Music and language seem to be processed in the same part of the brain, a new study has found.
Researchers studied the brain activity of 11 male jazz pianists while they engaged in a spontaneous musical exchange inside an fMRI scanner.
The study found areas of the brain traditionally associated with putting together phrases and sentences were activated. But the musical improvisation between musicians shut down brain areas that process the meaning of spoken language.
The findings indicate brain areas that process syntax, or speech formation, aren’t limited to spoken language but process communication in general.
Read more at John Hopkins University School of Medicine