Tokyo, Japan

A study published on Friday shows that a skill which was previously thought to be unique to humans, finding rhythmic beats irresistible, was observed in rats also and how they too instinctively bop their heads to music. 

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The paper titled â€œSpontaneous beat synchronisation in rats: Neural dynamics and motor entrainment” also offers further insight into not only the animal mind but the origins of our own dance and music, said the researchers. Furthermore, the study published in the journal Science Advances also demonstrates the innate beat synchronisation in animals for the first time.

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“Rats displayed innate – that is, without any training or prior exposure to music – beat synchronisation most distinctly within 120-140 bpm (beats per minute), to which humans also exhibit the clearest beat synchronisation,” said Dr Hirokazu Takahashi of the University of Tokyo.

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He added, since the auditory cortex, the region of our brain that processes sound, is also within this range of bpm they were able to explain the phenomenon using their “mathematical model of brain adaptation.” He also went on to explain, “Music exerts a strong appeal to the brain and has profound effects on emotion and cognition.” 

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The researchers studied the patterns of 10 rats who were fitted with wireless, miniature accelerometers, which could measure the slightest head movements. Additionally, they also looked at 20 human participants who also wore accelerometers on headphones. They then played one-minute excerpts from Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448, at four different tempos: 75 per cent, 100 per cent, 200 per cent and 400 per cent of the original speed.

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They found that while the original tempo is 132 bpm the rats’ beat synchronicity was clearest within the 120-140 bpm range and that both rats and human subjects moved their heads to the beat in a similar rhythm. Notably, the scientists also observed that the level of head jerking decreased when the speed of the music increased. 

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Takahashi said, “Our results suggest that the optimal tempo for beat synchronisation depends on the time constant in the brain. This demonstrates that the animal brain can be useful in elucidating the perceptual mechanisms of music.” Moving forward the team also wants to look at how “other musical properties such as melody and harmony relate to the dynamics of the brain”, he added.

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