scholarly journals Emotional prosody in congenital amusia: impaired and spared processes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Pralus ◽  
L. Fornoni ◽  
R. Bouet ◽  
M. Gomot ◽  
A. Bhatara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Music Perception ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
List Type ◽  
Emotional Prosody ◽  
Implicit Processing ◽  
Implicit Processes ◽  
Pitch Processing ◽  
Congenital Amusia ◽  
Explicit Recognition

AbstractCongenital amusia is a lifelong deficit of music processing, in particular of pitch processing. Most research investigating this neurodevelopmental disorder has focused on music perception, but pitch also has a critical role for intentional and emotional prosody in speech. Two previous studies investigating amusics’ emotional prosody recognition have shown either some deficit or no deficit (compared to controls). However, these previous studies have used only long sentence stimuli, which allow for limited control over acoustic content. Here, we tested amusic individuals for emotional prosody perception in sentences and vowels. For each type of material, participants performed an emotion categorization task, followed by intensity ratings of the recognized emotion. Compared to controls, amusic individuals had similar recognition of emotion in sentences, but poorer performance in vowels, especially when distinguishing sad and neutral stimuli. These lower performances in amusics were linked with difficulties in processing pitch and spectro-temporal parameters of the vowel stimuli. For emotion intensity, neither sentence nor vowel ratings differed between participant groups, suggesting preserved implicit processing of emotional prosody in amusia. These findings can be integrated into previous data showing preserved implicit processing of pitch and emotion in amusia alongside deficits in explicit recognition tasks. They are thus further supporting the hypothesis of impaired conscious analysis of pitch and timbre in this neurodevelopmental disorder.HighlightsAmusics showed preserved emotional prosody recognition in sentencesAmusics showed a deficit for emotional prosody recognition in short voice samplesPreserved intensity ratings of emotions in amusia suggest spared implicit processes

scholarly journals Altered intrinsic connectivity of the auditory cortex in congenital amusia

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yohana Leveque ◽  
Baptiste Fauvel ◽  
Mathilde Groussard ◽  
Anne Caclin ◽  
Philippe Albouy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Music Perception ◽  
Matched Control ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Connectivity Analysis ◽  
Congenital Amusia ◽  
Intrinsic Connectivity ◽  
External Stimuli ◽  
New Evidence

Congenital amusia, a neurodevelopmental disorder of music perception and production, has been associated with abnormal anatomical and functional connectivity in a right frontotemporal pathway. To investigate whether spontaneous connectivity in brain networks involving the auditory cortex is altered in the amusic brain, we ran a seed-based connectivity analysis, contrasting at-rest functional MRI data of amusic and matched control participants. Our results reveal reduced frontotemporal connectivity in amusia during resting state, as well as an overconnectivity between the auditory cortex and the default mode network (DMN). The findings suggest that the auditory cortex is intrinsically more engaged toward internal processes and less available to external stimuli in amusics compared with controls. Beyond amusia, our findings provide new evidence for the link between cognitive deficits in pathology and abnormalities in the connectivity between sensory areas and the DMN at rest.

scholarly journals Pre-attentive processing of neutral and emotional sounds in congenital amusia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agathe Pralus ◽  
Marie Gomot ◽  
Jackson Graves ◽  
Fanny Cholvy ◽  
Lesly Fornoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Musical Training ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Oddball Paradigm ◽  
Emotional Prosody ◽  
Functional Impairments ◽  
Implicit Processing ◽  
Congenital Amusia ◽  
Emotional Deviance ◽  
Implicit And Explicit ◽  
And Control

