Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. ISSN 0077-8923

ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Special Issue: The Neurosciences and VI COMMENTARY Music, , and health: a meeting of the minds in neurosciences and music

Psyche Loui,1 Aniruddh Patel,2 Lisa M. Wong,3 Nadine Gaab,4 Suzanne B. Hanser,5 and Gottfried Schlaug6 1Wesleyan University. 2Tufts University. 3Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. 4Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. 5Berklee College of Music. 6Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School

Address for correspondence: [email protected]

Keywords: neuroscience; music; health

Humans have been fascinated by the effect of sound basic research and in , interindivid- on health since antiquity. In the sixth century BC, ual and intraindividual differences on these effects Pythagoras discovered that objects vibrating in sim- pose challenges but also opportunities of individual- ple numerical ratios produced harmonious ized and precision medicine approaches for the field. together. Building from this, he went on to posit Thus, there is a need for theoretical as well as empir- that listening to different musical modes had dif- ical work that aims to understand music and sound, ferent effects on health. Interest in music’s impact their relationship to health and well-being, and how on health continued over the centuries, and, in this relationship can be leveraged to increase human 2018, the study of music, sound, and health con- connections, interactions, and possibly healing. Bet- tinues to excite scientists, therapists, and the poten- ter understanding of these relationships may offer tial recipients of interventions. Current and previ- improved clinical applications with sensitivity and ous research have shown that and specificity, such as by informing the design of tar- music making change activity in many brain regions geted interventions and the type of engagement with typically involved in emotion, reward, cognition, music (such as singing, moving, and synchronizing sensations, and movement. Music is a multisen- to a beat) that are best suited to impact specific dis- sory and motor experience, with a unique ability to eases and disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and further strengthen an already strong bond between other gait disorders; outcome and recovery from brain regions that perceive with those that plan and stroke in both the motor and the language domains; execute motor commands. dyslexia and specific language impairment, stut- Part of the interest in this field from the scientific tering, cognitive impairment, and dementia; and community, as well as from the general public, stems various forms of autism. Such research might also from the fact that music is a fundamentally human help us understand the underlying neural correlates experience. Music is ubiquitous across human cul- of disorders of this music, such as tone deafness tures and across the human life span. Music brings and beat deafness, and their effects on other neuro- people together in a multitude of social situations; its logical and psychiatric disorders and dysfunctions. many uses include enjoyment, social bonding, and The study of sound and health is also timely, as it mood regulation. In recent years, the neurosciences capitalizes on technological advances of cognitive of music have systematically investigated how, why, neuroscience and theoretical advances on the oper- and for whom music and sound may influence the ating characteristics of the brain. brain and the body. While effects of music on phys- The Mariani Foundation for Paediatric Neurol- iology and cognition have been demonstrated in ogy hosted the Neurosciences and Music VI, an

doi: 10.1111/nyas.13938

Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1423 (2018) 7–9 C 2018 New York Academy of Sciences. 7 international conference, in Boston, Massachusetts, musical training across the life span. This includes from June 15–18, 2017, in partnership with the children (Habibi, Iversen, and Zuk and Gaab), ado- Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess lescents (Putkinen), training of different genres in Medical Center. The central theme of the conference young adults (Loui), and older adults (Alain, Russo was music, sound, and health. With over 500 partic- and Dubinsky, Johnson, Dege,´ Bugos). Behavioral ipants in attendance, the program included a pre- and neurophysiological work from nonhuman ani- conference music intervention workshop; a keynote mals are also represented (Rauschecker, Honing, lecture by Professor Josef Rauschecker; symposia; Merchant). Genetic and developmental contribu- poster sessions (260 were accepted: a record!; see tions to musical aptitude are considered, encom- Supplementary File 1, online only); and lightning passing a wide range of abilities, including prodigies poster presentations, chosen by a peer-review pro- and people with exceptional skills (Moser, Jarvel¨ a,¨ cess. The meeting was of interest to neuroscientists, Hambrick, Winner). Clinical and translational work psychologists, and clinicians (both professionals coveredinthisvolumerangefromveryearlymusical and students) in the medical field, with participants interventions to support infant development (Ter- from related disciplines, including therapy, educa- vaniemi, Loewy, Virtala, Partanen) to a multitude of tion, , and music performance, which disorders, including Landau-Kleffner syndrome, a elicited the collaboration of several qualified pro- childhood epileptic disorder (Caclin and Tillmann); motion partners. developmental stuttering (McAuley); dyslexia (Zuk The highly successful series “The Neurosciences and Gaab); developmental coordination disorder and Music” was introduced in New York in 2000 (the (Trainor and Chang); autism (Chenausky, Lense); conference title was “The Biological Foundations of and specific language impairment (Gordon, Schon),¨ Music”), resulting in the special issue Annals of the as well as recovery from stroke (Schlaug, Sark¨ am¨ o,¨ New York Academy of Sciences 930: 1−462. Since Baylan, Fujioka, Rodr´ıguez-Fornells), and effects then, meetings have convened in Venice (2002, in of musical interventions on Alzheimer’s disease cooperation with International School of Neuro- (Hanser) and age-related loss (Russo and logical Sciences), Leipzig (2005, with Max Planck Dubinsky). Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences This special issue also addresses fundamental Leipzig), Montreal (2008 with BRAMS, Interna- questions in the field that pertain to short-term tional Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound memory (Griffiths, Lefebvre and Jolicoeur, Albouy), Research), Edinburgh (2011, with IMHSD, the Insti- emotion and the predictive processes of the brain tute for Music in Human and Social Development), (Vuust, Koelsch, Zatorre, Pearce, Noppeney), cul- and Dijon (2014, with the University of Bourgogne, tural evolution (Ravignani), and the roles of Municipality of Dijon, and the University of Lyon and entrainment (Hannon, Cirelli, Lense, Trainor in cooperation with EBRAMUS, Initial Training and Chang, Gordon), as well as the similarities and Network). All meetings have been held under the differences between brain processes for music and aegis of the Mariani Foundation, and each featured language (Patel, Jancke,¨ Elmer) and for music and a theme: spanning development (Ann. N.Y. Acad. voice (Belin), and effects of linguistic experience Sci. 999: 1−548), perception and performance (Ann. (White-Schwoch and Kraus) and the nature of inter- N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1060: 1−490), disorders and plastic- actions between multiple sensory systems (van Vugt, ity (Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1169: 1−569), learning and Furuya, Bernardi) and between multiple individu- memory (Ann. N.Y.Acad. Sci. 1252: 1−367, E1−E7), als (Zamm and Palmer, Lindenberger and Muller,¨ and cognitive stimulation and rehabilitation (Ann. Novembre et al.). N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1337: 1−271). We are elated to see that the field of music neuro- The present volume includes the latest research in science is burgeoning, as indicated by the increasing neurosciences and music from contributors across attendance and high quality of submissions to the 16 countries coming from multiple disciplines and Neurosciences and Music conferences over the years, diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives. with continued quality from established researchers One theme of this volume addresses the effects of as well as highly impactful work from young

8 Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1423 (2018) 7–9 C 2018 New York Academy of Sciences. investigators. We hope that this volume represents music neuroscience, and may also provide a useful a maturation of theoretical ideas and methodologi- introduction to the modern study of the potential cal advances, while offering an expanded and more benefits of musical sound and engagement on health in-depth discussion and consideration of concepts and well-being. touched upon at the conference. The present spe- Competing interests cial issue provides a snapshot and current state of The authors declare no competing interests

Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1423 (2018) 7–9 C 2018 New York Academy of Sciences. 9