Does the drummer's braın work dıfferently? An electrophysıologıcal evaluatıon

Objective and Hypothesis: The electrical brain (EEG) and peripheral nervous system (EDA) activity obtained during the resting (basal), performance and listening sessions in drummers were compared in within-subject design was the aim of this study. Also, it was aimed that comparison between drummers and non-musicians' neuroelectrical activity during the basal session to investigate the neuroelectrical basis of the artist's creativity with a brain dynamics and psychophysiological approach and to determine the neural frequency bands. The hypotheses of the study: 1-The electrical brain frequencies and electrodermal activity of the drummers differ from non-musicians; 2-The brain activity of the drummers during the performance is less lateralized than the non-musicians; 3-During the performance, the brain synchronization of the drummers increases bilaterally; 4-During the listening performance of the drummers, different electrical brain activity occurs according to the basal condition of them; 5-During the listening, different electrical brain activity occurs according to performance. Method: Fifteen drummers and 15 non-musicians participated in this study. The EEG of the participants recorded from prefrontal and central region. The EDA obtained via disc electrodes that placed to the little and ring finger. Electrophysiological recording was made during the basal, performance of drumming and listening sessions in drummers; only in the basal session in non-musicians. Results: The basal EDA of the drummers was lower than the non-musicians. The drummers had the highest EDA during the performance. Prefrontal α2, prefrontal, and central β1 and β2 in drummers were found to be higher than in non-drummers in the basal session. The drummers were had higher α2 and β2 during the performance. In performance, δ, θ, β1, β2, and γ were higher than in listening. Prefrontal and central α2 during the performance were higher than basal. Comparison of the bilateral electrodes shows that the basal C3 γ of non-musicians was smaller than C4. The baseline α1 in C4 was higher than C3, and the C3 β2 was higher than C4 in the drummers. In performance, Fp2 β2 and γ were higher than the left. In listening, Fp2, δ was higher than left. Conclusion: Having lower EDA in drummers may be an indication that drummers who are prepared for the stage and show have lower excitement and emotional excitability in the basal. Having a high α2 may be considered as an indicator of memory, attention or artistic creativity in the drummers. The increase in α2 and β2 during the performance may be due to complex movements to compose the rhythm of the music. The higher α2 during listening is in the same direction as the literature and may be due to synchronization or to inhibiting unnecessary background processes in the brain. The lower γ in C3 in the basal may be due to the dominance of the hemisphere of right-handed non-musicians. The higher Fp2 δ may be due to the processing of memory, signal detection, decision making, and updating of memory during the predominant processing of tonal transition information in the right hemisphere during the listening of music in right-handed drummers.