Functional Neural Architecture of Working Memory in Musicians: An ALE Meta-Analysis and Review

Musical expertise is often associated with enhanced cognitive abilities, underpinned by neural mechanisms unique to musicians. Research has provided evidence of associations between musical training and functional aspects of cognition. However, the neural changes associated with musical expertise, particularly in relation to working memory, remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we conducted an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to examine differences in functional neural activity between musicians and non-musicians during working memory tasks. Meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) was conducted to explore broader networks of co-activation associated with regions of interest identified during the initial ALE meta-analysis. Nine functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, including 228 participants (113 musicians and 115 non-musicians), were included in the final analysis. Musicians exhibited hyperactivations in the right medial frontal gyrus and hypoactivations across the right middle occipital gyrus, the right precentral gyrus, the left inferior parietal lobule, the right claustrum, and the left cerebellum during working memory tasks. MACM revealed distributed networks of co-activation with links to various cognitive functions across regions of interest uncovered by the ALE analysis. Based on these findings, we propose that distinct functional networks and enhanced neural efficiency in musicians may support working memory performance across the lifespan.