Music Playing and Interhemispheric Communication: Older Professional Musicians Outperform Age-Matched Non-Musicians in Fingertip Cross-Localization Test

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Massimo Piccirilli ◽  
Maria Teresa Palermo ◽  
Alessandro Germani ◽  
Maria Laura Bertoli ◽  
Viola Ancarani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Musical Training ◽  
Interhemispheric Transfer ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Professional Musicians ◽  
Interhemispheric Communication ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Localization Test ◽  
Transfer Of Information

Abstract Objective: Numerous investigations have documented that age-related changes in the integrity of the corpus callosum are associated with age-related decline in the interhemispheric transfer of information. Conversely, there is accumulating evidence for more efficient white matter organization of the corpus callosum in individuals with extensive musical training. However, the relationship between making music and accuracy in interhemispheric transfer remains poorly explored. Methods: To test the hypothesis that musicians show enhanced functional connectivity between the two hemispheres, 65 professional musicians (aged 56–90 years) and 65 age- and sex-matched non-musicians performed the fingertip cross-localization test. In this task, subjects must respond to a tactile stimulus presented to one hand using the ipsilateral (intra-hemispheric test) or contralateral (inter-hemispheric test) hand. Because the transfer of information from one hemisphere to another may imply a loss of accuracy, the value of the difference between the intrahemispheric and interhemispheric tests can be utilized as a reliable measure of the effectiveness of hemispheric interactions. Results: Older professional musicians show significantly greater accuracy in tactile interhemispheric transfer than non-musicians who suffer from age-related decline. Conclusions: Musicians have more efficient interhemispheric communication than age-matched non-musicians. This finding is in keeping with studies showing that individuals with extensive musical training have a larger corpus callosum. The results are discussed in relation to relevant data suggesting that music positively influences aging brain plasticity.

Problems with Interhemispheric Transfer of Information in Complete or Partial Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum

2001 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.N. Joseph ◽  
C.M. Bannister
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Interhemispheric Transfer ◽  
Interhemispheric Communication ◽  
Comparison Results ◽  
Transfer Of Information

Objective: We assessed the presence of poor interhemispheric communication in agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) and hydrocephalus. Methods: With spe cially designed tests, nine children with ACC were investigated and compared with 11 controls to see the degree of impairment present. Two subjects with a stretched cor pus callosum due to hydrocephalus also were tested. A subject with the corpus callo sum divided was tested for comparison. Results: Significant differences were found in tests of coordination and stereognosis both with ACC patients and the calloso tomy subject. No impairments were found in the hydrocephalics. Conclusions: When compared with controls, ACC patients perform poorly in several tests. The calloso tomy patient also showed evidence of impairment similar to that of the ACC patients.

Corpus Callosum Damage and InterhemispherIc Transfer of Information following Closed Head Injury in Children

Cortex ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra A. Benavidez ◽  
Jack M. Fletcher ◽  
H. Julia Hannay ◽  
Sondra T. Bland ◽  
Susan E. Caudle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head Injury ◽  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Closed Head Injury ◽  
Interhemispheric Transfer ◽  
Closed Head ◽  
Transfer Of Information

Effects of Aging and Gender on Interhemispheric Function

2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teri James Bellis ◽  
Laura Ann Wilber
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Interhemispheric Transfer ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Age Related ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Aging Adults ◽  
Over Time

The ability of the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate with one another via the corpus callosum is important for a wide variety of sensory, motor, and cognitive functions, many of them communication related. Anatomical evidence suggests that aging results in structural changes in the corpus callosum and that the course over time of age-related changes in corpus callosum structure may depend on the gender of the individual. Further, it has been hypothesized that age- and gender-related changes in corpus callosum structure may result in concomitant decreased performance on tasks that are reliant on interhemispheric integrity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of age and gender on auditory behavioral and visuomotor temporal indices of interhemispheric function across the life span of the normal adult. Results from 120 consistently right-handed adults from age 20 to 75 years revealed that interhemispheric integrity, as measured by dichotic listening, auditory temporal patterning, and visuomotor interhemispheric transfer time tasks, decreases relatively early in the adult life span (i.e., between the ages of 40 and 55 years) and shows no further decrease thereafter. In addition, the course over time of interhemispheric decline is different for men compared to women for some tasks. These findings suggest that decreased interhemispheric function may be a possible factor contributing to auditory and communication difficulties experienced by aging adults. In addition, results of this study hold implications for the clinical assessment of interhemispheric function in aging adults and for future research into the functional ramifications of decreased multimodality interhemispheric transfer.

