Two Benefits of Music For Your Brain

Music literally changes your brain.  There are so many positive benefits of music and specifically for your brain.  As a musician, I might be slightly biased when it comes to the benefits of music, but the research backs up my bias.

Dr. Charles Limb, associate professor of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Johns Hopkins University, explains:  "I think there's enough evidence to say that musical experience, musical exposure, musical training, all of those things change your brain.  It allows you to think in a way that you used to not think, and it also trains a lot of other cognitive facilities that have nothing to do with music."

Here's a video clip of Dr. Limb explaining his studies on cochlear implants and how music affects the brain:

Retrieved from:  http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/26/health/mental-health/music-brain-science/index.html,

accessed 2 Dec. 2012.

A study done at Stanford University showed that music helps move the brain to pay attention.  The research "showed that music engages the areas of the brain involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory."  Interestingly enough, however, they found that "peak brain activity occurred during a short period of silence between musical movements—when seemingly nothing was happening."  Dr. Jonathan Berger, associate professor of music at Stanford, explained that "music engages the brain over a period of time and the process of listening to music could be a way that the brain sharpens its ability to anticipate events and sustain attention."

Another example of a benefit is that music can help you remember concepts that are typically more difficult to remember.  Rilla Chaney, a teacher coach, explains how she used music to help her students remember science concepts.  It might seem a bit silly but it seems to work!  Listen to her tell of her experiences with music memorization:

(UPDATE:  embedded link has been taken down - sorry)

I've listed a couple of examples of how music benefits your brain but there are countless more.  As time passes I will update this blog with more of my findings on this topic.  In the mean time, I've listed a few articles on how music benefits the brain:

"Science and Psychology of Music and the Making of War Time Songs"

"Neuroscience of Music – How Music Enhances Learning Through Neuroplasticity"
"Scientists study music's effects on our brains and bodies"

Music Triggering Memories in the Brain

I decided to follow up a bit with that last post on music, memory, and the Alzheimer's brain.  After doing some more research on the subject, I found that the actual science of what is going on in the brain is pretty astonishing.  As mentioned in my last post, we all experience the sense of nostalgia that occurs when we listen to an old song we used to listen to when we were younger.  Petr Janata, a cognitive neuroscientist at University of California, Davis, explains it further:

"What seems to happen is that a piece of familiar music serves as a soundtrack for a mental movie that starts playing in our head.  It calls back memories of a particular person or place, and you might all of a sudden see that person's face in your mind's eye."

Janata conducted an experiment that measured activity in the brain as subjects listened to 30 different songs that were randomly chosen from the Billboard Top 100 from the years the subjects would have been 8 to 18 years old.  In addition to monitoring the brain activity, Janata had the subjects raise their hands when the song specifically triggered an autobiographical memory instead.  The part of the brain that was affected by this experiment was the medial prefrontal cortex.  It responded quickest to music signature, timescale and tonality but reacted more powerfully when the song triggered an autobiographical memory.

Here is an image of some of the brain scans done from this experiment:

Brain areas showing music tonality-tracking behavior. Different colors represent the 
number of subjects who showed significant tracking behavior.

Source: Cerebral Cortex/Janata, no date

Retrieved from: http://www.livescience.com/health/090224-music-memory.html,
accessed 3 Dec. 2012

I also found this graph explaining some of the results of Janata's experiment:

Graph of Memory Association and Familiarity of Song
Source:  Petr Janata, no date
Retrieved from: http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2008/08/18/
music-and-memory-1/, accessed  3 Dec 2012.

Honestly, I found this graph a bit confusing but luckily found a good explanation of how to interpret it.  Dave Munger, a blogger on ScienceBlogs.com, commented about this graph:

"'Memory association' indicates the percentage of listeners indicating that they had a particular type of memory associated with a song. 'No association' means they had no memory to go with the song. So nearly all listeners had no memories associated with unfamiliar songs, but when the songs were very familiar, most listeners had either strong autobiographical or somewhat autobiographical memories associated with those songs."

Bringing it back to the research of how music helps those suffering from Alzheimer's, Janata stated that, "It's not going to reverse the disease, but if you can make quality of life better, why not?"  I agree with Janata.  Obviously music won't cure Alzheimer's but if it can significantly increase the quality of life of those who suffer from it, then I feel that more effort should be made in helping those individuals gain access to music.

You can find the entire case study of Janata's research here (for a price):
"Characterisation of music-evoked autobiographical memories" on Taylor & Francis Online
There is also another fascinating study done on the correlation between music and autobiographical memory found here (without a price):
"Remembrance of Things Past:  Music, Autobiographical Memory, and Emotion" on ACRwebsite.org

Music and Alzheimer's

My grandmother had Alzheimer's disease when I was a boy.  I never really got to know her personally due to the distance between us.  I grew up in Louisiana and my grandparents lived in Utah.  She passed away when I was 10 years old.  I do remember some experiences with her and recognized at the time the effects that Alzheimer's had on her.  It is a devastating illness that affects more than just an individual but their entire family.  Memory seems to altogether disappear and someone who you love all of a sudden has no memory of who you are.  My other grandma had dementia in the last few years of her life.  Very similar effects occurred with her memory and recognition of family.

Because of this personal experience with memory loss of loved ones, I was happy to learn of a new program founded by Dan Cohen that provides musical therapy to help those who suffer from Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia.  It is called Music & Memory.  As stated in its mission statement, it is a "non-profit organization that brings personalized music into the lives of the elderly or infirm through digital music technology, vastly improving quality of life."  The organization provides funding for iPods to be distributed to more than 60 nursing homes and other facilities across the United States and Canada.

