ABSTRACT
Neuroscientific methods represent one of many approaches to quantifying and measuring mental imagery, as it relates to music. This chapter provides an overview of these methods and offers practical guidelines for researchers interested in implementing such techniques in their work on music and mental imagery. Although the predominant neuroimaging technique used to study music and imagery is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), this chapter also discusses neuropsychological and neurophysiological approaches. Each method is outlined and described in terms of its procedures, advantages, and limitations. Additionally, concrete examples are given of prior work that uses such techniques to answer questions about music and mental imagery. For example, work using fMRI has investigated the neural correlates of imagining versus hearing music, while a neuropsychological approach has been used to investigate the neural correlates of musical hallucinations in neurological patient populations. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of the limitations of a neuroscience approach to studying imagery and music, and addresses the importance of combining multiple approaches.
