Researchers from Georgia Tech, led by Yiren Ren, a doctoral student at the School of Psychology, have conducted studies that provide deeper insights into the impact of music on memory and learning. Their research reveals how music can play a crucial role in the formation and modulation of memories, with results suggesting potential therapeutic applications for mental health.

Ren, together with her mentor Thackery Brown, a cognitive neuroscientist, has published two papers that are the results of this research. The first paper deals with how familiar and predictable music can enhance the learning process, while the second focuses on the modulation of the emotional tone of pre-existing memories using music.

Music as a tool for better learning
The first part of the study investigates how familiar music can ease the process of learning and memorizing new information. Study participants learned sequences of abstract shapes while listening to different types of music. Results showed that music which was familiar and rhythmically predictable to participants improved learning. The brain creates a structured framework for new information, allowing for faster recall and easier remembrance.

Ren utilized her skills as a musician and composer to create musical compositions used in the study. Participants remembered sequences more successfully when listening to pieces with familiar musical patterns, whereas irregular compositions hindered learning. This research opens new possibilities for using music as a mnemonic tool, potentially beneficial in educational methods.

Music and modulation of emotions in memories
The second part of the research focuses on how music can alter the emotional tone of memories that are already stored in the brain. In collaboration with scientists from the University of Colorado, Ren and Brown investigated whether music with a strong emotional impact could change the way we recall past events.

In the experiment, participants listened to movie soundtracks while recalling difficult moments from their past. Results showed that participants, under the influence of music, were able to alter the emotional tone of their memories. The next day, even without the music, their emotional reaction to the memories remained in line with the music they had listened to the day before.

Practical applications in therapy
This research has significant implications for therapeutic applications, especially in working with patients who suffer from mood disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. Music could be used to modulate negative emotional memories, helping patients to reinterpret and reduce the intensity of negative emotions associated with certain events.

Ren, who plans to continue her research through a postdoctoral position, aims to develop musical therapies not only for individuals with mood disorders but also for the elderly and those with dementia. By studying the neurological mechanisms that allow music to influence human behavior, she hopes to open new areas of application in rehabilitation and therapy.

Her future research could provide valuable evidence to support the development of musical interventions for mental health and cognitive functions, enabling better control over the emotional tone of memories and improving the quality of life for patients.

Source: Georgia Institute of Technology