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Maillard E, Joyal M, Murray MM, Tremblay P. Are musical activities associated with enhanced speech perception in noise in adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2023.100083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
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Fostick L, Babkoff H. The role of tone duration in dichotic temporal order judgment II: Extending the boundaries of duration and age. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264831. [PMID: 35353821 PMCID: PMC8967006 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal order judgment (TOJ) measures the ability to correctly perceive the order of consecutive stimuli presented rapidly. Our previous research suggested that the major predictor of auditory dichotic TOJ threshold, a paradigm that requires the identification of the order of two tones, each of which is presented to a different ear, is the time separating the onset of the first tone from the onset of the second tone (stimulus-onset-asynchrony, SOA). Data supporting this finding, however, was based on a young adult population and a tone duration range of 10–40 msec. The current study aimed to evaluate the generalizability of the earlier finding by manipulating the experimental model in two different ways: a) extending the tone duration range to include shorter stimulus durations (3–8 msec; Experiment 1) and b) repeating the identical testing procedure on a different population with temporal processing deficits, i.e., older adults (Experiment 2). We hypothesized that the SOA would predict the TOJ threshold regardless of tone duration and participant age. Experiment 1 included 226 young adults divided into eight groups (each group receiving a different tone duration) with duration ranging from 3–40 msec. Experiment 2 included 98 participants aged 60–75 years, divided into five groups by tone duration (10–40 msec). The results of both experiments confirmed the hypothesis, that the SOA required for performing dichotic TOJ was constant regardless of stimulus duration, for both age groups: about 66.5 msec for the young adults and 33 msec longer (100 msec) for the older adults. This finding suggests that dichotic TOJ threshold is controlled by a general mechanism that changes quantitatively with age. Clinically, this has significance because quantitative changes can be more easily remedied than qualitative changes. Theoretically, our findings show that, with dichotic TOJ, tone duration affects threshold by providing more time between the onsets of the consecutive stimuli to the two ears. The findings also imply that a temporal processing deficit, at least among older adults, does not elicit the use of a different mechanism in order to judge temporal order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Fostick
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- * E-mail:
| | - Harvey Babkoff
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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Rus-Oswald OG, Benner J, Reinhardt J, Bürki C, Christiner M, Hofmann E, Schneider P, Stippich C, Kressig RW, Blatow M. Musicianship-Related Structural and Functional Cortical Features Are Preserved in Elderly Musicians. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:807971. [PMID: 35401149 PMCID: PMC8990841 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.807971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Professional musicians are a model population for exploring basic auditory function, sensorimotor and multisensory integration, and training-induced neuroplasticity. The brain of musicians exhibits distinct structural and functional cortical features; however, little is known about how these features evolve during aging. This multiparametric study aimed to examine the functional and structural neural correlates of lifelong musical practice in elderly professional musicians. Methods Sixteen young musicians, 16 elderly musicians (age >70), and 15 elderly non-musicians participated in the study. We assessed gray matter metrics at the whole-brain and region of interest (ROI) levels using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the Freesurfer automatic segmentation and reconstruction pipeline. We used BrainVoyager semiautomated segmentation to explore individual auditory cortex morphotypes. Furthermore, we evaluated functional blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activations in auditory and non-auditory regions by functional MRI (fMRI) with an attentive tone-listening task. Finally, we performed discriminant function analyses based on structural and functional ROIs. Results A general reduction of gray matter metrics distinguished the elderly from the young subjects at the whole-brain level, corresponding to widespread natural brain atrophy. Age- and musicianship-dependent structural correlations revealed group-specific differences in several clusters including superior, middle, and inferior frontal as well as perirolandic areas. In addition, the elderly musicians exhibited increased gyrification of auditory cortex like the young musicians. During fMRI, the elderly non-musicians activated predominantly auditory regions, whereas the elderly musicians co-activated a much broader network of auditory association areas, primary and secondary motor areas, and prefrontal and parietal regions like, albeit weaker, the young musicians. Also, group-specific age- and musicianship-dependent functional correlations were observed in the frontal and parietal regions. Moreover, discriminant function analysis could separate groups with high accuracy based on a set of specific structural and functional, mainly temporal and occipital, ROIs. Conclusion In conclusion, despite naturally occurring senescence, the elderly musicians maintained musicianship-specific structural and functional cortical features. The identified structural and functional brain regions, discriminating elderly musicians from non-musicians, might be of relevance for the aging musicians’ brain. To what extent lifelong musical activity may have a neuroprotective impact needs to be addressed further in larger longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana G. Rus-Oswald
- Department of Neuroradiology, Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- University Department of Geriatric Medicine FELIX PLATTER, Basel, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Oana G. Rus-Oswald,
| | - Jan Benner
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Jan Benner,
| | - Julia Reinhardt
- Department of Neuroradiology, Clinical Neuroscience Center, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Céline Bürki
- University Department of Geriatric Medicine FELIX PLATTER, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus Christiner
- Centre for Systematic Musicology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Vitols Jazeps Latvian Academy of Music, Riga, Latvia
| | - Elke Hofmann
- Academy of Music, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Peter Schneider
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Centre for Systematic Musicology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Vitols Jazeps Latvian Academy of Music, Riga, Latvia
| | - Christoph Stippich
- Department of Neuroradiology and Radiology, Kliniken Schmieder, Allensbach, Germany
| | - Reto W. Kressig
- University Department of Geriatric Medicine FELIX PLATTER, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maria Blatow
- Section of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Neurocenter, Cantonal Hospital Lucerne, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
