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Villar-Rodríguez E, Marin-Marin L, Baena-Pérez M, Cano-Melle C, Parcet MA, Ávila C. Musicianship and Prominence of Interhemispheric Connectivity Determine Two Different Pathways to Atypical Language Dominance. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2430232024. [PMID: 39160067 PMCID: PMC11391498 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2430-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
During infancy and adolescence, language develops from a predominantly interhemispheric control-through the corpus callosum (CC)-to a predominantly intrahemispheric control, mainly subserved by the left arcuate fasciculus (AF). Using multimodal neuroimaging, we demonstrate that human left-handers (both male and female) with an atypical language lateralization show a rightward participation of language areas from the auditory cortex to the inferior frontal cortex when contrasting speech to tone perception and an enhanced interhemispheric anatomical and functional connectivity. Crucially, musicianship determines two different structural pathways to this outcome. Nonmusicians present a relation between atypical lateralization and intrahemispheric underdevelopment across the anterior AF, hinting at a dysregulation of the ontogenetic shift from an interhemispheric to an intrahemispheric brain. Musicians reveal an alternative pathway related to interhemispheric overdevelopment across the posterior CC and the auditory cortex. We discuss the heterogeneity in reaching atypical language lateralization and the relevance of early musical training in altering the normal development of language cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Villar-Rodríguez
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging, Universitat Jaume I, Castelllón de la Plana 12071, Spain
| | - Lidón Marin-Marin
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
- York Neuroimaging Centre, York YO10 5NY, United Kingdom
| | - María Baena-Pérez
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging, Universitat Jaume I, Castelllón de la Plana 12071, Spain
| | - Cristina Cano-Melle
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging, Universitat Jaume I, Castelllón de la Plana 12071, Spain
| | - Maria Antònia Parcet
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging, Universitat Jaume I, Castelllón de la Plana 12071, Spain
| | - César Ávila
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging, Universitat Jaume I, Castelllón de la Plana 12071, Spain
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Villar-Rodríguez E, Marin-Marin L, Avila C, Parcet MA. Neuroanatomical correlates of musicianship in left-handers. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2024; 20:17. [PMID: 38943215 PMCID: PMC11214256 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00243-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Left-handedness is a condition that reverses the typical left cerebral dominance of motor control to an atypical right dominance. The impact of this distinct control - and its associated neuroanatomical peculiarities - on other cognitive functions such as music processing or playing a musical instrument remains unexplored. Previous studies in right-handed population have linked musicianship to a larger volume in the (right) auditory cortex and a larger volume in the (right) arcuate fasciculus. RESULTS In our study, we reveal that left-handed musicians (n = 55), in comparison to left-handed non-musicians (n = 75), exhibit a larger gray matter volume in both the left and right Heschl's gyrus, critical for auditory processing. They also present a higher number of streamlines across the anterior segment of the right arcuate fasciculus. Importantly, atypical hemispheric lateralization of speech (notably prevalent among left-handers) was associated to a rightward asymmetry of the AF, in contrast to the leftward asymmetry exhibited by the typically lateralized. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that left-handed musicians share similar neuroanatomical characteristics with their right-handed counterparts. However, atypical lateralization of speech might potentiate the right audiomotor pathway, which has been associated with musicianship and better musical skills. This may help explain why musicians are more prevalent among left-handers and shed light on their cognitive advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Villar-Rodríguez
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging, Universitat Jaume I, Castelllón de la Plana, Spain.
