An ALE meta-analytic review of musical expertise

Abstract

Through long-term training, music experts acquire complex and specialized sensorimotor skills, which are paralleled by continuous neuro-anatomical and -functional adaptations. The underlying neuroplasticity mechanisms have been extensively explored in decades of research in music, cognitive, and translational neuroscience. However, the absence of a comprehensive review and quantitative meta-analysis prevents the plethora of variegated findings to ultimately converge into a unified picture of the neuroanatomy of musical expertise. Here, we performed a comprehensive neuroimaging meta-analysis of publications investigating neuro-anatomical and -functional differences between musicians (M) and non-musicians (NM). Eighty-four studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. From these, 58 publications were included in coordinate-based meta-analyses using the anatomic/activation likelihood estimation (ALE) method. This comprehensive approach delivers a coherent cortico-subcortical network encompassing sensorimotor and limbic regions bilaterally. Particularly, M exhibited higher volume/activity in auditory, sensorimotor, interoceptive, and limbic brain areas and lower volume/activity in parietal areas as opposed to NM. Notably, we reveal topographical (dis-)similarities between the identified functional and anatomical networks and characterize their link to various cognitive functions by means of meta-analytic connectivity modelling. Overall, we effectively synthesized decades of research in the field and provide a consistent and controversies-free picture of the neuroanatomy of musical expertise.

Figure 1

Anatomic likelihood estimation meta-analytic results for studies comparing brain structure and function between M and NM at cluster level inference p < 0.05 (FWE). The primary outcome included ALE meta-analysis of the contrast M vs NM for structural and functional modalities, independently. M > NM = higher volume/activity in musicians; NM > M = lower volume/activity in musicians; GM grey matter, WM white matter, L left, R right, A anterior, P posterior, Z peak Z-value, IC internal capsule, INS insula, IPL inferior parietal lobule, PostCG postcentral gyrus (primary somatosensory cortex, or S1), PreCG precentral gyrus (primary motor cortex, or M1), STG superior temporal gyrus (primary auditory cortex).

Figure 2

Meta-analytic connectivity modelling of regions-of-interest that resulted from the structural ALE meta-analysis, at cluster level inference p < 0.05 (FWE). ROIs music-related regions-of-interest, P p-value, Z peak z-value, R right, L left. ROIs: (a) STG-R right superior temporal gyrus; (b) STG-L left superior temporal gyrus; (c) PostCG-R right postcentral gyrus; (d) PreCG-R right precentral gyrus; (e) IC/THA-R internal capsule (including right thalamus). Co-activated areas: claustrum; CRBL cerebellum, IFG inferior frontal gyrus, IPL inferior parietal lobule, INS insula, MedFG medial frontal gyrus (pre-motor), MidFG middle frontal gyrus (pre-frontal), PostCG postcentral gyrus (primary somatosensory cortex or S1), PreCG precentral gyrus (primary motor cortex or M1), PUT putamen, STG superior temporal gyrus (primary auditory cortex), THA thalamus. To conduct MACM, music-related ROIs were created in Mango (http://rii.uthscsa.edu/mango//userguide.html) with a 5 mm-radius sphere. For visualization purposes, the music-related ROI radius was increased to 10 mm, while co-activated areas were created with a 5 mm-radius sphere. Last search in Sleuth, 10.10.2021 (http://www.brainmap.org/sleuth/).

Figure 3

Meta-analytic connectivity modelling of regions-of-interest that resulted from the functional ALE meta-analysis, at cluster level inference p < 0.05 (FWE). ROIs music-related regions-of-interest, P p-value, Z peak z-value, R right, L left. ROIs: (a) IFG-L left inferior frontal gyrus; (b) STG-R right superior temporal gyrus; (c) STG-L left superior temporal gyrus; (d) IPL-L left inferior parietal lobule; (e) PreCG-R right precentral gyrus. Co-activated areas: CAU caudate; claustrum, CRBL cerebellum, FusG fusiform gyrus, IFG inferior frontal gyrus, IPL inferior parietal lobule, INS insula, MedFG medial frontal gyrus (pre-motor), MidFG middle frontal gyrus (pre-frontal), PostCG postcentral gyrus (primary somatosensory cortex or S1), PreCG precentral gyrus (primary motor cortex or M1), PCN precuneus, PUT putamen, SFG superior frontal gyrus, STG superior temporal gyrus (primary auditory cortex), THA thalamus. To conduct MACM, music-related ROIs were created in Mango (http://rii.uthscsa.edu/mango//userguide.html) with a 5 mm-radius sphere. For visualization purposes, the music-related ROI radius was increased to 10 mm, while co-activated areas were created with a 5 mm-radius sphere. Last search in Sleuth, 10.10.2021 (http://www.brainmap.org/sleuth/).