The role of neural oscillations in sensorimotor integration of pleasure and performance in music

Our experience of music is multifaceted, including aspects of movement, emotion, timing, and expectation. Accordingly, music cognition recruits a wide range of brain areas during both passive listening, and musical performance. However, the extent to which these brain regions interact with each other is not fully understood. Recent research has indicated that synchronization of neural oscillations – the rate at which groups of neurons fire – may be an indicator of how distant brain areas interact with each other during music processing. Using electroencephalography (EEG), the project investigates the relationship between how much we like a piece of music and the amount of synchronization between brain areas during music listening. We will also examine the role of oscillations in music learning during a piano task. We expect to observe increased synchronization as liking for a piece of music increases and as piano performance improves, particularly between brain regions associated with pleasure and motor activity.

Faculty Supervisor:

Virginia Penhune

Student:

Partner:

University of Barcelona

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

Concordia University

Program: