Research finds brain link for words, music ability

[one...two...tree 2,762]

by Randolph E. Schmid -

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO - Words and music, such natural partners that it seems obvious they go together. Now science is confirming that those abilities are linked in the brain, a finding that might even lead to better stroke treatments.

Studies have found overlap in the brain's processing of language and instrumental music, and new research suggests that intensive musical therapy may help improve speech in stroke patients, researchers said Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In addition, researchers said, music education

can help children with developmental dyslexia or autism more accurately use speech.

People who have suffered a severe stroke on the left side of the brain and cannot speak can sometimes learn to communicate through singing, Gottfried Schlaug, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School told the meeting.

"Music making

is a multisensory experience, activating links to several parts of the brain," Schlaug said.

Schlaug showed a video of one patient who could only make meaningless sounds learning to say "I am thirsty," by singing the words, and another was able to sing "happy birthday."

"If you have someone who is non-verbal and they can say there are hungry or thirsty or ask where the bathroom is, that's an improvement," Schlaug said of the Melodic Intonation Therapy.

As long as a century ago there were reports of stroke victims who couldn't talk but who could sing, he said. Now, they are doing trials to see if music can be used as a therapy.

But, he cautioned, the work is geared toward people who have had a severe stroke on the left side of the brain and the therapy can take a long time.

Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University, reported that new studies show that musical training enhances the brain's ability to do other things.

For example, she said, the trained brain gets better at detecting patterns in sounds, so that musicians are better at picking out the voice of a friend in a noisy restaurant.

"Musical experience improves abilities important in daily life," she said. "Playing an instrument may help youngsters better process speech in noisy classrooms and more accurately interpret the nuances of language that are conveyed by subtle changes in the human voice," Kraus said.

When people first learn to talk and when they talk to babies they often use musical patterns in their speech, she noted.

"People's hearing systems are fine-tuned by the experiences they've had with sound throughout their lives. Music training is not only beneficial for processing music stimuli. We've found that years of music training may also improve how sounds are processed for language and emotion," Kraus said in prepared remarks.

Kraus said "the very responses that are enhanced in musicians are deficient in clinical populations such as children with developmental dyslexia and autism."

New studies of brain waves, she noted, mimic the patterns of sound that the individual hears. Whether speech or instrumental music is heard, it is actually possible to record the brain's electronic waves and play them back to hear the sound - which she demonstrated with a series of recordings.

Aniruddh D. Patel of The Neurosciences Institute in San Diego said new studies show that music doesn't involve just hot spots in the brain, but large swaths on both sides of the brain.

"Nouns and verbs are very different from tones and cords and harmony, but the parts of the brain that process them overlap," he said.

Some scientists, among them Charles Darwin, have speculated that musical ability in humans might have developed before language, Patel said.

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[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Yeah, no surprise to me there. I've been a musician for most of my life, and while I know my music theory fairly well (i.e.: reading notes, knowing key signatures, time signatures etc.), I play predominantly by ear. And to further bolster what this study says, I have to admit that I lack the ability to "tune out" music or conversation. If I'm sitting in a restaurant, chatting with a friend over lunch, I can't help but hear the music...hear other conversations... It's rather distracting, in all honesty.

Music is nothing more than a variety of sonic frequencies coalescing into sound waves. And that's what speech is as well. The mind simply translates those frequencies into something intelligible. The ear CAN be trained, though. I always loved doing ear training during the Mastering class in music college -- the instructor would make minor changes in volume, frequency etc. to a piece of music. He would first play the original, unedited piece, then he would play back the piece with a few minor changes, and you had to describe what those changes were and at what point in the music segment they occurred.

I must admit, I often wonder with studies like this why they put their data across like it's a major revelation -- it's been known in lesser scientific circles for many years.

[Christi and Ian 24]

When my daughter was born, the hospital gave us a care package as we left which included a CD of classical music specifically geared toward helping her brain develop speech according to their research. They asked us to play it for her on a regular basis, which we did.

My daughter's language abilities, to this day, astonish me. We never had to "interpret" what she was saying for anyone, as her speech was always very clear, and she still has an amazing ability to learn large words, and use them in the proper context that no 9-year old has any business knowing.

Now whether it is just coincidence, the fact that we never "baby-talked" with her, a child's innate ability to quickly pick up language, or this CD, I don't know, but I'd like to think that Mr. Beethoven & Mr. Mozart had something to do with it.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Yeah, no surprise to me there. I've been a musician for most of my life, and while I know my music theory fairly well (i.e.: reading notes, knowing key signatures, time signatures etc.), I play predominantly by ear. And to further bolster what this study says, I have to admit that I lack the ability to "tune out" music or conversation. If I'm sitting in a restaurant, chatting with a friend over lunch, I can't help but hear the music...hear other conversations... It's rather distracting, in all honesty.

Music is nothing more than a variety of sonic frequencies coalescing into sound waves. And that's what speech is as well. The mind simply translates those frequencies into something intelligible. The ear CAN be trained, though. I always loved doing ear training during the Mastering class in music college -- the instructor would make minor changes in volume, frequency etc. to a piece of music. He would first play the original, unedited piece, then he would play back the piece with a few minor changes, and you had to describe what those changes were and at what point in the music segment they occurred.

I must admit, I often wonder with studies like this why they put their data across like it's a major revelation -- it's been known in lesser scientific circles for many years.

Do you remember at what age your parents exposed you to music? Did they play a lot of music in the house during your childhood?

[Darnell 8,480]

this is cool - i think so.

There was always that linkage with babies - nice to see the other end of the lifecycle about old folksen too.

I am big advocate of music training at early age.

also - i think - if you can read music and sing - well, Crikey - you can learn Mandarin

Edited February 21, 2010 by Darnell

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I am big advocate of music training at early age.

I agree. I think every child should learn rudimentary music at an early age. I was lucky enough to have it when I was in school, but nowadays, it's considered an unnecessary school expenditure. Very shortsighted.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Do you remember at what age your parents exposed you to music? Did they play a lot of music in the house during your childhood?

Funnily enough, I was thinking about that after I posted. I'm sure there was a lot of music in my home as I was a baby and beyond. My parents don't enjoy classical though...I probably would have been exposed to ABBA, CCR, the Eagles etc. My father plays a bit of piano too. Keyboard is my main instrument, though drums/percussion is right up there for me. I tend to be able to pick up instruments and figure them out rather quickly though. It's a skill I wish I could have had more use for...

Since I'm quite musically inclined, I'm sure I'll expose my kids to lots of music at a very early age too. I have more appreciation for classical than my parents did, though I think I'll steer clear of Wagner and Orff for the first couple of years or so of their development.

[Darnell 8,480]

Do you remember at what age your parents exposed you to music? Did they play a lot of music in the house during your childhood?

For me, it was 'when i came home' from hospital. stayed that way till I moved out.