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Tervaniemi M. The neuroscience of music – towards ecological validity. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:355-364. [PMID: 37012175 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Studies in the neuroscience of music gained momentum in the 1990s as an integrated part of the well-controlled experimental research tradition. However, during the past two decades, these studies have moved toward more naturalistic, ecologically valid paradigms. Here, I introduce this move in three frameworks: (i) sound stimulation and empirical paradigms, (ii) study participants, and (iii) methods and contexts of data acquisition. I wish to provide a narrative historical overview of the development of the field and, in parallel, to stimulate innovative thinking to further advance the ecological validity of the studies without overlooking experimental rigor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mari Tervaniemi
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body, and Brain, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Locopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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2
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Parker A, Skoe E, Tecoulesco L, Naigles L. A Home-Based Approach to Auditory Brainstem Response Measurement: Proof-of-Concept and Practical Guidelines. Semin Hear 2022; 43:177-196. [PMID: 36313050 PMCID: PMC9605808 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1756163] [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: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Broad-scale neuroscientific investigations of diverse human populations are difficult to implement. This is because the primary neuroimaging methods (magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography [EEG]) historically have not been portable, and participants may be unable or unwilling to travel to test sites. Miniaturization of EEG technologies has now opened the door to neuroscientific fieldwork, allowing for easier access to under-represented populations. Recent efforts to conduct auditory neuroscience outside a laboratory setting are reviewed and then an in-home technique for recording auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and frequency-following responses (FFRs) in a home setting is introduced. As a proof of concept, we have conducted two in-home electrophysiological studies: one in 27 children aged 6 to 16 years (13 with autism spectrum disorder) and another in 12 young adults aged 18 to 27 years, using portable electrophysiological equipment to record ABRs and FFRs to click and speech stimuli, spanning rural and urban and multiple homes and testers. We validate our fieldwork approach by presenting waveforms and data on latencies and signal-to-noise ratio. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and utility of home-based ABR/FFR techniques, paving the course for larger fieldwork investigations of populations that are difficult to test or recruit. We conclude this tutorial with practical tips and guidelines for recording ABRs and FFRs in the field and discuss possible clinical and research applications of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Parker
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Connecticut Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Erika Skoe
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Connecticut Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Lee Tecoulesco
- Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Letitia Naigles
- Connecticut Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
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3
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Dzulkarnain AA, Azizi AK, Sulaiman NH. Auditory sensory gating in Huffaz using an auditory brainstem response with a psychological task: A preliminary investigation. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2020; 15:495-501. [PMID: 33318741 PMCID: PMC7715407 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2020.08.007] [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: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aims to investigate the auditory sensory gating capacity in Huffaz using an auditory brainstem response (ABR) test with and without psychological tasks. Methods Twenty-three participants were recruited for this study. The participants were comprised of 11 Huffaz who memorized 30 chapters of the Islamic Scripture (from the Quran) and 12 non-Huffaz as the control group. All participants had normal hearing perception and underwent an ABR test with and without psychological tasks. The ABR was elicited at 70 dB nHL using a 3000 Hz tone burst stimulus with a 2-0-2 cycle at a stimulus repetition rate of 40 Hz. The ABR wave V amplitude and latencies were measured and statistically compared. A forward digit span test was also conducted to determine participants' working memory capacity. Results There were no significant differences in the ABR wave V amplitudes and latencies between Huffaz and non-Huffaz in ABR with and without psychological tasks. There were also no significant differences in the ABR wave V amplitudes and latencies in both groups of ABR with and without psychological tasks. In addition, no significant differences were identified in the digit span working memory score between both groups. Conclusions In this study, based on the ABR findings, Huffaz showed the same auditory sensory gating capacity as the non-Huffaz group. The ABR result was consistent with the digit span working memory test score. This finding implies that both groups have similar working memory performance. However, the conclusion is limited to the specific assessment method that we used in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad A.A. Dzulkarnain
- Corresponding address: Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Kuantan, Pahang, 25200, Malaysia.
