Journal of Biomedical Advancement Scientific Research

Open Access • Peer Reviewed • Bi-Monthly

Transcriptomic Signatures of Music Perception in the Human Cortex

Authors: Ian Pranandi, Rita Dewi and Ay Ly Margaret
Published: 2026-03-20
Pages: 1-11
DOI: 10.63721/26JBASR0150
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Abstract

Music perception engages distributed cortical networks responsible for auditory processing, emotional integration, and higher-order cognition. While neuroimaging studies have extensively characterized the functional architecture underlying music perception, its molecular correlates remain incompletely understood. In this study, we applied a bioinformatic framework to investigate transcriptomic signatures as sociated with music-related cortical regions in the human brain. Publicly available human cortical gene expression datasets were analyzed to compare music-relevant regions, including the primary auditory cortex, superior temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, with reference cortical areas

Differential expression analysis identified a subset of significantly upregulated genes enriched for synaptic signaling, calcium ion transport, neurotransmitter secretion, and regulation of membrane potential. Functional enrichment and pathway analyses further revealed overrepresentation of processes related to synaptic plasticity, postsynaptic density organization, calcium signaling pathways, and long-term potentiation. Protein–protein interaction network analysis demonstrated a densely interconnected module of synaptic genes, with hub genes centrally involved in glutamatergic transmission and voltage-gated calcium channel activity.

Collectively, these findings indicate that music-related cortical regions exhibit distinct transcriptomic profiles characterized by coordinated gene networks supporting neuronal excitability and activity-dependent plasticity. This integrative transcriptomic analysis provides a molecular-level perspective complementing systems neuroscience models of music perception and establishes a bioinformatic framework for future investigations into the biological basis of complex auditory cognition.

Copyright & License

© 2026 The Author(s). Published by WM Journals.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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