A universal sign of motherhood is the lullaby. Around the world, moms sing to their babies, or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, their favorite radio song, or even random tones. This universality makes the simple lullaby a great window into the human mind. In a new study, cognitive neuroscientists found that lullabies calm both mothers and babies at the same time, while playsongs increase baby's attention and show positive emotions to their mothers.

Music and Behavior

The behavioral implications of music are huge, says Laura Cirelli of the University of Toronto Mississauga, who presents the new work on maternal singing at the 25th meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) in Boston. “Infants need to be able to track auditory events in a predictive way to understand the meaning of music,” she explains, “and many complicated things go in their heads to make that happen.” From childhood to old age, music demands much of the human brain. Learning more about how we process music helps scientists better understand perception, multisensory integration, and social coordination across the lifespan. Technological developments, for example, more portable electroencephalography (EEG) and electrophysiological settings and, enable cognitive neuroscientists to study music in a variety of situations, from mother-child interactions to live concert halls.

Jessica Grahn:

“Music and rhythm are human universals but don't seem to be shared by most other species. Rhythm in particular is mysterious: we are sensitive to the beat, that stable, underlying pulse that we tap from our feet or bend our head to.”

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