AbstractCongenital amusia is a life-long deficit of musical processing. This deficit can extend to the processing of language and in particular, emotional prosody. In a previous behavioral study, we revealed that while amusic individuals had difficulties in explicitly recognizing emotions for short vowels, they rated the emotional intensity of these same vowels as did their matched control participants. This finding led to the hypothesis that congenital amusics might be impaired for explicit emotional prosody recognition, but not for its implicit processing. With the aim to investigate amusics’ automatic processing of prosody, the present study measured electroencephalography (EEG) when participants listened passively to vowels presented within an oddball paradigm. Emotionally neutral vowel served as the standard and either emotional (anger and sadness) or neutral vowels as deviants. Evoked potentials were compared between participants with congenital amusia and control participants matched in age, education, and musical training. The MMN was rather preserved for all deviants in amusia, whereas an earlier negative component was found decreased in amplitude in amusics compared to controls for the neutral and sadness deviants. For the most salient deviant (anger), the P3a was decreased in amplitude for amusics compared to controls. These results showed some preserved automatic detection of emotional deviance in amusia despite an early deficit to process subtle acoustic changes. In addition, the automatic attentional shift in response to salient deviants at later processing stages was reduced in amusics in comparison to the controls. In the three ERPs related to the deviance, between-group differences were larger over bilateral prefrontal areas, previously shown to display functional impairments in congenital amusia. Our present study thus provides further understanding of the dichotomy between implicit and explicit processing in congenital amusia, in particular for vocal stimuli with emotional content.

Patterns of Implicit Learning Below the Level of Conscious Knowledge

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Yordanova ◽  
Rolf Verleger ◽  
Ullrich Wagner ◽  
Vasil Kolev
Keyword(s):  
Implicit Learning ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Implicit Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Generation ◽  
Sleep Stages ◽  
Implicit Processing ◽  
Implicit Processes ◽  
Late Night ◽  
On Line ◽  
On Line Learning

The objective of the present study was to evaluate patterns of implicit processing in a task where the acquisition of explicit and implicit knowledge occurs simultaneously. The number reduction task (NRT) was used as having two levels of organization, overt and covert, where the covert level of processing is associated with implicit associative and implicit procedural learning. One aim was to compare these two types of implicit processes in the NRT when sleep was or was not introduced between initial formation of task representations and subsequent NRT processing. To assess the effects of different sleep stages, two sleep groups (early- and late-night groups) were used where initial training of the task was separated from subsequent retest by 3 h full of predominantly slow wave sleep (SWS) or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. In two no-sleep groups, no interval was introduced between initial and subsequent NRT performance. A second aim was to evaluate the interaction between procedural and associative implicit learning in the NRT. Implicit associative learning was measured by the difference between the speed of responses that could or could not be predicted by the covert abstract regularity of the task. Implicit procedural on-line learning was measured by the practice-based increased speed of performance with time on task. Major results indicated that late-night sleep produced a substantial facilitation of implicit associations without modifying individual ability for explicit knowledge generation or for procedural on-line learning. This was evidenced by the higher rate of subjects who gained implicit knowledge of abstract task structure in the late-night group relative to the early-night and no-sleep groups. Independently of sleep, gain of implicit associative knowledge was accompanied by a relative slowing of responses to unpredictable items suggesting reciprocal interactions between associative and motor procedural processes within the implicit system. These observations provide evidence for the separability and interactions of different patterns of processing within implicit memory.

Pitch Processing of Music and Speech in Congenital Amusia

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-167
Author(s):  
Cun-Mei JIANG ◽  
Yu-Fang YANG
Keyword(s):  
Pitch Processing ◽  
Congenital Amusia

scholarly journals Detection of acute ventilatory problems via magnetic induction in a newborn animal model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina C. Behr ◽  
Christopher Platen ◽  
Pascal Vetter ◽  
Nicole Heussen ◽  
Steffen Leonhardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Detection ◽  
Magnetic Induction ◽  
Side Information ◽  
Pulmonary Ventilation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
List Type ◽  
Newborn Animal ◽  
Newborn Piglets ◽  
Patient Side

Abstract Background Magnetic induction measurement (MIM) is a noninvasive method for the contactless registration of respiration in newborn piglets by using measurement coils positioned at the bottom of an incubator. Acute pulmonary problems may be determinants of poor neurological and psychomotor outcomes in preterm infants. The current study tested the detection of pulmonary ventilation disorders via MIM in 11 newborn piglets. Methods Six measurement coils determined changes in magnetic induction, depending on the ventilation of the lung, in comparison with flow resistance. Contactless registration of induced acute pulmonary ventilation disorders (apnea, atelectasis, pneumothorax, and aspiration) was detected by MIM. Results All pathologies except aspiration were detected by MIM. Significant changes occurred after induction of apnea (three coils), malposition of the tube (one coil), and pneumothorax (three coils) (p ≤ 0.05). No significant changes occurred after induction of aspiration (p = 0.12). Conclusions MIM seems to have some potential to detect acute ventilation disorders in newborn piglets. The location of the measurement coil related to the animal’s position plays a critical role in this process. In addition to an early detection of acute pulmonary problems, potential information pointing to a therapeutic intervention, for example, inhalations or medical respiratory analepsis, may be conceivable with MIM in the future. Impact MIM seems to be a method in which noncontact ventilation disorders of premature and mature infants can be detected. This study is an extension of the experimental setup to obtain preliminary evidence for detection of respiratory activity in neonatal piglets. For the first time, MIM is used to register acute ventilation problems of neonates. The possibility of an early detection of acute ventilation problems via MIM may provide an opportunity to receive patient-side information for therapeutical interventions like inhalations or medical respiratory analepsis.

