关键词: 音乐训练, 执行功能, 抑制控制, 工作记忆, 认知灵活性

Abstract: Aims: A growing number of research have found that musical training is related to a variety of cognitive abilities. Musicians, for example, tend to have greater verbal ability, visual-spatial ability and general intelligence. Some studies suggested that executive functions play a mediating role between musical training and cognitive abilities. Executive functions (EFs, also called executive control or cognitive control) are complex set of capabilities, which can control and regulate our thoughts and behavior. Executive functions are very important for individual and are closely related to reading ability, math ability, academic performance, intelligence and mental health. Moreover, many mental disorders involve impairment of executive functions. However, the influence of musical training on executive functions is still debated. The current study mainly investigated the effect of musical training on three components of executive functions, namely inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, by comparing the differences between musicians and non-musicians. Moreover, inhibitory control was also divided into attention inhibition and response inhibition, measured by Go/No-go task and Stroop respectively, in order to discuss the musical training effect on different dimensions of inhibition control. In addition, working memory contains two distinct operating modes -- proactive control and reactive control. In this study, a Continuous Performance task (AX-CPT) was used to investigate the effects of music training on different processing processes of working memory. Moreover, the Switching task was used to examine differences in cognitive flexibility between the two groups. Methods: A total of 70 young adults were recruited as participants, which involved 35 musicians and 35 non-musicians. The musicians played instruments or learned vocal music and those who are still learning until today, whereas the matched non-musician controls didn’t have any musical training except the regular school music course. Musicians and non-musicians completed the Go/No-go task, Stroop task, AX-CPT task and Switching tasks. The sequence of tasks was counterbalanced across participants. Results: This study found that musicians had significantly higher cue d ' score on the AX-CPT task than did the non-musicians, but there was no difference in response d ' score between the two groups. Moreover, musicians demonstrated smaller accuracy cost (inconsistence accuracy minus consistence accuracy) and larger RT delay (inconsistence RT minus consistence RT) than did non-musicians on the Stroop task. However, there was no difference between musicians and non-musicians in the d ' score of the Go/No-go task and in the switch cost of switching task. Overall, musicians had an advantage over non-musicians only in AX-CPT task and Stroop task but not in Go/No-go task and Switching tasks. Conclusions: Musical training has diverse effects on different components of executive functions. The effect of musical training on inhibition control is mainly focused on attention inhibition rather than response inhibition. Musical training may promote the development of working memory, mainly for proactive control, but not for reactive control. However, the association between musical training and cognitive flexibility was weak.

Key words: Executive functions, Musical training, Inhibitory control, Working memory, Cognitive flexibility