scholarly journals Musical experience relates to functional connectivity in older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 714-714
Author(s):  
Meishan Ai ◽  
Timothy Morris ◽  
Laura Chaddock-Heyman ◽  
Psyche Loui ◽  
Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Musical Training ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Musical Experience ◽  
Grey Matter Volume ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Previous studies have shown that engaging in musical activities throughout the lifespan may buffer age-related decline in auditory and motor function, as well as in general cognitive function. MRI studies have demonstrated that individuals with musical training and experience exhibited greater grey matter volume and functional connectivity in extensive brain regions, especially in auditory and motor systems, compared to matched controls with no particular musical training or experience. Therefore, musical activity is a potential protective factor for brain health across lifespan. However, how lifespan musical experience shapes functional connectivity in older adults is still unknown. The current analysis investigated whether general musical experience (Goldsmith Music Sophistication Index) is associated with functional connectivity in older adults (age=65.7±4.4, n=69), focusing on seed regions in primary motor areas (bilateral precentral gyrus) and primary auditory regions (bilateral anterior/posterior superior temporal gyrus) and their functional connectivity towards other areas throughout the whole brain. We found that older adults with more musical experience showed greater functional connectivity between anterior superior temporal gyrus and insula (R2=0.10, p=0.01), and between posterior superior temporal gyrus and cerebellum (R2=0.08, p=0.02). However, musical experience and music-related functional connectivity was not significantly correlated with general cognitive functions in our sample. Overall, our findings suggest that older adults with more musical experience might be more efficient in some aspects of auditory processing and auditory-motor skills, but this may not transfer towards domain-general cognitive tests. Our results support the notion that even non-professional engagement in musical experiences may afford benefits to the aging brain.

Volume reduction of the corpus callosum and its relationship with deficits in interhemispheric transfer of information in recent-onset psychosis

2010 ◽  
Vol 184 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany M. Chaim ◽  
Maristela S. Schaufelberger ◽  
Luiz K. Ferreira ◽  
Fábio L.S. Duran ◽  
Adriana M. Ayres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Interhemispheric Transfer ◽  
Volume Reduction ◽  
Recent Onset ◽  
Transfer Of Information

scholarly journals Corpus Callosum Volume and Interhemispheric Transfer in Multiple Sclerosis

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 615-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. N. Brown ◽  
Y. Zhang ◽  
J. R. Mitchell ◽  
R. Zabad ◽  
L. M. Metz
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Interhemispheric Transfer ◽  
Mr Images ◽  
Scientific Exploration ◽  
Treatment Benefits ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Transfer Of Information ◽  
3T Mr

Background:The corpus callosum (CC) is frequently compromised in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Structural and functional measurements of the CC may be useful to monitor the progression of the disease. The aim of this pilot study was to determine if bimanual tactile temporal thresholds correlates with CC volume. A tactile temporal threshold is the longest temporal interval that separates the onsets of two tactile stimuli when they are judged by the observer as simultaneous. Judgments to bimanual stimulations require interhemispheric transfer via the CC.Methods:Thresholds were examined in MS patients and matched controls. Magnetic resonance (MR) images were acquired on a 3T MR system within 48 hours of clinical assessment and measurement of thresholds.Results:Corpus callosum volume was assessed by using a semiautomatic livewire algorithm. The CC volume was smaller (by 21% on average, p < 0.01) and thresholds were higher (by 49% on average, p < 0.03) in MS patients when compared to controls. A significant correlation (r = -0.66, p = 0.01) between CC volume and thresholds emerged for the MS patients.Conclusion:Measuring treatment benefits of neuroprotective and repair therapies is a well recognized challenge in MS research. The overall findings of this study suggest that these measurements, which involve the transfer of information interhemispherically via the CC, may be promising outcome measures that warrant further scientific exploration to develop a model to measure recovery.

scholarly journals Comparative morphology of the corpus callosum across the adult lifespan in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and humans

