Human neurons are extraordinarily sensitive to changes in pitch

Reference: Fritz, S. (2008). Why dogs don’t enjoy music: Human neurons are extraordinarily sensitive to changes in pitch. Scientific American: Mind, 19(5), 15.

Review: This particular article is succinct and full of information. It discusses human neurons and how extraordinarily sensitive they are to changes in pitch. It then compares humans to other mammals. Researchers have, and continue to find it strange that humans can distinguish between the musical tones in a scale. Izhak Fried of U.C.L.A. and his colleagues were able to study the auditory cortex in great detail when working with epileptic patients who had electrodes implanted in their brain to pinpoint the source of their seizures. “The study revealed that groups of exquisitely sensitive neurons exist along the auditory nerve on its way from the ear to the auditory cortex. In these neurons natural sounds, such as the human voice, elicit a completely different and far more complex set of responses than do artificial noises such as pure tones.” This means that humans can detect frequencies easier than other mammals, in fact, humans can detect frequencies as fine as one twelfth of an octave. What can we do with this information? The researchers main question is why is this the case? As far as we know, bats are the only mammal with better ability to hear changes in pitch than humans. Dogs and other mammals are not nearly as sensitive suggesting that fine discrimination of sounds is not necessary for survival. Researchers speculate that humans use their “fine hearing to facilitate working memory and learning capabilities, but more research is needed to explore this puzzle.” 

 

Reflection: I found this article really neat, merely for content. I find it really strange that humans can distinguish between sounds so easily. Thinking of a previous blog I wrote on the article Monkeys Hear Voices, I found it strange to learn that macaques can resolve only half an octave. I would have thought it would be more, since macaques can distinguish human voices. It will be fascinating to read more on this research as it continues to develop. I wonder if there are other reasons why humans can distinguish between different pitches. Perhaps it is because we are so advanced in our use of vocalizations? 

Questions that Motivate Music Cognition Researchers

The Field of Music Cognition. Ohio State University. 24 November 2008.
(see link below)

Review:
This page is an offshoot of the Ohio State University's main page on the field of music cognition. It is meant to summarize the questions of the field for the sake of potential students or other interested parties seeking an introduction to music cognition. This page is literally a list of questions. At the top of the page there is a very short disclaimer that helps to nuance the forthcoming list, stating that some have been incompletely answered, some are unanswerable, and some may be outright inappropriate for other reasons. The page also includes a link to recommended reading. The questions are organized into categories, as follows: Musical Origins and Musical Character, Musical Skill and Musical Intelligence, Musical Pleasure and Preference, Musical Development, Musical Organization, Music and Memory, Music and Emotion, Music Performance and Improvisation, Music's Influences, Music, Brain and Body, Music, Environment and Culture, and Modeling Music Cognition.

Response:
I appreciate the disclaimer at the top of the page; it shows sensitivity to the implications of this research. These questions would have been very useful at the beginning of the term, to help us get started considering possible research questions for this course. It may still be a good resource for us to formulate our final papers. Sometimes what seem like basic questions are the most clarifying place to start. I, myself, question some of the categorizations of these questions. For example, the origins and character of music don't intuitively fit together in my mind. Also, the question, "What makes us hate some songs?" seems to fit equally into both the 'Music, Pleasure and Preference' heading and the 'Music and Emotion'. To what extent can pleasure and emotion be conflated. In any case, it is indeed these questions, these points of interest, that drive us in our scholarship of these areas. I am interested in the way that questions of culture pertaining to music are often allocated to considerations of the 'origins' of music. I did find the questions for 'Music, Environment and Culture' somewhat weak in terms of directly linking music to the brain, but this may be because I can't anticipate these connections the way a cognitive scientist would.

Questions that Motivate Music Cognition Researchers

The Roots of Creativity

Reference: Minkel, J. (2008). The roots of creativity. Scientific American: Mind, 19(3), 8.

