Musical Training and Brain Structure with VBM

Musical training can change brain structure, and voxel-based morphometry, or VBM, is one way to measure those changes. This method compares grey matter density across brains on a voxel-by-voxel basis. A voxel is a 3D pixel in an MRI scan, and its brightness relates to tissue density in that region.

Our brains are shaped by experiences, resulting in changes in cortical volume.

For instance, certain proficiencies, like learning and mastering a second language, have been shown to increase the density of gray matter, where cell bodies reside, particularly in structures such as the frontal lobe.

Before modern advances, to measure a ...