| | - Lidón Marin-Marin
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK
- York Neuroimaging Centre, Innovation Way, York, UK
| | - César Avila
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging, Universitat Jaume I, Castelllón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Maria Antònia Parcet
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging, Universitat Jaume I, Castelllón de la Plana, Spain
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3
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Sihvonen AJ, Ferguson MA, Chen V, Soinila S, Särkämö T, Joutsa J. Focal Brain Lesions Causing Acquired Amusia Map to a Common Brain Network. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1922232024. [PMID: 38423761 PMCID: PMC11007473 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1922-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Music is a universal human attribute. The study of amusia, a neurologic music processing deficit, has increasingly elaborated our view on the neural organization of the musical brain. However, lesions causing amusia occur in multiple brain locations and often also cause aphasia, leaving the distinct neural networks for amusia unclear. Here, we utilized lesion network mapping to identify these networks. A systematic literature search was carried out to identify all published case reports of lesion-induced amusia. The reproducibility and specificity of the identified amusia network were then tested in an independent prospective cohort of 97 stroke patients (46 female and 51 male) with repeated structural brain imaging, specifically assessed for both music perception and language abilities. Lesion locations in the case reports were heterogeneous but connected to common brain regions, including bilateral temporoparietal and insular cortices, precentral gyrus, and cingulum. In the prospective cohort, lesions causing amusia mapped to a common brain network, centering on the right superior temporal cortex and clearly distinct from the network causally associated with aphasia. Lesion-induced longitudinal structural effects in the amusia circuit were confirmed as reduction of both gray and white matter volume, which correlated with the severity of amusia. We demonstrate that despite the heterogeneity of lesion locations disrupting music processing, there is a common brain network that is distinct from the language network. These results provide evidence for the distinct neural substrate of music processing, differentiating music-related functions from language, providing a testable target for noninvasive brain stimulation to treat amusia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksi J Sihvonen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- Queensland Aphasia Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Neurocenter, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki 00029, Finland
| | - Michael A Ferguson
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
| | - Vicky Chen
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Seppo Soinila
- Division of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku and Neurocenter, Turku University Hospital, Turku 20521, Finland
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Juho Joutsa
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Turku 20521, Finland
- Neurocenter and Turku PET Center, Turku University Hospital, Turku 20521, Finland
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4
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Music perception in acquired prosopagnosia. Neuropsychologia 2023; 183:108540. [PMID: 36913989 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acquired prosopagnosia is often associated with other deficits such as dyschromatopsia and topographagnosia, from damage to adjacent perceptual networks. A recent study showed that some subjects with developmental prosopagnosia also have congenital amusia, but problems with music perception have not been described with the acquired variant. OBJECTIVE Our goal was to determine if music perception was also impaired in subjects with acquired prosopagnosia, and if so, its anatomic correlate. METHOD We studied eight subjects with acquired prosopagnosia, all of whom had extensive neuropsychological and neuroimaging testing. They performed a battery of tests evaluating pitch and rhythm processing, including the Montréal Battery for the Evaluation of Amusia. RESULTS At the group level, subjects with anterior temporal lesions were impaired in pitch perception relative to the control group, but not those with occipitotemporal lesions. Three of eight subjects with acquired prosopagnosia had impaired musical pitch perception while rhythm perception was spared. Two of the three also showed reduced musical memory. These three reported alterations in their emotional experience of music: one reported music anhedonia and aversion, while the remaining two had changes consistent with musicophilia. The lesions of these three subjects affected the right or bilateral temporal poles as well as the right amygdala and insula. None of the three prosopagnosic subjects with lesions limited to the inferior occipitotemporal cortex exhibited impaired pitch perception or musical memory, or reported changes in music appreciation. CONCLUSION Together with the results of our previous studies of voice recognition, these findings indicate an anterior ventral syndrome that can include the amnestic variant of prosopagnosia, phonagnosia, and various alterations in music perception, including acquired amusia, reduced musical memory, and subjective reports of altered emotional experience of music.
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Gallet C, Clavreul A, Bernard F, Menei P, Lemée JM. Frontal aslant tract in the non-dominant hemisphere: A systematic review of anatomy, functions, and surgical applications. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:1025866. [DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.1025866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of both the spatial organization and functions of white-matter fiber tracts is steadily increasing. We report here the anatomy and functions of the frontal aslant tract (FAT) in the non-dominant hemisphere (usually the right hemisphere). Despite the structural symmetry between the right and left FAT, these two tracts seem to display functional asymmetry, with several brain functions in common, but others, such as visuospatial and social cognition, music processing, shifting attention or working memory, more exclusively associated with the right FAT. Further studies are required to determine whether damage to the right FAT causes permanent cognitive impairment. Such studies will constitute the best means of testing whether this tract is a critical pathway that must be taken into account during neurosurgical procedures and the essential tasks to be incorporated into intraoperative monitoring during awake craniotomy.
