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The brain recognizes a familiar tune in just 100 milliseconds

04.11.2019

Already 100-300 milliseconds after listening to a short fragment of a familiar song, the pupils dilate, and neural activity increases in the area of the brain associated with memory.

Researchers from University College London have found out how quickly the brain reacts to a familiar tune. 22 people took part in their experiment. 10 of them on the eve of the study sent scientists five familiar songs. For each of the familiar songs, the researchers selected a similar one - in terms of tempo, melody, harmony, vocals and instrumentation.

During the experiment, 10 participants played 100 fragments (each less than a second) of a familiar, similar to a familiar and unfamiliar song, presented in random order. Another 12 subjects listened only to unfamiliar fragments, acting as a control group.

During the experiment, scientists monitored how the subjects react to melodies. To record the processes occurring in the brain, the researchers used electroencephalography (EEG) - a method that allows you to measure electrical activity in different areas of the brain. In addition, the scientists observed changes in the pupil diameter of the participants.

As early as 100-300 milliseconds after listening to a short fragment of a familiar song, the participants' pupils dilated, and neural activity increased in the area of the brain associated with memory. In the control group, which listened to unfamiliar melodies, no such reactions to music were revealed.

By learning about how the brain processes familiar stimuli, researchers hope to shed more light on the processes that go on in the brain in dementia. According to the researchers, people with this neurodegenerative disease seem to remember music despite the fact that other parts of their memory are not functioning.

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