Review: This article looking at jazz musicians and improvisation is quite short but interesting. It discusses a recent study conducted by the researchers at the National Institute of Health. The study asked six professional jazz musicians to memorize in a few days a new piece of music they had never seen before. The musicians then played the score plus an improvisation in the same key while an MRI machine scanned their brain. Results showed that the improvisation passages elicited stronger activity in the “medial prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain active in autobiographical storytelling, among other varieties of self-expression.” These results support the altered state notion, as “activity dipped in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (an area linked to planning and self-censorship), which, the researchers point out, is similar to what happens during dreams.” The researchers say that the same patterns may show in all kinds of improvisation, whether solving a problem or “rifting on a topic of interest.”

Reflection: I found this article quite interesting. As a musician we are faced with the challenge of improvising almost everyday in our practice at home. Singers create and add ornaments to pieces and pianists develop new warm-ups to give a couple of examples. It makes sense that improvising uses the same area of the brain as dreaming. If you think about improvisation, while playing, your performance can get stuck and lose flow. It’s only when the mind is free, and able to play, that one can truly improvise to their full potential. So often teachers ask students to improvise in the secondary music classroom. Most students find this task daunting, thinking too much about improvising that they cannot achieve this “altered-state notion.” As a teacher, one could take from this article that students must work step by step towards improvisation. Mastering every step with help until the crutch is no longer needed.

 

Brain Music Therapy

Brain Music Therapy by Dr. Peter DeShane

Part #1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlHzDjwdOL0
#2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-UE8xOzIwM
#3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjyttvinJEM
#4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=330xRH86KzU
#5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqGS353G07U
#6) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86GQeXoYLtY
#7) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOyTKJDUhzg
By Richard Burrows

Summary

This is a one-hour Power Point and voice-over presentation found on YouTube. A chiropractor/hypnotist named Dr. Peter DeShane has created this presentation to promote a new therapy he offers. It is called Brain Music Therapy, and works by creating a CD of music based on your neurological brainwaves. Dr. DeShane uses an EEG machine to record brainwaves. He then sends the data to New York where music is created based on your EEG results. He states, by listening to two different tracks, this music of your “neurological footprint” will entrain your brain to either slow down or speed up. This takes your brain into one of four stages of activity: delta, theta, alpha, and beta.
The first 45 minutes of this presentation is an overview of the brain. Dr. DeShane begins by explaining what brainwaves are, and compares the brain to a computer. He says the central nervous system can be compared to the central processing system of the computer. The brain has an input and output and can get bogged down with too much information.
The next slide breaks down the brain into 3 areas, the reptilian, mammalian, and the neocortex. The reptilian deals with flight, fight, feeding and reproduction. The mammalian is involved in emotion, and the neocortex is the thinking part of the brain.
Dr. DeShane states that we need to take care of our brains. In order to do so, we must feed each section. With the reptile section, we must create a safe environment by looking at how our environment is arranged and what kind of environment we are creating. One should have 7 to 8 hours of sleep and participate in physical movement to burn off adrenaline.
To feed the mammal, one needs to have supportive and nurturing relationships. They must spend time with people and make an effort to connect with them. A person should also spend time with nature. The rhythms of nature are grounding and cause your brainwaves to entrain to them. To feed the neocortex, you must actively look for new things to do. This will create new neurological pathways. You can also do old things in a new way such as, brushing your teeth with the other hand, and take time to learn new skills and engage creativity.
The next slide addressed how the brain activity is measured through EEG and what different types of brainwaves exist. Dr.DeShane talked about how the brain produces minute amounts of electrical activity and EEG records the changes in this activity. Quicker rates of change indicate beta rhythms, whereas slow activity indicates delta rhythms. Dr. DeShane stated, the more active the brain, the more active the electrical impulses. He then compares the four different types of brainwaves, delta, theta, alpha, and beta. Delta (0 and 4 Hz) is associated with sleep or brain damage. Theta (4-8Hz) is associated with daydreaming and meditation, Alpha (8-12Hz) is associated with a relaxed and focused state, and Beta (12+ Hz) is associated with a focused concentration.
Dr. DeShane discusses a symptom called Minimum Brain Dysfunction (MBD). This is an epidemic that costs the Canadian business and heathcare system $140 billion per year. Symptoms include decreased focus, decreased memory, poor sleep, fatigue and burnout. You can avoid this problem by reducing poor nutrition intake, sleep deprivation, toxicity, stress, physical damage and oxygen starvation.
Dr. DeShane postulates Brain Music Therapy (BMT) can dramatically improve MBD. Exposing the brain to music which carries it’s own specific footprint, entrainment will occur and dramatically improve your overall brain function. The treatment rewires, reteaches and retunes you brain to react differently.
The final screen discusses the procedure and cost of BMT. There are 3 appointments necessary. The first session is to record previous personal history and do the initial EEG. The data is then sent to New York where music is created based on the electrical impulses of your brainwaves. The second appointment is to give an overview of the CD and how to use it to benefit your situation. The final appointment is an optional hypnosis treatment. The entire process costs $550.00

