Research

19 pages, 2591 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

It Takes Two: Interpersonal Neural Synchrony Is Increased after Musical Interaction

by Alexander Khalil, Gabriella Musacchia and John Rehner Iversen

Brain Sci. 2022, 12(3), 409; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12030409 - 20 Mar 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4318

Music’s deeply interpersonal nature suggests that music-derived neuroplasticity relates to interpersonal temporal dynamics, or synchrony. Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) has been found to correlate with increased behavioral synchrony during social interactions and may represent mechanisms that support them. As social interactions often do [...] Read more.

Music’s deeply interpersonal nature suggests that music-derived neuroplasticity relates to interpersonal temporal dynamics, or synchrony. Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) has been found to correlate with increased behavioral synchrony during social interactions and may represent mechanisms that support them. As social interactions often do not have clearly delineated boundaries, and many start and stop intermittently, we hypothesize that a neural signature of INS may be detectable following an interaction. The present study aimed to investigate this hypothesis using a pre-post paradigm, measuring interbrain phase coherence before and after a cooperative dyadic musical interaction. Ten dyads underwent synchronous electroencephalographic (EEG) recording during silent, non-interactive periods before and after a musical interaction in the form of a cooperative tapping game. Significant post-interaction increases in delta band INS were found in the post-condition and were positively correlated with the duration of the preceding interaction. These findings suggest a mechanism by which social interaction may be efficiently continued after interruption and hold the potential for measuring neuroplastic adaption in longitudinal studies. These findings also support the idea that INS during social interaction represents active mechanisms for maintaining synchrony rather than mere parallel processing of stimuli and motor activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Music-Related Neuroplasticity: Mechanisms and Medicine)

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19 pages, 2867 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pleasantness Ratings of Musical Dyads in Cochlear Implant Users

by Andres Camarena, Grace Manchala, Julianne Papadopoulos, Samantha R. O’Connell and Raymond L. Goldsworthy

Brain Sci. 2022, 12(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12010033 - 28 Dec 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2057

Abstract

Cochlear implants have been used to restore hearing to more than half a million people around the world. The restored hearing allows most recipients to understand spoken speech without relying on visual cues. While speech comprehension in quiet is generally high for recipients, [...] Read more.

Cochlear implants have been used to restore hearing to more than half a million people around the world. The restored hearing allows most recipients to understand spoken speech without relying on visual cues. While speech comprehension in quiet is generally high for recipients, many complain about the sound of music. The present study examines consonance and dissonance perception in nine cochlear implant users and eight people with no known hearing loss. Participants completed web-based assessments to characterize low-level psychophysical sensitivities to modulation and pitch, as well as higher-level measures of musical pleasantness and speech comprehension in background noise. The underlying hypothesis is that sensitivity to modulation and pitch, in addition to higher levels of musical sophistication, relate to higher-level measures of music and speech perception. This hypothesis tested true with strong correlations observed between measures of modulation and pitch with measures of consonance ratings and speech recognition. Additionally, the cochlear implant users who were the most sensitive to modulations and pitch, and who had higher musical sophistication scores, had similar pleasantness ratings as those with no known hearing loss. The implication is that better coding and focused rehabilitation for modulation and pitch sensitivity will broadly improve perception of music and speech for cochlear implant users. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Music-Related Neuroplasticity: Mechanisms and Medicine)

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12 pages, 1234 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diotic and Dichotic Mechanisms of Discrimination Threshold in Musicians and Non-Musicians

by Devin Inabinet, Jan De La Cruz, Justin Cha, Kevin Ng and Gabriella Musacchia

Brain Sci. 2021, 11(12), 1592; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11121592 - 30 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1382

Abstract

The perception of harmonic complexes provides important information for musical and vocal communication. Numerous studies have shown that musical training and expertise are associated with better processing of harmonic complexes, however, it is unclear whether the perceptual improvement associated with musical training is [...] Read more.

The perception of harmonic complexes provides important information for musical and vocal communication. Numerous studies have shown that musical training and expertise are associated with better processing of harmonic complexes, however, it is unclear whether the perceptual improvement associated with musical training is universal to different pitch models. The current study addresses this issue by measuring discrimination thresholds of musicians (n = 20) and non-musicians (n = 18) to diotic (same sound to both ears) and dichotic (different sounds to each ear) sounds of four stimulus types: (1) pure sinusoidal tones, PT; (2) four-harmonic complex tones, CT; (3) iterated rippled noise, IRN; and (4) interaurally correlated broadband noise, called the “Huggins” or “dichotic” pitch, DP. Frequency difference limens (DLF) for each stimulus type were obtained via a three-alternative-forced-choice adaptive task requiring selection of the interval with the highest pitch, yielding the smallest perceptible fundamental frequency (F0) distance (in Hz) between two sounds. Music skill was measured by an online test of musical pitch, melody and timing maintained by the International Laboratory for Brain Music and Sound Research. Musicianship, length of music experience and self-evaluation of musical skill were assessed by questionnaire. Results showed musicians had smaller DLFs in all four conditions with the largest group difference in the dichotic condition. DLF thresholds were related to both subjective and objective musical ability. In addition, subjective self-report of musical ability was shown to be a significant variable in group classification. Taken together, the results suggest that music-related plasticity benefits multiple mechanisms of pitch encoding and that self-evaluation of musicality can be reliably associated with objective measures of perception. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Music-Related Neuroplasticity: Mechanisms and Medicine)

