How Music Training Reshapes a Child’s Developing Brain
The team tracked brain structure changes using magnetic resonance imaging. They focused on cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical volume in children over several years. Those who kept better time with a beat showed slower thinning in regions like the pars orbitalis and pars triangularis—areas tied to movement planning and understanding complex structures.
Children with stronger rhythmic abilities also displayed different development patterns in about 27 percent of the brain regions studied. These included delayed growth in the cerebellum, which aids motor control, and the amygdala, linked to emotional processing. The study, published in Brain Research, found that genetics alone did not explain these differences. Instead, shared environments and individual experiences played a major role.
An enriched musical environment may help keep the brain’s learning window open for longer. The researchers believe this extended plasticity could support skills beyond music, such as empathy and problem-solving. Future work will explore how musical training connects to broader social behaviours like perspective-taking.
The results highlight a clear link between rhythmic ability and brain development in children. By slowing changes in motor and emotional regions, music could offer lasting benefits for learning. The team plans further research into how these effects influence social and cognitive growth.
