Murugesu was written by Jason Arunn.
A woman is listening to music.
It's by plain picture/Simona Pillola.
The main job of humans is to process singing. Scientists believe that our brains have specific cells that handle different types of sounds.
Sam Norman-Haignere and his colleagues recorded brain electrical activity from 15 people while they listened to 165 different sounds. Music, speech, animal calls and the sound of a toilet were included.
The researchers were able to get more precise data when they compared the data from fMRI scans with the data from the implanted electrodes in the participants' heads.
Join us for a mind-blowing festival of ideas and experiences. New Scientist Live is going hybrid, with a live in-person event in Manchester, UK, that you can also enjoy from the comfort of your own home, from 12 to 14 March 2022. Find out more.The researchers found a population of neurons that responded to singing, but they also had a small response to speech and music.
According to Norman-Haignere, there is a distinction between instrumental music and vocal music in the brain.
They used fMRI data from 30 other people who listened to the same sounds so that they could map the neurons to a specific region of the brain. Between the music and speech-selective areas of the auditory cortex, there are singing and speech-specific neurons.
The researchers don't know why we have such cells.
It is possible that it is all driven by exposure.
It makes sense that being able to distinguish the musical properties of sounds is fundamental for survival.
He says that singing a beloved song to a person with dementia may allow responses even though the neurodegenerative process has limited the function of brain areas.
Current Biology is a journal.
There are more on these topics.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
