Fwd: Study: Musicians' brains wired for sound

[Susan Lerner <meydele...>]

Alright, not Jewish, but certainly music related.  Too interesting not to 
forward.

Shira


>>From http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/11/15/musicians.brains.ap/index.html
>>Study: Musicians' brains wired for sound
>>
>>SAN DIEGO, California (AP) --The brain waves of professional musicians 
>>respond to music in a way that suggests they have an intuitive sense of the 
>>notes that amateurs lack, researchers said Wednesday.
>>
>>Neuroscientists, using brain-scanning MRI machines to peer inside the minds 
>>of professional German violinists, found they could hear the music simply by 
>>thinking about it, a skill amateurs in the study were unable to match.
>>
>>The research offers insight into the inner workings of the brain and shows 
>>that musicians' brains are uniquely wired for sound, researchers said at the 
>>annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.
>>
>>Neuroscientists often study how we hear and play music because it is one of 
>>the few activities that use many functions of the brain, including memory, 
>>learning, motor control, emotion, hearing and creativity, said Dr. Robert 
>>Zatorre of the Montreal Neurological Institute.
>>
>>"It offers a window onto the highest levels of human cognition," Zatorre said.
>>
>>In a study by researchers at the University of Tuebingen, the brains of eight 
>>violinists with German orchestras and eight amateurs were analyzed as they 
>>silently tapped out the first 16 bars of Mozart's violin concerto in G major.
>>
>>Brain scans showed professionals had significant activity in the part of 
>>their brains that controlled hearing, said Dr. Gabriela Scheler of the 
>>University of Tuebingen.
>>
>>"When the professionals move their fingers, they are also hearing the music 
>>in their heads," Scheler said.
>>
>>Amateurs, by contrast, showed more activity in the motor cortex, the region 
>>that controls finger movements, suggesting they were more preoccupied with 
>>hitting the correct notes, she said.
>>
>>Scheler, a former violinist with the Nuremberg Philharmonic Orchestra, said 
>>the findings suggested that professionals have "liberated" their minds from 
>>worrying about hitting the right notes. As a result, they are able to listen, 
>>judge and control their play, Scheler said.
>>
>>"Presumably, this enhances the musical performance," she said.
>>
>>In a second experiment, the violinists were asked to imagine playing the 
>>concerto without moving their fingers. Brain scans showed again that the 
>>professionals were hearing the music in their heads.
>>
>>Zatorre, who has studied the brain's response to music for two decades, said 
>>it was the first time anyone had studied music and its relationship to motor 
>>control and imagery.
>>
>>
>>Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.

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