Several studies have found microstructural changes in the cerebellum after the acquisition of motor skills, such as are acquired by musicians, including an increased number and density of synapses. Schlaug found that musicians tended to have larger cerebellums than nonmusicians, and an increased concentration of gray matter; gray matter is that part of the brain that contains the cell bodies, axons, and dendrites, and is understood to be responsible for information processing, as opposed to white matter, which is responsible for information transmission.
