Research conducted by Kamini Sehrawat and Prof. Israel Nelken at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has uncovered significant differences in how male and female mice respond to early sound experiences. By exposing baby mice to the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, the researchers aimed to explore the impact of auditory stimuli on sensory preferences and brain development. Their findings, published in Cell Reports, indicate that early sound exposure can have divergent effects based on sex, influencing not just behavior but also the underlying neural processing of sound.
The study highlights an intriguing distinction in the sound preferences of male and female mice. Male mice that were exposed to silence or a series of artificial sounds tended to shy away from music as adults. Conversely, those raised in an environment featuring Beethoven exhibited more diverse musical preferences, with a notable number drawn to music. In contrast, female mice displayed a less pronounced response to their early auditory experiences, leading to varied preferences without a clear trend toward or away from music.
The research revealed a fascinating relationship between the auditory cortex activity and musical preference in the two sexes. In female mice, increased neural activity in this area correlated with a decreased liking for music. For male mice, however, the link between auditory cortex response and behavior was weak or even absent.
“These results suggest that early sound exposure affects males and females in fundamentally different ways,” said Sehrawat. “What appears to be the same experience on the surface may trigger completely different neural adaptations in each sex.”
Prof. Nelken emphasized the broader implications of their findings, stating, “Our findings in mice intriguingly suggest that sound preferences rely on mechanisms that operate differently in males and females. Understanding those differences could shed light on how early sensory experiences shape emotional and cognitive development.”
The choice of Beethoven’s composition was intentional, as it provided a rich, multi-frequency soundscape that engaged a wide range of mouse hearing capabilities. The results prompt further inquiry into how auditory experiences can influence developmental pathways, raising questions about the potential long-term effects of sound exposure in various species, including humans.
This research not only deepens the understanding of auditory processing in mice but also opens avenues for exploring how these insights may relate to human development and the shaping of individual preferences.
For further details, refer to the study by Kamini Sehrawat et al., titled “Sound preferences in mice are sex dependent,” published in Cell Reports in 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116454).