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Sihvonen AJ, Särkämö T. Music processing and amusia. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 187:55-67. [PMID: 35964992 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823493-8.00014-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Music is a universal and important human trait, which is orchestrated by complex brain network centered in the temporal lobe but connecting broadly to multiple cortical and subcortical regions. In the human brain, music engages a widespread bilateral network of regions that govern auditory perception, syntactic and semantic processing, attention and memory, emotion and reward, and motor skills. The ability to perceive or produce music can be severely impaired either due to abnormal brain development or brain damage, leading to a condition called amusia. Modern neuroimaging studies of amusia have provided valuable knowledge about the structure and function of specific brain regions and white matter pathways that are crucial for music perception, highlighting the role of the right frontotemporal network in this process. In this chapter, we provide an overview on the neural basis of music processing in a healthy brain and review evidence obtained from the studies of congenital and acquired amusia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksi J Sihvonen
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Queensland Aphasia Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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Bianco R, Novembre G, Ringer H, Kohler N, Keller PE, Villringer A, Sammler D. Lateral Prefrontal Cortex Is a Hub for Music Production from Structural Rules to Movements. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:3878-3895. [PMID: 34965579 PMCID: PMC9476625 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex sequential behaviors, such as speaking or playing music, entail flexible rule-based chaining of single acts. However, it remains unclear how the brain translates abstract structural rules into movements. We combined music production with multimodal neuroimaging to dissociate high-level structural and low-level motor planning. Pianists played novel musical chord sequences on a muted MR-compatible piano by imitating a model hand on screen. Chord sequences were manipulated in terms of musical harmony and context length to assess structural planning, and in terms of fingers used for playing to assess motor planning. A model of probabilistic sequence processing confirmed temporally extended dependencies between chords, as opposed to local dependencies between movements. Violations of structural plans activated the left inferior frontal and middle temporal gyrus, and the fractional anisotropy of the ventral pathway connecting these two regions positively predicted behavioral measures of structural planning. A bilateral frontoparietal network was instead activated by violations of motor plans. Both structural and motor networks converged in lateral prefrontal cortex, with anterior regions contributing to musical structure building, and posterior areas to movement planning. These results establish a promising approach to study sequence production at different levels of action representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Bianco
- UCL Ear Institute, University College London, London WC1X 8EE, UK.,Otto Hahn Research Group Neural Bases of Intonation in Speech and Music, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Giacomo Novembre
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Hanna Ringer
- Otto Hahn Research Group Neural Bases of Intonation in Speech and Music, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany.,Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04109, Germany
| | - Natalie Kohler
- Otto Hahn Research Group Neural Bases of Intonation in Speech and Music, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany.,Research Group Neurocognition of Music and Language, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany
| | - Peter E Keller
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark.,The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Arno Villringer
- Otto Hahn Research Group Neural Bases of Intonation in Speech and Music, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Daniela Sammler
- Otto Hahn Research Group Neural Bases of Intonation in Speech and Music, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany.,Research Group Neurocognition of Music and Language, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany
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8
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Sihvonen AJ, Sammler D, Ripollés P, Leo V, Rodríguez-Fornells A, Soinila S, Särkämö T. Right ventral stream damage underlies both poststroke aprosodia and amusia. Eur J Neurol 2021; 29:873-882. [PMID: 34661326 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study was undertaken to determine and compare lesion patterns and structural dysconnectivity underlying poststroke aprosodia and amusia, using a data-driven multimodal neuroimaging approach. METHODS Thirty-nine patients with right or left hemisphere stroke were enrolled in a cohort study and tested for linguistic and affective prosody perception and musical pitch and rhythm perception at subacute and 3-month poststroke stages. Participants listened to words spoken with different prosodic stress that changed their meaning, and to words spoken with six different emotions, and chose which meaning or emotion was expressed. In the music tasks, participants judged pairs of short melodies as the same or different in terms of pitch or rhythm. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired at both stages, and machine learning-based lesion-symptom mapping and deterministic tractography were used to identify lesion patterns and damaged white matter pathways giving rise to aprosodia and amusia. RESULTS Both aprosodia and amusia were behaviorally strongly correlated and associated with similar lesion patterns in right frontoinsular and striatal areas. In multiple regression models, reduced fractional anisotropy and lower tract volume of the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus were the strongest predictors for both disorders, over time. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight a common origin of aprosodia and amusia, both arising from damage and disconnection of the right ventral auditory stream integrating rhythmic-melodic acoustic information in prosody and music. Comorbidity of these disabilities may worsen the prognosis and affect rehabilitation success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksi J Sihvonen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Daniela Sammler
- Research Group "Neurocognition of Music and Language, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Pablo Ripollés
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Vera Leo
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antoni Rodríguez-Fornells
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,Department of Cognition, Development, and Education Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Seppo Soinila
