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Di Stefano N, Spence C. Should absolute pitch be considered as a unique kind of absolute sensory judgment in humans? A systematic and theoretical review of the literature. Cognition 2024; 249:105805. [PMID: 38761646 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Absolute pitch is the name given to the rare ability to identify a musical note in an automatic and effortless manner without the need for a reference tone. Those individuals with absolute pitch can, for example, name the note they hear, identify all of the tones of a given chord, and/or name the pitches of everyday sounds, such as car horns or sirens. Hence, absolute pitch can be seen as providing a rare example of absolute sensory judgment in audition. Surprisingly, however, the intriguing question of whether such an ability presents unique features in the domain of sensory perception, or whether instead similar perceptual skills also exist in other sensory domains, has not been explicitly addressed previously. In this paper, this question is addressed by systematically reviewing research on absolute pitch using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method. Thereafter, we compare absolute pitch with two rare types of sensory experience, namely synaesthesia and eidetic memory, to understand if and how these phenomena exhibit similar features to absolute pitch. Furthermore, a common absolute perceptual ability that has been often compared to absolute pitch, namely colour perception, is also discussed. Arguments are provided supporting the notion that none of the examined abilities can be considered like absolute pitch. Therefore, we conclude by suggesting that absolute pitch does indeed appear to constitute a unique kind of absolute sensory judgment in humans, and we discuss some open issues and novel directions for future research in absolute pitch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Di Stefano
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Gian Domenico Romagnosi, 18, 00196 Rome, Italy.
| | - Charles Spence
- Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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2
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Matthews TE, Lumaca M, Witek MAG, Penhune VB, Vuust P. Music reward sensitivity is associated with greater information transfer capacity within dorsal and motor white matter networks in musicians. Brain Struct Funct 2024:10.1007/s00429-024-02836-x. [PMID: 39052097 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02836-x] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
There are pronounced differences in the degree to which individuals experience music-induced pleasure which are linked to variations in structural connectivity between auditory and reward areas. However, previous studies exploring the link between white matter structure and music reward sensitivity (MRS) have relied on standard diffusion tensor imaging methods, which present challenges in terms of anatomical accuracy and interpretability. Further, the link between MRS and connectivity in regions outside of auditory-reward networks, as well as the role of musical training, have yet to be investigated. Therefore, we investigated the relation between MRS and structural connectivity in a large number of directly segmented and anatomically verified white matter tracts in musicians (n = 24) and non-musicians (n = 23) using state-of-the-art tract reconstruction and fixel-based analysis. Using a manual tract-of-interest approach, we additionally tested MRS-white matter associations in auditory-reward networks seen in previous studies. Within the musician group, there was a significant positive relation between MRS and fiber density and cross section in the right middle longitudinal fascicle connecting auditory and inferior parietal cortices. There were also positive relations between MRS and fiber-bundle cross-section in tracts connecting the left thalamus to the ventral precentral gyrus and connecting the right thalamus to the right supplementary motor area, however, these did not survive FDR correction. These results suggest that, within musicians, dorsal auditory and motor networks are crucial to MRS, possibly via their roles in top-down predictive processing and auditory-motor transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas E Matthews
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, Building 1A, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark.
| | - Massimo Lumaca
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, Building 1A, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
| | - Maria A G Witek
- Department of Music School of Languages, Art History and Music, University of Birmingham, Cultures, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Virginia B Penhune
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Peter Vuust
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, Building 1A, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
- Royal Academy of Music, Skovgaardsgade 2C, Aarhus C, DK-8000, Denmark
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Couvignou M, Peyre H, Ramus F, Kolinsky R. Do early musical impairments predict later reading difficulties? A longitudinal study of pre-readers with and without familial risk for dyslexia. Dev Sci 2024:e13519. [PMID: 38679927 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The present longitudinal study investigated the hypothesis that early musical skills (as measured by melodic and rhythmic perception and memory) predict later literacy development via a mediating effect of phonology. We examined 130 French-speaking children, 31 of whom with a familial risk for developmental dyslexia (DD). Their abilities in the three domains were assessed longitudinally with a comprehensive battery of behavioral tests in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Using a structural equation modeling approach, we examined potential longitudinal effects from music to literacy via phonology. We then investigated how familial risk for DD may influence these relationships by testing whether atypical music processing is a risk factor for DD. Results showed that children with a familial risk for DD consistently underperformed children without familial risk in music, phonology, and literacy. A small effect of musical ability on literacy via phonology was observed, but may have been induced by differences in stability across domains over time. Furthermore, early musical skills did not add significant predictive power to later literacy difficulties beyond phonological skills and family risk status. These findings are consistent with the idea that certain key auditory skills are shared between music and speech processing, and between DD and congenital amusia. However, they do not support the notion that music perception and memory skills can serve as a reliable early marker of DD, nor as a valuable target for reading remediation. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Music, phonology, and literacy skills of 130 children, 31 of whom with a familial risk for dyslexia, were examined longitudinally. Children with a familial risk for dyslexia consistently underperformed children without familial risk in musical, phonological, and literacy skills. Structural equation models showed a small effect of musical ability in kindergarten on literacy in second grade, via phonology in first grade. However, early musical skills did not add significant predictive power to later literacy difficulties beyond phonological skills and family risk status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Couvignou
- Unité de Recherche en Neurosciences Cognitives (Unescog), Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hugo Peyre
- Département d'Études Cognitives, Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, EHESS, CNRS, Paris, France
- Autism Reference Centre of Languedoc-Roussillon CRA-LR, Excellence Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopmental disorders CeAND, Montpellier University Hospital, MUSE University, Montpellier, France
