Musical instrument engagement in adolescence predicts verbal ability 4 years later: A twin and adoption study.

ABSTRACT: Individual differences in music traits are heritable and correlated with the development of cognitive and communication skills, but little is known about whether diverse modes of music engagement (e.g., playing instruments vs. singing) reflect similar underlying genetic/environmental influences. Moreover, the biological etiology underlying the relationship between musicality and childhood language development is poorly understood. Here we explored genetic and environmental associations between music engagement and verbal ability in the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development & cognitive aging (CATSLife). Adolescents (N = 1,684) completed measures of music engagement and intelligence at approximately age 12 and/or multiple tests of verbal ability at age 16. St

SUBMITTER: Gustavson DE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8842509 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature