Music-Based Intervention Connects Auditory and Reward Systems

Abstract Listening to pleasurable music is known to engage the brain’s reward system. This has motivated many cognitive-behavioral interventions for healthy aging, but little is known about the effects of music-based intervention (MBI) on plasticity of the cognitive and reward systems. Here we show preliminary evidence that brain network connectivity can change after receptive MBI in cognitively unimpaired older adults. Using a combination of whole-brain regression, seed-based connectivity analysis, and representational similarity analysis (RSA), we examined fMRI responses during music listening in older adults before and after an eight-week personalized MBI. Participants rated self-selected and researcher-selected musical excerpts on liking and familiarity. Parametric effects of liking, familiarity, and selection showed simultaneous activation in auditory, reward, and default mode network (DMN) areas. Seed-based connectivity comparing pre- and post-intervention showed significant increase in functional connectivity between auditory regions and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC); this auditory-mPFC connectivity was modulated by participant liking and familiarity ratings. RSA showed significant representations of selection and novelty at both time-points, and an increase in striatal representation of musical stimuli following intervention. Taken together, results show how regular music listening can provide an auditory channel towards the mPFC, thus offering a potential neural mechanism for MBI supporting healthy aging.

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Music-Based Intervention Connects Auditory and Reward Systems

10.1101/2021.07.02.450867 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Milena Quinci ◽

Alexander Belden ◽

Valerie Goutama ◽

Dayang Gong ◽

Suzanne Hanser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Brain Aging ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Neural Mechanism ◽

Brain Network ◽

Music Listening ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Brain Network Connectivity ◽

Parametric Effects ◽

Listening Task

Listening to pleasurable music is known to engage the brain's reward system, but little is known about how this engagement develops over time. Here we show for the first time that brain network connectivity can change longitudinally as a result of a personalized receptive music-based intervention (MBI) in cognitively unimpaired older adults. Using a combination of whole-brain regression, seed-based connectivity analysis, and representational similarity analysis (RSA), we compared fMRI responses during a simple music listening task in older adults before and after an eight-week personalized music listening program. Participants rated self-selected and researcher-selected musical excerpts on liking and familiarity. Parametric effects of liking, familiarity, and selection showed significant activation of auditory, reward, default mode, and sensorimotor areas both pre- and post-intervention. Seed-based connectivity comparing pre- and post-intervention showed a significant increase in functional connectivity between auditory regions and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and this auditory-mPFC connectivity was modulated by participant liking and familiarity ratings. RSA showed significant representations of selection and novelty in auditory regions at both time-points, and an increase in striatal representation of musical stimuli following intervention. Taken together, results show a sensitivity of auditory, reward, default, and sensorimotor regions to individual differences in music familiarity and liking, as well as a shift in brain network dynamics following the personalized MBI. Results show how regular music listening can provide an auditory channel towards the mPFC, thus offering a potential neural mechanism supporting healthy brain aging.

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Six-Month Lower-Leg Sensory Stimulation Augments Neural Network Connectivity Associated With Improved Gait

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3434 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 960-961

Author(s):

Chun Liang Hsu ◽

Ikechukwu Iloputaife ◽

Lars Oddsson ◽

Brad Manor ◽

Lewis Lipsitz

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Lower Limb ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Lower Leg ◽

Afferent Input ◽

Brain Network ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Vibrotactile Stimulation ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Brain Network Connectivity

Abstract Foot sole somatosensory impairment associated with peripheral neuropathy (PN) is prevalent and a strong independent risk factor for gait disturbance and falls in older adults. A lower-limb sensory prosthesis providing afferent input related to foot sole pressure distributions via lower-leg vibrotactile stimulation has been demonstrated to improve gait in people with PN. The effects of this device on brain function related to motor control, however, remains equivocal. This study aimed to explore changes in brain network connectivity after six months of daily use of the prosthesis among individuals with diagnosed PN and balance problems. Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were completed before and after the intervention. Preliminary analysis on participants who have completed the study to date (N=5; mean age 76 years) indicated altered connectivity of the sensorimotor network (SMN), frontoparietal network (FPN), and the default mode network (DMN) post-intervention (Z>3.11, unadjusted p<0.05). Participants displayed an average improvement of 5.5 point in the FGA (Minimal Clinically Important Differences>4 for community-dwelling older adults) that was correlated with connectivity changes (unadjusted p<0.05). Specifically, improved FGA was associated with: 1) increased connectivity between the SMN, cerebellum, and occipital cortex; 2) increased connectivity between the FPN, cerebellum, calcarine and intracalcarine; and 3) decreased connectivity between DMN and intracalcarine. These early findings suggest that long-term use of a lower-limb sensory prosthesis may induce neuroplastic changes in brain network connectivity reflecting enhanced bottom-up sensory-attentional processing and suppression of the DMN that are relevant to gait improvements among older adults with PN.

