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Wesseldijk LW, Mosing MA, Ullén F. Gene-environment interaction in expertise acquisition: Practice effects on musical expertise vary by polygenic scores for cognitive performance. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34264. [PMID: 39092248 PMCID: PMC11292230 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Expert performance is associated with practice, partly because of causal effects of practice on skill (i.e., learning). However, the practice-expertise association is also influenced by a complex interplay between genes and environment including partly overlapping genetic influences. The importance of cognitive ability in the practice-expertise association is less well understood. Therefore, we first examined whether genetic predisposition for cognitive performance, operationalized as a polygenic score, is associated with music practice and expertise. Next, we tested whether there is evidence for gene × environment interaction, i.e., whether effects of practice on expertise differ depending on an individual's genetic predisposition for cognitive performance. Polygenic scores for cognitive performance (PGScp) and multi-trait cognitive performances, including educational attainment and mathematical performances (PGScps) were calculated for approximately 3800 genotyped Swedish individuals with information available on their cumulative amount of music practice, musical achievement, and musical auditory discrimination. We found that higher PGScp and PGScps were associated with higher levels of achievement, musical auditory discrimination, and more practice, although the association with practice weakened when controlling for education. Music practice was linked to both expertise outcomes, and the effect sizes of these associations varied depending on an individual's PGScp and PGScps (with the exception of PGScp for musical auditory discrimination). These results suggest genetic pleiotropy between cognitive performance and musical expertise. Additionally, they reveal the presence of G × E interaction in skill acquisition, as effects of practice on musical expertise are stronger for individuals with a higher genetic predisposition for cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura W. Wesseldijk
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Miriam A. Mosing
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Ullén
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
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Wesseldijk LW, Gordon RL, Mosing MA, Ullén F. Music and verbal ability - a twin study of genetic and environmental associations. PSYCHOLOGY OF AESTHETICS, CREATIVITY, AND THE ARTS 2023; 17:675-681. [PMID: 38269365 PMCID: PMC10805386 DOI: 10.1037/aca0000401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Musical aptitude and music training are associated with language-related cognitive outcomes, even when controlling for general intelligence. However, genetic and environmental influences on these associations have not been studied, and it remains unclear whether music training can causally increase verbal ability. In a sample of 1,336 male twins, we tested the associations between verbal ability measured at time of conscription at age 18 and two music related variables: overall musical aptitude and total amount of music training before the age of 18. We estimated the amount of specific genetic and environmental influences on the association between verbal ability and musical aptitude, over and above the factors shared with general intelligence, using classical twin modelling. Further, we tested whether music training could causally influence verbal ability using a co-twin-control analysis. Musical aptitude and music training were significantly associated with verbal ability. Controlling for general intelligence only slightly attenuated the correlations. The partial association between musical aptitude and verbal ability, corrected for general intelligence, was mostly explained by shared genetic factors (50%) and non-shared environmental influences (35%). The co-twin-control-analysis gave no support for causal effects of early music training on verbal ability at age 18. Overall, our findings in a sizeable population sample converge with known associations between the music and language domains, while results from twin modelling suggested that this reflected a shared underlying aetiology rather than causal transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura W. Wesseldijk
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 5, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Reyna L. Gordon
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
| | - Miriam A. Mosing
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels v 12A, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Ullén
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
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3
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Gustavson DE, Nayak S, Coleman PL, Iversen JR, Lense MD, Gordon RL, Maes HH. Heritability of Childhood Music Engagement and Associations with Language and Executive Function: Insights from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Behav Genet 2023; 53:189-207. [PMID: 36757558 PMCID: PMC10159991 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-023-10135-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Music engagement is a powerful, influential experience that often begins early in life. Music engagement is moderately heritable in adults (~ 41-69%), but fewer studies have examined genetic influences on childhood music engagement, including their association with language and executive functions. Here we explored genetic and environmental influences on music listening and instrument playing (including singing) in the baseline assessment of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Parents reported on their 9-10-year-old children's music experiences (N = 11,876 children; N = 1543 from twin pairs). Both music measures were explained primarily by shared environmental influences. Instrument exposure (but not frequency of instrument engagement) was associated with language skills (r = .27) and executive functions (r = .15-0.17), and these associations with instrument engagement were stronger than those for music listening, visual art, or soccer engagement. These findings highlight the role of shared environmental influences between early music experiences, language, and executive function, during a formative time in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Gustavson
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 1480 30th St, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA.
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Srishti Nayak
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - John R Iversen
- Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, Institute for Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Miriam D Lense
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- The Curb Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Reyna L Gordon
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- The Curb Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hermine H Maes
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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4
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Gustavson DE, Coleman PL, Wang Y, Nitin R, Petty LE, Bush CT, Mosing MA, Wesseldijk LW, Ullén F, Below JE, Cox NJ, Gordon RL. Exploring the genetics of rhythmic perception and musical engagement in the Vanderbilt Online Musicality Study. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1521:140-154. [PMID: 36718543 PMCID: PMC10038917 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Uncovering the genetic underpinnings of musical ability and engagement is a foundational step for exploring their wide-ranging associations with cognition, health, and neurodevelopment. Prior studies have focused on using twin and family designs, demonstrating moderate heritability of musical phenotypes. The current study used genome-wide complex trait analysis and polygenic score (PGS) approaches utilizing genotype data to examine genetic influences on two musicality traits (rhythmic perception and music engagement) in N = 1792 unrelated adults in the Vanderbilt Online Musicality Study. Meta-analyzed heritability estimates (including a replication sample of Swedish individuals) were 31% for rhythmic perception and 12% for self-reported music engagement. A PGS derived from a recent study on beat synchronization ability predicted both rhythmic perception (β = 0.11) and music engagement (β = 0.19) in our sample, suggesting that genetic influences underlying self-reported beat synchronization ability also influence individuals' rhythmic discrimination aptitude and the degree to which they engage in music. Cross-trait analyses revealed a modest contribution of PGSs from several nonmusical traits (from the cognitive, personality, and circadian chronotype domains) to individual differences in musicality (β = -0.06 to 0.07). This work sheds light on the complex relationship between the genetic architecture of musical rhythm processing, beat synchronization, music engagement, and other nonmusical traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Gustavson
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Peyton L Coleman
- School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Youjia Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Rachana Nitin
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lauren E Petty
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Catherine T Bush
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Miriam A Mosing
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, Germany
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura W Wesseldijk
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, Germany
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fredrik Ullén
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jennifer E Below
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Nancy J Cox
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Reyna L Gordon
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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5
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Müllensiefen D, Elvers P, Frieler K. Musical development during adolescence: Perceptual skills, cognitive resources, and musical training. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1518:264-281. [PMID: 36251356 PMCID: PMC10092152 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Longitudinal studies on musical development can provide very valuable insights and potentially evidence for causal mechanisms driving the development of musical skills and cognitive resources, such as working memory and intelligence. Nonetheless, quantitative longitudinal studies on musical and cognitive development are very rare in the published literature. Hence, the aim of this paper is to document available longitudinal evidence on musical development from three different sources. In part I, data from a systematic literature review are presented in a graphical format, making developmental trends from five previous longitudinal studies comparable. Part II presents a model of musical development derived from music-related variables that are part of the British Millennium Cohort Study. In part III, data from the ongoing LongGold project are analyzed answering five questions on the change of musical skills and cognitive resources across adolescence and on the role that musical training and activities might play in these developmental processes. Results provide evidence for substantial near transfer effects (from musical training to musical skills) and weaker evidence for far-transfer to cognitive variables. But results also show evidence of cognitive profiles of high intelligence and working memory capacity that are conducive to strong subsequent growth rates of musical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Müllensiefen
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.,Hanover Music Lab, University of Music, Drama, and Media, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Klaus Frieler
- Max Planck Institute of Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
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6
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Lippolis M, Müllensiefen D, Frieler K, Matarrelli B, Vuust P, Cassibba R, Brattico E. Learning to play a musical instrument in the middle school is associated with superior audiovisual working memory and fluid intelligence: A cross-sectional behavioral study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:982704. [PMID: 36312139 PMCID: PMC9610841 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.982704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Music training, in all its forms, is known to have an impact on behavior both in childhood and even in aging. In the delicate life period of transition from childhood to adulthood, music training might have a special role for behavioral and cognitive maturation. Among the several kinds of music training programs implemented in the educational communities, we focused on instrumental training incorporated in the public middle school curriculum in Italy that includes both individual, group and collective (orchestral) lessons several times a week. At three middle schools, we tested 285 preadolescent children (aged 10–14 years) with a test and questionnaire battery including adaptive tests for visuo-spatial working memory skills (with the Jack and Jill test), fluid intelligence (with a matrix reasoning test) and music-related perceptual and memory abilities (with listening tests). Of these children, 163 belonged to a music curriculum within the school and 122 to a standard curriculum. Significant differences between students of the music and standard curricula were found in both perceptual and cognitive domains, even when controlling for pre-existing individual differences in musical sophistication. The music children attending the third and last grade of middle school had better performance and showed the largest advantage compared to the control group on both audiovisual working memory and fluid intelligence. Furthermore, some gender differences were found for several tests and across groups in favor of females. The present results indicate that learning to play a musical instrument as part of the middle school curriculum represents a resource for preadolescent education. Even though the current evidence is not sufficient to establish the causality of the found effects, it can still guide future research evaluation with longitudinal data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Lippolis
- Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Mariangela Lippolis,
| | - Daniel Müllensiefen
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Klaus Frieler
- Department of Methodology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Benedetta Matarrelli
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain (MIB), The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus and Aalborg, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Education, Psychology, and Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Peter Vuust
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain (MIB), The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus and Aalborg, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rosalinda Cassibba
- Department of Education, Psychology, and Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Elvira Brattico
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Center for Music in the Brain (MIB), The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus and Aalborg, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Education, Psychology, and Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- *Correspondence: Elvira Brattico,
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7
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Davenport CM, Teubner BJW, Han SB, Patton MH, Eom TY, Garic D, Lansdell BJ, Shirinifard A, Chang TC, Klein J, Pruett-Miller SM, Blundon JA, Zakharenko SS. Innate frequency-discrimination hyperacuity in Williams-Beuren syndrome mice. Cell 2022; 185:3877-3895.e21. [PMID: 36152627 PMCID: PMC9588278 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a rare disorder caused by hemizygous microdeletion of ∼27 contiguous genes. Despite neurodevelopmental and cognitive deficits, individuals with WBS have spared or enhanced musical and auditory abilities, potentially offering an insight into the genetic basis of auditory perception. Here, we report that the mouse models of WBS have innately enhanced frequency-discrimination acuity and improved frequency coding in the auditory cortex (ACx). Chemogenetic rescue showed frequency-discrimination hyperacuity is caused by hyperexcitable interneurons in the ACx. Haploinsufficiency of one WBS gene, Gtf2ird1, replicated WBS phenotypes by downregulating the neuropeptide receptor VIPR1. VIPR1 is reduced in the ACx of individuals with WBS and in the cerebral organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells with the WBS microdeletion. Vipr1 deletion or overexpression in ACx interneurons mimicked or reversed, respectively, the cellular and behavioral phenotypes of WBS mice. Thus, the Gtf2ird1-Vipr1 mechanism in ACx interneurons may underlie the superior auditory acuity in WBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Davenport
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brett J W Teubner
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Seung Baek Han
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Mary H Patton
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Tae-Yeon Eom
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Dusan Garic
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Benjamin J Lansdell
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Abbas Shirinifard
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ti-Cheng Chang
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jonathon Klein
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jay A Blundon
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stanislav S Zakharenko
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
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8
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Using a polygenic score in a family design to understand genetic influences on musicality. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14658. [PMID: 36038631 PMCID: PMC9424203 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18703-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To further our understanding of the genetics of musicality, we explored associations between a polygenic score for self-reported beat synchronization ability (PGSrhythm) and objectively measured rhythm discrimination, as well as other validated music skills and music-related traits. Using family data, we were able to further explore potential pathways of direct genetic, indirect genetic (through passive gene–environment correlation) and confounding effects (such as population structure and assortative mating). In 5648 Swedish twins, we found PGSrhythm to predict not only rhythm discrimination, but also melody and pitch discrimination (betas between 0.11 and 0.16, p < 0.001), as well as other music-related outcomes (p < 0.05). In contrast, PGSrhythm was not associated with control phenotypes not directly related to music. Associations did not deteriorate within families (N = 243), implying that indirect genetic or confounding effects did not inflate PGSrhythm effects. A correlation (r = 0.05, p < 0.001) between musical enrichment of the family childhood environment and individuals' PGSrhythm, suggests gene–environment correlation. We conclude that the PGSrhythm captures individuals' general genetic musical propensity, affecting musical behavior more likely direct than through indirect or confounding effects.
