Music Helps With Memory, Lives In Many Parts Of The Brain

Some memories fade while we tend to remember songs so well.

Repetition helps. The memory of the song also lives in many parts of the brain, according to an article on io9.com. Researchers watching MRIs of people listening to pop songs noticed that a lot of activity occurred whenever people listened to music. Their front area of the brain was activated. This area contains both the parts of the brain that analyze structure as well as the hippocampus, which helps determine whether something makes it into long term memory. The reward centers of the brain also lit up, letting people get rewarded for listening actively to the tune.

The brain even activated the regions involved in physical activity. Even reserved people will nod along to a song. Music is the kind of multimedia experience that teachers try to simulate in class by having students perform many activities relating to the lesson. Melody becomes easily retrievable because it spread wide roots in the brain, becoming associated with many different areas and so easier to pick up.

Read the full article here.

Also, watch how music helped bring a patient with alzheimer’s back to life by clicking here.