Project

Brain and Music: Electroencephalography Measurements and Analysis of Cortical Activations among Musicians and Non-Musicians for different ragas

Understanding auditory cognitive neuroscience behind music perception and cognition has provided biosignature-based evidence for functional and structural brain plasticity related to musical activity. Music influences day-to-day life relating to stress reduction, improving cognitive functions and emotional processes. Electroencephalography (EEG) based neuroimaging techniques were employed to analyze the effect of music on brain behavior. This study on music and the brain aims to explore the temporal dynamics of brain regions in response to music perception using EEG technique. The goal is to decipher functional neural circuitry basis underlying music perception and response related to different auditory cues and to compare neural oscillatory patterns of music perception among trained and amateur subjects.  The auditory cues selected for the study were Western stimuli, Beethoven symphony 9 and Indian Carnatic (Flute music in Kapi raga), two ragas from Indian Carnatic music Reethigowla raga and Shivaranjini raga. Cortical mapping indicated the differential activation of brain rhythms that related functional changes in brain lobes associated with different auditory stimuli among skilled and amateur study groups. Recent work titled “Electroencephalography measurements and analysis of cortical activations among musicians and non-musicians for happy and sad Indian classical music”, focusing on varying patterns of brain rhythms in response to happy music, sad music and other auditory stimuli among musicians and non-musicians was presented in 2nd International Conference on Cybernetics, Cognition and Machine Learning Applications, Goa, India (August, 29-30, 2020).  The focus of the study can lead to major developments in the area of music processing and attract attention and the use of music in clinical, educational, and therapeutic situations. Moreover, integrating music with yoga may contribute in improving cognitive skills in activities of daily life.