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Allostatic Load Following Short-Term Intervention: Cognition in Older Hypertensive Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3659 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 1032-1033

Author(s):

Anthony Cirilo ◽

Jordan Kohn ◽

Gavrila Ang ◽

Meredith Pung ◽

Emily Troyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Allostatic Load ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Functional Decline ◽

Cumulative Effect ◽

Short Term ◽

Post Intervention

Abstract Allostatic load (AL), a measure of cumulative effect of prolonged stressors across physiological systems, is consistently associated with adverse health outcomes. Greater AL is correlated with functional decline in aging, but effects of behavioral interventions, such as Tai Chi (TC), on AL in older adults in a short-term is unknown. To investigate the effects of TC practice on AL and cognitive function and an AL-cognition relationship, older adults (60-95 years) with hypertension were recruited and randomly assigned to 12-week TC or Healthy Aging Practice-centered Education (HAP-E) classes. The AL index (ALI) included: SBP and DBP; urinary epinephrine and norepinephrine; plasma inflammatory biomarkers (CRP, IL-6); metabolic biomarkers (HDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HbA1c); and BMI. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was administered to assess cognitive function. Generalized linear mixed-effects models, adjusted for age, race, education, and intervention attendance, was used. Pre- and post-intervention ALI did not change significantly in TC (2.61 (1.48) to 2.76 (1.62)) or HAP-E (2.84 (1.61) to 2.66 (1.86)). High ALI was associated with lower MoCA scores, indicating poorer cognitive performance (IRR=0.96; 95% CI: 0.93-0.98; p=0.002) across the time points. Of note, the MoCA scores did not significantly change across time (25.4 (3.2) to 26.0 (3.0)). 12-week TC or HAP-E interventions did not lead to a significant change in ALI or cognitive performance in our population. However, our findings show greater AL theoretically attributed to chronic stress is associated with cognitive functioning in older adults consistently over about 4 months.

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A Novel Program to Improve Cognitive Function in Individuals With Dementia Using Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) and Tutored Cognitive Exercises

Frontiers in Aging ◽

10.3389/fragi.2021.632545 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Author(s):

Zahra Moussavi ◽

Kazushige Kimura ◽

Lonnie Kehler ◽

Cristina de Oliveira Francisco ◽

Brian Lithgow

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Study Groups ◽

Long Term Potentiation ◽

Alternating Current ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Cognitive Improvement ◽

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation

The effects of cognitive exercises on the healthy aging population is controversial. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is considered a promising tool for modulating brain oscillation. Research is lacking on its long-lasting cognitive/therapeutic effect. This is the first pilot study to explore the effect of a regimen of cognitive exercises with and without tACS on older adults with dementia. The study groups were 28 individuals (age 56–83 years) enrolled into two groups: Exr Group, who received cognitive exercises only and the Exr + tACS Group who received tACS at 40 Hz simultaneously with cognitive exercises for a period of 4 consecutive weeks, 5 days/week, two 30 min-sessions/day; all the training sessions were tutored. The cognitive exercises were applied using the MindTriggers app. They were assessed at pre and post intervention and also one month after the end of trial (follow-up) with an independent assessment (WMS-IV) as the primary outcome measure. The results show significant cognitive improvement at post-intervention in both groups, while the Exr + tACS protocol lead to superior cognitive improvement at follow-up session. The most important outcomes of this study are: 1) The tutored repeated practice of the MindTriggers app exercises does significantly improve the cognitive functions of older adults with dementia and that that improvement lasts for at least one month after the end of the intervention, and 2) The application of tACS increases the positive effects of cognitive exercises with the positive effect lasting an even longer period of time than exercises alone; in other words we speculate that it may lead to long-term potentiation.

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Reconciling Psychological and Neuroscientific Accounts of Reduced Motivation in Aging

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience ◽

10.1093/scan/nsab101 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander Soutschek ◽

Alexandra Bagaïni ◽

Todd A Hare ◽

Philippe N Tobler

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Decision Making ◽

Goal Orientation ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

Reward Seeking ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Frontopolar Cortex ◽

Independent Analysis

Abstract Motivation is a hallmark of healthy aging, but the motivation to engage in effortful behavior diminishes with increasing age. Most neurobiological accounts of altered motivation in older adults assume that these deficits are caused by a gradual decline in brain tissue, while some psychological theories posit a switch from gain orientation to loss avoidance in motivational goals. Here, we contribute to reconcile the psychological and neural perspectives by providing evidence that frontopolar cortex (FPC), a brain region involved in cost-benefit weighting, increasingly underpins effort avoidance rather than engagement with age. Using anodal transcranial direct current stimulation together with effort-reward trade-offs, we find that the FPC’s function in effort-based decisions remains focused on cost-benefit calculations but appears to switch from reward seeking to cost avoidance with increasing age. This is further evidenced by exploratory, independent analysis of structural brain changes, showing that the relationship between the density of frontopolar neural tissue and willingness to exert effort differs in young versus older adults. Our results inform aging-related models of decision making by providing preliminary evidence that, in addition to cortical thinning, changes in goal orientation need to be considered in order to understand alterations in decision making over the lifespan.

