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Choi W, Lai VKW, Kong SH, Bautista A. Examining the cognitive and perceptual perspectives of music-to-language transfer: A study of Cantonese-English bilingual children. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 249:106069. [PMID: 39299047 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106069] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Motivated by theories of music-to-language transfer, we investigated whether and how musicianship benefits phonological and lexical prosodic awareness in first language (L1) Cantonese and second language (L2) English. We assessed 86 Cantonese-English bilingual children on rhythmic sensitivity, pitch sensitivity, nonverbal intelligence, inhibitory control, working memory, Cantonese phonological awareness, Cantonese tone awareness, English phonological awareness, and English stress awareness. Based on their prior music learning experience, we classified the children as musicians and non-musicians. The musicians performed better than the non-musicians on Cantonese phonological awareness, Cantonese tone awareness, and English phonological awareness. In addition, the musicians had superior pitch sensitivity, nonverbal intelligence, inhibitory control, and working memory than the non-musicians. For Cantonese and English phonological awareness, neither cognitive abilities nor pitch and rhythmic sensitivities turned out to be a unique predictor. However, working memory uniquely predicted Cantonese tone awareness, with age, rhythmic sensitivity, and pitch sensitivity controlled. From a theoretical perspective, our findings on Cantonese tone awareness favors the cognitive perspective of music-to-language transfer, in which working memory enhancement could explain the musicians' superior performance in Cantonese tone awareness. However, our findings on phonological awareness do not favor the cognitive perspective, nor do they favor the perceptual perspective, in which enhanced rhythmic and pitch sensitivities could explain musicians' advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Choi
- Academic Unit of Human Communication, Learning, and Development, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; Speech and Music Perception Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
| | | | - Siu-Hang Kong
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong
| | - Alfredo Bautista
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong
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Motamed Yeganeh N, McKee T, Werker JF, Hermiston N, Boyd LA, Cui AX. Opera trainees' cognitive functioning is associated with physiological stress during performance. MUSICAE SCIENTIAE : THE JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR THE COGNITIVE SCIENCES OF MUSIC 2024; 28:365-374. [PMID: 38784046 PMCID: PMC11108751 DOI: 10.1177/10298649231184817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
In an opera performance, singers must perform difficult musical repertoire at a high level while dealing with the stress of standing before a large audience. Previous literature suggests that individuals with better cognitive functions experience less stress. During a music performance such functions, especially attention, memory, and executive function, are in high demand, suggesting that cognitive functions may play a role in music performance. This study used physiological and cognitive measures to examine this phenomenon in opera performance. Cardiac activity data were collected from 24 opera trainees during a resting-state period before and during a real-life performance. Heart-rate variability (HRV) was used as an indicator of physiological stress, such that higher HRV indicates lower stress. Standardized neuropsychological tests were used to measure attention (IVA-2), memory (CVLT-3, WMS-IV), and executive function (Trail Making Test). Results showed cognitive function- and state-specific relationships between HRV and cognitive function: HRV during the resting state had a positive correlation with attention, while HRV during a performance had a positive correlation with executive function. These results suggest that greater cognitive function is related to lower stress during opera performance. The findings of this study provide initial evidence for a relationship between cognitive functions and music performance stress in opera trainees.
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Wu D, Jia X, Rao W, Dou W, Li Y, Li B. Construction of a Chinese traditional instrumental music dataset: A validated set of naturalistic affective music excerpts. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:3757-3778. [PMID: 38702502 PMCID: PMC11133124 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-024-02411-6] [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] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Music is omnipresent among human cultures and moves us both physically and emotionally. The perception of emotions in music is influenced by both psychophysical and cultural factors. Chinese traditional instrumental music differs significantly from Western music in cultural origin and music elements. However, previous studies on music emotion perception are based almost exclusively on Western music. Therefore, the construction of a dataset of Chinese traditional instrumental music is important for exploring the perception of music emotions in the context of Chinese culture. The present dataset included 273 10-second naturalistic music excerpts. We provided rating data for each excerpt on ten variables: familiarity, dimensional emotions (valence and arousal), and discrete emotions (anger, gentleness, happiness, peacefulness, sadness, solemnness, and transcendence). The excerpts were rated by a total of 168 participants on a seven-point Likert scale for the ten variables. Three labels for the excerpts were obtained: familiarity, discrete emotion, and cluster. Our dataset demonstrates good reliability, and we believe it could contribute to cross-cultural studies on emotional responses to music.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wu
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Xi Jia
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Wenxin Rao
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Wenjie Dou
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Yangping Li
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- School of Foreign Studies, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Baoming Li
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
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Colverson A, Barsoum S, Cohen R, Williamson J. Rhythmic musical activities may strengthen connectivity between brain networks associated with aging-related deficits in timing and executive functions. Exp Gerontol 2024; 186:112354. [PMID: 38176601 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112354] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Brain aging and common conditions of aging (e.g., hypertension) affect networks important in organizing information, processing speed and action programming (i.e., executive functions). Declines in these networks may affect timing and could have an impact on the ability to perceive and perform musical rhythms. There is evidence that participation in rhythmic musical activities may help to maintain and even improve executive functioning (near transfer), perhaps due to similarities in brain regions underlying timing, musical rhythm perception and production, and executive functioning. Rhythmic musical activities may present as a novel and fun activity for older adults to stimulate interacting brain regions that deteriorate with aging. However, relatively little is known about neurobehavioral interactions between aging, timing, rhythm perception and production, and executive functioning. In this review, we account for these brain-behavior interactions to suggest that deeper knowledge of overlapping brain regions associated with timing, rhythm, and cognition may assist in designing more targeted preventive and rehabilitative interventions to reduce age-related cognitive decline and improve quality of life in populations with neurodegenerative disease. Further research is needed to elucidate the functional relationships between brain regions associated with aging, timing, rhythm perception and production, and executive functioning to direct design of targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Colverson
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, 1651 4th street, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
| | - Stephanie Barsoum
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, College of Medicine, University of Florida, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL 32610-0277, United States of America
| | - Ronald Cohen
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, College of Medicine, University of Florida, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL 32610-0277, United States of America
| | - John Williamson
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, College of Medicine, University of Florida, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL 32610-0277, United States of America
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Moreira SV, Justi FRDR, Gomes CFDA, Moreira M. Music Therapy Enhances Episodic Memory in Alzheimer's and Mixed Dementia: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2912. [PMID: 37998404 PMCID: PMC10671073 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11222912] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to assess whether a music therapy (MT) intervention could improve memory decline in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. A dual-retrieval model of episodic memory was employed to estimate memory processes. Methods: Forty-three older adults with a mean age of 76.49 years (n = 25 with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mixed dementia, and n = 18 healthy older adults) were randomly selected for the experimental and control groups. The study design was a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial and a certified music therapist delivered the MT. The primary outcomes were measures of working memory, episodic memory, and autobiographical memory. Results: In the primary outcome measures, MT effects were restricted to episodic memory measures like the Figure Memory Test of the BCSB and the Speech and Sing Memory Test. In both tests, the experimental group improved from pre-test to post-test in delayed recall, but in the Speech and Sing Memory Test, the improvement was restricted to the AD and mixed dementia group. MT had no effects on the secondary outcome measures. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a structured MT intervention can be promising for rehabilitating episodic memory in older adults with dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirlene Vianna Moreira
- Lato Sensu Postgraduate Program in Psychology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences of Juiz de Fora (SUPREMA), Juiz de Fora 36033-003, MG, Brazil;
| | - Francis Ricardo dos Reis Justi
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Human Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil; (F.R.d.R.J.); (C.F.d.A.G.)
