Music enhances brain function

Music has long been known for its ability to influence mood and even control the rhythms of the brain. Now, experts from the Wu Tsai Institute of Neuroscience at Stanford have found a way to use this effect to enhance transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a method used both in research and in the treatment of psychiatric diseases.

The essence of the method is that magnetic impulses can rearrange brain activity. Usually, the motor area of the cortex responsible for movement is chosen to adjust the technique. In experiments, it turned out that if the impulses are given at the right moment, synchronized with the music, their force increases almost twice.

To test the hypothesis, 27 participants wore special EEG caps that record brain activity. When the music started, the participants’ brainwaves quickly adjusted to the rhythm. The changes were especially noticeable 200 milliseconds before the beat was hit. It is during this period that the brain is most susceptible to stimulation.

When impulses were applied at such moments, the muscles of the subjects’ arms reacted more strongly. It turned out that exact matching with the rhythm increases the effect of TMS by 77%, and the pitch a fraction of a second before the beat is even more than exactly “in time”.

The prospects for this discovery go far beyond experiments with motion. Music is able to synchronize the work of other areas of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. If this effect can be exploited, TMS will become a more reliable and accurate tool in psychiatry.

The authors note that in the future it will be possible to select music tracks individually for each patient, turning therapy into a personalized process. Perhaps one day a person will be able to choose their favorite song, which will enhance the effects of magnetic stimulation and make treatment more effective.