The Effects of Musicianship on Memory and Cognition

Publication Date

4-22-2026

Presentation Length

15 minutes

College

College of Sciences & Mathematics

Department

Psychological Sciences and Neurosciences, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Michael Oliver

Presentation Type

Talk/Oral

Summary

The development of advanced musicianship requires the ability to quickly learn and memorize music; a skill that may be associated with enhanced cognitive abilities compared to non-musicians. Previous research has demonstrated that musicians often outperform non-musicians on tasks involving working memory and long-term memory; however, few studies have examined whether musicians display enhanced cortical activation along with these behavioral advantages during memory encoding. The current study investigates the relationship between musicianship and brain activity during both working and long-term memory tasks and is a replication of a SURFS study. Sixty participants completed a series of memory tasks including auditory, lexical, and visuospatial stimuli while electroencephalogram (EEG) data were recorded, followed by a questionnaire assessing musicianship. It was hypothesized that musicianship would be associated with enhanced memory performance and greater neural activation during encoding, compared to non-musicians, as indicated by EEG/ERP markers. Findings may provide insight into the cognitive benefits of musical training and its potential role as a protective factor in age-related neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

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