New PhD project titled “Neurophysiological and neuropsychological bases of auditory memory” from Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University investigates the brain mechanisms of auditory memory. 

The project explores how the brain processes and remembers music, focusing on long-term memory and aging. While memory has been widely studied in visual tasks, this work dives into the lesser-explored auditory domain, especially music. Using advanced brain imaging techniques and cognitive tests, it investigates how we encode, store, and retrieve musical memories, how different auditory memory systems interact, and how aging affects these processes. Key results revealed that musical memory relies on the hierarchical interplay between brain regions involved in audition, memory, and decision-making, that working memory abilities and musical complexity are associated with better recall of musical sequences, and that healthy older adults recruit compensatory brain mechanisms to support recognition of musical sequences. Overall, this PhD dissertation advances our understanding of auditory memory and provides novel insights into cognitive aging.

The defence is public and takes place on 13/12/2024 at 10:00 in Samfundsmedicinsk Auditorium (building 1262 - 101), Bartholins Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus C, and online via Zoom (please contact Hella Kastbjerg at hella.kastbjerg@clin.au.dk to obtain the Zoom link).

After the defense, Center for Music in the Brain will host a small reception in the Pavilion in Building 1710.

Assessment committee:
Professor Sarang Dalal (chair and moderator of the defence), Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

Lecturer Daniel Bush, Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology Medical Sciences, University College London, London, UK

Professor Stefan Koelsch, Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University in Bergen, Bergen, Norway