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Hennessy S, Mack WJ, Habibi A. Speech-in-noise perception in musicians and non-musicians: A multi-level meta-analysis. Hear Res 2022; 416:108442. [PMID: 35078132 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Speech-in-noise perception, the ability to hear a relevant voice within a noisy background, is important for successful communication. Musicians have been reported to perform better than non-musicians on speech-in-noise tasks. This meta-analysis uses a multi-level design to assess the claim that musicians have superior speech-in-noise abilities compared to non-musicians. Across 31 studies and 62 effect sizes, the overall effect of musician status on speech-in-noise ability is significant, with a moderate effect size (g = 0.58), 95% CI [0.42, 0.74]. The overall effect of musician status was not moderated by within-study IQ equivalence, target stimulus, target contextual information, type of background noise, or age. We conclude that musicians show superior speech-in-noise abilities compared to non-musicians, not modified by age, IQ, or speech task parameters. These effects may reflect changes due to music training or predisposed auditory advantages that encourage musicianship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hennessy
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Wendy J Mack
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Assal Habibi
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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Amateur singing benefits speech perception in aging under certain conditions of practice: behavioural and neurobiological mechanisms. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:943-962. [PMID: 35013775 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02433-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Limited evidence has shown that practising musical activities in aging, such as choral singing, could lessen age-related speech perception in noise (SPiN) difficulties. However, the robustness and underlying mechanism of action of this phenomenon remain unclear. In this study, we used surface-based morphometry combined with a moderated mediation analytic approach to examine whether singing-related plasticity in auditory and dorsal speech stream regions is associated with better SPiN capabilities. 36 choral singers and 36 non-singers aged 20-87 years underwent cognitive, auditory, and SPiN assessments. Our results provide important new insights into experience-dependent plasticity by revealing that, under certain conditions of practice, amateur choral singing is associated with age-dependent structural plasticity within auditory and dorsal speech regions, which is associated with better SPiN performance in aging. Specifically, the conditions of practice that were associated with benefits on SPiN included frequent weekly practice at home, several hours of weekly group singing practice, singing in multiple languages, and having received formal singing training. These results suggest that amateur choral singing is associated with improved SPiN through a dual mechanism involving auditory processing and auditory-motor integration and may be dose dependent, with more intense singing associated with greater benefit. Our results, thus, reveal that the relationship between singing practice and SPiN is complex, and underscore the importance of considering singing practice behaviours in understanding the effects of musical activities on the brain-behaviour relationship.
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Perron M, Theaud G, Descoteaux M, Tremblay P. The frontotemporal organization of the arcuate fasciculus and its relationship with speech perception in young and older amateur singers and non-singers. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:3058-3076. [PMID: 33835629 PMCID: PMC8193549 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to perceive speech in noise (SPiN) declines with age. Although the etiology of SPiN decline is not well understood, accumulating evidence suggests a role for the dorsal speech stream. While age‐related decline within the dorsal speech stream would negatively affect SPiN performance, experience‐induced neuroplastic changes within the dorsal speech stream could positively affect SPiN performance. Here, we investigated the relationship between SPiN performance and the structure of the arcuate fasciculus (AF), which forms the white matter scaffolding of the dorsal speech stream, in aging singers and non‐singers. Forty‐three non‐singers and 41 singers aged 20 to 87 years old completed a hearing evaluation and a magnetic resonance imaging session that included High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging. The groups were matched for sex, age, education, handedness, cognitive level, and musical instrument experience. A subgroup of participants completed syllable discrimination in the noise task. The AF was divided into 10 segments to explore potential local specializations for SPiN. The results show that, in carefully matched groups of singers and non‐singers (a) myelin and/or axonal membrane deterioration within the bilateral frontotemporal AF segments are associated with SPiN difficulties in aging singers and non‐singers; (b) the structure of the AF is different in singers and non‐singers; (c) these differences are not associated with a benefit on SPiN performance for singers. This study clarifies the etiology of SPiN difficulties by supporting the hypothesis for the role of aging of the dorsal speech stream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Perron
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.,Département de Réadaptation, Université Laval, Faculté de Médecine, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Guillaume Theaud
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Lab (SCIL), Computer Science Department, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maxime Descoteaux
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Lab (SCIL), Computer Science Department, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pascale Tremblay
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.,Département de Réadaptation, Université Laval, Faculté de Médecine, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
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Hennessy S, Wood A, Wilcox R, Habibi A. Neurophysiological improvements in speech-in-noise task after short-term choir training in older adults. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:9468-9495. [PMID: 33824226 PMCID: PMC8064162 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Perceiving speech in noise (SIN) is important for health and well-being and decreases with age. Musicians show improved speech-in-noise abilities and reduced age-related auditory decline, yet it is unclear whether short term music engagement has similar effects. In this randomized control trial we used a pre-post design to investigate whether a 12-week music intervention in adults aged 50-65 without prior music training and with subjective hearing loss improves well-being, speech-in-noise abilities, and auditory encoding and voluntary attention as indexed by auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) in a syllable-in-noise task, and later AEPs in an oddball task. Age and gender-matched adults were randomized to a choir or control group. Choir participants sang in a 2-hr ensemble with 1-hr home vocal training weekly; controls listened to a 3-hr playlist weekly, attended concerts, and socialized online with fellow participants. From pre- to post-intervention, no differences between groups were observed on quantitative measures of well-being or behavioral speech-in-noise abilities. In the choir group, but not the control group, changes in the N1 component were observed for the syllable-in-noise task, with increased N1 amplitude in the passive condition and decreased N1 latency in the active condition. During the oddball task, larger N1 amplitudes to the frequent standard stimuli were also observed in the choir but not control group from pre to post intervention. Findings have implications for the potential role of music training to improve sound encoding in individuals who are in the vulnerable age range and at risk of auditory decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hennessy
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Alison Wood
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Rand Wilcox
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Assal Habibi
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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