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9
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Investigating the Relationship Between Childhood Music Practice and Pitch-Naming Ability in Professional Musicians and a Population-Based Twin Sample. Twin Res Hum Genet 2022; 25:140-148. [PMID: 35969033 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2022.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between pitch-naming ability and childhood onset of music training is well established and thought to reflect both genetic predisposition and music training during a critical period. However, the importance of the amount of practice during this period has not been investigated. In a population sample of twins (N = 1447, 39% male, 367 complete twin pairs) and a sample of 290 professional musicians (51% male), we investigated the role of genes, age of onset of playing music and accumulated childhood practice on pitch-naming ability. A significant correlation between pitch-naming scores for monozygotic (r = .27, p < .001) but not dizygotic twin pairs (r = -.04, p = .63) supported the role of genetic factors. In professional musicians, the amount of practice accumulated between ages 6 and 11 predicted pitch-naming accuracy (p = .025). In twins, age of onset was no longer a significant predictor once practice was considered. Combined, these findings are in line with the notion that pitch-naming ability is associated with both genetic factors and amount of early practice, rather than just age of onset per se. This may reflect a dose-response relation between practice and pitch-naming ability in genetically predisposed individuals. Alternatively, children who excel at pitch-naming may have an increased tendency to practice.
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10
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Wang L. Music Aptitude, Training, and Cognitive Transfer: A Mini-Review. Front Psychol 2022; 13:903920. [PMID: 35846628 PMCID: PMC9277581 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In this mini-review, the genetic basis of music aptitude and the effects of music training are discussed. The review indicates that regardless of levels of innate ability, experience-induced neuroplasticity can occur as a result of music training. When that happens, it can be expressed as functional or structural brain changes. These changes are often accompanied by improvement in performance in tasks involving auditory analysis. Specifically, music training effects can transfer to a closely related cognitive domain such as auditory processing (near transfer). Music training can also affect more distantly related cognitive domains such as spatial and linguistic domains. Lastly, music training can affect general intelligence (“g”) (far transfer). Music training can mold behavioral brain development and confers cognitive benefits beyond music.
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11
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Yeom D, Tan YT, Haslam N, Mosing MA, Yap VM, Fraser T, Hildebrand MS, Berkovic SF, McPherson GE, Peretz I, Wilson SJ. Genetic factors and shared environment contribute equally to objective singing ability. iScience 2022; 25:104360. [PMID: 35633942 PMCID: PMC9136123 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Singing ability is a complex human skill influenced by genetic and environmental factors, the relative contributions of which remain unknown. Currently, genetically informative studies using objective measures of singing ability across a range of tasks are limited. We administered a validated online singing tool to measure performance across three everyday singing tasks in Australian twins (n = 1189) to explore the relative genetic and environmental influences on singing ability. We derived a reproducible phenotypic index for singing ability across five performance measures of pitch and interval accuracy. Using this index we found moderate heritability of singing ability (h2 = 40.7%) with a striking, similar contribution from shared environmental factors (c2 = 37.1%). Childhood singing in the family home and being surrounded by music early in life both significantly predicted the phenotypic index. Taken together, these findings show that singing ability is equally influenced by genetic and shared environmental factors. We measured singing ability in a large sample of Australian twins Singing ability is moderately heritable Shared environmental factors are equally important Of these, early but not current musical environments shaped singing ability
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Yeom
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Corresponding author
| | - Yi Ting Tan
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne, Southbank, VIC 3006, Australia
| | - Nick Haslam
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Miriam A. Mosing
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Valerie M.Z. Yap
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Trisnasari Fraser
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne, Southbank, VIC 3006, Australia
| | - Michael S. Hildebrand
- Department of Medicine, Epilepsy Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sam F. Berkovic
- Department of Medicine, Epilepsy Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
| | - Gary E. McPherson
- Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne, Southbank, VIC 3006, Australia
| | - Isabelle Peretz
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research and Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada
| | - Sarah J. Wilson
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Department of Medicine, Epilepsy Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
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12
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Ruth N, Müllensiefen D. Survival of musical activities. When do young people stop making music? PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259105. [PMID: 34818348 PMCID: PMC8612519 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Although making music is a popular leisure activity for children and adolescents, few stay musically engaged. Previous research has focused on finding reasons for quitting musical activities, pedagogical strategies to keep students engaged with music, and motivational factors of musical training. Nonetheless, we know very little about how the proportion of musically active children changes with age and what traits influence the survival of musical engagement. This study used longitudinal data from secondary school students in the UK and Germany aged between 10 and 17 years. A survival analysis was applied to investigate the trajectories of musical activities across this age span. Other factors like type of learned instrument, gender, personality and intelligence were taken into account for further analyses using generalized linear models. Results indicate that about 50% of all students drop out of music lessons and other musical activities by the time they turn 17 years old, with most students quitting between the ages of 15 and 17. Musical home environment is an important factor that is associated with lower drop out rates while conscientiousness and theory of musicality showed smaller significant associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Ruth
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniel Müllensiefen
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, United Kingdom
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13
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de Manzano Ö, Ullén F. Domain specific traits predict achievement in music and multipotentiality. INTELLIGENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2021.101584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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14
