Brain Syncs Blinks to Music’s Beat,Revealing New Insightsโ into โฃNeural Connections
New research published November 19,2025,in PLOS Biology demonstrates that human blinks โขunconsciously synchronize with musical rhythms,offering โคa novel window into how the brain integrates auditory and motor functions.โข The โฃstudy, led by Yi Duโข of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, reveals a previously unknown connection between listening to music and the oculomotor system – the neural network controlling eyeโ movements.
Researchers found that participants’โ spontaneous blinks naturally aligned with the tempoโ of music, even without beingโค promptedโ to โฃmove. This synchronization appears linked to subtle microstructuralโ changes within the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), a key nerve pathway โฃresponsible โคfor โฃtransmitting sensory andโ motor signals. “We found that โคpeople’s spontaneousโฃ blinks โmove in timeโ with the music โค- even without a request to move,” Du stated.
However, the study also showed that focused attention disrupts this automatic synchronization. When participantsโ concentrated on โa visual task – identifying a red dot on a screen – their blink rate decoupled from the music’s โฃbeat,regardless โof whether the dot appeared in time with the rhythm. โThis suggests the brain prioritizes conscious focus, temporarily overriding the unconscious auditory-motor link.
The findings have โฃimplications for understanding essential brain processes and โperhaps improving therapies for โneurological conditions. auditory-motor โsynchronizationโ is alreadyโ used โin treating โคmovement impairments, and a deeper understanding โof the underlying neural pathways could enhance treatment efficacy. Moreover, the easily measurable nature of blinking could offer a simple, non-invasive tool for diagnosing rhythm-related disorders. “Since blinks can โbeโข easilyโข measured, this behavior offers a simple, implicit insight into how we process rhythms and could one day support the clinical diagnosis of rhythm disorders,” Du explained (PLOSโฃ Biology, 2025; doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003456).