TY - JOUR

T1 - Tuning-in to the beat

T2 - Aesthetic appreciation of musical rhythms correlates with a premotor activity boost

AU - Kornysheva, Katja

AU - von Cramon, D Yves

AU - Jacobsen, Thomas

AU - Schubotz, Ricarda I

N1 - 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PY - 2010/1

Y1 - 2010/1

N2 - Listening to music can induce us to tune in to its beat. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that the motor system becomes involved in perceptual rhythm and timing tasks in general, as well as during preference-related responses to music. However, the role of preferred rhythm and, in particular, of preferred beat frequency (tempo) in driving activity in the motor system remains unknown. The goals of the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study were to determine whether the musical rhythms that are subjectively judged as beautiful boost activity in motor-related areas and if so, whether this effect is driven by preferred tempo, the underlying pulse people tune in to. On the basis of the subjects' judgments, individual preferences were determined for the different systematically varied constituents of the musical rhythms. Results demonstrate the involvement of premotor and cerebellar areas during preferred compared to not preferred musical rhythms and indicate that activity in the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) is enhanced by preferred tempo. Our findings support the assumption that the premotor activity increase during preferred tempo is the result of enhanced sensorimotor simulation of the beat frequency. This may serve as a mechanism that facilitates the tuning-in to the beat of appealing music.

AB - Listening to music can induce us to tune in to its beat. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that the motor system becomes involved in perceptual rhythm and timing tasks in general, as well as during preference-related responses to music. However, the role of preferred rhythm and, in particular, of preferred beat frequency (tempo) in driving activity in the motor system remains unknown. The goals of the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study were to determine whether the musical rhythms that are subjectively judged as beautiful boost activity in motor-related areas and if so, whether this effect is driven by preferred tempo, the underlying pulse people tune in to. On the basis of the subjects' judgments, individual preferences were determined for the different systematically varied constituents of the musical rhythms. Results demonstrate the involvement of premotor and cerebellar areas during preferred compared to not preferred musical rhythms and indicate that activity in the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) is enhanced by preferred tempo. Our findings support the assumption that the premotor activity increase during preferred tempo is the result of enhanced sensorimotor simulation of the beat frequency. This may serve as a mechanism that facilitates the tuning-in to the beat of appealing music.

KW - Acoustic Stimulation

KW - Adult

KW - Auditory Perception

KW - Brain

KW - Brain Mapping

KW - Cerebellum

KW - Emotions

KW - Esthetics

KW - Female

KW - Frontal Lobe

KW - Functional Laterality

KW - Humans

KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

KW - Male

KW - Music

KW - Nerve Net

KW - Neural Pathways

KW - Neuropsychological Tests

KW - Periodicity

KW - Pleasure

KW - Time Perception

KW - Young Adult

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.1002/hbm.20844

DO - 10.1002/hbm.20844

M3 - Article

C2 - 19585590

VL - 31

SP - 48

EP - 64

JO - Human Brain Mapping

JF - Human Brain Mapping

SN - 1097-0193

IS - 1

ER -