Music-induced cognitive change and whole-brain network flexibility: a pilot study
IntroductionCognitive impairment that exceeds age-related cognitive decline is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. As the older adult population is notably increasing every year, significant efforts are being made to preserve cognitive function in older adulthood. Non-pharma...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1567605/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849471533062291456 |
|---|---|
| author | E. Lydia Wu-Chung Melia E. Bonomo Anthony K. Brandt Bryan T. Denny Christof Karmonik Christof Karmonik J. Todd Frazier Karl Blench Christopher P. Fagundes Christopher P. Fagundes Christopher P. Fagundes Christopher P. Fagundes |
| author_facet | E. Lydia Wu-Chung Melia E. Bonomo Anthony K. Brandt Bryan T. Denny Christof Karmonik Christof Karmonik J. Todd Frazier Karl Blench Christopher P. Fagundes Christopher P. Fagundes Christopher P. Fagundes Christopher P. Fagundes |
| author_sort | E. Lydia Wu-Chung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionCognitive impairment that exceeds age-related cognitive decline is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. As the older adult population is notably increasing every year, significant efforts are being made to preserve cognitive function in older adulthood. Non-pharmaceutical approaches such as music interventions have noticeable benefits for cognition. Music engagement utilizes multiple brain regions dually involved in higher cognitive functions. Yet the neurobiology of music-induced cognitive change remains understudied. Complex human behavior and cognition likely depend on continuous communication across brain regions rather than localized activity in one region. Given that music creativity engages a wide range of mental processes, whole-brain network indices quantifying the brain’s tendency to create functional communities (modularity) and then dynamically reorganize these communities (flexibility) may be relevant for assessing music-related cognitive change. Using a semi-randomized clinical trial design (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04137913), we examined whether (1) music creativity altered whole-brain network indices (modularity, flexibility) and (2) whether music-related effects on cognition depended on whole-brain network indices.MethodsFifty-two older adults (Mean age = 75 years; 54% female; 84% White) were randomized to a 6-week music creativity intervention (n = 25) or a no-treatment control condition (n = 27) and completed resting-state fMRI scans and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment at baseline and follow-up (post-intervention).ResultsThe music creativity intervention did not alter network flexibility or modularity over time. However, the relationship between group assignment and change in global cognitive function depended on baseline flexibility: music creativity improved global cognition more than the control condition, only among individuals who had higher than average network flexibility.DiscussionFindings suggest that having a dynamic brain network, which has previously been linked to better executive functioning performance, may be necessary for music-related benefits on cognition. This pilot study is innovative as it is among the first to identify possible neural mechanisms underlying why music creativity interventions confer a more significant cognitive benefit for some older adults than others. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-83aa3d33e49d45b8bd31d1adcf81031b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-83aa3d33e49d45b8bd31d1adcf81031b2025-08-20T03:24:47ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2025-06-011910.3389/fnins.2025.15676051567605Music-induced cognitive change and whole-brain network flexibility: a pilot studyE. Lydia Wu-Chung0Melia E. Bonomo1Anthony K. Brandt2Bryan T. Denny3Christof Karmonik4Christof Karmonik5J. Todd Frazier6Karl Blench7Christopher P. Fagundes8Christopher P. Fagundes9Christopher P. Fagundes10Christopher P. Fagundes11Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United StatesDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, United StatesShepherd School of Music, Rice University, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United StatesTranslational Imaging Center, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United StatesCenter for Performing Arts Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United StatesCenter for Performing Arts Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesInstitute of Health Resilience and Innovation, Rice University, Houston, TX, United StatesIntroductionCognitive impairment that exceeds age-related cognitive decline is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. As the older adult population is notably increasing every year, significant efforts are being made to preserve cognitive function in older adulthood. Non-pharmaceutical approaches such as music interventions have noticeable benefits for cognition. Music engagement utilizes multiple brain regions dually involved in higher cognitive functions. Yet the neurobiology of music-induced cognitive change remains understudied. Complex human behavior and cognition likely depend on continuous communication across brain regions rather than localized activity in one region. Given that music creativity engages a wide range of mental processes, whole-brain network indices quantifying the brain’s tendency to create functional communities (modularity) and then dynamically reorganize these communities (flexibility) may be relevant for assessing music-related cognitive change. Using a semi-randomized clinical trial design (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04137913), we examined whether (1) music creativity altered whole-brain network indices (modularity, flexibility) and (2) whether music-related effects on cognition depended on whole-brain network indices.MethodsFifty-two older adults (Mean age = 75 years; 54% female; 84% White) were randomized to a 6-week music creativity intervention (n = 25) or a no-treatment control condition (n = 27) and completed resting-state fMRI scans and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment at baseline and follow-up (post-intervention).ResultsThe music creativity intervention did not alter network flexibility or modularity over time. However, the relationship between group assignment and change in global cognitive function depended on baseline flexibility: music creativity improved global cognition more than the control condition, only among individuals who had higher than average network flexibility.DiscussionFindings suggest that having a dynamic brain network, which has previously been linked to better executive functioning performance, may be necessary for music-related benefits on cognition. This pilot study is innovative as it is among the first to identify possible neural mechanisms underlying why music creativity interventions confer a more significant cognitive benefit for some older adults than others.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1567605/fullcreativityfMRIflexibilitynetwork analysiscognitionmild cognitive impairment |
| spellingShingle | E. Lydia Wu-Chung Melia E. Bonomo Anthony K. Brandt Bryan T. Denny Christof Karmonik Christof Karmonik J. Todd Frazier Karl Blench Christopher P. Fagundes Christopher P. Fagundes Christopher P. Fagundes Christopher P. Fagundes Music-induced cognitive change and whole-brain network flexibility: a pilot study Frontiers in Neuroscience creativity fMRI flexibility network analysis cognition mild cognitive impairment |
| title | Music-induced cognitive change and whole-brain network flexibility: a pilot study |
| title_full | Music-induced cognitive change and whole-brain network flexibility: a pilot study |
| title_fullStr | Music-induced cognitive change and whole-brain network flexibility: a pilot study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Music-induced cognitive change and whole-brain network flexibility: a pilot study |
| title_short | Music-induced cognitive change and whole-brain network flexibility: a pilot study |
| title_sort | music induced cognitive change and whole brain network flexibility a pilot study |
| topic | creativity fMRI flexibility network analysis cognition mild cognitive impairment |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1567605/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elydiawuchung musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT meliaebonomo musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT anthonykbrandt musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT bryantdenny musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT christofkarmonik musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT christofkarmonik musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT jtoddfrazier musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT karlblench musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT christopherpfagundes musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT christopherpfagundes musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT christopherpfagundes musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy AT christopherpfagundes musicinducedcognitivechangeandwholebrainnetworkflexibilityapilotstudy |