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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive

Brain Structures Differ between Musicians and Non-Musicians

Christian Gaser and Gottfried Schlaug
Journal of Neuroscience 8 October 2003, 23 (27) 9240-9245; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-27-09240.2003
Christian Gaser
1Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, and 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany
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Gottfried Schlaug
1Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, and 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany
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This article has a correction. Please see:

  • Correction: Gaser and Schlaug, Brain Structures Differ between Musicians and Non-Musicians - September 04, 2013

Abstract

From an early age, musicians learn complex motor and auditory skills (e.g., the translation of visually perceived musical symbols into motor commands with simultaneous auditory monitoring of output), which they practice extensively from childhood throughout their entire careers. Using a voxel-by-voxel morphometric technique, we found gray matter volume differences in motor, auditory, and visual-spatial brain regions when comparing professional musicians (keyboard players) with a matched group of amateur musicians and non-musicians. Although some of these multiregional differences could be attributable to innate predisposition, we believe they may represent structural adaptations in response to long-term skill acquisition and the repetitive rehearsal of those skills. This hypothesis is supported by the strong association we found between structural differences, musician status, and practice intensity, as well as the wealth of supporting animal data showing structural changes in response to long-term motor training. However, only future experiments can determine the relative contribution of predisposition and practice.

  • musician
  • brain
  • morphometry
  • motor training
  • sensorimotor
  • gray matter
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The Journal of Neuroscience: 23 (27)
Journal of Neuroscience
Vol. 23, Issue 27
8 Oct 2003
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Brain Structures Differ between Musicians and Non-Musicians
Christian Gaser, Gottfried Schlaug
Journal of Neuroscience 8 October 2003, 23 (27) 9240-9245; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-27-09240.2003

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Brain Structures Differ between Musicians and Non-Musicians
Christian Gaser, Gottfried Schlaug
Journal of Neuroscience 8 October 2003, 23 (27) 9240-9245; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-27-09240.2003
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Keywords

  • musician
  • brain
  • morphometry
  • motor training
  • sensorimotor
  • gray matter

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