In a lab study, musical experience was linked to smaller orientation errors on a blindfolded stepping task. The comparison was between musicians and non-musicians, so it shows an association, not proof that musical training caused the differences. Still, the results support the idea that long-term multisensory practice may be related to how people stay oriented when vision is removed, and it connects to broader work on how everyday movement can support cognitive health.
A superior sense of body position in silence
To test body disorientation, researchers from several Canadian institutions recruited 38 participants for a standard clinical assessment known as the Fukuda-Unterberger stepping task. Subjects were blindfolded and asked to march in place for sixty seconds. This activity often causes unintended drift and rotation without the person realizing it, because the brain must rely mainly on vestibular cues (inner ear) and proprioceptive cues (body sense) when vision is removed.
The data revealed that musicians showed a smaller displacement from the starting point than non-musicians in complete silence. This may reflect differences in how the groups use vestibular and proprioceptive cues when vision and sound are removed. The stepping task is an indirect proxy for body orientation, not a direct measurement of an internal “body map”.
Sound as a more effective spatial anchor
Group differences were clearer when researchers introduced auditory cues. In the study, a speaker played speech signals from different locations around the room. In this sample, musicians tended to show smaller directional errors when the sound came from the side, including at a 45-degree angle.
This suggests musicians may use sound direction more effectively as an external anchor during body orientation tasks. The study does not directly measure binaural integration or other auditory mechanisms, so any explanation about how this works should be treated as a hypothesis. More generally, it fits with research on how the brain balances efficiency and informativeness under demanding tasks.
Practical applications for fall prevention
In exploratory analyses within the musician group, the researchers did not find clear relationships between performance and variables such as years of playing or age of onset. Given the small sample size, this pattern should be treated as tentative rather than a strong “ceiling” effect.
These results may have future relevance for rehabilitation research and fall prevention. Orientation and postural control matter for safe movement, especially in older adults, but this study does not test a training program. Musical training could be explored as one way to practice multisensory coordination, but longitudinal training studies would be needed.
Limitations and what this study does not prove
This is a cross-sectional comparison of musicians and non-musicians, so selection effects are possible. The sample is small, and the Fukuda-Unterberger task is a clinical test with debated reliability and interpretation, so it should be treated as an indirect proxy rather than a clean readout of an internal body map. Finally, the study does not measure vestibular or proprioceptive physiology directly, so mechanism claims should stay tentative.
Sources and related information
Cortex – Musical training shapes spatial cognition – 2025
This peer-reviewed study compared musicians and non-musicians on the Fukuda-Unterberger stepping task, with and without auditory cues. It reports smaller displacement and directional errors in the musician group, but it does not establish causality or directly measure vestibular or proprioceptive physiology.
PsyPost – Musicians possess a superior internal map of their body in space – 2025
This science report summarizes the research published in the journal Cortex and describes the study design and headline results. It is a useful overview, but causal language should be treated cautiously because the underlying study is cross-sectional.