- CESP, INSERM U1178, Centre de recherche en Épidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Villejuif, France
| | - Franck Ramus
- Département d'Études Cognitives, Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, EHESS, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Régine Kolinsky
- Unité de Recherche en Neurosciences Cognitives (Unescog), Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS (FRS-FNRS), Brussels, Belgium
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Varella MAC. Nocturnal selective pressures on the evolution of human musicality as a missing piece of the adaptationist puzzle. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1215481. [PMID: 37860295 PMCID: PMC10582961 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1215481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Human musicality exhibits the necessary hallmarks for biological adaptations. Evolutionary explanations focus on recurrent adaptive problems that human musicality possibly solved in ancestral environments, such as mate selection and competition, social bonding/cohesion and social grooming, perceptual and motor skill development, conflict reduction, safe time-passing, transgenerational communication, mood regulation and synchronization, and credible signaling of coalition and territorial/predator defense. Although not mutually exclusive, these different hypotheses are still not conceptually integrated nor clearly derived from independent principles. I propose The Nocturnal Evolution of Human Musicality and Performativity Theory in which the night-time is the missing piece of the adaptationist puzzle of human musicality and performing arts. The expansion of nocturnal activities throughout human evolution, which is tied to tree-to-ground sleep transition and habitual use of fire, might help (i) explain the evolution of musicality from independent principles, (ii) explain various seemingly unrelated music features and functions, and (iii) integrate many ancestral adaptive values proposed. The expansion into the nocturnal niche posed recurrent ancestral adaptive challenges/opportunities: lack of luminosity, regrouping to cook before sleep, imminent dangerousness, low temperatures, peak tiredness, and concealment of identity. These crucial night-time features might have selected evening-oriented individuals who were prone to acoustic communication, more alert and imaginative, gregarious, risk-taking and novelty-seeking, prone to anxiety modulation, hedonistic, promiscuous, and disinhibited. Those night-time selected dispositions may have converged and enhanced protomusicality into human musicality by facilitating it to assume many survival- and reproduction-enhancing roles (social cohesion and coordination, signaling of coalitions, territorial defense, antipredatorial defense, knowledge transference, safe passage of time, children lullabies, and sexual selection) that are correspondent to the co-occurring night-time adaptive challenges/opportunities. The nocturnal dynamic may help explain musical features (sound, loudness, repetitiveness, call and response, song, elaboration/virtuosity, and duetting/chorusing). Across vertebrates, acoustic communication mostly occurs in nocturnal species. The eveningness chronotype is common among musicians and composers. Adolescents, who are the most evening-oriented humans, enjoy more music. Contemporary tribal nocturnal activities around the campfire involve eating, singing/dancing, storytelling, and rituals. I discuss the nocturnal integration of musicality's many roles and conclude that musicality is probably a multifunctional mental adaptation that evolved along with the night-time adaptive landscape.
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Arenillas-Alcón S, Ribas-Prats T, Puertollano M, Mondéjar-Segovia A, Gómez-Roig MD, Costa-Faidella J, Escera C. Prenatal daily musical exposure is associated with enhanced neural representation of speech fundamental frequency: Evidence from neonatal frequency-following responses. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13362. [PMID: 36550689 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Fetal hearing experiences shape the linguistic and musical preferences of neonates. From the very first moment after birth, newborns prefer their native language, recognize their mother's voice, and show a greater responsiveness to lullabies presented during pregnancy. Yet, the neural underpinnings of this experience inducing plasticity have remained elusive. Here we recorded the frequency-following response (FFR), an auditory evoked potential elicited to periodic complex sounds, to show that prenatal music exposure is associated to enhanced neural encoding of speech stimuli periodicity, which relates to the perceptual experience of pitch. FFRs were recorded in a sample of 60 healthy neonates born at term and aged 12-72 hours. The sample was divided into two groups according to their prenatal musical exposure (29 daily musically exposed; 31 not-daily musically exposed). Prenatal exposure was assessed retrospectively by a questionnaire in which mothers reported how often they sang or listened to music through loudspeakers during the last trimester of pregnancy. The FFR was recorded to either a /da/ or an /oa/ speech-syllable stimulus. Analyses were centered on stimuli sections of identical duration (113 ms) and fundamental frequency (F0 = 113 Hz). Neural encoding of stimuli periodicity was quantified as the FFR spectral amplitude at the stimulus F0 . Data revealed that newborns exposed daily to music exhibit larger spectral amplitudes at F0 as compared to not-daily musically-exposed newborns, regardless of the eliciting stimulus. Our results suggest that prenatal music exposure facilitates the tuning to human speech fundamental frequency, which may support early language processing and acquisition. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Frequency-following responses to speech were collected from a sample of neonates prenatally exposed to music daily and compared to neonates not-daily exposed to music. Neonates who experienced daily prenatal music exposure exhibit enhanced frequency-following responses to the periodicity of speech sounds. Prenatal music exposure is associated with a fine-tuned encoding of human speech fundamental frequency, which may facilitate early language processing and acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Arenillas-Alcón
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Teresa Ribas-Prats
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Marta Puertollano
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alejandro Mondéjar-Segovia
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - María Dolores Gómez-Roig
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Catalonia, Spain
- BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jordi Costa-Faidella
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carles Escera
- Brainlab - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Catalonia, Spain
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6
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Wesseldijk LW, Ullén F, Mosing MA. Music and Genetics. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105302. [PMID: 37400010 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
The first part of this review provides a brief historical background of behavior genetic research and how twin and genotype data can be utilized to study genetic influences on individual differences in human behavior. We then review the field of music genetics, from its emergence to large scale twin studies and the recent, first molecular genetic studies of music-related traits. In the second part of the review, we discuss the wider utility of twin and genotype data beyond estimating heritability and gene-finding. We present four examples of music studies that utilized genetically informative samples to analyze causality and gene-environmental interplay for music skills. Overall, research in the field of music genetics has gained much momentum over the last decade and its findings highlight the importance of studying both environmental and genetic factors and particularly their interplay, paving the way for exciting and fruitful times to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura W Wesseldijk
