Music strengthens brain connections in premature babies, Swiss study shows

For their study, scientists at the University Hospitals of Geneva exposed several cohorts of infants born at an average of 29 weeks to music. Keystone-SDA

In premature babies, music strengthens connections in certain areas of the brain, according to a years-long study by the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG). Researchers now know more clearly which areas of the brain respond to music.

Children who were born prematurely are more likely to suffer from deficits in attention or emotional control, among other things. For almost ten years, a team supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has been studying an original solution to prevent these problems: music.

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Scientists at the University Hospitals of Geneva exposed several cohorts of infants born at an average of 29 weeks to music. Their latest study, published in the journal Imaging Neuroscience, shows that music strengthens cerebral connectivity in areas of the brain normally affected in premature babies.

The latest cohort of the programme included 60 premature babies, 32 of whom were exposed to music, while 28 served as a control group. In MRIs, improvements were visible as early as 33 weeks of age, the SNSF said in a press release on Tuesday.

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The scientists observed better development of connections between certain areas, notably in the brain’s so-called “salience” network, which is used to identify sounds or other stimuli and recognise their importance or socio-emotional relevance.

Connections between two brain regions (the insular cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex) are notably involved in the faculty of salience. “Children born prematurely almost always show reduced connectivity in this network, and this characteristic persists into adulthood,” explains Petra Hüppi, head of the research programme, quoted in the press release.

Music by Zurich-based composer Andreas Vollenweider

The scientists used eight-minute musical samples to accompany each newborn individually, using headphones, at the transitional moments between sleep and wakefulness. Zurich-based composer Andreas Vollenweider designed ad-hoc pieces that punctuate the infant’s daily rhythm in a soothing way: melodies that babies can learn to recognise.

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While the effects of music therapy are clearly visible in MRIs, it is still too early to determine whether the approach has any long-term benefits. But scientists may soon find out more with the first cohort of patients, born in 2016.

These 20 children are now turning eight, an appropriate age to take another look at brain activity under MRI, and to pass cognitive and behavioural tests. Work is currently in progress. The SNSF concludes that, should concrete benefits be confirmed, music could be integrated into neonatal intensive care units worldwide.

Translated from French with DeepL/gw

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