| | - Carlos Falcão de Azevedo Gomes
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Human Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil; (F.R.d.R.J.); (C.F.d.A.G.)
| | - Marcos Moreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil
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Pentikäinen E, Kimppa L, Pitkäniemi A, Lahti O, Särkämö T. Longitudinal effects of choir singing on aging cognition and wellbeing: a two-year follow-up study. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1174574. [PMID: 37545597 PMCID: PMC10398963 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1174574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction While increasing evidence points toward the benefits of musical activities in promoting cognitive and emotional well-being in older adults, more longitudinal studies are needed to establish their long-term effects and uncover the mechanisms through which musical activities affect well-being. Most previous research has focused on instrumental musical activities, but little is currently known about the long-term effects of singing, even though neuroimaging evidence suggests that it is a versatile activity for the brain, involving a multitude of neural processes that are potentially beneficial for well-being. Methods We conducted a 2-year follow-up study to assess aging-related changes in cognitive functioning and emotional and social well-being with self-report questionnaires and standardized tests in 107 older adult choir singers and 62 demographically matched non-singers. Data were collected at baseline (T1), and at 1-year (T2) and 2-year (T3) follow-ups using questionnaires on subjective cognitive functioning, depression, social engagement, and quality of life (QOL) in all participants and neuropsychological tests in a subgroup of participants (45 choir singers and 41 non-singers). Results The results of linear mixed model analysis showed that in verbal flexibility (phonemic fluency task), the choir singers had higher scores already at T1 and showed no change over time, whereas the non-singers showed enhancement from T1 to T3. Furthermore, active retrieval of word knowledge (WAIS-IV Vocabulary task) showed significantly different changes from T1 to T2 between the groups (enhancement in choir singers and decline in non-singers), however lacking significant change within groups. Similar opposite trajectories of QOL related to social inclusion and safety of the environment (WHOQOL-Bref Environmental subscale) were significant from T1 to T3, but these changes were not significant within groups or at each timepoint. Within the choir singers, shorter experience in choir singing was associated with greater improvement in the vocabulary task over the follow-up period, suggesting that initiation of choir singing at older age induces some verbal benefits. There were no group differences in any other questionnaire or neuropsychological measure over time. Discussion In conclusion, our results suggest that choir singing at older age is associated with a sustained enhancement of phonemic fluency, while the effects on other verbal skills and quality of life are less clear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmi Pentikäinen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body, and Brain, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lilli Kimppa
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni Pitkäniemi
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body, and Brain, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Outi Lahti
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Seinäjoki Central Hospital, Geriatric Outpatient Clinic, Rehabilitation Analysis Clinic, Seinäjoki, Finland
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body, and Brain, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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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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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Carvalho Novaes
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jean Carlos Natividade
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Effect of music stimuli on corticomuscular coupling and the brain functional connectivity network. Biomed Signal Process Control 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2022.104264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Musical training refines audiovisual integration but does not influence temporal recalibration. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15292. [PMID: 36097277 PMCID: PMC9468170 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19665-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
When the brain is exposed to a temporal asynchrony between the senses, it will shift its perception of simultaneity towards the previously experienced asynchrony (temporal recalibration). It is unknown whether recalibration depends on how accurately an individual integrates multisensory cues or on experiences they have had over their lifespan. Hence, we assessed whether musical training modulated audiovisual temporal recalibration. Musicians (n = 20) and non-musicians (n = 18) made simultaneity judgements to flash-tone stimuli before and after adaptation to asynchronous (± 200 ms) flash-tone stimuli. We analysed these judgements via an observer model that described the left and right boundaries of the temporal integration window (decisional criteria) and the amount of sensory noise that affected these judgements. Musicians’ boundaries were narrower (closer to true simultaneity) than non-musicians’, indicating stricter criteria for temporal integration, and they also exhibited enhanced sensory precision. However, while both musicians and non-musicians experienced cumulative and rapid recalibration, these recalibration effects did not differ between the groups. Unexpectedly, cumulative recalibration was caused by auditory-leading but not visual-leading adaptation. Overall, these findings suggest that the precision with which observers perceptually integrate audiovisual temporal cues does not predict their susceptibility to recalibration.
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Perspectives on the Molecular Mediators of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Strategies in the Context of Neuroprotection and Neurolongevity: An Extensive Review. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:7743705. [PMID: 36062188 PMCID: PMC9439934 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7743705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Molecules with at least one unpaired electron in their outermost shell are known as free radicals. Free radical molecules are produced either within our bodies or by external sources such as ozone, cigarette smoking, X-rays, industrial chemicals, and air pollution. Disruption of normal cellular homeostasis by redox signaling may result in cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Although ROS (reactive oxygen species) are formed in the GI tract, little is known about how they contribute to pathophysiology and disease etiology. When reactive oxygen species and antioxidants are in imbalance in our bodies, they can cause cell structure damage, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and other obesity-related disorders, as well as protein misfolding, mitochondrial dysfunction, glial cell activation, and subsequent cellular apoptosis. Neuron cells are gradually destroyed in neurodegenerative diseases. The production of inappropriately aggregated proteins is strongly linked to oxidative stress. This review's goal is to provide as much information as possible about the numerous neurodegenerative illnesses linked to oxidative stress. The possibilities of multimodal and neuroprotective therapy in human illness, using already accessible medications and demonstrating neuroprotective promise in animal models, are highlighted. Neuroprotection and neurolongevity may improve from the use of bioactive substances from medicinal herbs like Allium stadium, Celastrus paniculatus, and Centella asiatica. Many neuroprotective drugs' possible role has been addressed. Preventing neuroinflammation has been demonstrated in several animal models.