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Fredrik Ullén
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Miriam A Mosing
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; 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
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Correia AI, Vincenzi M, Vanzella P, Pinheiro AP, Schellenberg EG, Lima CF. Individual differences in musical ability among adults with no music training. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2023; 76:1585-1598. [PMID: 36114609 PMCID: PMC10280665 DOI: 10.1177/17470218221128557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Good musical abilities are typically considered to be a consequence of music training, such that they are studied in samples of formally trained individuals. Here, we asked what predicts musical abilities in the absence of music training. Participants with no formal music training (N = 190) completed the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index, measures of personality and cognitive ability, and the Musical Ear Test (MET). The MET is an objective test of musical abilities that provides a Total score and separate scores for its two subtests (Melody and Rhythm), which require listeners to determine whether standard and comparison auditory sequences are identical. MET scores had no associations with personality traits. They correlated positively, however, with informal musical experience and cognitive abilities. Informal musical experience was a better predictor of Melody than of Rhythm scores. Some participants (12%) had Total scores higher than the mean from a sample of musically trained individuals (⩾6 years of formal training), tested previously by Correia et al. Untrained participants with particularly good musical abilities (top 25%, n = 51) scored higher than trained participants on the Rhythm subtest and similarly on the Melody subtest. High-ability untrained participants were also similar to trained ones in cognitive ability, but lower in the personality trait openness-to-experience. These results imply that formal music training is not required to achieve musician-like performance on tests of musical and cognitive abilities. They also suggest that informal music practice and music-related predispositions should be considered in studies of musical expertise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Isabel Correia
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção
Social (CIS-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa,
Portugal
| | - Margherita Vincenzi
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção
Social (CIS-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa,
Portugal
- Department of General Psychology,
University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Patrícia Vanzella
- Center for Mathematics, Computing and
Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo Andre, Brazil
| | - Ana P Pinheiro
- CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia,
Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - E Glenn Schellenberg
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção
Social (CIS-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa,
Portugal
- Department of Psychology, University of
Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - César F Lima
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção
Social (CIS-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa,
Portugal
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience,
University College London, London, UK
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8
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Majno M. “The two voices,” or more? Music and gender from myth and conquests to the neurosciences. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:604-632. [PMID: 36971041 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Music is a unique phenomenon, constantly eliciting interest from a variety of viewpoints, several of which intersect the universal trait of musicality with sex/gender studies and the neurosciences. Its unparalleled power and physical, social, aesthetic, as well as cognitive, emotional and clinical ramifications make it a specially promising terrain for studies and reflections on sex and gender differences and their impact. This overview wishes to enhance awareness of such issues, also fostering an interdisciplinary exchange between the natural sciences, the humanities, and the arts. Over the centuries, different associations of music with the feminine gender have contributed to a pendulum between progressive recognition and stereotypical setbacks requiring to be overcome. Against this backdrop, music-related neurophysiological and psychological studies on sex and gender specificities are reviewed in their multiple approaches and results, exposing or questioning differences in structural, auditory, hormonal, cognitive, and behavioral areas, also in relation to abilities, treatment, and pedagogy. Thus, the bridging potential of music as universal yet diverse language, art, and practice, recommends its gender-aware integration into education, protective endeavors, and therapeutic interventions, to promote equality and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Majno
- Mariani Foundation for Child Neurology, Milan, Italy
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9
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Novaes FC, Natividade JC. The sexual selection of creativity: A nomological approach. Front Psychol 2023; 13:874261. [PMID: 36698589 PMCID: PMC9869285 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.874261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cultural innovations, such as tools and other technical articles useful for survival, imply that creativity is an outcome of evolution. However, the existence of purely ornamental items obfuscates the functional value of creativity. What is the functional or adaptive value of aesthetic and intellectual ornaments? Recent evidence shows a connection between ornamental creativity, an individual's attractiveness, and their reproductive success. However, this association is not sufficient for establishing that creativity in humans evolved by sexual selection. In this critical review, we synthesize findings from many disciplines about the mechanisms, ontogeny, phylogeny, and the function of creativity in sexual selection. Existing research indicates that creativity has the characteristics expected of a trait evolved by sexual selection: genetic basis, sexual dimorphism, wider variety in males, influence of sex hormones, dysfunctional expressions, an advantage in mating in humans and other animals, and psychological modules adapted to mating contexts. Future studies should investigate mixed findings in the existing literature, such as creativity not being found particularly attractive in a non-WEIRD society. Moreover, we identified remaining knowledge gaps and recommend that further research should be undertaken in the following areas: sexual and reproductive correlates of creativity in non-WEIRD societies, relationship between androgens, development, and creative expression, as well as the impact of ornamental, technical and everyday creativity on attractiveness. Evolutionary research should analyze whether being an evolved signal of genetic quality is the only way in which creativity becomes sexually selected and therefore passed on from generation to generation. This review has gone a long way toward integrating and enhancing our understanding of ornamental creativity as a possible sexual selected psychological trait.