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Gustavson DE, Friedman NP, Stallings MC, Reynolds CA, Coon H, Corley RP, Hewitt JK, Gordon RL. Musical instrument engagement in adolescence predicts verbal ability 4 years later: A twin and adoption study. Dev Psychol 2021; 57:1943-1957. [PMID: 34914455 PMCID: PMC8842509 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in music traits are heritable and correlated with the development of cognitive and communication skills, but little is known about whether diverse modes of music engagement (e.g., playing instruments vs. singing) reflect similar underlying genetic/environmental influences. Moreover, the biological etiology underlying the relationship between musicality and childhood language development is poorly understood. Here we explored genetic and environmental associations between music engagement and verbal ability in the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development & cognitive aging (CATSLife). Adolescents (N = 1,684) completed measures of music engagement and intelligence at approximately age 12 and/or multiple tests of verbal ability at age 16. Structural equation models revealed that instrument engagement was highly heritable (a² = .78), with moderate heritability of singing (a² = .43) and dance engagement (a² = .66). Adolescent self-reported instrument engagement (but not singing or dance engagement) was genetically correlated with age 12 verbal intelligence and still was associated with age 16 verbal ability, even when controlling for age 12 full-scale intelligence, providing evidence for a longitudinal relationship between music engagement and language beyond shared general cognitive processes. Together, these novel findings suggest that shared genetic influences in part accounts for phenotypic associations between music engagement and language, but there may also be some (weak) direct benefits of music engagement on later language abilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E. Gustavson
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN,Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Naomi P. Friedman
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Michael C. Stallings
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | | | - Hilary Coon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Robin P. Corley
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - John K. Hewitt
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Reyna L. Gordon
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN,Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN,Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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15
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Szyfter K, Wigowska-Sowińska J. Congenital amusia-pathology of musical disorder. J Appl Genet 2021; 63:127-131. [PMID: 34545551 PMCID: PMC8755656 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-021-00662-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Amusia also known as tone deafness affects roughly 1.5% population. Congenital amusia appears from birth and lasts over life span. Usually, it is not associated with other diseases. Its link to hearing impairment has been definitively excluded. Neurobiological studies point to asymmetrical processing of musical signals in auditory cortex of left and right brain hemispheres. The finding was supported by discovering microlesions in the right-side gray matter. Because of its connection with asymmetry, amusia has been classified to disconnection syndromes. Alternatively to the neurobiological explanation of amusia background, an attention was turned to the significance of genetic factors. The studies done on relatives and twins indicated familial aggregation of amusia. Molecular genetic investigations linked amusia with deletion of 22q11.2 chromosome region. Until now no specific genes responsible for development of amusia were found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Szyfter
- Institute of Human Genetics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Strzeszyńska 32, 60-479, Poznań, Poland.
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16
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Gustavson DE, Coleman PL, Iversen JR, Maes HH, Gordon RL, Lense MD. Mental health and music engagement: review, framework, and guidelines for future studies. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:370. [PMID: 34226495 PMCID: PMC8257764 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01483-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Is engaging with music good for your mental health? This question has long been the topic of empirical clinical and nonclinical investigations, with studies indicating positive associations between music engagement and quality of life, reduced depression or anxiety symptoms, and less frequent substance use. However, many earlier investigations were limited by small populations and methodological limitations, and it has also been suggested that aspects of music engagement may even be associated with worse mental health outcomes. The purpose of this scoping review is first to summarize the existing state of music engagement and mental health studies, identifying their strengths and weaknesses. We focus on broad domains of mental health diagnoses including internalizing psychopathology (e.g., depression and anxiety symptoms and diagnoses), externalizing psychopathology (e.g., substance use), and thought disorders (e.g., schizophrenia). Second, we propose a theoretical model to inform future work that describes the importance of simultaneously considering music-mental health associations at the levels of (1) correlated genetic and/or environmental influences vs. (bi)directional associations, (2) interactions with genetic risk factors, (3) treatment efficacy, and (4) mediation through brain structure and function. Finally, we describe how recent advances in large-scale data collection, including genetic, neuroimaging, and electronic health record studies, allow for a more rigorous examination of these associations that can also elucidate their neurobiological substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E. Gustavson
- grid.412807.80000 0004 1936 9916Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA ,grid.412807.80000 0004 1936 9916Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Peyton L. Coleman
- grid.412807.80000 0004 1936 9916Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - John R. Iversen
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, Institute for Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Hermine H. Maes
- grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA USA ,grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA USA ,grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA USA
| | - Reyna L. Gordon
- grid.412807.80000 0004 1936 9916Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA ,grid.412807.80000 0004 1936 9916Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA ,grid.152326.10000 0001 2264 7217Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA ,grid.152326.10000 0001 2264 7217The Curb Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Miriam D. Lense
- grid.412807.80000 0004 1936 9916Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA ,grid.152326.10000 0001 2264 7217Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA ,grid.152326.10000 0001 2264 7217The Curb Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
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17