scholarly journals Meta-analytic evidence for the non-modularity of pitch processing in congenital amusia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique T Vuvan ◽  
Marília Nunes-Silva ◽  
Isabelle Peretz
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Pitch Perception ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Pitch Discrimination ◽  
Major Theme ◽  
Performance Gap ◽  
Pitch Processing ◽  
Congenital Amusia ◽  
Musical Pitch ◽  
Using Data

A major theme driving research in congenital amusia is related to the modularity of this musical disorder, with two possible sources of the amusic pitch perception deficit. The first possibility is that the amusic deficit is due to a broad disorder of acoustic pitch processing that has the effect of disrupting downstream musical pitch processing, and the second is that amusia is specific to a musical pitch processing module. To interrogate these hypotheses, we performed a meta-analysis on two types of effect sizes contained within 42 studies in the amusia literature: the performance gap between amusics and controls on tasks of pitch discrimination, broadly defined, and the correlation between specifically acoustic pitch perception and musical pitch perception. To augment the correlation database, we also calculated this correlation using data from 106 participants tested by our own research group. We found strong evidence for the acoustic account of amusia. The magnitude of the performance gap was moderated by the size of pitch change, but not by whether the stimuli were composed of tones or speech. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between an individual's acoustic and musical pitch perception. However, individual cases show a double dissociation between acoustic and musical processing, which suggests that although most amusic cases are probably explainable by an acoustic deficit, there is heterogeneity within the disorder. Finally, we found that tonal language fluency does not influence the performance gap between amusics and controls, and that there was no evidence that amusics fare worse with pitch direction tasks than pitch discrimination tasks. These results constitute a quantitative review of the current literature of congenital amusia, and suggest several new directions for research, including the experimental induction of amusic behaviour through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and the systematic exploration of the developmental trajectory of this disorder.

scholarly journals UBE3A-mediated PTPA ubiquitination and degradation regulate PP2A activity and dendritic spine morphology

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (25) ◽  
pp. 12500-12505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wang ◽  
Sen-Sen Lou ◽  
Tingting Wang ◽  
Rong-Jie Wu ◽  
Guangying Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ubiquitin Ligase ◽  
Dendritic Spine ◽  
Isotope Labeling ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Pp2a Activity

Deficiency in the E3 ubiquitin ligase UBE3A leads to the neurodevelopmental disorder Angelman syndrome (AS), while additional dosage of UBE3A is linked to autism spectrum disorder. The mechanisms underlying the downstream effects of UBE3A gain or loss of function in these neurodevelopmental disorders are still not well understood, and effective treatments are lacking. Here, using stable-isotope labeling of amino acids in mammals and ubiquitination assays, we identify PTPA, an activator of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), as a bona fide ubiquitin ligase substrate of UBE3A. Maternal loss of Ube3a (Ube3am−/p+) increased PTPA level, promoted PP2A holoenzyme assembly, and elevated PP2A activity, while maternal 15q11–13 duplication containing Ube3a down-regulated PTPA level and lowered PP2A activity. Reducing PTPA level in vivo restored the defects in dendritic spine maturation in Ube3am−/p+ mice. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of PP2A activity with the small molecule LB-100 alleviated both reduction in excitatory synaptic transmission and motor impairment in Ube3am−/p+ mice. Together, our results implicate a critical role of UBE3A-PTPA-PP2A signaling in the pathogenesis of UBE3A-related disorders and suggest that PP2A-based drugs could be potential therapeutic candidates for treatment of UBE3A-related disorders.

scholarly journals Emotional prosody in congenital amusia: Impaired and spared processes

