Certain neurons in your brain light up when you hear someone sing

We already know that Art can ‘sculpt’ and ‘caress’ the human brainA study published in the scientific journal current biology He noted that certain neurons in the auditory cortex light up when we hear someone singing. According to the article, which was led by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), these neurons can distinguish between normal speech or musical instruments without sounds.

The entire research project began in 2015, when researchers investigated the relationship between music and the human brain using magnetic resonance imaging. Sometimes, they’ve found that when a person composes, neurons from the visual and motor areas are used to improve connectivity between two key brain regions: the anterior cingulate cortex (associated with emotion), and the default mode network (which refers to memories, or fantasies of the future).

The new study takes the research a step further: the researchers recorded brain activity that occurs in response to external stimuli. The study notes that “there is one group of neurons that respond to singing, and another group that is very close together that responds to musical instruments. They are so close that it is almost impossible to separate them.”

By combining this data with that of the previous study, the researchers were able to more accurately locate these neurons that light up in response to singing. However, the method highlights the difficulty of performing such research, because the procedure is invasive, with the right to insert electrodes directly into the exposed surface of the brain through an incision in the skull. This technique is usually used to determine the source of a patient’s seizures.

Now that we have an idea of ​​the relationship between singing and these neurons, neuroscientists intend to learn more about the reason for this activation. Another point that should be the focus of future research is the development of these specific areas.

source: current biology