Post by leunas on Sept 3, 2006 15:37:54 GMT -5
Parents, time to brush the dusts off your KISS and Led Zep albums, scientists at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland say listening to rock music actually boosts brain power. In their new study, Dr. Leigh Riby and George Caldwell, claim guitar-based rock such as Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC and the Red Hot Chili Peppers can improve concentration and memory.
The rocking researchers based their experiment on the The Mozart Effect - permanent changes in brainpower among young children produced by listening to classical music. They were curious to know if The Mozart Effect can also be achieved with other types of music.
Sixteen volunteers were made to listen to classical and rock music, static and silence before taking a simple memory test. They noted that like classical music, rock had a significant effect on the cognitive performance. Brain scans also revealed metalheads required far less brainpower to complete the test successfully.
What we found was surprising. While classical music appears to have an effect on everybody, we also found that there is a significant effect on people exposed to their favourite type of music. I would expect to see a similar effect with pop fans played pop music or anyone else exposed to their favourite type of music. The music primes the brain to perform certain tasks more efficiently," says Riby.
Oh, so its listening to our favorite kind of music that does the trick. Time to Polka!
www.qj.net/Rock-Music-Jumpstarts-Your-Brain/pg/49/aid/64377