Music Cognition Lab

Reyna L. Gordon, Ph.D.
Director, Music Cognition Lab
Associate Director, Program for Music, Mind & Society at Vanderbilt
Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology and Psychology
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
1215 21st Avenue South
0420B Medical Center East, South Tower
615-322-3086 (lab)
reyna.gordon@vanderbilt.edu

Research Areas

RHYTHM AND GRAMMAR

Our primary research interest is the relationship between rhythm and language development in children. This work is currently focused on investigating: 1) associations between rhythm perception/production and grammar skills in children with typical and atypical development, 2) neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying these associations (i.e., speech rhythm sensitivity and auditory working memory), and 3) the potential of musical training to improve language skills in children with language disorders.

MUSIC IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Our past work has used time-frequency and ERP analyses of EEG data to examine the dynamics of auditory perception and their relation to social cognition in developmental disabilities (Williams Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and MECP2 duplication syndrome). We are currently beginning a new series of studies that investigate musical experiences as a tool for social engagement in children with Autism spectrum disorders, with Dr. Miriam Lense, a Visiting Research Fellow in our Lab.