"关键期"与"敏感期"是既有联系又有区别的两个概念。早期音乐训练的研究认为,人脑发育存在关键期,此时进行音乐训练很重要,而之后再进行训练则效果不佳甚至无效。后续的研究表明,大脑神经系统在人类生长过程中具有终生可塑性,在敏感期进行音乐训练对心理认知和神经建构具有重要的影响。但是,在敏感期之后进行音乐训练仍能提升心理认知能力并塑造大脑神经功能和结构。因此,基于认知神经科学的现有研究成果,对关键期与敏感期的概念界定和主要表现加以区分和辨析,在此基础上,提出如何有效促进音乐教育的健康发展。

The “critical period” and “sensitive period” are two related but also different concepts． Early studies about music training believed that early music training is important but later training is poor or even ineffective to the critical period during human's brain development． Subsequent studies have shown that the brain nervous system has lifelong plasticity and music training during the sensitive period has the significant effect on psychological cognition and neural construction． However, music training after the sensitive period can still improve mental cognition and shape the neurological function and structure of brain． Therefore, based on current studies about cognitive neuroscience, this review differentiates and analyzes the definition and main representations of critical period and sensitive period, and then put forward how to effectively and scientifically promote the development of music education．