Exploring the Potential of Polyrhythmic Entrainment for Cognitive Enhancement and Neuroplasticity

Your competent? doctor can just add this music on top of the protocols they already have you doing for the past decade. Oh, you don't have music protocols, do you? Well fucking incompetency reigns again. How long has your doctor been incompetent? You can call your hospital president and ask when competent personnel will be hired. Your doctor writing prescriptions of E.T.(Evaluate and Treat) is the first sign of pure incompetence!

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 Exploring the Potential of Polyrhythmic Entrainment for Cognitive
Enhancement and Neuroplasticity

Adam B. Lewartowski1,2,*, Karolina Finc1

1 Centre for Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

2Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Social Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

*Correspondence: lewartowski@doktorant.umk.pl

Abstract

Polyrhythms—the simultaneous layering of multiple rhythmic patterns—are a defining

feature of musical complexity across cultures. Yet, their significance extends far beyond

music. By examining polyrhythms in neural oscillations, body physiology, and movement

coordination, we highlight their role in cognitive flexibility, executive function, and

sensorimotor adaptation. We further discuss how polyrhythmic engagement can enhance

neuroplasticity, improve attention and memory, and support motor learning and

rehabilitation. Finally, we propose future research directions to investigate the broader

implications of entrainment to polyrhythms for cognitive and physiological optimization.

By reframing polyrhythms as a cross-domain mechanism, this article opens new avenues for

studying their impact on perception, action, and learning across multiple disciplines.

1. Introduction

Polyrhythms, the simultaneous layering of multiple rhythmic patterns, are a hallmark of musical

complexity across cultures. From African drumming traditions to contemporary jazz and electronic

music, they challenge performers and listeners to perceive and process multiple temporal structures at

once (London, 2012). Their significance, however, extends far beyond the realm of music. Rhythm, in its

most fundamental sense, is not just an artistic construct but a basic principle of organiziation of

biological and cognitive systems (Large & Snyder, 2009; Kwak et al., 2022).

In the brain, polyrhythmic structures reflect the interactions between neural oscillations across

different frequencies, forming the foundation for cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and

motor coordination (Buzsáki, 2006; Fries, 2005). Neural rhythms operate in a hierarchical and dynamic

manner, where slower oscillations modulate faster ones, supporting multi-scale integration of

information across neural networks (Canolty & Knight, 2010; Arnal & Giraud, 2012). This rhythmic

coordination is not limited to the brain. It extends throughout the body, where polyrhythmic patterns

emerge in respiration, heart rate variability, and motor coordination, facilitating sensorimotor

integration and autonomic regulation (Thaut, 2015).

The intricate organization of rhythmic interactions raises an intriguing possibility: Could

engaging with polyrhythms—through music, movement, or cognitive training—enhance brain function

and neuroplasticity? Research suggests that rhythmic training can improve executive function, working

memory, and motor learning, particularly in populations with neurological disorders (Repp & Su, 2013;

Tierney & Kraus, 2014). Moreover, rhythmic entrainment has been explored in therapeutic contexts,

such as Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation and cognitive training for ADHD (Nombela et al., 2013;

Morillon & Baillet, 2017).

In this perspective article, we explore polyrhythms as a cross-domain mechanism that could link

music cognition, neuroscience, and embodied cognition. We examine their role in neural oscillations,

body physiology, and cognitive flexibility, considering how they might be harnessed for neurocognitive

enhancement and therapeutic applications. By reframing polyrhythms as more than a musical

phenomenon, we open new avenues for research into their potential to shape perception, cognition, and

human performance.

More at link.