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Speranza L, Pulcrano S, Perrone-Capano C, di Porzio U, Volpicelli F. Music affects functional brain connectivity and is effective in the treatment of neurological disorders. Rev Neurosci 2022; 33:789-801. [PMID: 35325516 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2021-0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In a million years, under the pressure of natural selection, hominins have acquired the abilities for vocal learning, music, and language. Music is a relevant human activity, highly effective in enhancing sociality, is a universal experience common to all known human cultures, although it varies in rhythmic and melodic complexity. It has been part of human life since the beginning of our history, or almost, and it strengthens the mother-baby relation even within the mother's womb. Music engages multiple cognitive functions, and promotes attention, concentration, imagination, creativity, elicits memories and emotions, and stimulates imagination, and harmony of movement. It changes the chemistry of the brain, by inducing the release of neurotransmitters and hormones (dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin) and activates the reward and prosocial systems. In addition, music is also used to develop new therapies necessary to alleviate severe illness, especially neurological disorders, and brain injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Speranza
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Salvatore Pulcrano
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, "Adriano Buzzati-Traverso", C.N.R., 80131 Naples, Italy.,Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Carla Perrone-Capano
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, "Adriano Buzzati-Traverso", C.N.R., 80131 Naples, Italy.,Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Umberto di Porzio
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, "Adriano Buzzati-Traverso", C.N.R., 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Floriana Volpicelli
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Jolles J, Jolles DD. On Neuroeducation: Why and How to Improve Neuroscientific Literacy in Educational Professionals. Front Psychol 2021; 12:752151. [PMID: 34925156 PMCID: PMC8678470 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.752151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
New findings from the neurosciences receive much interest for use in the applied field of education. For the past 15 years, neuroeducation and the application of neuroscience knowledge were seen to have promise, but there is presently some lack of progress. The present paper states that this is due to several factors. Neuromyths are still prevalent, and there is a confusion of tongues between the many neurodisciplines and the domains of behavioral and educational sciences. Second, a focus upon cognitive neuroimaging research has yielded findings that are scientifically relevant, but cannot be used for direct application in the classroom. A third factor pertains to the emphasis which has been on didactics and teaching, whereas the promise of neuroeducation for the teacher may lie more on pedagogical inspiration and support. This article states that the most important knowledge and insights have to do with the notion of brain plasticity; the vision that development is driven by an interaction between a person's biology and the social system. This helps individuals to select and process information, and to adapt to the personal environment. The paper describes how brain maturation and neuropsychological development extend through the important period of adolescence and emergent adulthood. Over this long period, there is a major development of the Executive Functions (EFs) that are essential for both cognitive learning, social behavior and emotional processing and, eventually, personal growth. The paper describes the basic neuroscience knowledge and insights - or "neuroscientific literacy" - that the educational professional should have to understand and appreciate the above-described themes. The authors formulate a proposal for four themes of neuroscience content "that every teacher should know." These four themes are based on the Neuroscience Core Concepts formulated by the Society for Neuroscience. The authors emphasize that integrating neuroscientific knowledge and insights in the field of education should not be a one-way street; attempts directed at improving neuroscientific literacy are a transdisciplinary undertaking. Teacher trainers, experts from the neuroscience fields but also behavioral scientists from applied fields (notable applied neuropsychologists) should all contribute to for the educational innovations needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelle Jolles
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dietsje D. Jolles
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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Sadeghi N, Akrami H, Joghataei MT, Wallois F, Moghimi S, Nazari MA. Differences in behavioral and cortical indices in pianists and non-musicians during a non-musical motor planning task: An event-related potential study. Neurosci Lett 2021; 769:136321. [PMID: 34728313 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136321] [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: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Psychological studies have shown that music has an impact on human cognitive function. We aimed to compare the performance and neural activity of pianists and non-musicians during a non-musical motor-planning task. In addition, we investigated the effect of task complexity on the characteristics of the behavioral and neural responses. The participants had to grasp a hexagonal knob with their right hand and rotate it 60° or 180° clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW). We examined the groups in terms of the amplitude of the P2 component in the event-related potential (at the neural level) and the planning time, grasping time, releasing time, and planning pattern for initial grip selection (at the behavioral level). At the behavioral level, we observed no significant difference between groups, while at the neural level; we found an interaction between direction and group indicating that pianists showed lower P2 amplitude in the CW directions. However, there was no significant difference between groups in the CCW direction. A significant main effect of rotation was revealed at both the neural and behavioral levels; increasing the rotation angle led to an increase in the planning time and the P2 amplitude, indicating a complexity effect. In conclusion, we observed that pianists had lower P2 amplitude in lateral movements than non-musicians; however, due to the lack of behavioral group differences, further research is warranted to support the far-transfer theory in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Sadeghi
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Haleh Akrami
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Mohammad Taghi Joghataei
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fabrice Wallois
- INSERM UMR 1105, Research Group on Multimodal Analysis of Brain Function, University of Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Sahar Moghimi
- INSERM UMR 1105, Research Group on Multimodal Analysis of Brain Function, University of Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France; Service d'Explorations Fonctionnelles du Système Nerveux Pédiatrique, Amiens-Picardie Medical Center, Amiens, France; Rayan Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Nazari
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Mason K, Marshall CR, Morgan G. Executive Function Training for Deaf Children: Impact of a Music Intervention. JOURNAL OF DEAF STUDIES AND DEAF EDUCATION 2021; 26:490-500. [PMID: 34476479 PMCID: PMC8448422 DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enab026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have reported poor executive function (EF) development in deaf children with subsequent impacts on their social and academic attainment. This paper describes the results of a music-based EF intervention designed for deaf children and carried out in two sets of primary schools. This is the first classroom-based EF training study with deaf children, and it also incorporates a replication phase. The intervention was a within-subject crossover design, with 29 deaf children aged 7-11 years who participated in both an EF and an art class control activity, each lasting 10 hours over 5 weeks. Non-verbal EF skills were assessed at pre-test, the crossover point, and post-test. Findings indicated that the EF intervention led to an improvement in participants' working memory and inhibitory skills in comparison with their performance on the same tasks after the control activity. The findings were not uniform for all EFs targeted nor for all cognitive ability levels in the sample. We discuss the implications of our findings for deaf children with different ability levels and for how EF interventions can be further improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Mason
- The Deafness Cognition and Language (DCAL) Research Centre, University College London (UCL)
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15
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Guerineau R, Heurley LP, Morgado N, Brouillet D, Dru V. Anticipating the magnitude of response outcomes can induce a potentiation effect for manipulable objects. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:667-684. [PMID: 34100965 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01535-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Merely seeing large objects (e.g., apples) potentiates power grip whereas seeing small objects (e.g., strawberries) potentiates precision grip. According to the embodied cognition account, this potentiation effect reflects automatic access to object representation, including the grip usually associated with the object. Alternatively, this effect might be due to an overlap between magnitude codes used to code manipulable objects and magnitude codes used to code responses outcomes. In Experiment 1, participants saw objects usually grasped with a power or precision grip and had to press keys either with their forefinger or with their palm, each response generating a low or high tone (i.e., a large vs. small perceptual outcome, respectively). Tones were automatically delivered by headphones after the responses have been made in line with the ideomotor theories according to which voluntary actions are carried out due to the anticipation of their outcomes. Consistent with the magnitude-coding hypothesis, response times were shorter when the object and the anticipated response outcome were of the same magnitude than when they were not. These results were also consistent with a between-experiment analysis. In Experiments 2 and 3, we investigated to what extent removing or switching the outcomes during the experiment influence the potentiation effect. Our results support that the potentiation effect of grasping behaviours could be due to the compatibility between magnitude codes rather than to the involvement of motor representations. Our results also suggest a spontaneous use of the magnitude of response outcomes to code responses, as well as the flexibility of this coding processes when responses outcomes are altered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronan Guerineau
- Laboratoire Sur Les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAE), Université Paris Nanterre, 200 avenue de La République, 92001, Nanterre Cedex, France.
| | - Loïc P Heurley
- Laboratoire Sur Les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAE), Université Paris Nanterre, 200 avenue de La République, 92001, Nanterre Cedex, France.
| | - Nicolas Morgado
- Laboratoire Sur Les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAE), Université Paris Nanterre, 200 avenue de La République, 92001, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | | | - Vincent Dru
- Laboratoire Sur Les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAE), Université Paris Nanterre, 200 avenue de La République, 92001, Nanterre Cedex, France
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16
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Nisha KV, Sanjana M, Rohith VS, Rajalakshmi K, Prabhu P. Profiles and predictors of auditory functioning in abacus-trained children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2021; 142:110608. [PMID: 33482407 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2021.110608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present study explored the auditory benefits of abacus-training using a battery of tests (auditory acuity, clarity, and cognition). The study also aimed to identify the relative contributions of auditory processing tests that are most sensitive to the effects of abacus-training. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted on 60 children aged between 9 - 14 years. These participants were divided into two groups (abacus trained and untrained) of 30 each, who underwent a series of auditory functioning tests. The battery of tests included: auditory acuity (frequency, intensity, temporal, binaural and spatial resolution), auditory clarity (speech perception in noise), and auditory cognition (working digit and syllable memory). RESULTS Statistically (t-test and Mann Whitney U test), significant changes were observed in the spatial resolution, auditory clarity, and cognition tests, suggestive of positive outcomes of abacus training at the higher-order auditory processing. This finding was complemented by the discriminant function (DF) analyses, which showed that clarity and cognitive measures helped for effective group segregation (abacustrained and untrained). These measures had significantly higher contributions to the DF. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the study provide evidence of the multi-component benefits of abacus training in children and the transferability of learning effects to the auditory modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- K V Nisha
- Department of Audiology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri, Mysore, 570006, India
| | - M Sanjana
- Department of Speech and Hearing, Manipal College of Health Professions (MCHP), Madhav Nagar, Eshwar Nagar, Manipal, 576104, India
| | - V S Rohith
- Department of Audiology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri, Mysore, 570006, India
| | - K Rajalakshmi
- Department of Audiology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri, Mysore, 570006, India
| | - Prashanth Prabhu
- Department of Audiology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri, Mysore, 570006, India.
