Can the professional study of a musical instrument be associated with the development of cognitive processes? A meta-analytic study

Abstract

The objective of this work was to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand the effect that formal music training has on cognitive development, specifically on executive functions, memory, and intelligence. Of the 84 studies identified in the meta-analysis, 16 met the inclusion criteria. The cognitive processes analyzed were divided into three different cognitive domains: executive function, memory, and intelligence, with two moderating variables, age and professional experience. The results indicated that professional musicians score higher in the three cognitive domains: executive function, memory and intelligence. Taking into account age and musical experience, these differences lessen for executive function and increase for memory and intelligence, but always with higher scores for professional musicians. This data indicates that formal music training might go along with cognitive development, and thus be indicative of the development of cognitive processes, which remains over time.