How does music affect emotional processing and memory function in the human brain?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3191Keywords:
Music and the brain, Emotional processing, Memory function, Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, Neural pathways of emotionAbstract
Music is a ubiquitous part of life, from forms of expression to the enhancement of well-being and
function. The goal of this review is to address the complex relationships between music and our
cognitive function and emotional processing. By examining prior work in this space, this review
underscores how music has these wide-ranging behavioral effects by engaging complex
regions, including the amygdala, the limbic system, and reward pathways. Additionally, this
review explores how music can be used to improve academic performance and as a therapeutic
tool by lessening anxiety, improving memory, and slowing down the cognitive impact of
neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, it also examines individual and cultural differences in
music perception, showing how idiosyncratic factors can contribute to differing emotional and
cognitive responses.
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