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17
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Pentikäinen E, Pitkäniemi A, Siponkoski ST, Jansson M, Louhivuori J, Johnson JK, Paajanen T, Särkämö T. Beneficial effects of choir singing on cognition and well-being of older adults: Evidence from a cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245666. [PMID: 33534842 PMCID: PMC7857631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Choir singing has been associated with better mood and quality of life (QOL) in healthy older adults, but little is known about its potential cognitive benefits in aging. In this study, our aim was to compare the subjective (self-reported) and objective (test-based) cognitive functioning of senior choir singers and matched control subjects, coupled with assessment of mood, QOL, and social functioning. Research design and methods We performed a cross-sectional questionnaire study in 162 healthy older (age ≥ 60 years) adults (106 choir singers, 56 controls), including measures of cognition, mood, social engagement, QOL, and role of music in daily life. The choir singers were divided to low (1–10 years, N = 58) and high (>10 years, N = 48) activity groups based on years of choir singing experience throughout their life span. A subcohort of 74 participants (39 choir singers, 35 controls) were assessed also with a neuropsychological testing battery. Results In the neuropsychological testing, choir singers performed better than controls on the verbal flexibility domain of executive function, but not on other cognitive domains. In questionnaires, high activity choir singers showed better social integration than controls and low activity choir singers. In contrast, low activity choir singers had better general health than controls and high activity choir singers. Discussion and implications In healthy older adults, regular choir singing is associated with better verbal flexibility. Long-standing choir activity is linked to better social engagement and more recently commenced choir activity to better general health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmi Pentikäinen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Anni Pitkäniemi
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sini-Tuuli Siponkoski
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maarit Jansson
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jukka Louhivuori
- Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Julene K. Johnson
- Institute for Health & Aging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Teemu Paajanen
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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18
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Degé F. Music Lessons and Cognitive Abilities in Children: How Far Transfer Could Be Possible. Front Psychol 2021; 11:557807. [PMID: 33488439 PMCID: PMC7819869 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.557807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Degé
- Department of Music, Max-Planck-Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, Germany
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19
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Dittinger E, Korka B, Besson M. Evidence for Enhanced Long-term Memory in Professional Musicians and Its Contribution to Novel Word Learning. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 33:662-682. [PMID: 33378241 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies evidenced transfer effects from professional music training to novel word learning. However, it is unclear whether such an advantage is driven by cascading, bottom-up effects from better auditory perception to semantic processing or by top-down influences from cognitive functions on perception. Moreover, the long-term effects of novel word learning remain an open issue. To address these questions, we used a word learning design, with four different sets of novel words, and we neutralized the potential perceptive and associative learning advantages in musicians. Under such conditions, we did not observe any advantage in musicians on the day of learning (Day 1 [D1]), at neither a behavioral nor an electrophysiological level; this suggests that the previously reported advantages in musicians are likely to be related to bottom-up processes. Nevertheless, 1 month later (Day 30 [D30]) and for all types of novel words, the error increase from D1 to D30 was lower in musicians compared to nonmusicians. In addition, for the set of words that were perceptually difficult to discriminate, only musicians showed typical N400 effects over parietal sites on D30. These results demonstrate that music training improved long-term memory and that transfer effects from music training to word learning (i.e., semantic levels of speech processing) benefit from reinforced (long-term) memory functions. Finally, these findings highlight the positive impact of music training on the acquisition of foreign languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Dittinger
- Université Publique de France, CNRS & Aix-Marseille University, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives (LNC).,Université Publique de France, CNRS & Aix-Marseille University, Laboratoire Parole et Langage (LPL).,Institute for Language and Communication in the Brain, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Betina Korka
- Cognitive and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology - Wilhelm Wundt, Leipzig University, Germany
| | - Mireille Besson
- Université Publique de France, CNRS & Aix-Marseille University, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives (LNC).,Institute for Language and Communication in the Brain, Aix-en-Provence, France
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20
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Abstract
Some researchers theorize that musicians’ greater language ability is mediated by greater working memory because music and language share the same processing resources. Prior work using working memory sentence processing dual-task paradigms have shown that holding verbal information (e.g., words) in working memory interferes with sentence processing. In contrast, visuospatial stimuli are processed in a different working memory store and should not interfere with sentence processing. We tested whether music showed similar interference to sentence processing as opposed to noninterference like visuospatial stimuli. We also compared musicians to nonmusicians to investigate whether musical training improves verbal working memory. Findings revealed that musical stimuli produced similar working memory interference as linguistic stimuli, but visuospatial stimuli did not—suggesting that music and language rely on similar working memory resources (i.e., verbal skills) that are distinct from visuospatial skills. Musicians performed more accurately on the working memory tasks, particularly for the verbal and musical working memory stimuli, supporting an association between musicianship and greater verbal working memory capacity. Future research is necessary to evaluate the role of music training as a cognitive intervention or educational strategy to enhance reading fluency.