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10
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Baizer JS, Witelson SF. Comparative analysis of four nuclei in the human brainstem: Individual differences, left-right asymmetry, species differences. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1069210. [PMID: 36874056 PMCID: PMC9978016 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1069210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction It is commonly thought that while the organization of the cerebral cortex changes dramatically over evolution, the organization of the brainstem is conserved across species. It is further assumed that, as in other species, brainstem organization is similar from one human to the next. We will review our data on four human brainstem nuclei that suggest that both ideas may need modification. Methods We have studied the neuroanatomical and neurochemical organization of the nucleus paramedianus dorsalis (PMD), the principal nucleus of the inferior olive (IOpr), the arcuate nucleus of the medulla (Arc) and the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DC). We compared these human brainstem nuclei to nuclei in other mammals including chimpanzees, monkeys, cats and rodents. We studied human cases from the Witelson Normal Brain collection using Nissl and immunostained sections, and examined archival Nissl and immunostained sections from other species. Results We found significant individual variability in the size and shape of brainstem structures among humans. There is left-right asymmetry in the size and appearance of nuclei, dramatically so in the IOpr and Arc. In humans there are nuclei, e.g., the PMD and the Arc, not seen in several other species. In addition, there are brainstem structures that are conserved across species but show major expansion in humans, e.g., the IOpr. Finally, there are nuclei, e.g. the DC, that show major differences in structure among species. Discussion Overall, the results suggest several principles of human brainstem organization that distinguish humans from other species. Studying the functional correlates of, and the genetic contributions to, these brainstem characteristics are important future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan S Baizer
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Sandra F Witelson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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11
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O’Connell SR, Nave-Blodgett JE, Wilson GE, Hannon EE, Snyder JS. Elements of musical and dance sophistication predict musical groove perception. Front Psychol 2022; 13:998321. [PMID: 36467160 PMCID: PMC9712211 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.998321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Listening to groovy music is an enjoyable experience and a common human behavior in some cultures. Specifically, many listeners agree that songs they find to be more familiar and pleasurable are more likely to induce the experience of musical groove. While the pleasurable and dance-inducing effects of musical groove are omnipresent, we know less about how subjective feelings toward music, individual musical or dance experiences, or more objective musical perception abilities are correlated with the way we experience groove. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate how musical and dance sophistication relates to musical groove perception. One-hundred 24 participants completed an online study during which they rated 20 songs, considered high- or low-groove, and completed the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index, the Goldsmiths Dance Sophistication Index, the Beat and Meter Sensitivity Task, and a modified short version of the Profile for Music Perception Skills. Our results reveal that measures of perceptual abilities, musical training, and social dancing predicted the difference in groove rating between high- and low-groove music. Overall, these findings support the notion that listeners' individual experiences and predispositions may shape their perception of musical groove, although other causal directions are also possible. This research helps elucidate the correlates and possible causes of musical groove perception in a wide range of listeners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R. O’Connell
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | | | - Grace E. Wilson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Erin E. Hannon
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Joel S. Snyder
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
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12
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Mednicoff SD, Barashy S, Gonzales D, Benning SD, Snyder JS, Hannon EE. Auditory affective processing, musicality, and the development of misophonic reactions. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:924806. [PMID: 36213735 PMCID: PMC9537735 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.924806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Misophonia can be characterized both as a condition and as a negative affective experience. Misophonia is described as feeling irritation or disgust in response to hearing certain sounds, such as eating, drinking, gulping, and breathing. Although the earliest misophonic experiences are often described as occurring during childhood, relatively little is known about the developmental pathways that lead to individual variation in these experiences. This literature review discusses evidence of misophonic reactions during childhood and explores the possibility that early heightened sensitivities to both positive and negative sounds, such as to music, might indicate a vulnerability for misophonia and misophonic reactions. We will review when misophonia may develop, how it is distinguished from other auditory conditions (e.g., hyperacusis, phonophobia, or tinnitus), and how it relates to developmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder or Williams syndrome). Finally, we explore the possibility that children with heightened musicality could be more likely to experience misophonic reactions and develop misophonia.
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13
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Peretz I, Ross J, Bourassa CV, Perreault LPL, Dion PA, Weiss MW, Felezeu M, Rouleau GA, Dubé MP. Do variants in the coding regions of FOXP2, a gene implicated in speech disorder, confer a risk for congenital amusia? Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1517:279-285. [PMID: 35980667 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14883] [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: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Congenital amusia is a lifelong disorder that compromises the normal development of musical abilities in 1.5-4% of the general population. There is a substantial genetic contribution to congenital amusia, and it bears similarities to neurodevelopmental disorders of language. Here, we examine the extent to which variants in the forkhead box P2 gene (FOXP2)-the first gene to be identified as causal in developmental speech deficits-are associated with the amusic trait. Using a cohort of 49 individuals with amusia, of which 27 were unrelated, the role of FOXP2 variants in amusia was evaluated. Fourteen variants were examined in the cohort. None segregated with the amusic trait among participants for whom family information was available; nor were they predicted to be deleterious to protein function. Thus, variants in FOXP2 are not likely to cause amusia. Implications for ongoing debates about the distinction between musicality and language are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Peretz
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jay Ross
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Cynthia V Bourassa
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Patrick A Dion
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Michael W Weiss
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Mihaela Felezeu
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Guy A Rouleau
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marie-Pierre Dubé
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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14
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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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15
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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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16
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Au L. Testing the talented child: Direct-to-consumer genetic talent tests in China. PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:195-210. [PMID: 34763577 DOI: 10.1177/09636625211051964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
One controversial area of direct-to-consumer genetic testing in China is "genetic talent testing" for children. In this study, I show that while experts criticize genetic talent testing as unscientific, the persistence of genetic talent testing is not merely a product of parents' scientific illiteracy. Instead, genetic talent testing reflects parents' pragmatic use of technology in response to the parenting pressures in contemporary China. Parents see the results of genetic talent testing as offering an advantage for their children when combined with the intensive parenting strategy of precision education. Drawing on the sociology of testing, I argue how genetic talent testing in China is a product of broader concerns about population quality and can potentially reshape how parents imagine quality children through the theory of multiple intelligences. My study of this "off label" use of direct-to-consumer genetic testing also suggests that scientists need to broaden their imagination of potential misuses of their technologies.