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
René Westerhausen ◽  
Anders M. Fjell ◽  
Kristiina Kompus ◽  
Steven J. Schapiro ◽  
Chet Sherwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Comparative Morphology ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Brain Anatomy ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Range

AbstractThe human corpus callosum exhibits substantial atrophy in old age, which is stronger than what would be predicted from parallel changes in overall brain anatomy. To date, however, it has not been conclusively established whether this accentuated decline represents a common feature of brain aging across species, or whether it is a specific characteristic of the aging human brain. In the present cross-sectional study, we address this question by comparing age-related difference in corpus callosum morphology of chimpanzees and humans. For this purpose, we measured total midsagittal area and regional thickness of the corpus callosum from T1-weighted MRI data from 213 chimpanzees, aged between 9 and 54 years. The results were compared with data drawn from a large-scale human samples which was age-range matched using two strategies: (a) matching by chronological age (human sample size: n = 562), or (b) matching by accounting for differences in longevity and various maturational events between the species (i.e., adjusted human age range: 13.6 to 80.9 years; n = 664). Using generalized additive modelling to fit and compare aging trajectories, we found significant differences between the two species. The chimpanzee aging trajectory compared to the human trajectory was characterized by a slower increase from adolescence to middle adulthood, and by a lack of substantial decline from middle to old adulthood, which, however, was present in humans. Thus, the accentuated decline of the corpus callosum found in aging humans, is not an universal characteristic of the aging brain, and appears to be human-specific.

Interhemispheric transfer evaluation in multiple sclerosis 1The authors would like to thank Claude-Alain Hauert and Christoph Michel for their assistance in the evaluation of motor tapping and Michel Habib for his suggestions and comments. This work was supported by a grant from the Swiss Society of Multiple Sclerosis.

2000 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 150-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Ortiz ◽  
Michael Reicherts ◽  
Alan J. Pegna ◽  
Encarni Garran ◽  
Michel Chofflon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Lexical Decision ◽  
Dichotic Listening ◽  
Neurological Impairment ◽  
Interhemispheric Transfer ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Swiss Society ◽  
Listening Test ◽  
Relapsing Remitting

Patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have frequently been found to suffer from damage to callosal fibers. Investigations have shown that this damage is associated with signs of hemisphere disconnections. The aim of our study was to provide evidence for the first signs of interhemispheric dysfunction in a mildly disabled MS population. Therefore, we explored whether the Interhemispheric Transfer (IT) deficit is multi-modal and sought to differentiate two MS evolution forms, on the basis of an interhemispheric disconnection index. Twenty-two patients with relapsing-remitting form of MS (RRMS) and 14 chronic-progressive (CPMS) were compared with matched controls on four tasks: a tachistoscopic verbal and non-verbal decision task, a dichotic listening test, cross tactile finger localization and motor tapping. No overall impairment was seen. The dichotic listening and lexical decision tasks were the most sensitive to MS. In addition, CPMS patients' IT was more impaired and was related to the severity of neurological impairment. The different sizes of the callosal fibers, which determine their vulnerability, may explain the heterogeneity of transfer through the Corpus Callosum. Therefore, evaluation of IT may be of value as an index of evolution in MS.

scholarly journals Cerebral functional networks during sleep in young and older individuals

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Véronique Daneault ◽  
Pierre Orban ◽  
Nicolas Martin ◽  
Christian Dansereau ◽  
Jonathan Godbout ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Sleep Stages ◽  
Functional Networks ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Light Sleep

AbstractEven though sleep modification is a hallmark of the aging process, age-related changes in functional connectivity using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during sleep, remain unknown. Here, we combined electroencephalography and fMRI to examine functional connectivity differences between wakefulness and light sleep stages (N1 and N2 stages) in 16 young (23.1 ± 3.3y; 7 women), and 14 older individuals (59.6 ± 5.7y; 8 women). Results revealed extended, distributed (inter-between) and local (intra-within) decreases in network connectivity during sleep both in young and older individuals. However, compared to the young participants, older individuals showed lower decreases in connectivity or even increases in connectivity between thalamus/basal ganglia and several cerebral regions as well as between frontal regions of various networks. These findings reflect a reduced ability of the older brain to disconnect during sleep that may impede optimal disengagement for loss of responsiveness, enhanced lighter and fragmented sleep, and contribute to age effects on sleep-dependent brain plasticity.

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