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Pesnot Lerousseau J, Schön D. Musical Expertise Is Associated with Improved Neural Statistical Learning in the Auditory Domain. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4877-4890. [PMID: 34013316 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It is poorly known whether musical training is associated with improvements in general cognitive abilities, such as statistical learning (SL). In standard SL paradigms, musicians have shown better performances than nonmusicians. However, this advantage could be due to differences in auditory discrimination, in memory or truly in the ability to learn sequence statistics. Unfortunately, these different hypotheses make similar predictions in terms of expected results. To dissociate them, we developed a Bayesian model and recorded electroencephalography (EEG). Our results confirm that musicians perform approximately 15% better than nonmusicians at predicting items in auditory sequences that embed either low or high-order statistics. These higher performances are explained in the model by parameters governing the learning of high-order statistics and the selection stage noise. EEG recordings reveal a neural underpinning of the musician's advantage: the P300 amplitude correlates with the surprise elicited by each item, and so, more strongly for musicians. Finally, early EEG components correlate with the surprise elicited by low-order statistics, as opposed to late EEG components that correlate with the surprise elicited by high-order statistics and this effect is stronger for musicians. Overall, our results demonstrate that musical expertise is associated with improved neural SL in the auditory domain. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It is poorly known whether musical training leads to improvements in general cognitive skills. One fundamental cognitive ability, SL, is thought to be enhanced in musicians, but previous studies have reported mixed results. This is because such musician's advantage can embrace very different explanations, such as improvement in auditory discrimination or in memory. To solve this problem, we developed a Bayesian model and recorded EEG to dissociate these explanations. Our results reveal that musical expertise is truly associated with an improved ability to learn sequence statistics, especially high-order statistics. This advantage is reflected in the electroencephalographic recordings, where the P300 amplitude is more sensitive to surprising items in musicians than in nonmusicians.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniele Schön
- Aix Marseille Univ, Inserm, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France
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18
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Loni DY, Subbaraman S. Genetically related singers-acoustic feature analysis and impact on singer identification. J Appl Genet 2021; 62:459-467. [PMID: 33856659 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-021-00631-6] [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: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Studies relating music with genetics have been one of the fascinating fields of research. In this study, we have attempted to answer the most curious question-how acoustically close are the genetically related singers? The present study has investigated this perception using two genetically different relations-three female sibling singers and father-son singer relation. These are famous Indian playback singers and the acoustic features are extracted using the songs of Bollywood films. Three different sets of self-developed cappella database are used for the experimentation. Positive correlations among the major musical aptitudes-pitch, vibrato, formant, and harmonic spectral envelope for both the singer relationships-revealed the genetic impact on the acoustic features. Also, the investigation of timbre spectral feature proved it a significant acoustic feature that differentiates similar voices. With Spearman's correlation coefficient, we conclude that strong acoustical association was observed between the acoustic features of genetically related singers, especially the female sibling singers. This was further validated by correlating these singers with genetically unrelated singers. A human perception test performed using cover songs indicated the genetic impact in voice similarity, while the automatic singer identification system discriminated singers more accurately than the human listeners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepali Y Loni
- Department of Electronics, Textile & Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji, India.
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19
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Correction and Validation of Time-Critical Behavioral Measurements over the Internet in the Stage Twin Cohort with More Than 7000 Participants. PSYCH 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/psych2030012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral data are increasingly collected over the Internet. This is particularly useful when participants’ own computers can be used as they are, without any modification that relies on their technical skills. However, the temporal accuracy in these settings is generally poor, unknown, and varies substantially across different hard- and software components. This makes it dubious to administer time-critical behavioral tests such as implicit association, reaction time, or various forms of temporal judgment/perception and production. Here, we describe the online collection and subsequent data quality control and adjustment of reaction time and time interval production data from 7127 twins sourced from the Swedish Twin Registry. The purposes are to (1) validate the data that are already and will continue to be reported in forthcoming publications (due to their utility, such as the large sample size and the twin design) and to (2) provide examples of how one might engage in post-hoc analyses of such data, and (3) explore how one might control for systematic influences from specific components in the functional chain. These possible influences include the type and version of the operating system, browser, and multimedia plug-in type
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20
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Szyfter K, Witt MP. How far musicality and perfect pitch are derived from genetic factors? J Appl Genet 2020; 61:407-414. [PMID: 32533421 PMCID: PMC7413874 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-020-00563-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
There is an agreement about joint genetic and environmental background of musical reception and performance. Musical abilities tend to cluster in families. The studies done on a random population, twins and families of gifted musicians provided a strong support for genetic contribution. Modern biomolecular techniques exploring linkage analysis, variation of gene copy number, scanning for whole-genome expression helped to identify genes, or chromosome regions associated with musical aptitude. Some studies were focused on rare ability to recognize tone without reference that is known as a perfect pitch where a far ethnic differentiation was established. On the other hand, gene deletion leading to dysfunction in amusical individuals also indicated appropriate loci “by negation.” The strongest support for an association of genes with musicality was provided for genes: AVPR1 (12q14.2), SLC6A4 (17q11.2), GALM (2p22), PCDH7 (4p15.1), GATA2 (3q21.3), and few others as well for 4q22, 4q23, and 8q13–21 chromosome bands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Szyfter
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Strzeszyńska 32, 60-479, Poznań, Poland
| | - Michał P Witt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Strzeszyńska 32, 60-479, Poznań, Poland.
