in academic settings. Various tempos and pitches can help the brain develop networks regarding language. Hence, speech and literacy will both increase in children. Having music education facilitated in schools can be beneficial for children and their cognitive abilities. It can improve attention spans, which in turn, can help children struggling with attention deficit disorders.   

References

Dumont, Elisabeth, et al. “Music Interventions and Child Development: A Critical Review and Further Directions.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 8, no. 1694, 29 Sept. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5626863/, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01694.

Jäncke, Lutz. “Music, Memory and Emotion.” Journal of Biology, vol. 7, no. 6, 8 Aug. 2008, p. 21, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2776393/, https://doi.org/10.1186/jbiol82.

Kraus, Nina, and Travis White-Schwoch. “The Argument for Music Education.” American Scientist, 3 June 2020, www.americanscientist.org/article/the-argument-for-music-education.

Toader, Corneliu, et al. “Cognitive Crescendo: How Music Shapes the Brain’s Structure and Function.” Brain Sciences, vol. 13, no. 10, 1 Oct. 2023, p. 1390, www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/10/1390, https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13101390.