Overview
- PLOS Biology published the study on Feb. 5, 2026, led by Roberta Bianco of the Italian Institute of Technology.
- The team recorded EEG from 49 sleeping newborns who heard 10 Bach melodies and four pitch-scrambled versions.
- Infants’ brain activity showed prediction-error signals when rhythmic timing changed unexpectedly.
- No comparable response emerged for melodic deviations, indicating melodic expectation is not present at birth.
- The authors caution they did not test effects of musical exposure or later developmental outcomes and call for follow-up, including cross-exposure and longitudinal studies.