Differences in updating processes between musicians and non-musicians from late childhood to adolescence

The main purpose of our study was to examine whether musical training is associated with improvements in updating executive function development between late childhood and adolescence, as well as to analyse which updating sub-processes - inhibition or maintenance - are more affected by musical experience. Sixty-nine musicians (37 children aged between 10-11 years and 32 adolescents between 15-16 years) and 69 non-musicians (37 children aged between 10-11 years and 32 adolescents between 15-16 years) participated in the study and were matched in academic level and fluid intelligence. Updating function was measured by the updating task developed by De Beni and Palladino (2004), which allowed differentiating scores for maintenance and inhibition processes. The results showed that musicians outperformed non-musicians both in maintenance and inhibitory processes, specifically in resistance to proactive interference.