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4
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Cancer A, Bonacina S, Antonietti A, Salandi A, Molteni M, Lorusso ML. The Effectiveness of Interventions for Developmental Dyslexia: Rhythmic Reading Training Compared With Hemisphere-Specific Stimulation and Action Video Games. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1158. [PMID: 32581961 PMCID: PMC7283807 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia is a very common learning disorder causing an impairment in reading ability. Although the core deficit underlying dyslexia is still under debate, significant agreement is reached in the literature that dyslexia is related to a specific deficit in the phonological representation of speech sounds. Many studies also reported an association between reading skills and music. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing basic auditory skills of children with DD may impact reading abilities. However, music education alone failed to produce improvements in reading skills comparable to those resulting from traditional intervention methods for DD. Therefore, a computer-assisted intervention method, called Rhythmic Reading Training (RRT), which combines sublexical reading exercises with rhythm processing, was implemented. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of RRT and that of an intervention resulting from the combination of two yet validated treatments for dyslexia, namely, Bakker’s Visual Hemisphere-Specific Stimulation (VHSS) and the Action Video Game Training (AVG). Both interventions, administered for 13 h over 9 days, significantly improved reading speed and accuracy of a group of Italian students with dyslexia aged 8–14. However, each intervention program produced improvements that were more evident in specific reading parameters: RRT was more effective for improvement of pseudoword reading speed, whereas VHSS + AVG was more effective in increasing general reading accuracy. Such different effects were found to be associated with different cognitive mechanisms, namely, phonological awareness for RRT and rapid automatized naming for VHSS + AVG, thus explaining the specific contribution of each training approach. Clinical Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02791841.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Cancer
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Bonacina
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy.,Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States.,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | | | - Antonio Salandi
- Unit of Child Psychopathology, Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea', Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Massimo Molteni
- Unit of Child Psychopathology, Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea', Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Lorusso
- Unit of Child Psychopathology, Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea', Bosisio Parini, Italy
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5
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Goldstein-Marcusohn Y, Goldfarb L, Shany M. Global and Local Visual Processing in Rate/Accuracy Subtypes of Dyslexia. Front Psychol 2020; 11:828. [PMID: 32425864 PMCID: PMC7205415 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Words are processed in both a global and local manner. Studies on global versus local processing styles in individuals with and without dyslexia are inconclusive. In the present study, we investigated whether distinct patterns of global/local visual processing were associated with more precisely defined dyslexia profiles. Previous studies on dyslexia provide evidence of accuracy- and rate-based subtypes, with impairment in one dimension alongside normal performance in the other. In the current study, three groups of adult readers: rate disability, accuracy disability, typical development, were presented with nonlinguistic global /local congruency task. The results revealed that the rate disability group had deficiencies performing the global task while the accuracy disability group had deficiencies in the local task. These results are discussed in the context of global/local word processing and in relation to dyslexia. Specifically, they suggest that different patterns of global/local processing are observed between different types of dyslexics, and imply that practitioners should modify their treatment based on the specific deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Goldstein-Marcusohn
- Department of Learning Disabilities, Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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6
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Criscuolo A, Bonetti L, Särkämö T, Kliuchko M, Brattico E. On the Association Between Musical Training, Intelligence and Executive Functions in Adulthood. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1704. [PMID: 31417454 PMCID: PMC6682658 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Converging evidence has demonstrated that musical training is associated with improved perceptual and cognitive skills, including executive functions and general intelligence, particularly in childhood. In contrast, in adults the relationship between cognitive performance and musicianship is less clear and seems to be modulated by a number of background factors, such as personality and socio-economic status. Aiming to shed new light on this topic, we administered the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS-III), the Wechsler Memory Scale III (WMS-III), and the Stroop Test to 101 Finnish healthy adults grouped according to their musical expertise (non-musicians, amateurs, and musicians). After being matched for socio-economic status, personality traits and other demographic variables, adult musicians exhibited higher cognitive performance than non-musicians in all the mentioned measures. Moreover, linear regression models showed significant positive relationships between executive functions (working memory and attention) and the duration of musical practice, even after controlling for intelligence and background variables, such as personality traits. Hence, our study offers further support for the association between cognitive abilities and musical training, even in adulthood. HIGHLIGHTS - Musicians show higher general intelligence (FSIQ), verbal intelligence (VIQ), working memory (WMI) and attention skills than non-musicians. Amateurs score in between.- Significant positive correlations between years of musical playing and cognitive abilities support the hypothesis that long-term musical practice is associated with intelligence and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Criscuolo
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Leonardo Bonetti
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University - The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marina Kliuchko