- Neurocenter, Turku University Hospital and Division of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Sihvonen AJ, Ripollés P, Leo V, Saunavaara J, Parkkola R, Rodríguez-Fornells A, Soinila S, Särkämö T. Vocal music listening enhances post-stroke language network reorganization. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0158-21.2021. [PMID: 34140351 PMCID: PMC8266215 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0158-21.2021] [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: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Listening to vocal music has been recently shown to improve language recovery in stroke survivors. The neuroplasticity mechanisms supporting this effect are, however, still unknown. Using data from a three-arm single-blind randomized controlled trial including acute stroke patients (N=38) and a 3-month follow-up, we set out to compare the neuroplasticity effects of daily listening to self-selected vocal music, instrumental music, and audiobooks on both brain activity and structural connectivity of the language network. Using deterministic tractography we show that the 3-month intervention induced an enhancement of the microstructural properties of the left frontal aslant tract (FAT) for the vocal music group as compared to the audiobook group. Importantly, this increase in the strength of the structural connectivity of the left FAT correlated with improved language skills. Analyses of stimulus-specific activation changes showed that the vocal music group exhibited increased activations in the frontal termination points of the left FAT during vocal music listening as compared to the audiobook group from acute to 3-month post-stroke stage. The increased activity correlated with the structural neuroplasticity changes in the left FAT. These results suggest that the beneficial effects of vocal music listening on post-stroke language recovery are underpinned by structural neuroplasticity changes within the language network and extend our understanding of music-based interventions in stroke rehabilitation.Significance statementPost-stroke language deficits have a devastating effect on patients and their families. Current treatments yield highly variable outcomes and the evidence for their long-term effects is limited. Patients often receive insufficient treatment that are predominantly given outside the optimal time window for brain plasticity. Post-stroke vocal music listening improves language outcome which is underpinned by neuroplasticity changes within the language network. Vocal music listening provides a complementary rehabilitation strategy which could be safely implemented in the early stages of stroke rehabilitation and seems to specifically target language symptoms and recovering language network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksi J Sihvonen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Pablo Ripollés
- Department of Psychology, New York University, USA
- Music and Audio Research Laboratory, New York University, USA
- Center for Language Music and emotion, New York UniversityUSA
| | - Vera Leo
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jani Saunavaara
- Department of Medical Physics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Riitta Parkkola
- Department of Radiology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Finland
| | - Antoni Rodríguez-Fornells
- Department of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
- Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Finland
| | - Seppo Soinila
- Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Finland
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
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10
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Jin Z, Huyang S, Jiang L, Yan Y, Xu M, Wang J, Li Q, Wu D. Increased Resting-State Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity of Posterior Superior Temporal Gyrus and Posterior Cingulate Cortex in Congenital Amusia. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:653325. [PMID: 33994929 PMCID: PMC8120159 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.653325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Interhemispheric connectivity of the two cerebral hemispheres is crucial for a broad repertoire of cognitive functions including music and language. Congenital amusia has been reported as a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by impaired music perception and production. However, little is known about the characteristics of the interhemispheric functional connectivity (FC) in amusia. In the present study, we used a newly developed voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) method to investigate the interhemispheric FC of the whole brain in amusia at resting-state. Thirty amusics and 29 matched participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. An automated VMHC approach was used to analyze the fMRI data. Compared to the control group, amusics showed increased VMHC within the posterior part of the default mode network (DMN) mainly in the posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Correlation analyses revealed negative correlations between the VMHC value in pSTG/PCC and the music perception ability among amusics. Further ROC analyses showed that the VMHC value of pSTG/PCC showed a good sensibility/specificity to differentiate the amusics from the controls. These findings provide a new perspective for understanding the neural basis of congenital amusia and imply the immature state of DMN may be a credible neural marker of amusia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhishuai Jin
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Sizhu Huyang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lichen Jiang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yajun Yan
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ming Xu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jinyu Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qixiong Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Daxing Wu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
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11
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Olszewska AM, Gaca M, Herman AM, Jednoróg K, Marchewka A. How Musical Training Shapes the Adult Brain: Predispositions and Neuroplasticity. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:630829. [PMID: 33776638 PMCID: PMC7987793 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.630829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning to play a musical instrument is a complex task that integrates multiple sensory modalities and higher-order cognitive functions. Therefore, musical training is considered a useful framework for the research on training-induced neuroplasticity. However, the classical nature-or-nurture question remains, whether the differences observed between musicians and non-musicians are due to predispositions or result from the training itself. Here we present a review of recent publications with strong focus on experimental designs to better understand both brain reorganization and the neuronal markers of predispositions when learning to play a musical instrument. Cross-sectional studies identified structural and functional differences between the brains of musicians and non-musicians, especially in regions related to motor control and auditory processing. A few longitudinal studies showed functional changes related to training while listening to and producing music, in the motor network and its connectivity with the auditory system, in line with the outcomes of cross-sectional studies. Parallel changes within the motor system and between the motor and auditory systems were revealed for structural connectivity. In addition, potential predictors of musical learning success were found including increased brain activation in the auditory and motor systems during listening, the microstructure of the arcuate fasciculus, and the functional connectivity between the auditory and the motor systems. We show that “the musical brain” is a product of both the natural human neurodiversity and the training practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja M Olszewska
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Gaca
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra M Herman
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Jednoróg
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Artur Marchewka