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21
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Burgoyne AP, Harris LJ, Hambrick DZ. Predicting piano skill acquisition in beginners: The role of general intelligence, music aptitude, and mindset. INTELLIGENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2019.101383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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22
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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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Jung WH, Lee TY, Yoon YB, Choi CH, Kwon JS. Beyond Domain-Specific Expertise: Neural Signatures of Face and Spatial Working Memory in Baduk (Go Game) Experts. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:319. [PMID: 30131686 PMCID: PMC6090201 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances of neuroimaging methodology and artificial intelligence have resulted in renewed interest in board games like chess and Baduk (called Go game in the West) and have provided clues as to the mechanisms behind the games. However, an interesting question that remains to be answered is whether the board game expertise as one of cognitive skills goes beyond just being good at the trained game and how it maps on networks associated with cognitive abilities that are not directly trained. To address this issue, we examined functional activity and connectivity in Baduk experts, compared to novices, while performing a visual n-back working memory (WM) task. We found that experts, compared to novices, had greater activation in superior parietal cortex during face WM, though there were no group differences in behavioral performances. Using a data-driven, whole-brain multivariate approach, we also found significant group differences in the multivariate pattern of connectivity in frontal pole and inferior parietal cortex, further showing greater connectivity between frontal and parietal regions and between frontal and temporal regions in experts. Our findings suggest that long-term trained Baduk experts have the reorganization of functional interactions between brain regions even for untrained cognitive ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wi Hoon Jung
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Tae Young Lee
- Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Youngwoo B. Yoon
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Chi-Hoon Choi
- Department of Radiology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Jun Soo Kwon
- Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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de Manzano Ö, Ullén F. Same Genes, Different Brains: Neuroanatomical Differences Between Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Musical Training. Cereb Cortex 2018; 28:387-394. [PMID: 29136105 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous cross-sectional and observational longitudinal studies show associations between expertise and regional brain anatomy. However, since these designs confound training with genetic predisposition, the causal role of training remains unclear. Here, we use a discordant monozygotic (identical) twin design to study expertise-dependent effects on neuroanatomy using musical training as model behavior, while essentially controlling for genetic factors and shared environment of upbringing. From a larger cohort of monozygotic twins, we were able to recruit 18 individuals (9 pairs) that were highly discordant for piano practice. We used structural and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to analyze the auditory-motor network and within-pair differences in cortical thickness, cerebellar regional volumes and white-matter microstructure/fractional anisotropy. The analyses revealed that the musically active twins had greater cortical thickness in the auditory-motor network of the left hemisphere and more developed white matter microstructure in relevant tracts in both hemispheres and the corpus callosum. Furthermore, the volume of gray matter in the left cerebellar region of interest comprising lobules I-IV + V, was greater in the playing group. These findings provide the first clear support for that a significant portion of the differences in brain anatomy between experts and nonexperts depend on causal effects of training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Örjan de Manzano
- Department of Neuroscience, Retzius väg 8, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Ullén
- Department of Neuroscience, Retzius väg 8, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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Pfeifer J, Hamann S. The Nature and Nurture of Congenital Amusia: A Twin Case Study. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:120. [PMID: 29988571 PMCID: PMC6026798 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In this article, we report the first documented case of congenital amusia in dizygotic twins. The female twin pair was 27 years old at the time of testing, with normal hearing and above average intelligence. Both had formal music lesson from the age of 8-12 and were exposed to music in their childhood. Using the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (Peretz et al., 2003), one twin was diagnosed as amusic, with a pitch perception as well as a rhythm perception deficit, while the other twin had normal pitch and rhythm perception. We conducted a large battery of tests assessing the performance of the twins in music, pitch perception and memory, language perception and spatial processing. Both showed an identical albeit low pitch memory span of 3.5 tones and an impaired performance on a beat alignment task, yet the non-amusic twin outperformed the amusic twin in three other musical and all language related tasks. The twins also differed significantly in their performance on one of two spatial tasks (visualization), with the non-amusic twin outperforming the amusic twin (83% vs. 20% correct). The performance of the twins is also compared to normative samples of normal and amusic participants from other studies. This twin case study highlights that congenital amusia is not due to insufficient exposure to music in childhood: The exposure to music of the twin pair was as comparable as it can be for two individuals. This study also indicates that there is an association between amusia and a spatial processing deficit (see Douglas and Bilkey, 2007; contra Tillmann et al., 2010; Williamson et al., 2011) and that more research is needed in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Pfeifer
- Phonetics Laboratory, Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Institute for Language and Information, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Silke Hamann
- Phonetics Laboratory, Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Swaminathan S, Schellenberg EG. Musical Competence is Predicted by Music Training, Cognitive Abilities, and Personality. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9223. [PMID: 29907812 PMCID: PMC6003980 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27571-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals differ in musical competence, which we defined as the ability to perceive, remember, and discriminate sequences of tones or beats. We asked whether such differences could be explained by variables other than music training, including socioeconomic status (SES), short-term memory, general cognitive ability, and personality. In a sample of undergraduates, musical competence had positive simple associations with duration of music training, SES, short-term memory, general cognitive ability, and openness-to-experience. When these predictors were considered jointly, musical competence had positive partial associations with music training, general cognitive ability, and openness. Nevertheless, moderation analyses revealed that the partial association between musical competence and music training was evident only among participants who scored below the mean on our measure of general cognitive ability. Moreover, general cognitive ability and openness had indirect associations with musical competence by predicting music training, which in turn predicted musical competence. Musical competence appears to be the result of multiple factors, including but not limited to music training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swathi Swaminathan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - E Glenn Schellenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, L5L 1C6, Canada.
- Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 2C5, Canada.
