Rhythmic skills mediate the link between music training and cognition via attention & phonological processing

Previous research has revealed a connection between rhythmic abilities and performance on various cognitive tasks, yet the core mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Here, we identify phonological language processing and temporal attention as the core cognitive skills associated with rhythmic proficiency. Critically, we reveal that this relationship is thresholded: cognitive benefits emerge only when rhythmic abilities exceed a specific threshold, with further refinements providing no additional advantage. Moreover, we present a resolution to the long-standing debate on the link between musical training and cognition, demonstrating that this association is fully mediated by the rhythmic performance threshold. These findings provide a unifying framework for understanding the cognitive impact of rhythmic skills and the benefits of musical training.