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University - The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Elvira Brattico
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University - The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
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Bostic JQ, Thomas CR, Beresin EV, Rostain AL, Kaye DL. Make a Joyful Noise: Integrating Music into Child Psychiatry Evaluation and Treatment. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2019; 28:195-207. [PMID: 30832952 DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Music is a significant part of daily life for most youth, affording clinical opportunities to cultivate positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Clinical inquiry into what types of music elicit different emotions, how music fits into daily life routines, how music connects one to others, and how music anchors life events can improve the clinician-patient alliance and patient well-being practices. Music may be useful in home and school settings to help youth manage diverse moods. Practicing an instrument effectively accelerates accomplishment and pleasure, which applies to other life activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Q Bostic
- Department of Psychiatry, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, 2115 Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
| | - Christopher R Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0193, USA
| | - Eugene V Beresin
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Anthony L Rostain
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Room 2007, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David L Kaye
- Department of Psychiatry, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine, 462 Grider St, Buffalo NY 14215, USA
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8
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Ribas-Prats T, Almeida L, Costa-Faidella J, Plana M, Corral M, Gómez-Roig MD, Escera C. The frequency-following response (FFR) to speech stimuli: A normative dataset in healthy newborns. Hear Res 2019; 371:28-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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9
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Zuk J, Bishop-Liebler P, Ozernov-Palchik O, Moore E, Overy K, Welch G, Gaab N. Revisiting the "enigma" of musicians with dyslexia: Auditory sequencing and speech abilities. J Exp Psychol Gen 2017; 146:495-511. [PMID: 28383990 DOI: 10.1037/xge0000281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has suggested a link between musical training and auditory processing skills. Musicians have shown enhanced perception of auditory features critical to both music and speech, suggesting that this link extends beyond basic auditory processing. It remains unclear to what extent musicians who also have dyslexia show these specialized abilities, considering often-observed persistent deficits that coincide with reading impairments. The present study evaluated auditory sequencing and speech discrimination in 52 adults comprised of musicians with dyslexia, nonmusicians with dyslexia, and typical musicians. An auditory sequencing task measuring perceptual acuity for tone sequences of increasing length was administered. Furthermore, subjects were asked to discriminate synthesized syllable continua varying in acoustic components of speech necessary for intraphonemic discrimination, which included spectral (formant frequency) and temporal (voice onset time [VOT] and amplitude envelope) features. Results indicate that musicians with dyslexia did not significantly differ from typical musicians and performed better than nonmusicians with dyslexia for auditory sequencing as well as discrimination of spectral and VOT cues within syllable continua. However, typical musicians demonstrated superior performance relative to both groups with dyslexia for discrimination of syllables varying in amplitude information. These findings suggest a distinct profile of speech processing abilities in musicians with dyslexia, with specific weaknesses in discerning amplitude cues within speech. Because these difficulties seem to remain persistent in adults with dyslexia despite musical training, this study only partly supports the potential for musical training to enhance the auditory processing skills known to be crucial for literacy in individuals with dyslexia. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Zuk
- Developmental Medicine Center, Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Boston Children's Hospital
| | - Paula Bishop-Liebler
- International Music Education Research Centre, Institute of Education, University College London
| | - Ola Ozernov-Palchik
- Developmental Medicine Center, Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Boston Children's Hospital
| | - Emma Moore
- Institute of Music in Human and Social Development, Reid School of Music, University of Edinburgh
| | - Katie Overy
- Institute of Music in Human and Social Development, Reid School of Music, University of Edinburgh
| | - Graham Welch
- International Music Education Research Centre, Institute of Education, University College London
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Developmental Medicine Center, Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Boston Children's Hospital
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10
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The Janus Face of Auditory Learning: How Life in Sound Shapes Everyday Communication. THE FREQUENCY-FOLLOWING RESPONSE 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-47944-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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11
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Kraus N, White-Schwoch T. Neurobiology of Everyday Communication: What Have We Learned From Music? Neuroscientist 2016; 23:287-298. [PMID: 27284021 DOI: 10.1177/1073858416653593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Sound is an invisible but powerful force that is central to everyday life. Studies in the neurobiology of everyday communication seek to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying sound processing, their stability, their plasticity, and their links to language abilities and disabilities. This sound processing lies at the nexus of cognitive, sensorimotor, and reward networks. Music provides a powerful experimental model to understand these biological foundations of communication, especially with regard to auditory learning. We review studies of music training that employ a biological approach to reveal the integrity of sound processing in the brain, the bearing these mechanisms have on everyday communication, and how these processes are shaped by experience. Together, these experiments illustrate that music works in synergistic partnerships with language skills and the ability to make sense of speech in complex, everyday listening environments. The active, repeated engagement with sound demanded by music making augments the neural processing of speech, eventually cascading to listening and language. This generalization from music to everyday communications illustrates both that these auditory brain mechanisms have a profound potential for plasticity and that sound processing is biologically intertwined with listening and language skills. A new wave of studies has pushed neuroscience beyond the traditional laboratory by revealing the effects of community music training in underserved populations. These community-based studies reinforce laboratory work highlight how the auditory system achieves a remarkable balance between stability and flexibility in processing speech. Moreover, these community studies have the potential to inform health care, education, and social policy by lending a neurobiological perspective to their efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kraus
