The researchers also checked whether the brain changes benefitted cognitively, and guess what- It did.
At the beginning and end of the study, all the children completed a digit span test (a standard assessment of working memory commonly used in children’s intelligence evaluations). By the end of year, those who received music lessons showed significantly greater improvement while the children who did not take formal music training showed no significant improvement.
Working memory is a cognitive skill that helps retain and use information critically. It is also linked to mathematics, reasoning, and IQ.