Music-Induced Cortical Plasticity: Protocol for a Systematic Review

Music engages sensory, motor, cognitive, and emotional systems, making it a powerful model for studying experience-dependent neuroplasticity. Although research on music-related brain changes is expanding, integration of structural, functional, and cerebrovascular findings remains limited, and effects on higher-order cognitive processes remain unclear. This systematic review will synthesize evidence on music-induced cortical adaptations, including structural changes (e.g., gray and white matter alterations), functional modifications in neural networks, and cerebrovascular dynamics, Associations with behavioral outcomes such as attentional control, executive functioning, language processing and emotional processing across the adult lifespan (18+) will also be examined The protocol follows PRISMA and PRISMA-P guidelines and will be prospectively registered with PROSPERO. Searches will be conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Google Scholar, supplemented by citation tracking of relevant reviews. Eligible studies will include randomized and non-randomized intervention trials and observational designs (longitudinal, case-control, cross-sectional). Primary outcome will be focused on music’s effects on brain structure and activity. Functional and behavioral measures will be analyzed as secondary endpoints. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment will be performed independently by two reviewers using validated instruments (RoB 2.0, ROBINS-I, ROBINS-E, STROBE, and NHLBI tools). A narrative synthesis will be conducted in accordance with SWiM guidelines, with meta-analyses undertaken where appropriate. Certainty of evidence will be assessed using GRADE scale. Collectively, this protocol establishes a rigorous framework to systematically evaluate how music shapes the brain’s structure, function, and vascular systems, and how these changes translate into cognitive and behavioral outcomes.