By Becky Oskin, College of Letters and Science
October 10, 2019
“Earworms” are those fragments of songs that get stuck on repeat in your head. While earworms are often frustrating, repeated exposure to catchy tunes can also trigger old memories, even in people whose memory skills are impaired by Alzheimer’s disease or other cognitive disorders.
Petr Janata, professor in the UC Davis Department of Psychology and the Center for Mind and Brain, and colleagues have received a $274,750 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to explore these links between music and memory.
“This work might tell us more about how music helps the human brain create and consolidate memories,” Janata said.