Neuroscientific Investigations of Musical Rhythm: Recent Advances and Future Challenges

Neuroscientific research into music has increased noticeably over the last two decades, but how (or if) the findings have improved our understanding of music is debatable. This question is considered in this article, which first describes advances in neuroimaging techniques, and then reviews findings from research in the neuroscience of music (with a focus on rhythm and meter). Some of the difficulties encountered by researchers are highlighted, from lack of consensus about timing mechanisms to difficulties in comparison of neuroscientific findings across different studies. The article ends with a description of several new methodological developments that are likely to feature prominently in future investigations of music and neuroscience.