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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12
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La Corte E, Eldahaby D, Greco E, Aquino D, Bertolini G, Levi V, Ottenhausen M, Demichelis G, Romito LM, Acerbi F, Broggi M, Schiariti MP, Ferroli P, Bruzzone MG, Serrao G. The Frontal Aslant Tract: A Systematic Review for Neurosurgical Applications. Front Neurol 2021; 12:641586. [PMID: 33732210 PMCID: PMC7959833 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.641586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The frontal aslant tract (FAT) is a recently identified white matter tract connecting the supplementary motor complex and lateral superior frontal gyrus to the inferior frontal gyrus. Advancements in neuroimaging and refinements to anatomical dissection techniques of the human brain white matter contributed to the recent description of the FAT anatomical and functional connectivity and its role in the pathogenesis of several neurological, psychiatric, and neurosurgical disorders. Through the application of diffusion tractography and intraoperative electrical brain stimulation, the FAT was shown to have a role in speech and language functions (verbal fluency, initiation and inhibition of speech, sentence production, and lexical decision), working memory, visual–motor activities, orofacial movements, social community tasks, attention, and music processing. Microstructural alterations of the FAT have also been associated with neurological disorders, such as primary progressive aphasia, post-stroke aphasia, stuttering, Foix–Chavany–Marie syndrome, social communication deficit in autism spectrum disorders, and attention–deficit hyperactivity disorder. We provide a systematic review of the current literature about the FAT anatomical connectivity and functional roles. Specifically, the aim of the present study relies on providing an overview for practical neurosurgical applications for the pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative assessment of patients with brain tumors located around and within the FAT. Moreover, some useful tests are suggested for the neurosurgical evaluation of FAT integrity to plan a safer surgery and to reduce post-operative deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele La Corte
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Eldahaby
- San Paolo Medical School, Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Greco
- San Paolo Medical School, Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Domenico Aquino
- Neuroradiology Department, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Bertolini
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Levi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Malte Ottenhausen
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Greta Demichelis
- Neuroradiology Department, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Michele Romito
- Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Acerbi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Morgan Broggi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Paolo Schiariti
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Ferroli
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Bruzzone
- Neuroradiology Department, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Graziano Serrao
- San Paolo Medical School, Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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13
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Klarendić M, Gorišek VR, Granda G, Avsenik J, Zgonc V, Kojović M. Auditory agnosia with anosognosia. Cortex 2021; 137:255-270. [PMID: 33647851 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
A 66-year-old right-handed female medical doctor suffered two consecutive cardioembolic strokes, initially affecting the right frontal lobe and the right insula, followed by a lesion in the left temporal lobe. The patient presented with distinctive phenomenology of general auditory agnosia with anosognosia for the deficit. She did not understand verbal requests and her answers to oral questions were fluent but unrelated to the topic. However, she was able to correctly answer written questions, name objects, and fluently describe their purpose, which is characteristic for verbal auditory agnosia. She was also unable to recognise environmental sounds or to recognise and repeat any melody. These inabilities represent environmental sound agnosia and amusia, respectively. Surprisingly, she was not aware of the problem, not asking any questions regarding her symptoms, and avoiding discussing her inability to understand spoken language, which is indicative of anosognosia. The deficits in our patient followed a distinct pattern of recovery. The verbal auditory agnosia was the first to resolve, followed by environmental sound agnosia. Amusia persisted the longest. The patient was clinically assessed from the first day of symptom onset and the evolution of symptoms was video documented. We give a detailed account of the patient's behaviour and provide results of audiological and neuropsychological evaluations. We discuss the anatomy of auditory agnosia and anosognosia relevant to the case. This case study may serve to better understand auditory agnosia in clinical settings. It is important to distinguish auditory agnosia from Wernicke's aphasia, because use of written language may enable normal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Klarendić
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Veronika R Gorišek
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gal Granda
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jernej Avsenik
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Vid Zgonc
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Kojović
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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14
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Palomar-García MÁ, Hernández M, Olcina G, Adrián-Ventura J, Costumero V, Miró-Padilla A, Villar-Rodríguez E, Ávila C. Auditory and frontal anatomic correlates of pitch discrimination in musicians, non-musicians, and children without musical training. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:2735-2744. [PMID: 33029708 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02151-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in pitch discrimination have been associated with the volume of both the bilateral Heschl's gyrus and the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). However, most of these studies used samples composed of individuals with different amounts of musical training. Here, we investigated the relationship between pitch discrimination and individual differences in the gray matter (GM) volume of these brain structures in 32 adult musicians, 28 adult non-musicians, and 32 children without musical training. The results showed that (i) the individuals without musical training (whether children or adults) who were better at pitch discrimination had greater volume of auditory regions, whereas (ii) musicians with better pitch discrimination had greater volume of the IFG. These results suggest that the relationship between pitch discrimination and the volume of auditory regions is innately established early in life, and that musical training modulates the volume of the IFG, probably improving audio-motor connectivity. This is the first study to detect a relationship between pitch discrimination ability and GM volume before beginning any musical training in children and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- María-Ángeles Palomar-García
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Basic Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, s/n., 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain.
