Brain research Music strengthens connections in the brains of premature babies
Music strengthens connections in certain areas of the brain in premature babies. Researchers at Geneva University Hospital have been studying this phenomenon for several years. It is now clearer which areas of the brain react to music.
21.01.2025, 08:00
SDA
Music strengthens the connection structure in the brain precisely where premature babies often show deficits, as the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), which is funding this research project, announced on Tuesday.
Specifically, the researchers observed that the connections in the so-called salience network developed better in the brains of 32 premature babies as a result of music therapy than in a control group of 28 premature babies who were not played music in the intensive care unit. The results were published in the journal "Imaging Neuroscience".
Connections for attention
The salience network plays a key role in the perception and prioritization of relevant stimuli. Premature babies almost always show reduced connectivity in this network, even in adulthood, as study leader Petra Hüppi explained in the press release.
Reduced connections in this network are associated with attention deficits and a lack of emotion regulation, among other things. According to the SNF, premature babies suffer from these problems more frequently than average later on.
Although the researchers saw the effect of music therapy in their MRI brain scans after just a few weeks, it is not yet possible to say whether the approach will also bring long-term benefits, as the researchers admitted in the study.
However, this could soon change: The first premature babies to receive music therapy for a study at Geneva University Hospital are now eight years old. According to the researchers, this is a good age to take new MRI images, carry out behavioral tests and record cognitive abilities.