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28
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Dawson C, Tervaniemi M, Aalto D. Behavioral and subcortical signatures of musical expertise in Mandarin Chinese speakers. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190793. [PMID: 29300756 PMCID: PMC5754139 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Both musical training and native language have been shown to have experience-based plastic effects on auditory processing. However, the combined effects within individuals are unclear. Recent research suggests that musical training and tone language speaking are not clearly additive in their effects on processing of auditory features and that there may be a disconnect between perceptual and neural signatures of auditory feature processing. The literature has only recently begun to investigate the effects of musical expertise on basic auditory processing for different linguistic groups. This work provides a profile of primary auditory feature discrimination for Mandarin speaking musicians and nonmusicians. The musicians showed enhanced perceptual discrimination for both frequency and duration as well as enhanced duration discrimination in a multifeature discrimination task, compared to nonmusicians. However, there were no differences between the groups in duration processing of nonspeech sounds at a subcortical level or in subcortical frequency representation of a nonnative tone contour, for fo or for the first or second formant region. The results indicate that musical expertise provides a cognitive, but not subcortical, advantage in a population of Mandarin speakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Dawson
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Mari Tervaniemi
- CICERO Learning Network, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daniel Aalto
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine, Misericordia Community Hospital, Edmonton, Canada
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29
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Musical improvisation skill in a prospective partner is associated with mate value and preferences, consistent with sexual selection and parental investment theory: Implications for the origin of music. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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30
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Smith LM, Bartholomew AJ, Burnham LE, Tillmann B, Cirulli ET. Factors affecting pitch discrimination performance in a cohort of extensively phenotyped healthy volunteers. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16480. [PMID: 29184080 PMCID: PMC5705722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16526-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite efforts to characterize the different aspects of musical abilities in humans, many elements of this complex area remain unknown. Musical abilities are known to be associated with factors like intelligence, training, and sex, but a comprehensive evaluation of the simultaneous impact of multiple factors has not yet been performed. Here, we assessed 918 healthy volunteers for pitch discrimination abilities—their ability to tell two tones close in pitch apart. We identified the minimal threshold that the participants could detect, and we found that better performance was associated with higher intelligence, East Asian ancestry, male sex, younger age, formal music training–especially before age 6–and English as the native language. All these factors remained significant when controlling for the others, with general intelligence, musical training, and male sex having the biggest impacts. We also performed a small GWAS and gene-based collapsing analysis, identifying no significant associations. Future genetic studies of musical abilities should involve large sample sizes and an unbiased genome-wide approach, with the factors highlighted here included as important covariates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Smith
- University Program in Genetics and Genomics, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Alex J Bartholomew
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Lauren E Burnham
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Barbara Tillmann
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Auditory Cognition and Psychoacoustics Team, CNRS-UMR 5292; INSERM, U1028, Lyon, F-69000, France.,University Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, F - 69000, France
| | - Elizabeth T Cirulli
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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Zentner M, Strauss H. Assessing musical ability quickly and objectively: development and validation of the Short-PROMS and the Mini-PROMS. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017; 1400:33-45. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Zentner
- Department of Psychology; University of Innsbruck; Innsbruck Austria
| | - Hannah Strauss
- Department of Psychology; University of Innsbruck; Innsbruck Austria
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32
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Swaminathan S, Schellenberg EG, Khalil S. Revisiting the association between music lessons and intelligence: Training effects or music aptitude? INTELLIGENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Oikkonen J, Onkamo P, Järvelä I, Kanduri C. Convergent evidence for the molecular basis of musical traits. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39707. [PMID: 28004803 PMCID: PMC5177873 DOI: 10.1038/srep39707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To obtain aggregate evidence for the molecular basis of musical abilities and the effects of music, we integrated gene-level data from 105 published studies across multiple species including humans, songbirds and several other animals and used a convergent evidence method to prioritize the top candidate genes. Several of the identified top candidate genes like EGR1, FOS, ARC, BDNF and DUSP1 are known to be activity-dependent immediate early genes that respond to sensory and motor stimuli in the brain. Several other top candidate genes like MAPK10, SNCA, ARHGAP24, TET2, UBE2D3, FAM13A and NUDT9 are located on chromosome 4q21-q24, on the candidate genomic region for music abilities in humans. Functional annotation analyses showed the enrichment of genes involved in functions like cognition, learning, memory, neuronal excitation and apoptosis, long-term potentiation and CDK5 signaling pathway. Interestingly, all these biological functions are known to be essential processes underlying learning and memory that are also fundamental for musical abilities including recognition and production of sound. In summary, our study prioritized top candidate genes related to musical traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaana Oikkonen
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 720, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Päivi Onkamo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Irma Järvelä
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 720, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chakravarthi Kanduri
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 720, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
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34
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Madison G, Mosing MA, Verweij KJ, Pedersen NL, Ullén F. Common genetic influences on intelligence and auditory simple reaction time in a large Swedish sample. INTELLIGENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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35
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Madison G, Woodley of Menie MA, Sänger J. Secular Slowing of Auditory Simple Reaction Time in Sweden (1959-1985). Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:407. [PMID: 27588000 PMCID: PMC4988978 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There are indications that simple reaction time might have slowed in Western populations, based on both cohort- and multi-study comparisons. A possible limitation of the latter method in particular is measurement error stemming from methods variance, which results from the fact that instruments and experimental conditions change over time and between studies. We therefore set out to measure the simple auditory reaction time (SRT) of 7,081 individuals (2,997 males and 4,084 females) born in Sweden 1959-1985 (subjects were aged between 27 and 54 years at time of measurement). Depending on age cut-offs and adjustment for aging related slowing of SRT, the data indicate that SRT has increased by between 3 and 16 ms in the 27 birth years covered in the present sample. This slowing is unlikely to be explained by attrition, which was evaluated by comparing the general intelligence × birth-year interactions and standard deviations for both male participants and dropouts, utilizing military conscript cognitive ability data. The present result is consistent with previous studies employing alternative methods, and may indicate the operation of several synergistic factors, such as recent micro-evolutionary trends favoring lower g in Sweden and the effects of industrially produced neurotoxic substances on peripheral nerve conduction velocity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Madison