Review

This presentation was well organized and the material was very accessible. The brain function was very clear and well described. The material seemed to focus a lot more on the brain description, instead of the actual music treatment part. The treatment section seemed more like an infomercial, focusing on selling product.

Reflection

I am quite interested in this idea of brain entrainment. I have to admit that there is a bit of skepticism, but I would be interested in seeing empirical results. I felt Dr. DeShane’s brain description was a solid ‘laymen’s’ overview, and certainly helped my understanding of brain maintenance. His analogies were useful and clearly postulated.
I was disappointed in the end, when I realized that this was a long infomercial for a product he was trying to sell. I really thought that this was an online lecture until he started talking about the “investment and incentives” for participating in BMT. I would suggest watching all segments up until #7.

High-Aptitude Minds

Reference: Hoppe, C., & Stojanovic, J. (2008). High-Aptitude Minds. Scientific American Mind: Brain, 19(4), 60-67.

Review:

            This particular article is quite fascinating. If you have the time I suggest you take a look at it! The article begins with a description of a high-aptitude mind, reviewing the IQ test scores and brain size as factors relating to giftedness. The article discusses the fact that when Albert Einstein died they sliced his brain into 240 pieces and stored them in jars for safekeeping and research. I was surprised to learn that Einstein’s parietal lobe (an area thought to be critical for visual and mathematical thinking) was 15% wider than 35 men of normal cognitive ability. “Despite the quest to unravel the roots of high IQ, researchers say that people often overestimate the significance of intellectual ability. Studies show that practice and perseverance contribute more to accomplishment than being smart does.”

            The article continues discussing different research available on giftedness and its relation to the brain. One particular aspect that is fascinating in this discussion is that academic prodigies younger than eight had a thin cerebral cortex. What makes this statement interesting is that the cerebral cortex thickened rapidly soon after so that by late childhood it was thicker than that of the less clever children.

            Within this article are sub-articles or small boxes of information that relate to the overall article. One particular box, “Right over Left,” suggests that genius areas such as math, music and art are accompanied by extensive use of the right hemisphere of the brain. Another interesting aspect was that these mathematically, musically, and artistically gifted people tended to be left-handed, and have left-hemisphere deficits such as stuttering or dyslexia.

            Another such article, “Musical Minds” discusses the biological underpinnings of musical talent. “Christian Gaser of the University of Jena in Germany and neurologist Gottfried Schlaug of Harvard Medical School also reported gray matter volume differences in motor, auditory, and visuospatial brain regions in professional keyboard players as compared with amateur musicians and nonmusicians.” Many researchers suggest that a bulk of these structural and functional brain differences result from lots of practice. 

Reflection:

            I found this article interesting because it discussed different reasons for giftedness. Although it is difficult to apply directly to the classroom, I still think this information is useful for an educator to know. Understanding how gifted children develop and what their strengths are could help teachers plan more appropriate activities for them. In addition, understanding what the strengths are of musically gifted students is important for curriculum planning as well. By knowing the strengths of these students and the set-backs one can help students improve on areas that they struggle with thus furthering their abilities. Finally, I think it is good to emphasize with students the fact that hard work and dedication do make a difference to the structural and functional brain. It is more encouraging to know that a change can be made. 