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21
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Eccles R, van der Linde J, le Roux M, Holloway J, MacCutcheon D, Ljung R, Swanepoel DW. Is Phonological Awareness Related to Pitch, Rhythm, and Speech-in-Noise Discrimination in Young Children? Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2020; 52:383-395. [PMID: 33464981 DOI: 10.1044/2020_lshss-20-00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Phonological awareness (PA) requires the complex integration of language, speech, and auditory processing abilities. Enhanced pitch and rhythm discrimination have been shown to improve PA and speech-in-noise (SiN) discrimination. The screening of pitch and rhythm discrimination, if nonlinguistic correlates of these abilities, could contribute to screening procedures prior to diagnostic assessment. This research aimed to determine the association of PA abilities with pitch, rhythm, and SiN discrimination in children aged 5-7 years old. Method Forty-one participants' pitch, rhythm, and SiN discrimination and PA abilities were evaluated. To control for confounding factors, including biological and environmental risk exposure and gender differences, typically developing male children from high socioeconomic statuses were selected. Pearson correlation was used to identify associations between variables, and stepwise regression analysis was used to identify possible predictors of PA. Results Correlations of medium strength were identified between PA and pitch, rhythm, and SiN discrimination. Pitch and diotic digit-in-noise discrimination formed the strongest regression model (adjusted R 2 = .4213, r = .649) for phoneme-grapheme correspondence. Conclusions The current study demonstrates predictive relationships between the complex auditory discrimination skills of pitch, rhythm, and diotic digit-in-noise recognition and foundational phonemic awareness and phonic skills in young males from high socioeconomic statuses. Pitch, rhythm, and digit-in-noise discrimination measures hold potential as screening measures for delays in phonemic awareness and phonic difficulties and as components of stimulation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Eccles
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jeannie van der Linde
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Mia le Roux
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jenny Holloway
- Data Science Research Group, Operational Intelligence, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Next Generation Enterprises and Institutions, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Douglas MacCutcheon
- Department of Building, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Högskolan i Gävle, Sweden
| | - Robert Ljung
- Department of Building, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Högskolan i Gävle, Sweden
| | - De Wet Swanepoel
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
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22
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Diaz Abrahan V, Shifres F, Justel N. Impact of music-based intervention on verbal memory: an experimental behavioral study with older adults. Cogn Process 2020; 22:117-130. [PMID: 32955643 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-020-00993-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Normal age-related declines have been reported in different cognitive functions, such as episodic memory. Some environmental factors have the potential to reduce cognitive decline and promote healthy aging. In this research, we employed musical improvisation as a focal music-based intervention to explore its effects as a modulator of verbal memory. We evaluated two types of verbal memory: a neutral one, employing the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (Study 1), and an emotional one, implementing the Spanish version of Affective Norms for English Words (Study 2) in a volunteer group of older adults. After the acquisition of neutral (Study 1) or emotional (Study 2) verbal information, the participants were exposed to musical improvisation (experimental condition) or two control conditions (rhythmic reproduction as a musically active control condition or a rest condition as a passive control condition) for 3 min. Then, memory was evaluated through two memory tasks (immediate and deferred free-recall and recognition tests). In both studies, we compared memory performance among musicians (with five or more years of music training) and non-musicians. We found a significant improvement in neutral verbal memory among participants involved in musical improvisation, who remembered more words than those in the control conditions. Differences were also found according to the musical experience of the sample, with musicians outperforming non-musicians. The current research supports the late-life cognitive benefits of music-based intervention and music training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Diaz Abrahan
- Lab. Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia Cognitiva (LINC), Centro de Estudios Multidisciplinarios en Sistemas Complejos y Ciencias del Cerebro (CEMSC3), Instituto de Ciencias Físicas (ICIFI), Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología (ECyT), Universidad de San Martín (UNSAM), 25 de Mayo 1169, 1er piso, Of. 18, San Martin, 1650, Argentina. .,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Favio Shifres
- Laboratorio para el Estudio de la Experiencia Musical (LEEM), Departamento de Música, Facultad de Bellas Artes (FBA), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Nadia Justel
- Lab. Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia Cognitiva (LINC), Centro de Estudios Multidisciplinarios en Sistemas Complejos y Ciencias del Cerebro (CEMSC3), Instituto de Ciencias Físicas (ICIFI), Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología (ECyT), Universidad de San Martín (UNSAM), 25 de Mayo 1169, 1er piso, Of. 18, San Martin, 1650, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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23
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Wang C. A Review of the Effects of Abacus Training on Cognitive Functions and Neural Systems in Humans. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:913. [PMID: 32982681 PMCID: PMC7492585 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abacus, which represents numbers via a visuospatial format, is a traditional device to facilitate arithmetic operations. Skilled abacus users, who have acquired the ability of abacus-based mental calculation (AMC), can perform fast and accurate calculations by manipulating an imaginary abacus in mind. Due to this extraordinary calculation ability in AMC users, there is an expanding literature investigating the effects of AMC training on cognition and brain systems. This review study aims to provide an updated overview of important findings in this fast-growing research field. Here, findings from previous behavioral and neuroimaging studies about AMC experts as well as children and adults receiving AMC training are reviewed and discussed. Taken together, our review of the existing literature suggests that AMC training has the potential to enhance various cognitive skills including mathematics, working memory and numerical magnitude processing. Besides, the training can result in functional and anatomical neural changes that are largely located within the frontal-parietal and occipital-temporal brain regions. Some of the neural changes can explain the training-induced cognitive enhancements. Still, caution is needed when extend the conclusions to a more general situation. Implications for future research are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjie Wang
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Psychology, School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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24
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Kasuya-Ueba Y, Zhao S, Toichi M. The Effect of Music Intervention on Attention in Children: Experimental Evidence. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:757. [PMID: 32792900 PMCID: PMC7393235 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although music has been utilized as a therapeutic tool for children with cognitive impairments, how it improves children’s cognitive function remains poorly understood. As a first step toward understanding music’s effectiveness and as a means of assessing cognitive function improvement, we focused on attention, which plays an important role in cognitive development, and examined the effect of a music intervention on children’s attention. Thirty-five children, aged 6 to 9 years, participated in this study, with data from 29 of the children being included in the analysis. A single 30-minute interactive music intervention was compared with a single 30-minute interactive video game intervention accompanied by computer-generated background music using a within-subjects repeated-measures design. Each intervention was implemented individually. Participants completed a standardized attention assessment, the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, before and after both interventions to assess changes in their attentional skills. The results indicated significant improvement in attention control/switching following the music intervention after controlling for the children’s intellectual abilities, while no such changes were observed following the video game intervention. This study provides the first evidence that music interventions may be more effective than video game interventions to improve attention control in children, and furthers our understanding of the importance of music interventions for children with attention control problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Kasuya-Ueba
- Department of Human Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shuo Zhao
- Institute of Psychology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Motomi Toichi
- Department of Human Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,The Organization for Promoting Neurodevelopmental Disorder Research, Kyoto, Japan
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25
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Sutcliffe R, Du K, Ruffman T. Music Making and Neuropsychological Aging: A Review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:479-491. [PMID: 32302600 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Aging is associated with a decline in social understanding and general cognition. Both are integral to wellbeing and rely on similar brain regions. Thus, as the population ages, there is a growing need for knowledge on the types of activities that maintain brain health in older adulthood. Active engagement in music making might be one such activity because it places a demand on brain networks tapping into multisensory integration, learning, reward, and cognition. It has been hypothesized that this demand may promote plasticity in the frontal and temporal lobes by taxing cognitive abilities and, hence, increase resistance to age-related neurodegeneration. We examine research relevant to this hypothesis and note that there is a lack of intervention studies with a well-matched control condition and random assignment. Thus, we discuss potential causal mechanisms underlying training-related neuropsychological changes, and provide suggestions for future research. It is argued that although music training might be a valuable tool for supporting healthy neuropsychological aging and mental wellbeing, well-controlled intervention studies are necessary to provide clear evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Sutcliffe
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, New Zealand.
| | - Kangning Du
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, New Zealand
| | - Ted Ruffman
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, New Zealand.
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26
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Paap KR, Anders-Jefferson R, Zimiga B, Mason L, Mikulinsky R. Interference scores have inadequate concurrent and convergent validity: Should we stop using the flanker, Simon, and spatial Stroop tasks? COGNITIVE RESEARCH-PRINCIPLES AND IMPLICATIONS 2020; 5:7. [PMID: 32056032 PMCID: PMC7018919 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-020-0207-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Two-hundred one college undergraduates completed four nonverbal interference tasks (Simon, spatial Stroop, vertical Stroop, and flanker) and trait scales of self-control and impulsivity. Regression analyses tested 11 predictors of the composite interference scores derived from three of the four tasks and each task separately. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between laboratory measures of self-control, self-report measures, and the degree to which control might be related to extensive experience in activities that logically require self-control. RESULTS Fluid intelligence and sex were significant predictors of the composite measure, but bilingualism, music training, video gaming, mindfulness/meditation, self-control, impulsivity, SES, and physical exercise were not. CONCLUSIONS Common laboratory measures of inhibitory control do not correlate with self-reported measures of self-control or impulsivity and consequently appear to be measuring different constructs. Bilingualism, mindfulness/meditation, playing action video games, and music training or performance provide weak and inconsistent improvements to laboratory measures of interference control. Flanker, Simon, and spatial Stroop effects should not be used or interpreted as measures of domain-general inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth R Paap
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA.
