The perception of music by the human auditory cortex is an amazing feat. However, we still do not fully understand the mechanisms which enable our brain to process complex auditory stimuli like music. Using a combination of human behavioural experiments, signal processing tools for acoustic analysis and functional MRI of the human brain, we are interested in studying auditory processing of music.

 

Some research projects in the lab investigating music are:

 

• Speech and music processing in individuals with autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental disorder, which is reported to affect 1 in every 110 children. Difficulties in communication are central to ASD and have been attributed to underconnectivity in brain regions of speech and language. However, at the same time, many children with autism show exceptional musical abilities and respond to music as treatment. Based on this, our laboratory has designed music therapy as a communicative intervention.

 

• Emotion perception in music

That Indian classical ragas induce different emotional states is well documented in Indian classical music theory, but there has been limited investigation to validate this. The purpose of the study is to understand the neural basis of emotion contagion as applied to music,specifically Indian classical music using acoustic analysis and neuroimaging techniques.

 

Publications

1. Emotional responses to Hindustani Raga music: The role of musical structure, Avantika Mathur, Suhas H. Vijayakumar, Bhismadev Chakrabarti and Nandini C. Singh, Front. Psychol. | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00513 (2015).

2. Fronto‐Temporal Connectivity is Preserved During Sung but Not Spoken Word Listening, Across the Autism Spectrum, M Sharda, R Midha, S Malik, S Mukerji, NC Singh - Autism Research (2014).

3. Effect of Music Instruction on Cognitive Development: A Review, Arkoprovo Paul, Megha Sharda and Nandini Chatterjee Singh, Journal of the Indian Institute of Science, 92, 441-445 (2013).

4. Auditory perception of natural sound categories - an fMRI study, M. Sharda and N. C. Singh, Neuroscience 214 (2012) 49-58.