Playing Piano in the Mind –An fMRI study on music imagery and performance

in pianists

I.G. Meister, T. Krings, H. Foltys, B. Boroojerdi, M. Muller, R. Topper, & A. Thron

By Michelle Tamplin

Introduction

• Music performance: ability to read musical notes and play an instrument simultaneously– Complex motor task– Requires rapid and effective transformation and

processing of visual information into complex movements

– Takes years of practice

Introduction

• Looked at brain activation during musical performance and during musical imagery in trained music students

• Purpose: – to investigate the cortical network which mediates

music performance compared to music imagery using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Subjects

• 12 students from the Cologne School of Music– 10 female, 2 male (mean age: 26.6 years)

• Principal instrument: piano• Average total musical training: 18.4 years• Average practice time: 22 hours/week• All right handed

Experimental Task

• Used a piano keyboard while in fMRI– No metal parts in keyboard (made no sound)

• Experimental music:– Short piano piece called “Triolak” by Bela Bartok

• Only right hand notes of music piece were shown on a computer screen

Experimental Task

• Baseline: scan in fMRI, no task• Music Performance Condition: – Played presented piece with right hand on keyboard

• Music Imagery Condition: – Read music with hand off keyboard– Instructed to imagine themselves playing the piece– Monitored to ensure no hand movement

Results

Music Performance minus Baseline Music Imagery minus Baseline

Results

• Fronto-parietal cortical network activated:– Primary sensorimotor cortex– Posterior parietal cortex

• More activation during music performance condition (left) than music imagery condition (right)

Discussion

• Left Primary Sensorimotor Cortex– Greater activation during music performance than

in music imagery– Reflects motor execution

Discussion

• Bilateral Posterior Parietal Cortex– Greater activation during music performance– Integrates sensory information and processes

coordination of body movements within space– Mainly mediates visuomotor transformation

• Higher activation during performance suggests greater level of visuomotor integration required during motor execution

Strengths and Limitations

• Strengths:– Good visuals– Analyzed many different brain structures that

appear to work together during music performance

• Limitations:– Few participants, mostly female– All from same school

Opinion

• Overall interesting paper• Confusing– Methods could have been explained better

• For Future Studies:– Look at students learning to play piano to see if

same brain regions are activated

Summary

• Greater activation in the left primary sensorimotor cortex and bilateral posterior parietal cortex during music performance

• Greater level of visuomotor integration required during motor execution compared to mental stimulation

Thank You!

Questions?