| | | | - Brandon Zimiga
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - Lauren Mason
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - Roman Mikulinsky
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
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27
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MacCutcheon D, Füllgrabe C, Eccles R, van der Linde J, Panebianco C, Ljung R. Investigating the Effect of One Year of Learning to Play a Musical Instrument on Speech-in-Noise Perception and Phonological Short-Term Memory in 5-to-7-Year-Old Children. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2865. [PMID: 31998174 PMCID: PMC6970197 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The benefits in speech-in-noise perception, language and cognition brought about by extensive musical training in adults and children have been demonstrated in a number of cross-sectional studies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether one year of school-delivered musical training, consisting of individual and group instrumental classes, was capable of producing advantages for speech-in-noise perception and phonological short-term memory in children tested in a simulated classroom environment. Forty-one children aged 5–7 years at the first measurement point participated in the study and either went to a music-focused or a sport-focused private school with an otherwise equivalent school curriculum. The children’s ability to detect number and color words in noise was measured under a number of conditions including different masker types (speech-shaped noise, single-talker background) and under varying spatial combinations of target and masker (spatially collocated, spatially separated). Additionally, a cognitive factor essential to speech perception, namely phonological short-term memory, was assessed. Findings were unable to confirm that musical training of the frequency and duration administered was associated with a musicians’ advantage for either speech in noise, under any of the masker or spatial conditions tested, or phonological short-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas MacCutcheon
- Department of Building, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Högskolan i Gävle, Gävle, Sweden.,Department of Music, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Christian Füllgrabe
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Renata Eccles
- Department of Music, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jeannie van der Linde
- Department of Music, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Robert Ljung
- Department of Building, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Högskolan i Gävle, Gävle, Sweden
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Snijders TM, Benders T, Fikkert P. Infants Segment Words from Songs-An EEG Study. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E39. [PMID: 31936586 PMCID: PMC7017257 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 12/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Children's songs are omnipresent and highly attractive stimuli in infants' input. Previous work suggests that infants process linguistic-phonetic information from simplified sung melodies. The present study investigated whether infants learn words from ecologically valid children's songs. Testing 40 Dutch-learning 10-month-olds in a familiarization-then-test electroencephalography (EEG) paradigm, this study asked whether infants can segment repeated target words embedded in songs during familiarization and subsequently recognize those words in continuous speech in the test phase. To replicate previous speech work and compare segmentation across modalities, infants participated in both song and speech sessions. Results showed a positive event-related potential (ERP) familiarity effect to the final compared to the first target occurrences during both song and speech familiarization. No evidence was found for word recognition in the test phase following either song or speech. Comparisons across the stimuli of the present and a comparable previous study suggested that acoustic prominence and speech rate may have contributed to the polarity of the ERP familiarity effect and its absence in the test phase. Overall, the present study provides evidence that 10-month-old infants can segment words embedded in songs, and it raises questions about the acoustic and other factors that enable or hinder infant word segmentation from songs and speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tineke M. Snijders
- Language Development Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Titia Benders
- Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University, North Ryde 2109, Australia
| | - Paula Fikkert
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, 6500 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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29
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Bird LJ, Jackson GD, Wilson SJ. Music training is neuroprotective for verbal cognition in focal epilepsy. Brain 2019; 142:1973-1987. [PMID: 31074775 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Focal epilepsy is a unilateral brain network disorder, providing an ideal neuropathological model with which to study the effects of focal neural disruption on a range of cognitive processes. While language and memory functions have been extensively investigated in focal epilepsy, music cognition has received less attention, particularly in patients with music training or expertise. This represents a critical gap in the literature. A better understanding of the effects of epilepsy on music cognition may provide greater insight into the mechanisms behind disease- and training-related neuroplasticity, which may have implications for clinical practice. In this cross-sectional study, we comprehensively profiled music and non-music cognition in 107 participants; musicians with focal epilepsy (n = 35), non-musicians with focal epilepsy (n = 39), and healthy control musicians and non-musicians (n = 33). Parametric group comparisons revealed a specific impairment in verbal cognition in non-musicians with epilepsy but not musicians with epilepsy, compared to healthy musicians and non-musicians (P = 0.029). This suggests a possible neuroprotective effect of music training against the cognitive sequelae of focal epilepsy, and implicates potential training-related cognitive transfer that may be underpinned by enhancement of auditory processes primarily supported by temporo-frontal networks. Furthermore, our results showed that musicians with an earlier age of onset of music training performed better on a composite score of melodic learning and memory compared to non-musicians (P = 0.037), while late-onset musicians did not differ from non-musicians. For most composite scores of music cognition, although no significant group differences were observed, a similar trend was apparent. We discuss these key findings in the context of a proposed model of three interacting dimensions (disease status, music expertise, and cognitive domain), and their implications for clinical practice, music education, and music neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Bird
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, 245 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Graeme D Jackson
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, 245 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah J Wilson
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, 245 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
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30
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Le Perf G, Donguy AL, Thebault G. Nuanced effects of music interventions on rehabilitation outcomes after stroke: a systematic review. Top Stroke Rehabil 2019; 26:473-484. [DOI: 10.1080/10749357.2019.1623518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Le Perf
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Centre Hospitalier Paul Coste Floret, Lamalou-les-Bains, France
| | - Anne-Lise Donguy
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, SSR La Petite Paix, Lamalou-les-Bains, France
| | - Guillaume Thebault
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Centre Hospitalier Paul Coste Floret, Lamalou-les-Bains, France
- Dynamique des Capacités Humaines et des Conduites de Santé (Epsylon), Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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31
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Individual differences in musical training and executive functions: A latent variable approach. Mem Cognit 2019; 46:1076-1092. [PMID: 29752659 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-018-0822-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Learning and performing music draw on a host of cognitive abilities, and previous research has postulated that musicians might have advantages in related cognitive processes. One such aspect of cognition that may be related to musical training is executive functions (EFs), a set of top-down processes that regulate behavior and cognition according to task demands. Previous studies investigating the link between musical training and EFs have yielded mixed results and are difficult to compare. In part, this is because most studies have looked at only one specific cognitive process, and even studies looking at the same process have used different experimental tasks. Furthermore, most correlational studies have used different "musician" and "non-musician" categorizations for their comparisons, so generalizing the findings is difficult. The present study provides a more comprehensive assessment of how individual differences in musical training relate to latent measures of three separable aspects of EFs. We administered a well-validated EF battery containing multiple tasks tapping the EF components of inhibition, shifting, and working memory updating (Friedman et al. in Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 137, 201-225, 2008), as well as a comprehensive, continuous measure of musical training and sophistication (Müllensiefen et al., in PLoS ONE, 9, e89642, 2014). Musical training correlated with some individual EF tasks involving inhibition and working memory updating, but not with individual tasks involving shifting. However, musical training only predicted the latent variable of working memory updating, but not the latent variables of inhibition or shifting after controlling for IQ, socioeconomic status, and handedness. Although these data are correlational, they nonetheless suggest that musical experience places particularly strong demands specifically on working memory updating processes.