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EFFECTS OF FUNCTIONAL BRAIN NETWORKS AND WHITE MATTER DISEASE ON MOBILITY OF OLDER ADULTS IN AN EXERCISE INTERVENTION

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3132 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S851-S852

Author(s):

Blake R Neyland ◽

Robert Kraft ◽

Mary Lyles ◽

Stephen Kritchevsky ◽

Paul J Laurienti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

White Matter ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Brain Networks ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Brain Network ◽

White Matter Disease ◽

Before And After ◽

Functional Brain Networks ◽

Brain Network Connectivity

Abstract Declining mobility is associated with increased accumulation of white matter hyperintensities (WMH). However, a high WMH burden is not always accompanied by impaired mobility. Our previous work demonstrates that some variance in mobility may be explained by brain network connectivity. Here, we extended this work by measuring WMHs and brain networks in older adults participating in a lifestyle intervention. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were collected before and after a 5-month caloric restriction plus aerobic exercise intervention in 57 obese, sedentary adults aged 65-78. Participants were categorized based on median splits of baseline SPPB scores and WMH burden: Expected Healthy (EH: low WMH, SPPB≥11, n=16), Expected Impaired (EI: high WMH, SPPB≤10, n=17), Unexpected Healthy (UH: high WMH, SPPB≥11, n=12), and Unexpected Impaired (UI: low WMH, SPPB≤10, n=12). Graph theory-based methods were used to characterize brain networks and compare the four groups. At baseline, the somatomotor cortex community structure (SMC-CS) was less consistent in EI (p=0.05) and UI (p=0.23) compared to EH. The EI (mean=1.25, p=0.003) and UI (mean=1.57, p=0.001) significantly improved their SPPB scores following the intervention. Although both groups had equivalent SPPB scores, SMC-CS was less consistent in the UH than EH (p=0.16). However, UH displayed a significant (p=0.004) increase in second-order connections to the precuneus compared to EH. These data suggest that studying brain networks could improve the understanding of the development of mobility disability and the CNS contributions to mobility independent of white matter disease.

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Tailored Music Listening to Improve Sleep in Older Adults With Dementia: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.901 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 235-235

Author(s):

Nalaka Gooneratne ◽

Joke Bradt ◽

Miranda Varrasse McPhillips ◽

Ime Etokebe ◽

Laura Gitlin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Clinical Trial ◽

Mobile Application ◽

Sleep Disturbances ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Music Listening ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Feasibility Rct

Abstract Sleep disturbances in persons living with dementia (PLWD) contribute to reduced well-being. Music has shown promise to improve sleep among older adults, but there is limited evidence of music interventions improving sleep specifically in PLWD. The purpose of this wait-list RCT was to examine the i) feasibility; ii) acceptability and iii) preliminary efficacy of tailored music listening intervention in community-dwelling PLWD and their caregivers (dyads). Thirty consented dyads out of 33 (91%) completed the RCT. Tailored music for sleep was feasible based on screening (26%), enrollment (89%), and recruitment (3 dyads/month) rates. The intervention was found acceptable, as evidenced by post-intervention interviews. Compared to controls, PLWD in the intervention group reported greater global sleep quality improvement post-intervention (PSQI mean change -0.08 vs -1.65; p=0.06). The results from this feasibility RCT have informed the development of a music mobile application that will be tested in a future clinical trial.

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Sex differences in age- and episodic memory-related effects on task-based functional connectivity

10.1101/2021.07.27.453878 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sivaniya Subramaniapillai ◽

Sricharana Rajagopal ◽

Elizabeth Ankudowich ◽

Stamatoula Pasvanis ◽

Bratislav Misic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Network Connectivity ◽

Brain Network ◽

Cognitive Networks ◽

Advanced Age ◽

Memory Decline ◽

Face Location

Healthy aging is associated with episodic memory decline. However, little is known about sex differences in the effect of normative aging on memory-related brain network dynamics. Here, we used a data-driven multivariate partial least squares (PLS) connectivity analysis to identify similarities and differences in the effect of biological sex on age- and memory-related differences in task-based fMRI connectivity during encoding and retrieval of face-location associations (spatial context memory). Aging was associated with episodic memory decline in both sexes, but there were no significant sex or sex-by-age interactions in memory performance. The connectivity results show that men exhibited greater between-network connectivity with advanced age, which was detrimental to memory performance. Women exhibited reduced connectivity between visual and higher order cognitive networks with advanced age, which was detrimental to memory performance. Therefore, there are sex differences in the effect of age on episodic memory-related connectivity.

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