Musician's Notes Create Memorable Brains Dr. David Demko, Gerontologist and Editor AgeVenture Syndicated News Service, Boca Raton, Florida 04-11-08 Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered that when jazz musicians improvise, their brains turn off areas linked to self-censoring and inhibition and turn on those that let self-expression flow. Though many recent studies have focused on understanding what parts of a person's brain are active when listening to music, few have delved into brain activity while music is being spontaneously composed. The researchers designed a special keyboard to allow the musicians to play inside a brain-scanner that identifies which areas of the brain are active while a person is involved in a mental task. Each musician took part in exercises designed to separate out the brain activity involved in playing simple memorized piano pieces as compared to improvising music. The musicians were then asked to play an original blues melody that they all memorized in advance, while a recorded jazz quartet that complemented the tune played in the background. Finally, the musicians were told to improvise their own tunes with the same recorded jazz quartet. The scientists saw strikingly similar patterns, regardless of whether the musicians were doing simple improvisation or playing more complex tunes. The scientists found that a region of the brain known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a broad portion of the front of the brain that extends to the sides, showed a slowdown in activity during improvisation. The researchers also saw increased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, which sits in the center of the brain's frontal lobe. This area has been linked with self-expression and activities that convey individuality, such as telling a story about yourself. According to AgeVenture News editor, Dr. David Demko, this research complements previous findings indicating that engaging in the practice of music significantly increases brain health while reducing the risk to cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimers. This research was funded by the Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health. AgeVenture News Service, 19432 Preserve Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33498 USA BACK TO TOP OF PAGE