Unraveling the
complex routes that power our brain

Problem

Cognitive decline and unhealthy aging are among the biggest challenges our aging population face, with implications to economics, healthcare delivery, and quality of life. 

Solution

One deceptively simple approach: music therapy. Northeastern professor Psyche Loui—who leads the Music, Imaging, and Neural Dynamics Laboratory—found that music bridged the gap between the brain’s auditory system and the reward system that governs motivation. There could be significant implications for older adults with cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders, and Loui is expanding her research to test her theory.