Neurological and Psychological Implications of High - Tempo Music on Variability in Fine Motor Dexterity: A Comparative Case Study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background: This study investigates the relationship between high-tempo auditory stress (180 BPM) and fine motor control across two distinct generational stages. While music is often considered a background element in day to day life, the Yerkes-Dodson Law suggests that high-frequency stimuli can either facilitate or interfere with motor performance depending on the subject's internal mental and emotional state, preference and age. Methodology: Three subjects—an adolescent (S1-C, age 14) and two adults (S2-H, age 48), and (S3-H, age 52)—were subjected to a precision tracing task while exposed to 60 BPM and 180 BPM audios. Performance was analysed by error frequency and behavioral monitoring, while physiological stability was tracked via blood pressure (BP) measurements. Results: Quantitative data revealed a significant divergence in performance. Subject S1-C achieved 0 errors, demonstrating high Dopaminergic Facilitation typical of the adolescent brain. Contrasting to it , Subject S2-H exhibited a 44.4% error spike (13 errors) despite maintaining physiological homeostasis (123/89 mmHg). Subject S3-H demonstrated a Paradoxical Stabilization, where the rhythmic stimuli acted as a motor guide rather than a distractor combined with other social factors. Conclusion: The results indicate that Subject S2-H suffered from Dual-Task Interference, where the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) and Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) were overloaded by social evaluation and auditory filtering. In contrast, the adolescent brain utilized the stimuli to reach an Optimal Arousal Zone. This study confirms that "acoustic stress" is subjective, proving that neural plasticity and executive load capacity are the primary determiners of performance under
Authors: Senra, Srimoyee, senra, kausik
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7168779900
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