"For the study, a team from the Italian Institute of Technology played J.S. Bach's piano compositions for an audience of 49 sleeping newborns. This included 10 original melodies and four shuffled songs with scrambled melodies and pitches. While the babies listened, the researchers used electroencephalography - electrodes placed on their heads - to measure their brainwaves. When the babies showed signs of surprise, it meant they expected the song to go one way, but it went another."
"Analysis revealed the newborns tended to show signs of surprise when the rhythm unexpectedly changed - indicating the 'miniature maestros' had generated musical expectations based on rhythm, the researchers said. However, they found no evidence that the newborns tracked melody - the varying of pitch and the flow of the tune - which suggests this skill comes at an unknown point later in development."
A team from the Italian Institute of Technology played J.S. Bach piano compositions to 49 sleeping newborns while recording brainwaves with electroencephalography. The set included 10 original melodies and four shuffled versions with scrambled melodies and pitches. Newborns showed neural signs of surprise when rhythmic patterns changed unexpectedly, indicating the ability to anticipate rhythm by two days old. No neural evidence showed prediction of melody or pitch sequences. Rhythm perception appears present at birth, while melodic expectation develops later. Further investigation can examine whether prenatal exposure to music influences rhythm and melody acquisition.
Read at Mail Online
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