Another study (Musacchia et al, 2007) demonstrated that playing musical instruments triggers changes
in the brain stem as well as in the brain cortex. Senior study author Nina Kraus explained this finding
to mean that music training may enhance reading and speech functions because the brain stem is a
pathway for both music and language. Researchers measured the activity of neurons in the brain of
the experimental subjects who had been playing musical instruments since the age of five. They found
that musicians’ brain stems not only showed increased activity, but also quicker response times to
both music and speech sounds. The longer a person had been playing an instrument, the sharper the
responses.