Teaching young children to play a musical instrument helps them to develop new brain connections that could stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives. According to new research set to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the Rodiological Society of North America in Chicago, these musically-induced pathways might even help to stave off autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
In a statement, researcher Pilar Dies-Suarez explained that “it’s been known that musical instruction benefits children with these disorders,” but until now no one had identified how tuneful training brings about this effect.
The researchers focused in on a type of brain tissue called white matter, which contains the nerve fibers – known as axons – that connect neurons together so that different regions of the brain can communicate with one another.
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