2019 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 107234 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Pralus ◽  
L. Fornoni ◽  
R. Bouet ◽  
M. Gomot ◽  
A. Bhatara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Prosody ◽  
Congenital Amusia

scholarly journals P98 Semi-quantification and localization of membrane transporters in paediatric kidney tissue

2019 ◽  
Vol 104 (6) ◽  
pp. e58.1-e58
Author(s):  
M van Borselen ◽  
B van Groen ◽  
J Pertijs ◽  
M Wilmer ◽  
B Smeets ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Kidney Tissue ◽  
Staining Intensity ◽  
Premature Neonate ◽  
Membrane Transporters ◽  
Developmental Changes ◽  
List Type ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Toxicity Of Drugs

BackgroundThe kidney has a critical role in disposition, efficacy and toxicity of drugs and xenobiotics. Developmental changes of renal membrane transporters have the potential to explain population variability in paediatric pharmacokinetics and -dynamics of drugs but data are missing. We aimed to further delineate the expression of human renal tubular transporters multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) 4 and MRP2 and study localization in paediatric kidney samples.MethodsWe planned to semi-quantify expression levels and to study the age-specific localization of the transporters MRP4 and MRP2 with immunohistochemistry on 44 human neonatal and paediatric kidney samples with age range of 24,00 - 40,00 weeks gestational age (GA) and 0,29 - 744 weeks post-natal age (PNA). The staining intensity was semi-quantitatively scored by two independent observers (MB and BG).ResultsMRP4 is found to be localized at the apical membrane of the renal proximal tubules at 27 weeks of GA (n=3, 1,29- 4 weeks PNA) and no age-related changes of expression levels were detected. In a premature neonate of 24 weeks GA (n=1), no MRP4 was detected. The MRP2 staining did not meet the requirements to be scored and was rejected.ConclusionMRP4 is expressed from at least 27 weeks GA onwards and does not show developmental changes. The localization was similar as in adults (Ritter et al., 2005). The half-life of the MRP4 substrate furosemide was found to be 6 to 20-fold longer in neonates than in adults (Pacifici, G.M., 2013). This could potentially be linked with the absence of MRP4 in a premature neonate with GA 24 weeks. However, these data should be confirmed as we only had 1 sample of ±24 weeks GA available. Moreover, our data help us in understanding altered disposition of transporter substrates in paediatrics.ReferencesPacifici, G. M. ( 2013). Clinical pharmacology of furosemide in neonates: a review. Pharmaceuticals;6(9):1094–1129.Ritter CA, Jedlitschky G, Meyer zu Schwabedissen H, Grube M, Köck K, & Kroemer HK. ( 2005). Cellular export of drugs and signaling molecules by the ATP-binding cassette transporters MRP4 (ABCC4) and MRP5 (ABCC5). Drug metabolism reviews;37(1):253–278.Disclosure(s)Nothing to disclose

scholarly journals Tsc1-mTORC1 signaling controls striatal dopamine release and cognitive flexibility

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Polina Kosillo ◽  
Natalie M. Doig ◽  
Kamran M. Ahmed ◽  
Alexander H.C.W. Agopyan-Miu ◽  
Corinna D. Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Dopamine Release ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Striatal Dopamine ◽  
Mtorc1 Signaling ◽  
Striatal Dopamine Release

AbstractTuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in TSC1 or TSC2, which encode proteins that negatively regulate mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1). TSC is associated with significant cognitive, psychiatric, and behavioral problems, collectively termed TSC-Associated Neuropsychiatric Disorders (TAND), and the cell types responsible for these manifestations are largely unknown. Here we use cell type-specific Tsc1 deletion to test whether dopamine neurons, which modulate cognitive, motivational, and affective behaviors, are involved in TAND. We show that loss of Tsc1 and constitutive activation of mTORC1 in dopamine neurons causes somatodendritic hypertrophy, reduces intrinsic excitability, alters axon terminal structure, and impairs striatal dopamine release. These perturbations lead to a selective deficit in cognitive flexibility, preventable by genetic reduction of the mTOR-binding protein Raptor. Our results establish a critical role for Tsc1-mTORC1 signaling in setting the functional properties of dopamine neurons, and indicate that dopaminergic dysfunction may contribute to cognitive inflexibility in TSC.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document