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17
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Yan R, Jessani G, Spelke ES, de Villiers P, de Villiers J, Mehr SA. Across demographics and recent history, most parents sing to their infants and toddlers daily. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20210089. [PMID: 34719251 PMCID: PMC8558774 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Music is universally prevalent in human society and is a salient component of the lives of young families. Here, we studied the frequency of singing and playing recorded music in the home using surveys of parents with infants (N = 945). We found that most parents sing to their infant on a daily basis and the frequency of infant-directed singing is unrelated to parents' income or ethnicity. Two reliable individual differences emerged, however: (i) fathers sing less than mothers and (ii) as infants grow older, parents sing less. Moreover, the latter effect of child age was specific to singing and was not reflected in reports of the frequency of playing recorded music. Last, we meta-analysed reports of the frequency of infant-directed singing and found little change in its frequency over the past 30 years, despite substantial changes in the technological environment in the home. These findings, consistent with theories of the psychological functions of music, in general, and infant-directed singing, in particular, demonstrate the everyday nature of music in infancy. This article is part of the theme issue 'Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Yan
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 500 S State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Psychology, Smith College, 10 Elm Street, Northampton, MA 01063, USA
| | - Ghazal Jessani
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Elizabeth S. Spelke
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Peter de Villiers
- Department of Psychology, Smith College, 10 Elm Street, Northampton, MA 01063, USA
| | - Jill de Villiers
- Department of Psychology, Smith College, 10 Elm Street, Northampton, MA 01063, USA
| | - Samuel A. Mehr
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Data Science Initiative, Harvard University, 8 Story Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Parade, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
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18
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Navarro L, Martinón-Torres F, Salas A. Sensogenomics and the Biological Background Underlying Musical Stimuli: Perspectives for a New Era of Musical Research. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1454. [PMID: 34573436 PMCID: PMC8472585 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
What is the actual impact of music on the human being and the scope for scientific research in this realm? Compared to other areas, the study of the relationship between music and human biology has received limited attention. At the same time, evidence of music's value in clinical science, neuroscience, and social science keeps increasing. This review article synthesizes the existing knowledge of genetics related to music. While the success of genomics has been demonstrated in medical research, with thousands of genes that cause inherited diseases or a predisposition to multifactorial disorders identified, much less attention has been paid to other human traits. We argue for the development of a new discipline, sensogenomics, aimed at investigating the impact of the sensorial input on gene expression and taking advantage of new, discovery-based 'omic' approaches that allow for the exploration of the whole transcriptome of individuals under controlled experiments and circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Navarro
- Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses (INCIFOR), Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de San-tiago (SERGAS), Galicia, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Genetics, Vaccines and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Galicia, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Federico Martinón-Torres
- Genetics, Vaccines and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Galicia, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- Translational Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), Galicia, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Antonio Salas
- Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses (INCIFOR), Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de San-tiago (SERGAS), Galicia, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Genetics, Vaccines and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Galicia, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
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19
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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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20
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Fawcett C, Kreutz G. Twelve-month-old infants' physiological responses to music are affected by others' positive and negative reactions. INFANCY 2021; 26:784-797. [PMID: 34120402 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Infants show remarkable skills for processing music in the first year of life. Such skills are believed to foster social and communicative development, yet little is known about how infants' own preferences for music develop and whether social information plays a role. Here, we investigate whether the reactions of another person influence infants' responses to music. Specifically, 12-month-olds (N = 33) saw an actor react positively or negatively after listening to clips of instrumental music. Arousal (measured via pupil dilation) and attention (measured via looking time) were assessed when infants later heard the clips without the actor visible. Results showed greater pupil dilation when listening to music clips that had previously been reacted to negatively than those that had been reacted to positively (Exp. 1). This effect was not replicated when a similar, rather than identical, clip from the piece of music was used in the test phase (Exp. 2, N = 35 12-month-olds). There were no effects of the actor's positive or negative reaction on looking time. Together, our findings suggest that infants are sensitive to others' positive and negative reactions not only for concrete objects, such as food or toys, but also for more abstract stimuli including music.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Fawcett
- Uppsala Child and Baby Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gunter Kreutz
- Speech and Music Lab, Department of Music, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Sweden
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21
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Meissner H. Theoretical Framework for Facilitating Young Musicians' Learning of Expressive Performance. Front Psychol 2021; 11:584171. [PMID: 33505334 PMCID: PMC7830251 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.584171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Since communication and expression are central aspects of music performance it is important to develop a systematic pedagogy of teaching children and teenagers expressiveness. Although research has been growing in this area a comprehensive literature review that unifies the different approaches to teaching young musicians expressiveness has been lacking. Therefore, the aim of this article is to provide an overview of literature related to teaching and learning of expressiveness from music psychology and music education research in order to build a new theoretical framework for teaching and learning expressive music performance in instrumental music lessons with children and teenagers. The article will start with a brief discussion of interpretation and expression in music performance, before providing an overview of studies that investigated teaching and learning of performance expression in instrumental music education with adults and children. On the foundation of this research a theoretical framework for dialogic teaching and learning of expressive music performance will be proposed and the rationale explained. Dialogic teaching can be useful for scaffolding young musicians' learning of expressivity as open questions can stimulate thinking about the interpretation and may serve to connect musical ideas to the embodied experience of the learner. A "toolkit" for teaching and learning of expressiveness will be presented for practical application in music lessons. In addition, a theoretical model will be proposed to further our understanding of teaching and learning of expressive music performance as a multifaceted and interactive process that is embedded in the context of tutors' and learners' experiences and environment. Finally, implications of this framework and suggestions for future research will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Meissner
- Department of Music, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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22
