Neuromusic showtime

World leading experts will share their discoveries and views extended through international research on the interactions between music and the human brain

Milan, February 12 2008 – From June 25 to 28, physicians, researchers, and psychologists focusing on the new perspectives emerging from the combined study of neurosciences and music, will gather in Montreal at the McGill University for the international conference: “The Neurosciences and music – III Disorders and plasticity” that the Fondazione Pierfranco e Luisa Mariani ONLUS has organized on the wave of the extraordinary success of two similar events previously presented in Venice (2002) and Leipzig (2005).

The upcoming conference is enhanced by the major partnership of BRAMS / International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, as well as McGill University – co-hosting the meeting –, MNIH / Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Université de Montréal, and will benefit from the continuing cooperation with the New York Academy of Sciences for the ensuing publication.

The scientific committee includes Isabelle Peretz (Université de Montréal and BRAMS), Robert Zatorre (McGill University, MNIH and BRAMS), Virginia Penhune (Concordia University and BRAMS) and Giuliano Avanzini (Istituto Neurologico “C. Besta”); the scientific secretariat is coordinated by Luisa Lopez (Center for Developmental Disabilities "Eugenio Litta" and University of Rome “Tor Vergata”).

In addition to a substantial series of symposia, the program includes two poster sessions and a workshop on methodological aspects of research, addressed to those seeking more in-depth information on research criteria in the field of neurosciences.

Every lecture will relate to the main theme of the conference, centered on the study of perception and processing of music in physiologic and pathologic conditions, with special focus on cerebral plasticity mechanisms. The decision to concentrate on “Disorders and plasticity” is inspired – explains Dr. Robert Zatorre – by the current strong interest of neuroscience experts on brain plasticity and, in particular, on the study of how the musician’s brain processes musical information.

The conference will develop on seven symposia on different themes, where the world’s foremost researchers in this field will present the most significant and sometimes controversial results of their recent research activities.