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17 pages, 2958 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Early Rhythmic Training on Language Acquisition and Electrophysiological Functioning Underlying Auditory Processing: Feasibility and Preliminary Findings in Typically Developing Infants

by Chiara Dondena, Valentina Riva, Massimo Molteni, Gabriella Musacchia and Chiara Cantiani

Brain Sci. 2021, 11(11), 1546; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11111546 - 21 Nov 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2608

Abstract

Previous evidence has shown that early auditory processing impacts later linguistic development, and targeted training implemented at early ages can enhance auditory processing skills, with better expected language development outcomes. This study focuses on typically developing infants and aims to test the feasibility [...] Read more.

Previous evidence has shown that early auditory processing impacts later linguistic development, and targeted training implemented at early ages can enhance auditory processing skills, with better expected language development outcomes. This study focuses on typically developing infants and aims to test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of music training based on active synchronization with complex musical rhythms on the linguistic outcomes and electrophysiological functioning underlying auditory processing. Fifteen infants participated in the training (RTr+) and were compared with two groups of infants not attending any structured activities during the same time frame (RTr−, N = 14). At pre- and post-training, expressive and receptive language skills were assessed using standardized tests, and auditory processing skills were characterized through an electrophysiological non-speech multi-feature paradigm. Results reveal that RTr+ infants showed significantly broader improvement in both expressive and receptive pre-language skills. Moreover, at post-training, they presented an electrophysiological pattern characterized by shorter latency of two peaks (N2* and P2), reflecting a neural change detection process: these shifts in latency go beyond those seen due to maturation alone. These results provide preliminary evidence on the efficacy of our training in improving early linguistic competences, and in modifying the neural underpinnings of auditory processing in infants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Music-Related Neuroplasticity: Mechanisms and Medicine)

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15 pages, 1474 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Music Intervention on Stress in Concussed and Non-Concussed Athletes

by Camille Léonard, Jeanne Marie Desaulniers-Simon, Diana Tat, Louis De Beaumont and Nathalie Gosselin

Brain Sci. 2021, 11(11), 1501; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11111501 - 12 Nov 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2825

Abstract

Sport-related concussion is a serious public health issue affecting millions of individuals each year. Among the many negative side effects, emotional symptoms, such as stress, are some of the most common. Stress management is repeatedly cited by expert groups as an important intervention [...] Read more.

Sport-related concussion is a serious public health issue affecting millions of individuals each year. Among the many negative side effects, emotional symptoms, such as stress, are some of the most common. Stress management is repeatedly cited by expert groups as an important intervention for this population. It was shown that music has relaxing effects, reducing stress through the activation of brain areas involved in emotions and pleasure. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of a music-listening intervention compared with silence on experimentally induced stress in concussed and non-concussed athletes. To this aim, four groups of athletes (non-concussed music, non-concussed silence, concussed music, and concussed silence) performed the Trier Social Stress Test, for which both physiological (skin conductance level) and self-reported stress measurements were taken. No significant difference was found in the pattern of stress recovery for self-reported measurements. However, the skin conductance results showed greater and faster post-stress recovery after listening to music compared with silence for concussed athletes only. Taken together, these results suggest that music could be an efficient stress management tool to implement in the everyday life of concussed athletes to help them prevent stress accumulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Music-Related Neuroplasticity: Mechanisms and Medicine)

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23 pages, 1799 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pitch and Rhythm Perception and Verbal Short-Term Memory in Acute Traumatic Brain Injury

by Kirsten S. Anderson, Nathalie Gosselin, Abbas F. Sadikot, Maude Laguë-Beauvais, Esther S. H. Kang, Alexandra E. Fogarty, Judith Marcoux, Jehane Dagher and Elaine de Guise

Brain Sci. 2021, 11(9), 1173; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11091173 - 03 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2724

Abstract

Music perception deficits are common following acquired brain injury due to stroke, epilepsy surgeries, and aneurysmal clipping. Few studies have examined these deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI), resulting in an under-diagnosis in this population. We aimed to (1) compare TBI patients to [...] Read more.

