Brief musical training appears to increase blood flow to the left side of the brain.
In two studies, researchers analysed the brain activity of musicians and non-musicians while they took part in music and word tasks.
Similar brain areas were activated for musicians, while non-musicians’ brains showed different activity. But after 30 minutes of musical training, the non-musicians’ brain areas showed similar activity to the musicians.
Researcher Amy Spray said the research suggests areas of the brain that process music and language are shared, and musical training may lead to an increased use of the brain’s left hemisphere.
Read more at University of Liverpool