Shachar Gal

PI: Dr. Ido Tavo
Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sagol School of Neuroscience

Studying the relations of brain activity and connectivity to musical training induced plasticity

How does the brain rearrange itself upon learning a new skill? The phenomenon of brain plasticity is a fascinating and much researched one, which holds both theoretical and practical implications.

In a large-scale study we endeavored at Ido Tavor’s lab, we train musically naïve participants to play the piano using a dedicated software and an electric piano keyboard. We perform a battery of MRI scans before and after the training procedure, and investigate learning-induced changes in brain activity, as well as functional and structural brain connectivity. 

We have so far collected data from 34 participants and revealed a significant behavioral effect of the learning routine (i.e., improvement in piano playing), alongside widespread changes in the neural response to music listening following learning.

We aim to acquire a larger dataset of 80 participants and to examine various interactions between behavior, neural plasticity and brain connectivity. Specifically, what connectivity patterns predict successful learning of piano playing? What connectivity patterns exhibit significant changes as a result of musical training? Can changes in connectivity patterns predict changes in activation patterns during passive listening to music? 

The answers to these questions will shed light on the source of learning-induced neural plasticity. Our result may contribute to the development of personalized training programs by clearly identifying the connectivity patterns that are relevant for successful learning.