| | - Mireia Hernández
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institut de Neurociències, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gustau Olcina
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Education, University Jaume I, 12071, Castellón, Spain
| | - Jesús Adrián-Ventura
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Basic Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, s/n., 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Víctor Costumero
- Center for Brain and Cognition, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Miró-Padilla
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Basic Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, s/n., 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Esteban Villar-Rodríguez
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Basic Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, s/n., 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - César Ávila
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Basic Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat, s/n., 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
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15
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Vaquero L, Rousseau PN, Vozian D, Klein D, Penhune V. What you learn & when you learn it: Impact of early bilingual & music experience on the structural characteristics of auditory-motor pathways. Neuroimage 2020; 213:116689. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
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16
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Friederici AD. Hierarchy processing in human neurobiology: how specific is it? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20180391. [PMID: 31735144 PMCID: PMC6895560 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although human and non-human animals share a number of perceptual and cognitive abilities, they differ in their ability to process hierarchically structured sequences. This becomes most evident in the human capacity to process natural language characterized by structural hierarchies. This capacity is neuroanatomically grounded in the posterior part of left Broca's area (Brodmann area (BA) 44), located in the inferior frontal gyrus, and its dorsal white matter fibre connection to the temporal cortex. Within this neural network, BA 44 itself subserves hierarchy building and the strength of its connection to the temporal cortex correlates with the processing of syntactically complex sentences. Whether these brain structures are also relevant for other human cognitive abilities is a current debate. Here, this question will be evaluated with respect to those human cognitive abilities that are assumed to require hierarchy building, such as music, mathematics and Theory of Mind. Rather than supporting a domain-general view, the data indicate domain-selective neural networks as the neurobiological basis for processing hierarchy in different cognitive domains. Recent cross-species white matter comparisons suggest that particular connections within the networks may make the crucial difference in the brain structure of human and non-human primates, thereby enabling cognitive functions specific to humans. This article is part of the theme issue 'What can animal communication teach us about human language?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela D. Friederici
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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17
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Sihvonen AJ, Särkämö T, Rodríguez-Fornells A, Ripollés P, Münte TF, Soinila S. Neural architectures of music - Insights from acquired amusia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:104-114. [PMID: 31479663 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The ability to perceive and produce music is a quintessential element of human life, present in all known cultures. Modern functional neuroimaging has revealed that music listening activates a large-scale bilateral network of cortical and subcortical regions in the healthy brain. Even the most accurate structural studies do not reveal which brain areas are critical and causally linked to music processing. Such questions may be answered by analysing the effects of focal brain lesions in patients´ ability to perceive music. In this sense, acquired amusia after stroke provides a unique opportunity to investigate the neural architectures crucial for normal music processing. Based on the first large-scale longitudinal studies on stroke-induced amusia using modern multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, such as advanced lesion-symptom mapping, grey and white matter morphometry, tractography and functional connectivity, we discuss neural structures critical for music processing, consider music processing in light of the dual-stream model in the right hemisphere, and propose a neural model for acquired amusia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksi J Sihvonen
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Helsinki, Finland; Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antoni Rodríguez-Fornells
- Department of Cognition, University of Barcelona, Cognition & Brain Plasticity Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Institució Catalana de recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Ripollés
- Department of Psychology, New York University and Music and Audio Research Laboratory, New York University, USA
| | - Thomas F Münte
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Psychology II, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Seppo Soinila
- Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University Hospital, Department of Neurology, University of Turku, Finland
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18
