Study of Music and Visual Arts Training on Brain and Executive Function Development in Children Aged 6 to 8 Years

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how playing a musical instrument compared to visual arts training and standard education affects brain and cognitive development, particularly executive functions, in young children aged 6 to 8 years. This randomized controlled trial aims to build a detailed, data-driven model of childrens brain and executive function growth over two years, using advanced methods like machine learning. It addresses a gap in knowledge about optimal ways to stimulate developing brains through arts education. Children will be randomly assigned to one of three groups Orchestra in Class music practice with four different string instruments, Visual Arts lessons, or a control group receiving six cultural outings per year. Both music and visual arts groups receive weekly 1.5-hour sessions led by two professional teachers, along with daily homework lasting 20 to 30 minutes. The control group participates in cultural activities but does not receive structured art training. Interventions continue for two full years during the childrens 3rd and 4th years of elementary school. Participants will undergo yearly comprehensive testing of executive functions, musical and drawing skills, academic achievement, and brain imaging including functional MRI with auditory and visual tasks. Researchers will monitor changes in working memory, brain structure, and functional connectivity over two years. The study includes consent procedures for children and parents and considers both behavioral and brain data to evaluate effects of musical and visual arts training compared to standard education.

Orchestra in Class, a Novel Booster for Executive Functions and Brain Development in Young Primary School Children