Henry Listening to Music
Source:  Michael Rossato-Bennett, no date
Retrieved from:  http://musicandmemory.org, accessed on 3 Dec. 2012.

The premise behind the program is based off research done on the correlation between music and long-term memory.  Most likely you have experienced this phenomenon many times in your life.  Have you ever listened to an old song that you love only to have it spark specific memories from a former time of your life?  That happens to me all the time.  Certain songs that came out when I was in high school always seem to trigger my memory to that time of my life when I hear them nowadays.  The same thing happens to those suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia.  Music reawakens memories in their brain that otherwise seemed to have disappeared.  Michael Rossato-Bennett has produced a stunning documentary about the Music & Memory organization called "Alive Inside."  "Alive Inside" referring to the fact that elderly people who suffer from these illnesses are still alive inside and only need to be awakened.  On their website linked above they include one of their hopes in producing the documentary:  "Like many films that concentrate on a simple story but echo into larger stories, we feel this film raises questions about how we as a society care for the elderly and afflicted."

Here is a short video clip of "Alive Inside," summarizing the documentary.  My favorite part is seeing Henry come alive while listening to music:

Music & Memory Story - Short from Michael Rossato-Bennett on Vimeo.

I wonder what kind of effect music would have had on my grandmothers and what kind of mental spark it could have had on them.  I feel that this is an important topic that shouldn't be dismissed.  As a society we can do a better job to care for the elderly who have paved the way for us.

For more information on this subject check out these awesome articles:
"For Elders With Dementia, Musical Awakenings" on NPR.org
"Group Uses Music To Help Seniors With Alzheimer's Disease" on NY1.com
"Documentary 'Alive Inside' shows the healing power of music" on CNN.com

Is Listening to Music While You Study Good or Bad for Your Memory?

Have you ever wondered if listening to music while you study for a test helps you retain what you study?  Studies show that the answer is yes and no.  On August 8, 2010, Robert Priedt wrote on USATODAY.com that a study published in 2010 through the online journal Applied Cognitive Psychology shows that background music seems to impair a person’s ability to memorize or recall information.  The study subjects were asked to recall a list of eight consonants in the order that they were presented.  They did this in different sound environments and the researchers found that the subject’s recall ability was poorest when they were listening to music.  This study would suggest that it’s a bad idea to listen to music while you study for your next test but like with most things, there’s another side to this coin. 

On August 9, 2011, the University of Phoenix Writer Network referenced a different study from 1996 that concluded that certain types of music actually stimulate the brain to work more efficiently while studying.  The research studies asserted that particularly classical and baroque music had the most positive effect on the subject’s memory retain ability.  Because this type of music typically maintains a 60 beats per minute tempo it activates the right side of the brain while the left side of the brain is activated by studying material.  The brain is able to work more efficiently with both sides activated.  The study also found that the reason classical and baroque music have the most positive effect is because that type of music follows a specific structure that only repeats once throughout a particular composition.  If there is too much repetition in the background music it is distracting to the brain and not beneficial for memory recall.  So there are a lot of factors at work to determine whether or not music stifles your memory or fosters it.

Boyd Richards who is currently studying Computer Science at Utah Valley University listens to music every time he studies.  “I listen to a wide range of music from Bach to Blink-182 to Pavarotti to Muse, Eminem and Shakira while I’m studying.  I don’t notice any difference when I’m studying to Bach or Eminem.”  When asked why he listens to music while studying he said, “Music helps me ignore everything else that’s going on.”  Jake Gifford who is also studying at UVU, stated “Music helps keep me up and alert while I’m studying.  I keep the volume up high enough for me to hear it but down enough to where it’s not distracting.  My mind tends to wander when I’m not listening to music, so it helps me concentrate.”

There are pros and cons from listening to music while you study.  Different people respond differently to various music depending on its tempo, volume, patterns, and intensity.  So, what should you do the next time you are thinking about listening to music before you study?  Pay attention to the tempo, volume, repetition patterns, and genre of music to see if it will be more distracting than helpful.

Studying with Music
Source:  Jeff Miller, 26 Apr. 2007
Retrieved from: http://photos.uc.wisc.edu/photos/7290/view, accessed 28 Nov. 2012.

For some ideas of what music is helpful for studying, check out this article:
"Music Can Help You Study"
Here is an article that will help you decide what music is right for you to study by:
"Music and Studying"

Introduction

“Music and Memory” is a blog dedicated to the topic of how music affects the human brain.  As a musician I am fascinated with the effects of music to the brain.  These effects can be positive or negative depending on many different factors.  Music is such a large part of my life and I've often wondered if it’s good for my brain or is it possible that it’s not?  There are many different opinions on the matter and there have been a lot of studies that have been done over the years.  Studies have been done on the positive and negative effects that certain types of music have on the brain’s ability to retain information while studying.  Other studies have been done to show the positive effects that music can have with Alzheimer’s patients and how it stimulates their brains and temporarily “awakens” them.  Music has been proven as an effective type of therapy for several different mental diseases.  Scientists have determined what part of the brain is stimulated by music and have done experiments to determine its effects on human behavior.  I feel that there are so many different applications of music in our lives and I think that sometimes we take for granted this amazing type of brain stimulation that has been a part of human culture for ages.

Music Stimulation in Your Brain
Source: No credit found
Retrieved from: http://eegraphics.com/roadside/?p=171, accessed 26 Nov. 2012.