Different networks of neurons are activated, depending on whether a person is listening to music or playing an instrument, and whether or not the music involves lyrics. While music tends to be processed mostly in the right hemisphere of the brain, no single set of cells is devoted to the task. Furthermore, learning to play an instrument as a child can protect the brain … Music seems to “selectively activate” neurochemical systems and brain structures associated with positive mood, emotion regulation, attention and memory in … Posted Dec 21, 2017 Exactly what chemical processes occur when we put our headphones? Now, for the first time, MIT neuroscientists have identified a neural population in the human auditory cortex that responds selectively to sounds that people typically categorize as music, but not to speech or other environmental sounds. Share on Pinterest Music is a powerful reward that can motivate the brain to do better, researchers show. Scientists have long wondered if the human brain contains neural mechanisms specific to music perception. Scientists have come across some clues. “Music and the Brain” explores how music impacts brain function and human behavior, including by reducing stress, pain and symptoms of depression as well as improving cognitive and motor skills, spatial-temporal learning and neurogenesis, which is the brain’s ability to produce neurons. Musical Preferences and the Brain Hypotheses about how brain differences explain why we like the music we do. Researchers also believe that playing music helps speech processing and learning in children with dyslexia.