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Kragness HE, Swaminathan S, Cirelli LK, Schellenberg EG. Individual differences in musical ability are stable over time in childhood. Dev Sci 2021; 24:e13081. [PMID: 33382177 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The development of human abilities stems from a complex interplay between genetic predispositions and environmental factors. Numerous studies have compared musicians with non-musicians on measures of musical and non-musical ability, frequently attributing musicians' superior performance to their training. By ignoring preexisting differences, however, this view assumes that taking music lessons is akin to random assignment. In the present longitudinal study, the musical ability of 5- to 10-year-olds was measured at Time 1 with a test of music perception and cognition. Five years later, at Time 2, the children took the same test and a second test designed for older listeners. The test-retest correlation for aggregate scores was remarkably high, r ≈ 0.7, and remained strong when confounding variables (age, cognitive abilities, personality) were held constant. At both time points, music training was associated with musical ability, but the association at Time 2 became nonsignificant when musical ability at Time 1 was held constant. Time 1 musical ability also predicted duration of subsequent music training. These data are consistent with results from genetic studies, which implicate genes in all aspects of musical behavior and achievement, and with meta-analyses, which indicate that transfer effects from music training are weak. In short, early musical abilities significantly predicted later abilities, demonstrating that individual differences are stable over time. We found no evidence, however, to suggest that music training predicted musical ability after accounting for prior ability. The results underscore the importance of considering preexisting abilities in any type of learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley E Kragness
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, ON, Canada
| | - Swathi Swaminathan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Laura K Cirelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, ON, Canada
| | - E Glenn Schellenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social (CIS-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa, Portugal
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23
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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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24
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Mets DG, Brainard MS. Learning is enhanced by tailoring instruction to individual genetic differences. eLife 2019; 8:e47216. [PMID: 31526480 PMCID: PMC6748825 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely argued that personalized instruction based on individual differences in learning styles or genetic predispositions could improve learning outcomes. However, this proposition has resisted clear demonstration in human studies, where it is difficult to control experience and quantify outcomes. Here, we take advantage of the tractable nature of vocal learning in songbirds (Lonchura striata domestica) to test the idea that matching instruction to individual genetic predispositions can enhance learning. We use both cross-fostering and computerized instruction with synthetic songs to demonstrate that matching the tutor song to individual predispositions can improve learning across genetic backgrounds. Moreover, we find that optimizing instruction in this fashion can equalize learning differences across individuals that might otherwise be construed as genetically determined. Our results demonstrate potent, synergistic interactions between experience and genetics in shaping song, and indicate the likely importance of such interactions for other complex learned behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Mets
- Center for Integrative NeuroscienceUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Michael S Brainard
- Center for Integrative NeuroscienceUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
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25
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Inherent auditory skills rather than formal music training shape the neural encoding of speech. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:13129-13134. [PMID: 30509989 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1811793115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Musical training is associated with a myriad of neuroplastic changes in the brain, including more robust and efficient neural processing of clean and degraded speech signals at brainstem and cortical levels. These assumptions stem largely from cross-sectional studies between musicians and nonmusicians which cannot address whether training itself is sufficient to induce physiological changes or whether preexisting superiority in auditory function before training predisposes individuals to pursue musical interests and appear to have similar neuroplastic benefits as musicians. Here, we recorded neuroelectric brain activity to clear and noise-degraded speech sounds in individuals without formal music training but who differed in their receptive musical perceptual abilities as assessed objectively via the Profile of Music Perception Skills. We found that listeners with naturally more adept listening skills ("musical sleepers") had enhanced frequency-following responses to speech that were also more resilient to the detrimental effects of noise, consistent with the increased fidelity of speech encoding and speech-in-noise benefits observed previously in highly trained musicians. Further comparisons between these musical sleepers and actual trained musicians suggested that experience provides an additional boost to the neural encoding and perception of speech. Collectively, our findings suggest that the auditory neuroplasticity of music engagement likely involves a layering of both preexisting (nature) and experience-driven (nurture) factors in complex sound processing. In the absence of formal training, individuals with intrinsically proficient auditory systems can exhibit musician-like auditory function that can be further shaped in an experience-dependent manner.
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26
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Mosing MA, Ullén F. Genetic influences on musical specialization: a twin study on choice of instrument and music genre. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1423:427-434. [PMID: 29744890 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Though several studies show that genetic factors influence individual differences in musical engagement, aptitude, and achievement, no study to date has investigated whether specialization among musically active individuals in terms of choice of instrument and genre is heritable. Using a large twin cohort, we explored whether individual differences in instrument choice, instrument category, and the type of music individuals engage in can entirely be explained by the environment or are partly due to genetic influences. About 10,000 Swedish twins answered an extensive questionnaire about music-related traits, including information on the instrument and genre they played. Of those, 1259 same-sex twin pairs reported to either play an instrument or sing. We calculated the odds ratios (ORs) for concordance in music choices (if both twins played) comparing identical and nonidentical twin pairs, with significant ORs indicating that identical twins are more likely to engage in the same type of music-related behavior than are nonidentical twins. The results showed that for almost all music-related variables, the odds were significantly higher for identical twins to play the same musical instrument or music genre, suggesting significant genetic influences on such music specialization. Possible interpretations and implications of the findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam A Mosing
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Ullén
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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27
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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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Podlipniak P. The Role of the Baldwin Effect in the Evolution of Human Musicality. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:542. [PMID: 29056895 PMCID: PMC5635050 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
From the biological perspective human musicality is the term referred to as a set of abilities which enable the recognition and production of music. Since music is a complex phenomenon which consists of features that represent different stages of the evolution of human auditory abilities, the question concerning the evolutionary origin of music must focus mainly on music specific properties and their possible biological function or functions. What usually differentiates music from other forms of human sound expressions is a syntactically organized structure based on pitch classes and rhythmic units measured in reference to musical pulse. This structure is an auditory (not acoustical) phenomenon, meaning that it is a human-specific interpretation of sounds achieved thanks to certain characteristics of the nervous system. There is historical and cross-cultural diversity of this structure which indicates that learning is an important part of the development of human musicality. However, the fact that there is no culture without music, the syntax of which is implicitly learned and easily recognizable, suggests that human musicality may be an adaptive phenomenon. If the use of syntactically organized structure as a communicative phenomenon were adaptive it would be only in circumstances in which this structure is recognizable by more than one individual. Therefore, there is a problem to explain the adaptive value of an ability to recognize a syntactically organized structure that appeared accidentally as the result of mutation or recombination in an environment without a syntactically organized structure. The possible solution could be explained by the Baldwin effect in which a culturally invented trait is transformed into an instinctive trait by the means of natural selection. It is proposed that in the beginning musical structure was invented and learned thanks to neural plasticity. Because structurally organized music appeared adaptive (phenotypic adaptation) e.g., as a tool of social consolidation, our predecessors started to spend a lot of time and energy on music. In such circumstances, accidentally one individual was born with the genetically controlled development of new neural circuitry which allowed him or her to learn music faster and with less energy use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Podlipniak
