COGNITIVE STUDY DISCOVERS THE CAUSAL LINK BETWEEN MUSIC AND BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN BABIES

A study found that brain regions key to music and speech were sharper in nine-month-old boys and girls who had attended musical play sessions.

This could make it easier for them to learn to speak and, eventually, even to learn foreign languages.

Researchers have found exposing infants to music early on could potentially give them a mental boost. In a small study of 39 babies, scientists found brain regions key to music and speech were sharper in nine-month-old boys and girls who had attended musical play sessions. Stock image

The US researchers said that exposure to the rhythms of music may make it easier for youngsters to make sense of the ever-changing world around them.

Study author Patricia Khul said: ‘Infants experience a complex world in which sounds, lights and sensations vary constantly.

‘The baby's job is to recognise the patterns of activity and predict what's going to happen next.

‘Pattern perception is an important cognitive skill, and improving that ability early may have long-lasting effects on learning.’

Music-themed play sessions, such as Monkey Music, are popular in Britain with middle-class parents keen to give their babies the best start in life.

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Music-themed play sessions are popular in Britain with middle-class parents keen to give their babies the best start in life, but there has been a lack of clear evidence that they are beneficial. Stock image

PLAY US A TUNE... 

Researchers have found exposing infants to music early in life could potentially give them a mental boost.

In a small study of 39 babies, scientists at the University of Washington found brain regions key to music and speech were sharper in nine-month-old boys and girls who had attended musical play sessions.

The babies were given a test designed to show how well they processed sounds, by playing them a series of musical and speech sounds as they sat in a brain scanner.

Scans of those brain regions involved in processing sound, attention control and pattern detection revealed that both groups of babies noticed when the patterns changed.

But the musical babies were seen to have a much stronger response, which could offer them an advantage if they are able to better recognise sound patterns.

However, until now, there hasn’t been clear evidence that they are beneficial.

Dr Khul, of the University of Washington, studied 39 babies who attended three play sessions a week in her lab.

Half played in time to music, with their parents bouncing them on their knees or helping them shake maracas or tap a drum.

The others played with blocks, cars and other toys in sessions that were active and sociable but didn’t involve music.

After a month of music or play classes, the youngsters underwent a test designed to show how well they processed sounds.

This involved playing them a series of musical and speech sounds as they sat in a brain scanner.

The sounds followed a set pattern but occasionally, the notes or syllables were disrupted.

Scans of brain regions involved in processing sound, attention control and pattern detection showed that both groups of babies noticed when the patterns changed.

However, the brains of the babies in music classes reacted much more strongly, the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports.

Scans of brain regions involved in processing sound, attention control and pattern detection revealed that both groups of babies noticed when the patterns changed. But the musical babies were seen to have a much stronger response, which could offer them an advantage. Stock image

This, say the researchers, suggests the musical play made it easier for them to detect patterns in sounds – something that could be useful in learning musical instruments and foreign languages as they grow up.

Dr Kuhl said: ‘Music experience has the potential to boost broader cognitive skills that enhance children's abilities to detect, expect and react quickly to patterns in the world, which is highly relevant in today's complex world.’

She added that while various studies have linked playing an instrument to a boost in brainpower, it was possible that children with certain wiring are more likely to become musicians.

The latest research shows that being exposed to music brings benefits – whether or not a child has a musical talent.

THE MOZART EFFECT: FACT OR FICTION? 

Despite the widely held belief in the 'Mozart effect' there is a lack of strong scientific data to show that listening to the Mozart's music makes babies smarter. Pictured is Mozart as a young man

Much research has been carried out on whether or not listening to classical music can boost brain power, with studies in favour of both sides of the argument.

The long-held belief is that of all the composers, Mozart has the biggest impact on the developing brain, a claim which is thought to have emerged from a 1993 study.

Small studies with adults have claimed that listening to bursts of the Austrian prodigy can enhance memory, understanding and problem-solving.

For infants, the effect has been touted as a way of boosting the IQ of babies by playing them sonatas and symphonies in the womb.

Since the emergence of the claims a number of large studies – looking at the combined results of numerous smaller experiments – have claimed to debunk the effect, failing to reproduce the infamous ‘Mozart effect’ under control conditions.

However, the lack of clear scientific evidence in favour of the effect doesn’t seem to faze parents, or the wider belief in the pop science effect, with sales of baby-friendly classical CDs going strong.