A new study from Japanese researchers published in Scientific Reports found that listening to music with a groove (music that causes the sensation of wanting to move to the rhythm/beat) can significantly increase measures of executive function. This first study of its kind used both brain imaging and measured individual psychological responses to “groove music” and found that music with a groovy beat impacted cognitive ability. It also found that it significantly increased brain activity in regions associated with it, such as the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-DLPFC).
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