Neuroscientist Explores How Music Acts as a Natural Brain Stimulant and Therapeutic Tool

Dr. Naomi Zinger, a 45-year-old neuroscientist from Givatayim with a PhD from Tel Aviv University, researches how music affects the brain and human experience to develop clinical interventions for brain and mental health. Working at the neuro-oncology neurosurgery unit and Sagol Brain Institute at Ichilov Hospital, she studies music’s ability to evoke emotions, connect people, and activate physiological systems beyond basic auditory areas. For example, Parkinson’s patients can improve their gait by listening to music with a clear rhythm.

Zinger explains two main theories on how music aids motor control: it either reroutes signals through alternative brain pathways like the cerebellum or optimizes the use of remaining dopamine in the motor system. Brain scans show music activates motor areas including the motor cortex and basal ganglia even during passive listening. While music cannot cure neurodegenerative diseases, it serves as a valuable rehabilitation tool. Zinger’s long-term goal, inspired by late neurologist Prof. Nir Giladi, is to create music-based interventions to help dementia patients by stimulating autobiographical memories.

Her postdoctoral research at McGill University developed a neurofeedback tool where participants learned to enhance reward system activity in response to their preferred music, increasing enjoyment and dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. This training helped regulate brain activity linked to anhedonia, a symptom common in depression and PTSD characterized by reduced pleasure.

Currently, Zinger investigates the brain mechanisms behind musical pleasure, focusing on predictive processing, how the brain anticipates musical notes and responds to surprises or confirmations, which generate enjoyment. She is establishing a lab at Ichilov to study music pleasure and functional brain mapping during awake brain surgery.

Zinger notes that musical preferences depend on individual exposure and cultural context, with optimal enjoyment arising from a balance of predictability and surprise. Social context also enhances music enjoyment, as does playing an instrument, which promotes brain plasticity and cognitive benefits. Her own musical tastes range widely from classical to electronic artists.