- 1 Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory ( www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu ) and Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.,2 Department of Neurobiology & Physiology and Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Travis White-Schwoch
- 1 Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory ( www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu ) and Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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12
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Gordon RL, Fehd HM, McCandliss BD. Does Music Training Enhance Literacy Skills? A Meta-Analysis. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1777. [PMID: 26648880 PMCID: PMC4664655 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Children's engagement in music practice is associated with enhancements in literacy-related language skills, as demonstrated by multiple reports of correlation across these two domains. Training studies have tested whether engaging in music training directly transfers benefit to children's literacy skill development. Results of such studies, however, are mixed. Interpretation of these mixed results is made more complex by the fact that a wide range of literacy-related outcome measures are used across these studies. Here, we address these challenges via a meta-analytic approach. A comprehensive literature review of peer-reviewed music training studies was built around key criteria needed to test the direct transfer hypothesis, including: (a) inclusion of music training vs. control groups; (b) inclusion of pre- vs. post-comparison measures, and (c) indication that reading instruction was held constant across groups. Thirteen studies were identified (n = 901). Two classes of outcome measures emerged with sufficient overlap to support meta-analysis: phonological awareness and reading fluency. Hours of training, age, and type of control intervention were examined as potential moderators. Results supported the hypothesis that music training leads to gains in phonological awareness skills. The effect isolated by contrasting gains in music training vs. gains in control was small relative to the large variance in these skills (d = 0.2). Interestingly, analyses revealed that transfer effects for rhyming skills tended to grow stronger with increased hours of training. In contrast, no significant aggregate transfer effect emerged for reading fluency measures, despite some studies reporting large training effects. The potential influence of other study design factors were considered, including intervention design, IQ, and SES. Results are discussed in the context of emerging findings that music training may enhance literacy development via changes in brain mechanisms that support both music and language cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reyna L Gordon
- Music Cognition Lab, Program for Music, Mind and Society, Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN, USA ; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hilda M Fehd
- Institute for Software Integrated Systems, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bruce D McCandliss
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Education, Stanford University Stanford, CA, USA
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Kraus N, White-Schwoch T. Unraveling the Biology of Auditory Learning: A Cognitive-Sensorimotor-Reward Framework. Trends Cogn Sci 2015; 19:642-654. [PMID: 26454481 PMCID: PMC4754986 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The auditory system is stunning in its capacity for change: a single neuron can modulate its tuning in minutes. Here we articulate a conceptual framework to understand the biology of auditory learning where an animal must engage cognitive, sensorimotor, and reward systems to spark neural remodeling. Central to our framework is a consideration of the auditory system as an integrated whole that interacts with other circuits to guide and refine life in sound. Despite our emphasis on the auditory system, these principles may apply across the nervous system. Understanding neuroplastic changes in both normal and impaired sensory systems guides strategies to improve everyday communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kraus
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory and Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Travis White-Schwoch
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory and Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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14
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Abstract
Fundamental changes in brain structure and function during adolescence are well-characterized, but the extent to which experience modulates adolescent neurodevelopment is not. Musical experience provides an ideal case for examining this question because the influence of music training begun early in life is well-known. We investigated the effects of in-school music training, previously shown to enhance auditory skills, versus another in-school training program that did not focus on development of auditory skills (active control). We tested adolescents on neural responses to sound and language skills before they entered high school (pretraining) and again 3 y later. Here, we show that in-school music training begun in high school prolongs the stability of subcortical sound processing and accelerates maturation of cortical auditory responses. Although phonological processing improved in both the music training and active control groups, the enhancement was greater in adolescents who underwent music training. Thus, music training initiated as late as adolescence can enhance neural processing of sound and confer benefits for language skills. These results establish the potential for experience-driven brain plasticity during adolescence and demonstrate that in-school programs can engender these changes.
