Music training and language learning improve verbal memory performance but do not change white matter characteristics of the splenium: a longitudinal DTI study
Our findings indicate that both music training and language learning can lead to verbal memory improvements and that both types of training can compound, for example, in the form of singing or opera training to lead to greater improvements. Thus, training in music performance and language learning may have additive effects on verbal memory improvements. While callosal white matter characteristics related to verbal memory changes in our sample, the neural mechanism of the shown training effects is presumably another.
Authors
- Anja‐Xiaoxing Cui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5003-6867)
- Negin Motamed Yeganeh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0647-6934)
- Nancy Hermiston
- Yung Hyun Choi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1454-3124)
- Janet F. Werker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1168-9013)
- Lara A. Boyd (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2828-4549)
Institutions
- University of Vienna (AT)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (AT)
- Complexity Science Hub (AT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Psychology
- Published
- 2025-10-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1659705
- Primary Topic
- Neuroscience and Music Perception
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Universität Wien
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada