Reading musical notation versus English letters: Mapping brain activation with MEG

Temporal and spatial analyses of brain function with magnetoencephalography (MEG) are seldom reported in studies of musical sight-reading. We used MEG to compare the timing and localization of brain regions active during print-to-sound translation of musical notation versus English letters. MEG recordings were made on 22 professional musicians during print-to-sound tasks involving low versus high cognitive load. The MEG data were analyzed using MR-FOCUSS, a current density imaging technique. A laterality index was calculated to determine which hemisphere had more neural activation during these music and language reading tasks, and showed brain activation more lateralized to the language dominant (left) hemisphere in these right-handed musicians. Both note and letter reading tasks required translation to phonological codes and activated left hemisphere language areas. Also, the superior parietal cortex was a region of interest bilaterally. The high temporal resolution of MEG, coupled with its spatial resolution, proved sensitive to differences in cognitive load in reading both letters and musical notes. MEG will be useful in future studies of how brain structure or function may change as a result of learning music