- Institute of Musicology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
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Mariath LM, Silva AMD, Kowalski TW, Gattino GS, Araujo GAD, Figueiredo FG, Tagliani-Ribeiro A, Roman T, Vianna FSL, Schuler-Faccini L, Schuch JB. Music genetics research: Association with musicality of a polymorphism in the AVPR1A gene. Genet Mol Biol 2017; 40:421-429. [PMID: 28534928 PMCID: PMC5488451 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2016-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Musicality is defined as a natural tendency, sensibility, knowledge, or talent to
create, perceive, and play music. Musical abilities involve a great range of social
and cognitive behaviors, which are influenced by both environmental and genetic
factors. Although a number of studies have yielded insights into music genetics
research, genes and biological pathways related to these traits are not fully
understood. Our hypothesis in the current study is that genes associated with
different behaviors could also influence the musical phenotype. Our aim was to
investigate whether polymorphisms in six genes (AVPR1A, SLC6A4, ITGB3, COMT, DRD2 and
DRD4) related to social and cognitive traits are associated with musicality in a
sample of children. Musicality was assessed through an individualized music therapy
assessment profile (IMTAP) which has been validated in Brazil to measure musical
ability. We show here that the RS1 microsatellite of the AVPR1A gene is nominally
associated with musicality, corroborating previous results linking AVPR1A with
musical activity. This study is one of the first to investigate musicality in a
comprehensive way, and it contributes to better understand the genetic basis
underlying musical ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Monteavaro Mariath
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Mauat da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Thayne Woycinck Kowalski
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Schulz Gattino
- Programa de Pos-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e Adolescente, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Andrade de Araujo
- Programa de Pos-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e Adolescente, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Felipe Grahl Figueiredo
- Programa de Pos-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e Adolescente, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alice Tagliani-Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Roman
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Sales Luiz Vianna
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lavínia Schuler-Faccini
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Bohrer Schuch
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Dawson C, Aalto D, Šimko J, Vainio M, Tervaniemi M. Musical Sophistication and the Effect of Complexity on Auditory Discrimination in Finnish Speakers. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:213. [PMID: 28450829 PMCID: PMC5390041 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Musical experiences and native language are both known to affect auditory processing. The present work aims to disentangle the influences of native language phonology and musicality on behavioral and subcortical sound feature processing in a population of musically diverse Finnish speakers as well as to investigate the specificity of enhancement from musical training. Finnish speakers are highly sensitive to duration cues since in Finnish, vowel and consonant duration determine word meaning. Using a correlational approach with a set of behavioral sound feature discrimination tasks, brainstem recordings, and a musical sophistication questionnaire, we find no evidence for an association between musical sophistication and more precise duration processing in Finnish speakers either in the auditory brainstem response or in behavioral tasks, but they do show an enhanced pitch discrimination compared to Finnish speakers with less musical experience and show greater duration modulation in a complex task. These results are consistent with a ceiling effect set for certain sound features which corresponds to the phonology of the native language, leaving an opportunity for music experience-based enhancement of sound features not explicitly encoded in the language (such as pitch, which is not explicitly encoded in Finnish). Finally, the pattern of duration modulation in more musically sophisticated Finnish speakers suggests integrated feature processing for greater efficiency in a real world musical situation. These results have implications for research into the specificity of plasticity in the auditory system as well as to the effects of interaction of specific language features with musical experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Dawson
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland.,Phonetics and Speech Synthesis Research Group, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
| | - Daniel Aalto
- Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine, Misericordia Community Hospital, University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Juraj Šimko
- Phonetics and Speech Synthesis Research Group, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
| | - Martti Vainio
- Phonetics and Speech Synthesis Research Group, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
| | - Mari Tervaniemi
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland.,Cicero Learning, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
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Hutka S, Carpentier SM, Bidelman GM, Moreno S, McIntosh AR. Musicianship and Tone Language Experience Are Associated with Differential Changes in Brain Signal Variability. J Cogn Neurosci 2016; 28:2044-2058. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Musicianship has been associated with auditory processing benefits. It is unclear, however, whether pitch processing experience in nonmusical contexts, namely, speaking a tone language, has comparable associations with auditory processing. Studies comparing the auditory processing of musicians and tone language speakers have shown varying degrees of between-group similarity with regard to perceptual processing benefits and, particularly, nonlinguistic pitch processing. To test whether the auditory abilities honed by musicianship or speaking a tone language differentially impact the neural networks supporting nonlinguistic pitch processing (relative to timbral processing), we employed a novel application of brain signal variability (BSV) analysis. BSV is a metric of information processing capacity and holds great potential for understanding the neural underpinnings of experience-dependent plasticity. Here, we measured BSV in electroencephalograms of musicians, tone language-speaking nonmusicians, and English-speaking nonmusicians (controls) during passive listening of music and speech sound contrasts. Although musicians showed greater BSV across the board, each group showed a unique spatiotemporal distribution in neural network engagement: Controls had greater BSV for speech than music; tone language-speaking nonmusicians showed the opposite effect; musicians showed similar BSV for both domains. Collectively, results suggest that musical and tone language pitch experience differentially affect auditory processing capacity within the cerebral cortex. However, information processing capacity is graded: More experience with pitch is associated with greater BSV when processing this cue. Higher BSV in musicians may suggest increased information integration within the brain networks subserving speech and music, which may be related to their well-documented advantages on a wide variety of speech-related tasks.
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Neural Mechanisms Underlying Musical Pitch Perception and Clinical Applications Including Developmental Dyslexia. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2016; 15:51. [PMID: 26092314 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-015-0574-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Music production and perception invoke a complex set of cognitive functions that rely on the integration of sensorimotor, cognitive, and emotional pathways. Pitch is a fundamental perceptual attribute of sound and a building block for both music and speech. Although the cerebral processing of pitch is not completely understood, recent advances in imaging and electrophysiology have provided insight into the functional and anatomical pathways of pitch processing. This review examines the current understanding of pitch processing and behavioral and neural variations that give rise to difficulties in pitch processing, and potential applications of music education for language processing disorders such as dyslexia.