Music perception deficits are common following acquired brain injury due to stroke, epilepsy surgeries, and aneurysmal clipping. Few studies have examined these deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI), resulting in an under-diagnosis in this population. We aimed to (1) compare TBI patients to controls on pitch and rhythm perception during the acute phase; (2) determine whether pitch and rhythm perception disorders co-occur; (3) examine lateralization of injury in the context of pitch and rhythm perception; and (4) determine the relationship between verbal short-term memory (STM) and pitch and rhythm perception. Music perception was examined using the Scale and Rhythm tests of the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia, in association with CT scans to identify lesion laterality. Verbal short-term memory was examined using Digit Span Forward. TBI patients had greater impairment than controls, with 43% demonstrating deficits in pitch perception, and 40% in rhythm perception. Deficits were greater with right hemisphere damage than left. Pitch and rhythm deficits co-occurred 31% of the time, suggesting partly dissociable networks. There was a dissociation between performance on verbal STM and pitch and rhythm perception 39 to 42% of the time (respectively), with most individuals (92%) demonstrating intact verbal STM, with impaired pitch or rhythm perception. The clinical implications of music perception deficits following TBI are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Music-Related Neuroplasticity: Mechanisms and Medicine)

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12 pages, 511 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Preliminary Exploration of Pitch Discrimination, Temporal Sequencing, and Prosodic Awareness Skills of Children Who Participate in Different School-Based Music Curricula

by Ashley G. Flagge, Mary Ellen Neeley, Tara M. Davis and Victoria S. Henbest

Brain Sci. 2021, 11(8), 982; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11080982 - 24 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1773

Abstract

Musical training has been shown to have a positive influence on a variety of skills, including auditory-based tasks and nonmusical cognitive and executive functioning tasks; however, because previous investigations have yielded mixed results regarding the relationship between musical training and these skills, the [...] Read more.

Musical training has been shown to have a positive influence on a variety of skills, including auditory-based tasks and nonmusical cognitive and executive functioning tasks; however, because previous investigations have yielded mixed results regarding the relationship between musical training and these skills, the purpose of this study was to examine and compare the auditory processing skills of children who receive focused, daily musical training with those with more limited, generalized musical training. Sixteen typically developing children (second–fourth grade) from two different schools receiving different music curricula were assessed on measures of pitch discrimination, temporal sequencing, and prosodic awareness. The results indicated significantly better scores in pitch discrimination abilities for the children receiving daily, focused musical training (School 1) compared to students attending music class only once per week, utilizing a more generalized elementary school music curriculum (School 2). The findings suggest that more in-depth and frequent musical training may be associated with better pitch discrimination abilities in children. This finding is important given that the ability to discriminate pitch has been linked to improved phonological processing skills, an important skill for developing spoken language and literacy. Future investigations are needed to determine whether the null findings for temporal sequencing and prosodic awareness can be replicated or may be different for various grades and tasks for measuring these abilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Music-Related Neuroplasticity: Mechanisms and Medicine)

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8 pages, 736 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Auditory Maturation on the Encoding of a Speech Syllable in the First Days of Life

by Laís Ferreira, Piotr Henryk Skarzynski, Magdalena Beata Skarzynska, Milaine Dominici Sanfins and Eliara Pinto Vieira Biaggio

Brain Sci. 2021, 11(7), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11070844 - 25 Jun 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1450

Abstract

(1) Background: In neonates and infants, the physiological modifications associated with language development are reflected in their Frequency Following Responses (FFRs) in the first few months of life. (2) Objective: This study aimed to test the FFRs of infants in the first 45 [...] Read more.

(1) Background: In neonates and infants, the physiological modifications associated with language development are reflected in their Frequency Following Responses (FFRs) in the first few months of life. (2) Objective: This study aimed to test the FFRs of infants in the first 45 days of life in order to evaluate how auditory maturation affects the encoding of a speech syllable. (3) Method: In total, 80 healthy, normal-hearing infants, aged 3 to 45 days old, participated in this study. The sample was divided into three groups: GI, 38 neonates from 3 to 15 days; GII, 25 infants from 16 to 30 days; and GIII, 17 infants from 31 to 45 days. All participants underwent FFR testing. Results: With age, there was a decrease in the latency of all FFR waves, with statistically significant differences among the groups studied for waves V, A, E, F, and O. The mean amplitudes showed an increase, with a statistically significant difference only for wave V. The slope measure increased over the 45 days, with a statistically significant difference between GIII and GI and between GIII and GII. (4) Conclusions: The encoding of a speech sound changes with auditory maturation over the first 45 days of an infant’s life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Music-Related Neuroplasticity: Mechanisms and Medicine)

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