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Martins M, Neves L, Rodrigues P, Vasconcelos O, Castro SL. Orff-Based Music Training Enhances Children's Manual Dexterity and Bimanual Coordination. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2616. [PMID: 30622496 PMCID: PMC6308163 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
How music training and expertise influence non-musical abilities is a widely researched topic. Most studies focus on the differences between adult professional musicians and non-musicians, or examine the effects of intensive instrumental training in childhood. However, the impact of music programs developed in regular school contexts for children from low-income communities is poorly explored. We conducted a longitudinal training study in such communities to examine if collective (Orff-based) music training enhances fine motor abilities, when compared to a homologous training program in sports (basketball), and to no specific training. The training programs in music and sports had the same duration, 24 weeks, and were homologous in structure. A pre-test, training, post-test and follow-up design was adopted. Children attending the 3rd grade (n = 74, 40 girls; mean age 8.31 years) were pseudorandomly divided into three groups, music, sports and control that were matched on demographic and intellectual characteristics. Fine motor abilities were assessed with the Purdue pegboard test (eye-hand coordination and motor speed, both subsumed under manual dexterity, and bimanual coordination) and with the Grooved pegboard (manipulative dexterity) test. All groups improved in manipulative dexterity that was not affected by type of training. On bimanual coordination and manual dexterity, however, a robust and stable advantage of music training emerged. At the end of training (post-test), children from the music group significantly outperformed children from the sports and control groups, an advantage that persisted at follow-up 4 months after training at the start of the following school year. Also, at follow-up none of the children from the music group were performing below the 20th percentile in the Purdue pegboard subtests and more than half were performing at the high end level (>80th percentile). Children from the sports group also improved significantly from pre- to post-test but their performance was not significantly different from that of the control group. These results show that an affordable, collective-based music practice impacts positively on fine-motor abilities, a finding that is relevant for a better understanding of the impact of music in childhood development, and that may have implications for education at the primary grade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Martins
- Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Leonor Neves
- Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Rodrigues
- Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Research in Education and Community Intervention, Piaget Institute, Almada, Portugal
| | - Olga Vasconcelos
- Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - São Luís Castro
- Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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de Bézenac CE, Swindells RA, Corcoran R. The Necessity of Ambiguity in Self-Other Processing: A Psychosocial Perspective With Implications for Mental Health. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2114. [PMID: 30455657 PMCID: PMC6231079 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
While distinguishing between the actions and physical boundaries of self and other (non-self) is usually straightforward there are contexts in which such differentiation is challenging. For example, self-other ambiguity may occur when actions of others are similar or complementary to those of the self. Even in the absence of such situational challenges, individuals experiencing hallucinations have difficulties with this distinction, often experiencing thoughts or actions of self as belonging to other agents. This paper explores the role of ambiguity in self-other differentiation, drawing from developmental, psychodynamic, and neurocognitive perspectives. A key proposal is that engagement in contexts that make distinctions between self and other challenging yet necessary allow reality-testing skills related to agency to develop. Attunement in typical caregiver-infant interactions is framed as a safe but inherently ambiguous environment that provides optimal condition for the infant to develop a coherent self-other sense. Vulnerability to psychosis may be related to limited access to such an environment in early development. However, the perceptual, cognitive, and social skills that contribution to attribution are likely to be malleable following infancy and improve though opportunities for boundary play in similarly ambiguous settings. Using music-making to illustrate, we postulate that engagement in intricate joint-actions that blurs agentic boundaries can contribute to the continued development of an adaptive sense of self and other essential to healthy social functioning. Increased insight into the self-other ambiguity may enhance our understanding of mechanisms underlying "self-disorders" such as schizophrenia and eventually extend the range of social and arts-based therapeutic possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel Ann Swindells
- Research Institute for Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rhiannon Corcoran
- Institute of Psychology Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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34
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The influence of moving with music on motor cortical activity. Neurosci Lett 2018; 683:27-32. [PMID: 29928952 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Although there is a growing interest in using music to improve movement performance in various populations, there remains a need to better understand how music influences motor cortical activity. Listening to music is tightly linked to neural processes within the motor cortex and can modulate motor cortical activity in healthy young adult (HYAs). There is limited evidence regarding how moving to music modulates motor cortical activity. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the influence of moving to music on motor cortical activity in HYAs. Electroencephalography was collected while 32 HYAs tapped their index finger in time with a tone and with two contrasting music styles. Two movement rates were presented for each condition. Power spectra were obtained from data collected over the primary sensorimotor region and supplemental motor area and were compared between conditions. Results revealed a significant difference between both music conditions and the tone only condition for both the regions. For both music styles, power was increased in the beta band for low movement rates and increased in the alpha band for high movement rates. A secondary analysis determining the effect of music experience on motor cortical activity revealed a significant difference between musicians and non-musicians. Power in the beta band was increased across all conditions. The results of this study provide the initial step towards a more complete understanding of the neurophysiological underpinnings of music on movement performance which may inform future studies and therapeutic strategies.
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35
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Ghiselli S, Ciciriello E, Maniago G, Muzzi E, Pellizzoni S, Orzan E. Musical Training in Congenital Hearing Impairment. Effects on Cognitive and Motor Skill in Three Children Using Hearing Aids: Pilot Test Data. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1283. [PMID: 30087644 PMCID: PMC6067014 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ghiselli
- Department of ENT and Audiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
- *Correspondence: Sara Ghiselli
| | - Elena Ciciriello
- Department of ENT and Audiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Enrico Muzzi
- Department of ENT and Audiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Eva Orzan
- Department of ENT and Audiology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
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36
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Slater JL, Tate MC. Timing Deficits in ADHD: Insights From the Neuroscience of Musical Rhythm. Front Comput Neurosci 2018; 12:51. [PMID: 30034331 PMCID: PMC6043674 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2018.00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Everyday human behavior relies upon extraordinary feats of coordination within the brain. In this perspective paper, we argue that the rich temporal structure of music provides an informative context in which to investigate how the brain coordinates its complex activities in time, and how that coordination can be disrupted. We bring insights from the neuroscience of musical rhythm to considerations of timing deficits in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), highlighting the significant overlap between neural systems involved in processing musical rhythm and those implicated in ADHD. We suggest that timing deficits warrant closer investigation since they could lead to the identification of potentially informative phenotypes, tied to neurobiological and genetic factors. Our novel interdisciplinary approach builds upon recent trends in both fields of research: in the neuroscience of rhythm, an increasingly nuanced understanding of the specific contributions of neural systems to rhythm processing, and in ADHD, an increasing focus on differentiating phenotypes and identifying distinct etiological pathways associated with the disorder. Finally, we consider the impact of musical experience on rhythm processing and the potential value of musical rhythm in therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Slater
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Matthew C. Tate
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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37
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Jaschke AC, Honing H, Scherder EJA. Longitudinal Analysis of Music Education on Executive Functions in Primary School Children. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:103. [PMID: 29541017 PMCID: PMC5835523 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Research on the effects of music education on cognitive abilities has generated increasing interest across the scientific community. Nonetheless, longitudinal studies investigating the effects of structured music education on cognitive sub-functions are still rare. Prime candidates for investigating a relationship between academic achievement and music education appear to be executive functions such as planning, working memory, and inhibition. Methods: One hundred and forty-seven primary school children, Mage = 6.4 years, SD = 0.65 were followed for 2.5 years. Participants were randomized into four groups: two music intervention groups, one active visual arts group, and a no arts control group. Neuropsychological tests assessed verbal intelligence and executive functions. Additionally, a national pupil monitor provided data on academic performance. Results: Children in the visual arts group perform better on visuospatial memory tasks as compared to the three other conditions. However, the test scores on inhibition, planning and verbal intelligence increased significantly in the two music groups over time as compared to the visual art and no arts controls. Mediation analysis with executive functions and verbal IQ as mediator for academic performance have shown a possible far transfer effect from executive sub-function to academic performance scores. Discussion: The present results indicate a positive influence of long-term music education on cognitive abilities such as inhibition and planning. Of note, following a two-and-a-half year long visual arts program significantly improves scores on a visuospatial memory task. All results combined, this study supports a far transfer effect from music education to academic achievement mediated by executive sub-functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur C. Jaschke
- Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Music Therapy, ArtEZ University of the Arts, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Henkjan Honing
- Music Cognition Group, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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38
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Zaltz Y, Globerson E, Amir N. Auditory Perceptual Abilities Are Associated with Specific Auditory Experience. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2080. [PMID: 29238318 PMCID: PMC5712573 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent to which auditory experience can shape general auditory perceptual abilities is still under constant debate. Some studies show that specific auditory expertise may have a general effect on auditory perceptual abilities, while others show a more limited influence, exhibited only in a relatively narrow range associated with the area of expertise. The current study addresses this issue by examining experience-dependent enhancement in perceptual abilities in the auditory domain. Three experiments were performed. In the first experiment, 12 pop and rock musicians and 15 non-musicians were tested in frequency discrimination (DLF), intensity discrimination, spectrum discrimination (DLS), and time discrimination (DLT). Results showed significant superiority of the musician group only for the DLF and DLT tasks, illuminating enhanced perceptual skills in the key features of pop music, in which miniscule changes in amplitude and spectrum are not critical to performance. The next two experiments attempted to differentiate between generalization and specificity in the influence of auditory experience, by comparing subgroups of specialists. First, seven guitar players and eight percussionists were tested in the DLF and DLT tasks that were found superior for musicians. Results showed superior abilities on the DLF task for guitar players, though no difference between the groups in DLT, demonstrating some dependency of auditory learning on the specific area of expertise. Subsequently, a third experiment was conducted, testing a possible influence of vowel density in native language on auditory perceptual abilities. Ten native speakers of German (a language characterized by a dense vowel system of 14 vowels), and 10 native speakers of Hebrew (characterized by a sparse vowel system of five vowels), were tested in a formant discrimination task. This is the linguistic equivalent of a DLS task. Results showed that German speakers had superior formant discrimination, demonstrating highly specific effects for auditory linguistic experience as well. Overall, results suggest that auditory superiority is associated with the specific auditory exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Zaltz
- Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Noam Amir
- Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv, Israel
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Ritter SM, Ferguson S. Happy creativity: Listening to happy music facilitates divergent thinking. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182210. [PMID: 28877176 PMCID: PMC5587106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Creativity can be considered one of the key competencies for the twenty-first century. It provides us with the capacity to deal with the opportunities and challenges that are part of our complex and fast-changing world. The question as to what facilitates creative cognition-the ability to come up with creative ideas, problem solutions and products-is as old as the human sciences, and various means to enhance creative cognition have been studied. Despite earlier scientific studies demonstrating a beneficial effect of music on cognition, the effect of music listening on creative cognition has remained largely unexplored. The current study experimentally tests whether listening to specific types of music (four classical music excerpts systematically varying on valance and arousal), as compared to a silence control condition, facilitates divergent and convergent creativity. Creativity was higher for participants who listened to 'happy music' (i.e., classical music high on arousal and positive mood) while performing the divergent creativity task, than for participants who performed the task in silence. No effect of music was found for convergent creativity. In addition to the scientific contribution, the current findings may have important practical implications. Music listening can be easily integrated into daily life and may provide an innovative means to facilitate creative cognition in an efficient way in various scientific, educational and organizational settings when creative thinking is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone M. Ritter
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Sam Ferguson
- Creativity and Cognition Studios, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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40
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Särkämö T. Cognitive, emotional, and neural benefits of musical leisure activities in aging and neurological rehabilitation: A critical review. Ann Phys Rehabil Med 2017; 61:414-418. [PMID: 28461128 DOI: 10.1016/j.rehab.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Music has the capacity to engage auditory, cognitive, motor, and emotional functions across cortical and subcortical brain regions and is relatively preserved in aging and dementia. Thus, music is a promising tool in the rehabilitation of aging-related neurological illnesses, such as stroke and Alzheimer disease. As the population ages and the incidence and prevalence of these illnesses rapidly increases, music-based interventions that are enjoyable and effective in the everyday care of the patients are needed. In addition to formal music therapy, musical leisure activities, such as music listening and singing, which patients can do on their own or with a caregiver, are a promising way to support psychological well-being during aging and in neurological rehabilitation. This review article provides an overview of current evidence on the cognitive, emotional, and neural effects of musical leisure activities both during normal aging and in the rehabilitation and care of stroke patients and people with dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teppo Särkämö
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 1B, PO Box 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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41
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Slater J, Azem A, Nicol T, Swedenborg B, Kraus N. Variations on the theme of musical expertise: cognitive and sensory processing in percussionists, vocalists and non-musicians. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 45:952-963. [PMID: 28177157 PMCID: PMC5378620 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Comparisons of musicians and non-musicians have revealed enhanced cognitive and sensory processing in musicians, with longitudinal studies suggesting these enhancements may be due in part to experience-based plasticity. Here, we investigate the impact of primary instrument on the musician signature of expertise by assessing three groups of young adults: percussionists, vocalists, and non-musician controls. We hypothesize that primary instrument engenders selective enhancements reflecting the most salient acoustic features to that instrument, whereas cognitive functions are enhanced regardless of instrument. Consistent with our hypotheses, percussionists show more precise encoding of the fast-changing acoustic features of speech than non-musicians, whereas vocalists have better frequency discrimination and show stronger encoding of speech harmonics than non-musicians. There were no strong advantages to specialization in sight-reading vs. improvisation. These effects represent subtle nuances to the signature since the musician groups do not differ from each other in these measures. Interestingly, percussionists outperform both non-musicians and vocalists in inhibitory control. Follow-up analyses reveal that within the vocalists and non-musicians, better proficiency on an instrument other than voice is correlated with better inhibitory control. Taken together, these outcomes suggest the more extensive engagement of motor systems during instrumental practice may be an important factor for enhancements in inhibitory control, consistent with evidence for overlapping neural circuitry involved in both motor and cognitive control. These findings contribute to the ongoing refinement of the musician signature of expertise and may help to inform the use of music in training and intervention to strengthen cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Slater
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu), Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
- Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
| | - Andrea Azem
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu), Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
- Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
| | - Trent Nicol
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu), Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
- Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
| | - Britta Swedenborg
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu), Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
- Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
| | - Nina Kraus
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu), Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
- Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA
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Hedayati N, Schibli K, D'Angiulli A. El Sistema-inspired ensemble music training is associated with changes in children's neurocognitive functional integration: preliminary ERP evidence. Neurocase 2016; 22:538-547. [PMID: 27735230 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2016.1241885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Children (aged 9-12) training in an El Sistema-inspired program (OrKidstra) and a matched comparison group participated in an auditory Go/No-Go task while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Entire-sweep waveform patterns correlated with known ERP peaks associated with executive and other cognitive functions and indicated that the spread of neural activity in the initial 250 ms of executive attention processing (pre-P300) showed higher level of topographical overlap in OrKidstra children. In these children, late potentials (post-P300) concurrent with response control were more widely distributed and temporally coordinated. Intensive ensemble music training, we suggest, may be associated with neuroplastic changes facilitating integration of neural information.
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Shaffer J. Neuroplasticity and Clinical Practice: Building Brain Power for Health. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1118. [PMID: 27507957 PMCID: PMC4960264 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The focus of this review is on driving neuroplasticity in a positive direction using evidence-based interventions that also have the potential to improve general health. One goal is to provide an overview of the many ways new neuroscience can inform treatment protocols to empower and motivate clients to make the lifestyle choices that could help build brain power and could increase adherence to healthy lifestyle changes that have also been associated with simultaneously enhancing vigorous longevity, health, happiness, and wellness. Another goal is to explore the use of a focus in clinical practice on helping clients appreciate this new evidence and use evolving neuroscience in establishing individualized goals, designing strategies for achieving them and increasing treatment compliance. The timing is urgent for such interventions with goals of enhancing brain health across the lifespan and improving statistics on dementia worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce Shaffer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington Seattle, WA, USA
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