- Department of Psychology, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
| | - Michael A. Woodley of Menie
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität ChemnitzChemnitz, Germany
- Center Leo Apostel for Interdisciplinary Studies, Vrije Universiteit BrusselBrussels, Belgium
| | - Justus Sänger
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität ChemnitzChemnitz, Germany
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36
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The genetic architecture of correlations between perceptual timing, motor timing, and intelligence. INTELLIGENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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37
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Oikkonen J, Kuusi T, Peltonen P, Raijas P, Ukkola-Vuoti L, Karma K, Onkamo P, Järvelä I. Creative Activities in Music--A Genome-Wide Linkage Analysis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148679. [PMID: 26909693 PMCID: PMC4766096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Creative activities in music represent a complex cognitive function of the human brain, whose biological basis is largely unknown. In order to elucidate the biological background of creative activities in music we performed genome-wide linkage and linkage disequilibrium (LD) scans in musically experienced individuals characterised for self-reported composing, arranging and non-music related creativity. The participants consisted of 474 individuals from 79 families, and 103 sporadic individuals. We found promising evidence for linkage at 16p12.1-q12.1 for arranging (LOD 2.75, 120 cases), 4q22.1 for composing (LOD 2.15, 103 cases) and Xp11.23 for non-music related creativity (LOD 2.50, 259 cases). Surprisingly, statistically significant evidence for linkage was found for the opposite phenotype of creative activity in music (neither composing nor arranging; NCNA) at 18q21 (LOD 3.09, 149 cases), which contains cadherin genes like CDH7 and CDH19. The locus at 4q22.1 overlaps the previously identified region of musical aptitude, music perception and performance giving further support for this region as a candidate region for broad range of music-related traits. The other regions at 18q21 and 16p12.1-q12.1 are also adjacent to the previously identified loci with musical aptitude. Pathway analysis of the genes suggestively associated with composing suggested an overrepresentation of the cerebellar long-term depression pathway (LTD), which is a cellular model for synaptic plasticity. The LTD also includes cadherins and AMPA receptors, whose component GSG1L was linked to arranging. These results suggest that molecular pathways linked to memory and learning via LTD affect music-related creative behaviour. Musical creativity is a complex phenotype where a common background with musicality and intelligence has been proposed. Here, we implicate genetic regions affecting music-related creative behaviour, which also include genes with neuropsychiatric associations. We also propose a common genetic background for music-related creative behaviour and musical abilities at chromosome 4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaana Oikkonen
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Tuire Kuusi
- Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Peltonen
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Liisa Ukkola-Vuoti
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kai Karma
- Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Päivi Onkamo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Irma Järvelä
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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38
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Seesjärvi E, Särkämö T, Vuoksimaa E, Tervaniemi M, Peretz I, Kaprio J. The Nature and Nurture of Melody: A Twin Study of Musical Pitch and Rhythm Perception. Behav Genet 2015; 46:506-15. [PMID: 26650514 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-015-9774-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Both genetic and environmental factors are known to play a role in our ability to perceive music, but the degree to which they influence different aspects of music cognition is still unclear. We investigated the relative contribution of genetic and environmental effects on melody perception in 384 young adult twins [69 full monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs, 44 full dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, 70 MZ twins without a co-twin, and 88 DZ twins without a co-twin]. The participants performed three online music tests requiring the detection of pitch changes in a two-melody comparison task (Scale) and key and rhythm incongruities in single-melody perception tasks (Out-of-key, Off-beat). The results showed predominantly additive genetic effects in the Scale task (58 %, 95 % CI 42-70 %), shared environmental effects in the Out-of-key task (61 %, 49-70 %), and non-shared environmental effects in the Off-beat task (82 %, 61-100 %). This highly different pattern of effects suggests that the contribution of genetic and environmental factors on music perception depends on the degree to which it calls for acquired knowledge of musical tonal and metric structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Seesjärvi
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit (CBRU), Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 1B, P.O. Box 9, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit (CBRU), Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 1B, P.O. Box 9, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Eero Vuoksimaa
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mari Tervaniemi
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit (CBRU), Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 1B, P.O. Box 9, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Isabelle Peretz
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS) and Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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39
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Müllensiefen D, Harrison P, Caprini F, Fancourt A. Investigating the importance of self-theories of intelligence and musicality for students' academic and musical achievement. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1702. [PMID: 26594189 PMCID: PMC4633492 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Musical abilities and active engagement with music have been shown to be positively associated with many cognitive abilities as well as social skills and academic performance in secondary school students. While there is evidence from intervention studies that musical training can be a cause of these positive relationships, recent findings in the literature have suggested that other factors, such as genetics, family background or personality traits, might also be contributing factors. In addition, there is mounting evidence that self-concepts and beliefs can affect academic performance independently of intellectual ability. Students who believe that intelligence is malleable are more likely to attribute poor academic performances to effort rather than ability, and are more likely to take remedial action to improve their performance. However, it is currently not known whether student's beliefs about the nature of musical talent also influence the development of musical abilities in a similar fashion. Therefore, this study introduces a short self-report measure termed "Musical Self-Theories and Goals," closely modeled on validated measures for self-theories in academic scenarios. Using this measure the study investigates whether musical self-theories are related to students' musical development as indexed by their concurrent musical activities and their performance on a battery of listening tests. We use data from a cross-sectional sample of 313 secondary school students to construct a network model describing the relationships between self-theories and academic as well as musical outcome measures, while also assessing potential effects of intelligence and the Big Five personality dimensions. Results from the network model indicate that self-theories of intelligence and musicality are closely related. In addition, both kinds of self-theories are connected to the students' academic achievement through the personality dimension conscientiousness and academic effort. Finally, applying the do-calculus method to the network model we estimate that the size of the assumed causal effects between musical self-theories and academic achievement lie between 0.07 and 0.15 standard deviations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter Harrison
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of LondonLondon, UK
| | - Francesco Caprini
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of LondonLondon, UK
| | - Amy Fancourt
- Head of Psychology, Brain Can Do, Queen Anne's SchoolReading, UK
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40
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Mosing MA, Verweij KJ, Madison G, Pedersen NL, Zietsch BP, Ullén F. Did sexual selection shape human music? Testing predictions from the sexual selection hypothesis of music evolution using a large genetically informative sample of over 10,000 twins. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2015.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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