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Gingras B, Honing H, Peretz I, Trainor LJ, Fisher SE. Defining the biological bases of individual differences in musicality. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:20140092. [PMID: 25646515 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in molecular technologies make it possible to pinpoint genomic factors associated with complex human traits. For cognition and behaviour, identification of underlying genes provides new entry points for deciphering the key neurobiological pathways. In the past decade, the search for genetic correlates of musicality has gained traction. Reports have documented familial clustering for different extremes of ability, including amusia and absolute pitch (AP), with twin studies demonstrating high heritability for some music-related skills, such as pitch perception. Certain chromosomal regions have been linked to AP and musical aptitude, while individual candidate genes have been investigated in relation to aptitude and creativity. Most recently, researchers in this field started performing genome-wide association scans. Thus far, studies have been hampered by relatively small sample sizes and limitations in defining components of musicality, including an emphasis on skills that can only be assessed in trained musicians. With opportunities to administer standardized aptitude tests online, systematic large-scale assessment of musical abilities is now feasible, an important step towards high-powered genome-wide screens. Here, we offer a synthesis of existing literatures and outline concrete suggestions for the development of comprehensive operational tools for the analysis of musical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Gingras
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Henkjan Honing
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), Institute of Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Isabelle Peretz
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Laurel J Trainor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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35
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Corrigall KA, Schellenberg EG. Predicting who takes music lessons: parent and child characteristics. Front Psychol 2015; 6:282. [PMID: 25852601 PMCID: PMC4371583 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on associations between music training and cognitive abilities typically focus on the possible benefits of music lessons. Recent research suggests, however, that many of these associations stem from niche-picking tendencies, which lead certain individuals to be more likely than others to take music lessons, especially for long durations. Because the initial decision to take music lessons is made primarily by a child's parents, at least at younger ages, we asked whether individual differences in parents' personality predict young children's duration of training. Children between 7 and 9 years of age (N = 170) with varying amounts of music training completed a measure of IQ. Their parents provided demographic information as well as ratings of their own and their child's Big Five personality dimensions. Children's personality traits predicted duration of music training even when demographic variables and intelligence were held constant, replicating findings reported previously with 10- to 12-year-olds and 17-year-olds. A novel finding was that parents' openness-to-experience predicted children's duration of training, even when characteristics that pertained to children (demographic variables, intelligence, and personality) were controlled statistically. Our findings are indicative of passive and active gene-environment correlations, whereby genetic predispositions influence the likelihood that a child will have certain experiences, such as music training.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E Glenn Schellenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga Mississauga, ON, Canada
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36
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Trainor LJ. The origins of music in auditory scene analysis and the roles of evolution and culture in musical creation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 370:20140089. [PMID: 25646512 PMCID: PMC4321130 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Whether music was an evolutionary adaptation that conferred survival advantages or a cultural creation has generated much debate. Consistent with an evolutionary hypothesis, music is unique to humans, emerges early in development and is universal across societies. However, the adaptive benefit of music is far from obvious. Music is highly flexible, generative and changes rapidly over time, consistent with a cultural creation hypothesis. In this paper, it is proposed that much of musical pitch and timing structure adapted to preexisting features of auditory processing that evolved for auditory scene analysis (ASA). Thus, music may have emerged initially as a cultural creation made possible by preexisting adaptations for ASA. However, some aspects of music, such as its emotional and social power, may have subsequently proved beneficial for survival and led to adaptations that enhanced musical behaviour. Ontogenetic and phylogenetic evidence is considered in this regard. In particular, enhanced auditory-motor pathways in humans that enable movement entrainment to music and consequent increases in social cohesion, and pathways enabling music to affect reward centres in the brain should be investigated as possible musical adaptations. It is concluded that the origins of music are complex and probably involved exaptation, cultural creation and evolutionary adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel J Trainor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Wang T. A hypothesis on the biological origins and social evolution of music and dance. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:30. [PMID: 25741232 PMCID: PMC4332322 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The origins of music and musical emotions is still an enigma, here I propose a comprehensive hypothesis on the origins and evolution of music, dance, and speech from a biological and sociological perspective. I suggest that every pitch interval between neighboring notes in music represents corresponding movement pattern through interpreting the Doppler effect of sound, which not only provides a possible explanation for the transposition invariance of music, but also integrates music and dance into a common form—rhythmic movements. Accordingly, investigating the origins of music poses the question: why do humans appreciate rhythmic movements? I suggest that human appreciation of rhythmic movements and rhythmic events developed from the natural selection of organisms adapting to the internal and external rhythmic environments. The perception and production of, as well as synchronization with external and internal rhythms are so vital for an organism's survival and reproduction, that animals have a rhythm-related reward and emotion (RRRE) system. The RRRE system enables the appreciation of rhythmic movements and events, and is integral to the origination of music, dance and speech. The first type of rewards and emotions (rhythm-related rewards and emotions, RRREs) are evoked by music and dance, and have biological and social functions, which in turn, promote the evolution of music, dance and speech. These functions also evoke a second type of rewards and emotions, which I name society-related rewards and emotions (SRREs). The neural circuits of RRREs and SRREs develop in species formation and personal growth, with congenital and acquired characteristics, respectively, namely music is the combination of nature and culture. This hypothesis provides probable selection pressures and outlines the evolution of music, dance, and speech. The links between the Doppler effect and the RRREs and SRREs can be empirically tested, making the current hypothesis scientifically concrete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyan Wang
- School of Life Science, Tsinghua University Beijing, China ; Ocean Science and Technology Division, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University Shenzhen, China ; Gene and Cell Engineering Laboratory, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen, China
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38
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Skoe E, Kraus N. Auditory reserve and the legacy of auditory experience. Brain Sci 2014; 4:575-93. [PMID: 25405381 PMCID: PMC4279143 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci4040575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Revised: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Musical training during childhood has been linked to more robust encoding of sound later in life. We take this as evidence for an auditory reserve: a mechanism by which individuals capitalize on earlier life experiences to promote auditory processing. We assert that early auditory experiences guide how the reserve develops and is maintained over the lifetime. Experiences that occur after childhood, or which are limited in nature, are theorized to affect the reserve, although their influence on sensory processing may be less long-lasting and may potentially fade over time if not repeated. This auditory reserve may help to explain individual differences in how individuals cope with auditory impoverishment or loss of sensorineural function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Skoe
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Department of Psychology Affiliate, Cognitive Science Program Affiliate, University of Connecticut, 850 Bolton Street, Storrs, CT 06105, USA.
| | - Nina Kraus
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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