The body responds to music with minimal gestures that escape conscious control: a knee follows the beat, a finger moves on the table, and the head matches the accents. Which The body’s reaction is part of the way the brain translates sounds into movementAlthough the extent of this coordination was not known until recently. Some recent studies have begun to measure how this harmony extends even to the world More secret muscleswith results that open new lines of research.
The eyes also determine rhythm without us noticing it
This has been proven by a team of neuroscientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences flash It also follows the rhythm of the music. project manager, Yi DuHe explained that ” People’s spontaneous blinks adapt to the rhythm even without being asked to moveThe group observed this effect in 123 young people as they listened Choral pieces by Bachwas chosen for its steady pace. Participants remained motionless, but cameras recorded a systematic correspondence between the closing of each eyelid and the tempo of the melody.
The researchers conducted four experiments that combined Eye tracking with EEG recordings and brain imaging tests. In all cases, the flashes correspond to the rhythm, even when… Pieces were played backwards or with familiar melodies removed. “A movement as small as an eye blink can reveal profound coordination between hearing and action,” Du added. The effect is too They are repeated in a simple sequence of tonesWhich suggests that it does not depend on recognition of the action, but rather on the temporal pattern of the sounds.
This phenomenon did not continue under any circumstances. At the participants They focused their attention on a different visual task, and the blinks stopped matching the music. It also did not persist when the speed reached 120 strokes per minute, indicating the optimal range for synchronization. Du pointed out, “A very fast rhythm breaks the automatic connection between hearing and movementThis observation led the team to propose that eyes, like other parts of the body, have eyes Preferred interval for rhythm adaptation. The authors highlighted that this type of response could be applied in clinical settings, when treating rhythm or motor control disorders.
The brain learns accents and adjusts its responses with repetition
The synchronization of the flashes with the musical beat coincided with ABrain activity that oscillates at the same time. The recordings showed that the brain waves followed the temporal pattern of the cut, and this is what happened Agreement increased when subjects listened to the same work repeatedly.. This gradual adaptation suggests that the brain is learning rhythmic structure and anticipating accents, more finely adjusting the coordination of eye movements with sound.
Diffusion MRI images revealed differences in white matter fibers connecting auditory and motor areas. People whose eyelashes closely matched showed a Special microstructure in the left upper longitudinal fasciculusIt is a neural pathway that links the perception of sound and the execution of movement.
According to the study, this anatomical connection explains why some people retain… Natural synchronization More accurate than others. Du stated, “The relationship between music and small body movements shows the extent to which the auditory and motor systems cooperate.”
The researchers concluded that blinking, a seemingly involuntary gesture, could serve as an aid An indicator of brain processes Which regulates rhythmic attention. The ease of measuring it makes this reaction a A useful tool for exploring changes in time perception and motor coordination. The possibility of its use in music-based therapies offers a promising field, especially in diseases affecting motor control or dopamine regulation.