Effects of Music Training on Neurodevelopment and Associated Health Outcomes

While there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that music training benefits brain development, the evidence is not conclusive and rigorously designed randomized control trial (RCT) neuroimaging studies are needed to provide a definitive answer to whether and which brain circuits are enhanced by music training and how. We aim to address this gap: we propose an RCT to robustly test the hypothesis that systematic music training will benefit development of brain inhibition control circuitry in children. Prior work, including ours, has provided suggestive evidence that long-term music training in children may lead to neuroplastic functional changes in the associated frontal brain circuitry and improvement of inhibitory control. During the R61 phase, we will test the feasibility (recruitment, retention, adherence, and intent to continue) of an RCT with 40 children between ages 6–8, who will be assigned either to a 24-month intervention trial targeting community- and group-focused after-school music training, the music group (MG), or to an after-school program comprising art and theatre studies without specific focus on systematic music training, the control group (CG). We will use multimodal imaging and behavioral probes to measure two aspects of inhibition control: (1) response inhibition using a stop-signal task and (2) delayed gratification using a computerized task wherein children will be asked to choose immediate vs. delayed monetary rewards. Neuroimaging measures will be obtained twice, pre- and post-2-year intervention. Behavioral measures will be obtained at baseline and yearly thereafter. During the R33 phase, we will additionally recruit 74 children between ages 6–8 and assess them with the same imaging and behavioral measurements using the same testing timeline as in the R61 phase. This will be the first RCT using neuroimaging to assess whether and how music training enhances brain inhibition control circuitry. By focusing on early developmental stages, our results will shed light on the effects of music training on brain function, and how early brain-to-behavior changes induced by music training may have long-term positive effects on health and success.