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15
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Kraus N, Strait DL. Emergence of biological markers of musicianship with school-based music instruction. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2015; 1337:163-9. [PMID: 25773631 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Musician children and adults demonstrate biological distinctions in auditory processing relative to nonmusicians. For example, musician children and adults have more robust neural encoding of speech harmonics, more adaptive sound processing, and more precise neural encoding of acoustically similar sounds; these enhancements may contribute to musicians' linguistic advantages, such as for hearing speech in noise and reading. Such findings have inspired proposals that the auditory and cognitive stimulation induced by musical practice renders musicians enhanced according to biological metrics germane to communication. Cross-sectional methodologies comparing musicians with nonmusicians, however, are limited by the inability to disentangle training-related effects from demographic and innate qualities that may predistinguish musicians. Over the past several years, our laboratory has addressed this problem by examining the emergence of neural markers of musicianship in children and adolescents using longitudinal approaches to track the development of biological indices of speech processing. This work was conducted in partnership with successful community-based music programs, thus avoiding reliance on a synthetic program for the purposes of laboratory study. Outcomes indicate that many of musicians' auditory-related biological enhancements emerge with training and may promote the acquisition of language skills, including in at-risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kraus
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
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16
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Kraus N, Hornickel J, Strait DL, Slater J, Thompson E. Engagement in community music classes sparks neuroplasticity and language development in children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Front Psychol 2014; 5:1403. [PMID: 25566109 PMCID: PMC4268440 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds often face impoverished auditory environments, such as greater exposure to ambient noise and fewer opportunities to participate in complex language interactions during development. These circumstances increase their risk for academic failure and dropout. Given the academic and neural benefits associated with musicianship, music training may be one method for providing auditory enrichment to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. We followed a group of primary-school students from gang reduction zones in Los Angeles, CA, USA for 2 years as they participated in Harmony Project. By providing free community music instruction for disadvantaged children, Harmony Project promotes the healthy development of children as learners, the development of children as ambassadors of peace and understanding, and the development of stronger communities. Children who were more engaged in the music program-as defined by better attendance and classroom participation-developed stronger brain encoding of speech after 2 years than their less-engaged peers in the program. Additionally, children who were more engaged in the program showed increases in reading scores, while those less engaged did not show improvements. The neural gains accompanying music engagement were seen in the very measures of neural speech processing that are weaker in children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our results suggest that community music programs such as Harmony Project provide a form of auditory enrichment that counteracts some of the biological adversities of growing up in poverty, and can further support community-based interventions aimed at improving child health and wellness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kraus
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Neurobiology & Physiology and Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL, USA
| | - Jane Hornickel
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA
- Data Sense LLCChicago, IL, USA
| | - Dana L. Strait
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA
| | - Jessica Slater
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA
| | - Elaine Thompson
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA
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Evans S, Meekings S, Nuttall HE, Jasmin KM, Boebinger D, Adank P, Scott SK. Does musical enrichment enhance the neural coding of syllables? Neuroscientific interventions and the importance of behavioral data. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:964. [PMID: 25566013 PMCID: PMC4267267 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Evans
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Sophie Meekings
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Helen E. Nuttall
- Speech, Hearing and Phonetic Sciences, University College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Kyle M. Jasmin
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Dana Boebinger
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Patti Adank
- Speech, Hearing and Phonetic Sciences, University College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Sophie K. Scott
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonLondon, UK
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Slater J, Strait DL, Skoe E, O'Connell S, Thompson E, Kraus N. Longitudinal effects of group music instruction on literacy skills in low-income children. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113383. [PMID: 25409300 PMCID: PMC4237413 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds tend to fall progressively further behind their higher-income peers over the course of their academic careers. Music training has been associated with enhanced language and learning skills, suggesting that music programs could play a role in helping low-income children to stay on track academically. Using a controlled, longitudinal design, the impact of group music instruction on English reading ability was assessed in 42 low-income Spanish-English bilingual children aged 6-9 years in Los Angeles. After one year, children who received music training retained their age-normed level of reading performance while a matched control group's performance deteriorated, consistent with expected declines in this population. While the extent of change is modest, outcomes nonetheless provide evidence that music programs may have value in helping to counteract the negative effects of low-socioeconomic status on child literacy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Slater
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Dana L. Strait
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Institute for Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Erika Skoe
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Samantha O'Connell
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Elaine Thompson
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Nina Kraus
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Institute for Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
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