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Leo V, Sihvonen AJ, Linnavalli T, Tervaniemi M, Laine M, Soinila S, Särkämö T. Cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the mnemonic effect of songs after stroke. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 24:101948. [PMID: 31419766 PMCID: PMC6706631 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Sung melody provides a mnemonic cue that can enhance the acquisition of novel verbal material in healthy subjects. Recent evidence suggests that also stroke patients, especially those with mild aphasia, can learn and recall novel narrative stories better when they are presented in sung than spoken format. Extending this finding, the present study explored the cognitive mechanisms underlying this effect by determining whether learning and recall of novel sung vs. spoken stories show a differential pattern of serial position effects (SPEs) and chunking effects in non-aphasic and aphasic stroke patients (N = 31) studied 6 months post-stroke. The structural neural correlates of these effects were also explored using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and deterministic tractography (DT) analyses of structural MRI data. Non-aphasic patients showed more stable recall with reduced SPEs in the sung than spoken task, which was coupled with greater volume and integrity (indicated by fractional anisotropy, FA) of the left arcuate fasciculus. In contrast, compared to non-aphasic patients, the aphasic patients showed a larger recency effect (better recall of the last vs. middle part of the story) and enhanced chunking (larger units of correctly recalled consecutive items) in the sung than spoken task. In aphasics, the enhanced chunking and better recall on the middle verse in the sung vs. spoken task correlated also with better ability to perceive emotional prosody in speech. Neurally, the sung > spoken recency effect in aphasic patients was coupled with greater grey matter volume in a bilateral network of temporal, frontal, and parietal regions and also greater volume of the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). These results provide novel cognitive and neurobiological insight on how a repetitive sung melody can function as a verbal mnemonic aid after stroke. Non-aphasic stroke patients show more stable recall of sung than spoken stories. Aphasic patients show larger recency and chunking effects to sung vs. spoken stories. The left dorsal pathway mediates better recall of sung stories in non-aphasics. The right ventral pathway mediates better recall of sung stories in aphasics. Large-scale bilateral cortical networks are linked to musical mnemonics in aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Leo
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aleksi J Sihvonen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tanja Linnavalli
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mari Tervaniemi
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; CICERO Learning, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matti Laine
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Seppo Soinila
- Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University Hospital, Department of Neurology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
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19
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Loui P, Raine LB, Chaddock-Heyman L, Kramer AF, Hillman CH. Musical Instrument Practice Predicts White Matter Microstructure and Cognitive Abilities in Childhood. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1198. [PMID: 31178805 PMCID: PMC6543906 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Musical training has been associated with advantages in cognitive measures of IQ and verbal ability, as well as neural measures including white matter microstructural properties in the corpus callosum (CC) and the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). We hypothesized that children who have musical training will have different microstructural properties in the SLF and CC. One hundred children aged 7.9-9.9 years (mean age 8.7) were surveyed for their musical activities, completed neuropsychological testing for general cognitive abilities, and underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) as part of a larger study. Children who play a musical instrument for more than 0.5 h per week (n = 34) had higher scores on verbal ability and intellectual ability (standardized scores from the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities), as well as higher axial diffusivity (AD) in the left SLF than those who did not play a musical instrument (n = 66). Furthermore, the intensity of musical practice, quantified as the number of hours of music practice per week, was correlated with axial diffusivity (AD) in the left SLF. Results are not explained by age, sex, socio-economic status, or physical fitness of the participants. The results suggest that the relationship between musical practice and intellectual ability is related to the maturation of white matter pathways in the auditory-motor system. The findings suggest that musical training may be a means of improving cognitive and brain health during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Psyche Loui
- Department of Music, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lauren B Raine
- Department of Music, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Arthur F Kramer
- Department of Music, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Charles H Hillman
- Department of Music, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
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20
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Wenhart T, Bethlehem RAI, Baron-Cohen S, Altenmüller E. Autistic traits, resting-state connectivity, and absolute pitch in professional musicians: shared and distinct neural features. Mol Autism 2019; 10:20. [PMID: 31073395 PMCID: PMC6498518 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0272-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent studies indicate increased autistic traits in musicians with absolute pitch and a higher proportion of absolute pitch in people with autism. Theoretical accounts connect both of these with shared neural principles of local hyper- and global hypoconnectivity, enhanced perceptual functioning, and a detail-focused cognitive style. This is the first study to investigate absolute pitch proficiency, autistic traits, and brain correlates in the same study. Sample and methods Graph theoretical analysis was conducted on resting-state (eyes closed and eyes open) EEG connectivity (wPLI, weighted phase lag index) matrices obtained from 31 absolute pitch (AP) and 33 relative pitch (RP) professional musicians. Small-worldness, global clustering coefficient, and average path length were related to autistic traits, passive (tone identification) and active (pitch adjustment) absolute pitch proficiency, and onset of musical training