title: Short-term music training enhances verbal intelligence and executive function.
abstract: Researchers have designed training methods that can be used to improve mental health and to test the efficacy of education programs. However, few studies have demonstrated broad transfer from such training to performance on untrained cognitive activities. Here we report the effects of two interactive computerized training programs developed for preschool children: one for music and one for visual art. After only 20 days of training, only children in the music group exhibited enhanced performance on a measure of verbal intelligence, with 90% of the sample showing this improvement. These improvements in verbal intelligence were positively correlated with changes in functional brain plasticity during an executive-function task. Our findings demonstrate that transfer of a high-level cognitive skill is possible in early childhood.
authors.affiliation: Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, 3560 Bathurst St., 914 VS, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6A 2E1. smoreno@rotman-baycrest.on.ca
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bialystok
authors.forename: Raluca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barac
authors.forename: E Glenn
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Schellenberg
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Cepeda
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chau
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology*; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014163:Transfer, Psychology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D014888:Wechsler Scales