Musical training induces functional plasticity in perceptual and motor networks: insights from resting-state FMRI

A number of previous studies have examined music-related plasticity in terms of multi-sensory and motor integration but little is known about the functional and effective connectivity patterns of spontaneous intrinsic activity in these systems during the resting state in musicians. Using functional...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2012-05, Vol.7 (5), p.e36568-e36568
Main Authors: Luo, Cheng, Guo, Zhi-wei, Lai, Yong-xiu, Liao, Wei, Liu, Qiang, Kendrick, Keith M, Yao, De-zhong, Li, Hong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Auditory Cortex - physiology
Auditory plasticity
Biology
Brain
Brain Mapping
Causality
Cognition & reasoning
Consolidation
Cortex (auditory)
Cortex (somatosensory)
Education
Female
Functional integration
Functional Laterality
Functional magnetic resonance imaging
Functional plasticity
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Inflow
Laboratories
Life sciences
Magnetic resonance
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Motor Cortex - physiology
Music
Musical performances
Musicians
Musicians & conductors
Neural networks
Neuroimaging
Neurosciences
Outflow
Parietal Lobe - physiology
Seeds
Sensorimotor integration
Sensory integration
Somatosensory Cortex - physiology
Studies
System effectiveness
Time series
Training
Visual cortex
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Summary:A number of previous studies have examined music-related plasticity in terms of multi-sensory and motor integration but little is known about the functional and effective connectivity patterns of spontaneous intrinsic activity in these systems during the resting state in musicians. Using functional connectivity and Granger causal analysis, functional and effective connectivity among the motor and multi-sensory (visual, auditory and somatosensory) cortices were evaluated using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in musicians and non-musicians. The results revealed that functional connectivity was significantly increased in the motor and multi-sensory cortices of musicians. Moreover, the Granger causality results demonstrated a significant increase outflow-inflow degree in the auditory cortex with the strongest causal outflow pattern of effective connectivity being found in musicians. These resting state fMRI findings indicate enhanced functional integration among the lower-level perceptual and motor networks in musicians, and may reflect functional consolidation (plasticity) resulting from long-term musical training, involving both multi-sensory and motor functional integration.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0036568