TY - JOUR
T1 - How is music processed? Tentative answers from cognitive neuroscience
AU - Hernandez-Ruiz, Eugenia
N1 - Funding Information:
The author would like to thank Dr. Christopher M. Johnson, Dr. Cynthia Colwell, Dr. Deanna Hanson-Abromeit, Dr. Jim Daugherty, and Dr. Michael Roberts, at the University of Kansas for their support and feedback.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, © 2019 GAMUT–The Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre.
Copyright:
Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/8/8
Y1 - 2019/8/8
N2 - Introduction: Music therapists have turned to neuroscience for an explanation of the therapeutic effect of music. Following this interest, the present author conducted a narrative review of this emerging topic. Method: The author searched PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Google Scholar and a university database with “music” and “neuroscience” as search terms, for publications between 2000 and 2015, including only those relevant to music processing. A full-text review was performed, and thematic summaries were compiled. Results: Findings indicate that music is a complex, generative, and recursive phenomenon that uses similar neural networks as other sounds. It generates emotional responses processed sequentially and simultaneously by cortical and subcortical areas (vmPFC, insula, amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus and parahippocampus, hypothalamus, NAc, caudate nucleus, and OFC). Music generates activity in motor areas (premotor, primary motor, basal ganglia, and cerebellum) and also engages higher-order processing. Discussion: Music perception is probably the result of the Gestalt at all levels. Extraneous variables, such as expertise, attitude, mood, environment, and interpersonal relationships can also modify music processing. Further, this literature only pertains to receptive experiences, and not the active involvement common in music therapy. Recommendations for music interventions should consider the complexity of music processing and the limitations of our current technology.
AB - Introduction: Music therapists have turned to neuroscience for an explanation of the therapeutic effect of music. Following this interest, the present author conducted a narrative review of this emerging topic. Method: The author searched PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Google Scholar and a university database with “music” and “neuroscience” as search terms, for publications between 2000 and 2015, including only those relevant to music processing. A full-text review was performed, and thematic summaries were compiled. Results: Findings indicate that music is a complex, generative, and recursive phenomenon that uses similar neural networks as other sounds. It generates emotional responses processed sequentially and simultaneously by cortical and subcortical areas (vmPFC, insula, amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus and parahippocampus, hypothalamus, NAc, caudate nucleus, and OFC). Music generates activity in motor areas (premotor, primary motor, basal ganglia, and cerebellum) and also engages higher-order processing. Discussion: Music perception is probably the result of the Gestalt at all levels. Extraneous variables, such as expertise, attitude, mood, environment, and interpersonal relationships can also modify music processing. Further, this literature only pertains to receptive experiences, and not the active involvement common in music therapy. Recommendations for music interventions should consider the complexity of music processing and the limitations of our current technology.
KW - Music
KW - cognitive neuroscience
KW - music processing
KW - music therapy
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U2 - 10.1080/08098131.2019.1587785
DO - 10.1080/08098131.2019.1587785
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85063954680
SN - 0809-8131
VL - 28
SP - 315
EP - 332
JO - Nordic Journal of Music Therapy
JF - Nordic Journal of Music Therapy
IS - 4
ER -