Children with better musical skills may benefit from a prolonged window of brain plasticity

Children with better musical skills may benefit from a prolonged window of brain plasticity

New research indicates that children with better rhythmic abilities tend to exhibit a slower, more prolonged rate of brain development in specific regions associated with motor control and emotion. This attenuated pace of maturation suggests that an enriched environment, such as one involving musical engagement, may extend the window of neural plasticity needed for learning. The findings provide evidence that the relationship between brain struc…