Premium
The multisensory brain and its ability to learn music
Author(s) -
Zimmerman Emily,
Lahav Amir
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06455.x
Subject(s) - set (abstract data type) , psychology , neuroplasticity , brain function , context (archaeology) , neuroscience , musical , cognitive psychology , cognitive science , multisensory integration , brain activity and meditation , computer science , biology , perception , electroencephalography , art , visual arts , paleontology , programming language
Playing a musical instrument requires a complex skill set that depends on the brain's ability to quickly integrate information from multiple senses. It has been well documented that intensive musical training alters brain structure and function within and across multisensory brain regions, supporting the experience‐dependent plasticity model. Here, we argue that this experience‐dependent plasticity occurs because of the multisensory nature of the brain and may be an important contributing factor to musical learning. This review highlights key multisensory regions within the brain and discusses their role in the context of music learning and rehabilitation.