Interplay between music, emotion and cognitive function in health and disease

Abstract

Music is one of the oldest and most powerful means to afford communication and convey emotion.  Here I review recent research on the inter-relations between music, emotion and cognitive function both in healthy individuals and neurological patients with brain damage. This topic is timely given the increasing amount of evidence on the cognitive enhancing effects triggered by music exposure. The focus of this paper will be on how the brain can be stimulated by music and how music, through the emotional reaction, can in turn modify brain function. There are clear associations between music listening, musical training and general cognitive performance.  However, future studies are needed to enhance understanding of the precise nature of the cognitive and neural mechanisms by which music influences cognition.