METTA Physical Therapy and Movement Medicine

Reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_cLRmWU7gw
By: Richard Burrows

Summary

This YouTube video is a promotion for a new age treatment program and website www.musclebrain.net and www.rhythmtherapy.com. This program entitled: Meditation, Exercise, Therapy, Transforms, Awareness (METTA) Physical Therapy and Movement medicine is designed to retune, and rewire your neuromuscular pathways. By studying this revolutionary technique, under the direction of Anthony “Tone” Cardenas, you learn to:

• rewire your brain - fine tune your muscles
• balance & integrate r/l brain hemispheres
• activate & re-pattern neuronal pathways
• activate millions of latent brain cells
• enhance cerebral function, mental clarity
• enhance coordination, balance, fine motor
• improve attention, concentration & focus
• awaken creativity & natural geniusness
• achieve high level sensori-motor mastery
• still the inner chatter, attain quiet mind
• relax & attain alpha wave levels quickly
• learn movement meditation
• stress management
• free up & circulate blocked energy

The technique presents the “fun”-damentals of movement medicine, conscious exercises of attention, and revolutionary movement technology through corporeal multitasking and synchronized repatterning of the brain. Corporeal multitasking is a performance of two or more geometrical movement patterns with different limbs of the body. Synchronized repatterening is the rewiring of sensory-motor and neurological pathways. Cardenas utilizes ancient movement techniques that combine tai chi, yoga, sufi dervish dance, and corporeal geometry with a unique rhythm therapy process. This technique is partially learned in a dream state, with hybrid movement technology.

Review

This video has a very average production value that presents a lot of peaceful imagery, and relaxing music. The voiceover is full of empty rhetoric, which utilizes multi-syllabic words in order to convey some type of professionalism.

Reflection

What a load of crap! I can't tell if this guy is serious or not. This footage immediately makes me think of a burned out hippy that is looking to make an extra dollar on some unfortunate person that is looking for a quick solution. I particularly enjoy all of the scientific referencing and then he concludes with “these techniques will blow your mind”. He claims if you move your limbs in opposite directions while standing on one foot, you will enhance your cerebral function, balance your hemispheres and activate brain cells. The only thing this activity will do is give you lower back pain from standing on one foot for too long and possibly help with coordination. I think chewing gum and walking does the same. He also states this activity will awaken the genius in you. Apparently this didn’t work for him.
Overall, I think this video was more enjoyable to watch from an entertainment perspective. His shares no prove of evidence that these techniques work, other then simply stating it does.

I just found an example of his techniques in practice. This is a must see... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMHI761On5g

Monkeys Hear Voices

Reference: Belin, Pascal. (2008). Monkey’s Hear Voices. Scientific American Mind: Brain, 19(4), 14-15.

Review: 

This particular article discusses new research suggesting that a brain area devoted to processing voices is not as uniquely human as previously thought. Most species use vocalizations to communicate with each other. However, humans are the only species in which these vocalizations have reached the effective method of communication: speech. The researchers asked questions such as, “How did our ancestors become the only speaking animals, some tens of thousands of years ago? Did this change happen abruptly, involving the sudden appearance of a new cerebral region or pattern of cerebral connections?” These are interesting questions that the researchers began to explore in this article.

Researchers think they may have found the missing link between the brain of vocalizing nonhuman species and the human brain. This suggests that there is evidence of a cerebral region that is specialized for processing voice in humans that also exists in rhesus macaques. “Neuroscientist Christopher I. Petkov of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tubingen, Germany, and his colleagues used functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the macaque brain.” The monkeys listened to different natural sounds, including macaque vocalizations. The researchers found a “discrete region of the anterior temporal lobe in which activity was greater for macaque vocalizations than for other sound categories.” Another phenomenon observed was that the macaques showed “neuronal adaptation,” recognizing different calls coming from the same individual.

Reflection: 

This is quite fascinating research as we are beginning to realize that the voice area in the human brain is not unique to our species. As the article states, this could also mean that the voice area has a long evolutionary history in both humans and macaques. It is also neat that Petkov and his colleagues have actually located a cerebral location for these abilities. Another fascinating aspect of this research is that the “identity-specific neuronal adaptation was observed only in the right hemisphere of the macaque brain, exactly as in the human studies.” This points to the fact that the right hemisphere played the main role in how speech appeared in our ancestry. This is also quite exciting research as humans and macaques can be studied and compared to one another using similar methodologies.