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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2023.02.08.527718

Does Music Training Improve Inhibition Control in Children? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Jamey, K.·Foster, N. E. V.·Hyde, K. L.·Bella, S. D.
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Abstract

Inhibition control is an essential executive function during childrens development, underpinning self-regulation and the acquisition of social and language abilities. This executive function is intensely engaged in music training while learning an instrument, a complex multisensory task requiring monitoring motor performance and auditory stream prioritization. This novel meta-analysis examined music-based training on inhibition control in children. Records from 1980 to 2023 yielded 22 longitudinal studies with controls (N = 1734), including 8 RCTs and 14 others. A random-effects meta-analysis showed that music training improved inhibition control (medium ES) in the RCTs and the superset of twenty-two longitudinal studies (small-to-medium ES). Music training plays a privileged role compared to other activities (sports, visual arts, drama) in improving childrens executive functioning, with a particular effect on inhibition control. We recommend music training for complementing education and as a clinical tool focusing on inhibition control remediation (e.g., in autism and ADHD).

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Jamey, K., Foster, N. E. V., Hyde, K. L., Bella, S. D.. 2023-02-09. Does Music Training Improve Inhibition Control in Children? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.08.527718

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