using Welch two-sample tests, correlations, and general linear models. Results Analyses revealed increased path length (delta 2–4 Hz), reduced clustering (beta 13–18 Hz), reduced small-worldness (gamma 30–60 Hz), and increased autistic traits for AP compared to RP. Only clustering values (beta 13–18 Hz) were predicted by both AP proficiency and autistic traits. Post hoc single connection permutation tests among raw wPLI matrices in the beta band (13–18 Hz) revealed widely reduced interhemispheric connectivity between bilateral auditory-related electrode positions along with higher connectivity between F7–F8 and F8–P9 for AP. Pitch-naming ability and pitch adjustment ability were predicted by path length, clustering, autistic traits, and onset of musical training (for pitch adjustment) explaining 44% and 38% of variance, respectively. Conclusions Results show both shared and distinct neural features between AP and autistic traits. Differences in the beta range were associated with higher autistic traits in the same population. In general, AP musicians exhibit a widely underconnected brain with reduced functional integration and reduced small-world property during resting state. This might be partly related to autism-specific brain connectivity, while differences in path length and small-worldness reflect other ability-specific influences. This is further evidenced for different pathways in the acquisition and development of absolute pitch, likely influenced by both genetic and environmental factors and their interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Wenhart
- Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, University for Music, Drama and Media, Hannover, Germany.,2Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
| | - R A I Bethlehem
- 3Autism Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S Baron-Cohen
- 3Autism Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - E Altenmüller
- Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, University for Music, Drama and Media, Hannover, Germany.,2Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
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21
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Vaquero L, Ramos-Escobar N, François C, Penhune V, Rodríguez-Fornells A. White-matter structural connectivity predicts short-term melody and rhythm learning in non-musicians. Neuroimage 2018; 181:252-262. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.06.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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22
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Särkämö T, Sihvonen AJ. Golden oldies and silver brains: Deficits, preservation, learning, and rehabilitation effects of music in ageing-related neurological disorders. Cortex 2018; 109:104-123. [PMID: 30312779 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
During the last decades, there have been major advances in mapping the brain regions that underlie our ability to perceive, experience, and produce music and how musical training can shape the structure and function of the brain. This progress has fueled and renewed clinical interest towards uncovering the neural basis for the impaired or preserved processing of music in different neurological disorders and how music-based interventions can be used in their rehabilitation and care. This article reviews our contribution to and the state-of-the-art of this field. We will provide a short overview outlining the key brain networks that participate in the processing of music and singing in the healthy brain and then present recent findings on the following key music-related research topics in neurological disorders: (i) the neural architecture underlying deficient processing of music (amusia), (ii) the preservation of singing in aphasia and music-evoked emotions and memories in Alzheimer's disease, (iii) the mnemonic impact of songs as a verbal learning tool, and (iv) the cognitive, emotional, and neural efficacy of music-based interventions and activities in the rehabilitation and care of major ageing-related neurological illnesses (stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease).
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Affiliation(s)
- Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Aleksi J Sihvonen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Finland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Finland
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23
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Hohmann A, Loui P, Li CH, Schlaug G. Reverse Engineering Tone-Deafness: Disrupting Pitch-Matching by Creating Temporary Dysfunctions in the Auditory-Motor Network. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:9. [PMID: 29441004 PMCID: PMC5797547 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Perceiving and producing vocal sounds are important functions of the auditory-motor system and are fundamental to communication. Prior studies have identified a network of brain regions involved in pitch production, specifically pitch matching. Here we reverse engineer the function of the auditory perception-production network by targeting specific cortical regions (e.g., right and left posterior superior temporal (pSTG) and posterior inferior frontal gyri (pIFG)) with cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)—commonly found to decrease excitability in the underlying cortical region—allowing us to causally test the role of particular nodes in this network. Performance on a pitch-matching task was determined before and after 20 min of cathodal stimulation. Acoustic analyses of pitch productions showed impaired accuracy after cathodal stimulation to the left pIFG and the right pSTG in comparison to sham stimulation. Both regions share particular roles in the feedback and feedforward motor control of pitched vocal production with a differential hemispheric dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Hohmann
- Department of Neurology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Psyche Loui
- Department of Psychology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, United States
| | - Charles H Li
- Music, Neuroimaging and Stroke Recovery Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Gottfried Schlaug
- Music, Neuroimaging and Stroke Recovery Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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