Live music stimulates the affective brain and emotionally entrains listeners in real time

The Use of Neurologic Music Therapy in Post-Stroke Aphasia Recovery: A Case Report on Linguistic Improvements and fMRI Correlates

Background and Objectives: Post-stroke aphasia (PSA) severely limits communication and quality of life. This case study explores the impact of an integrated Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) approach, combining Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) and Therapeutic Singing (TS), on language recovery and brain reorganization in a 59-year-old woman with non-fluent motor aphasia following an ischemic stroke. Methods: Over 8 weeks, the patient underwent 24 sessions of MIT alongside standard speech therapy. Language abilities were assessed using the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised, while fMRI scans captured neurophysiological changes pre- and post-intervention. Results: The results showed significant language improvements: spontaneous speech increased by 68.9%, auditory comprehension by 30.8%, and naming by 83.3%. The Aphasia Quotient rose from 39.3 to 61.4, marking a shift from severe to moderate aphasia. Neuroimaging revealed heightened activation in both hemispheres, especially in the superior frontal and parietal regions, supplementary motor area, and superior temporal gyrus. Increased engagement of the limbic system, particularly the paracingulate gyrus, pointed to emotional involvement and widespread cortical reorganization. Conclusions: These findings highlight the effectiveness of integrating MIT and TS with emotionally meaningful music, supporting language recovery and neural plasticity in PSA.

Sound quality impacts dogs' ability to recognize and respond to playback words

Humans show a remarkable ability to recognize degraded speech, but they struggle as degradation becomes more severe. Research on dogs, a species naturally exposed to human language, has suggested that also in this species, the level of degradation may negatively correlate with familiar speech recognition. The quality of sound playback equipment is crucial in canine research to ensure accurate reproduction, directly impacting dogs' receptivity. In citizen science, availability, operability, and affordability are also key. However, the varying level of sound degradation of commercially available devices may impact dogs' recognition of the played-back sounds. This study evaluates how different audio devices affect the response to human speech in dogs. Study 1 tested dogs' responses to trained verbal action cues delivered via Augmentative Interspecies Communication (AIC) buttons, loudspeakers, and direct human speech. Study 2 tested Gifted Word Learner (GWL) dogs' accuracy in retrieving named toys using the same devices. Study 3 investigated whether GWL dogs could learn new toy names through recorded voice played via loudspeakers and generalize these to direct human speech. Results consistently showed that dogs' responses to verbal cues were significantly affected by the device type, with the best performance observed for direct human speech and the lowest performance for AIC buttons. Our findings show that the level of sound degradation significantly affects dogs' recognition of recorded speech and suggest that current commercially available AIC devices are not recommended for testing effective recognition of the recorded words.

From Lab to Concert Hall: Effects of Live Performance on Neural Entrainment and Engagement

Neural entrainment to acoustic rhythms underlies intelligibility in speech as well as sensorimotor responses to music. This property of neural dynamics, where cortical oscillations align in phase and frequency with a periodic stimulus, is well-studied in the context of sensory encoding and perception. However, little is known about how affective components in naturalistic music influence neural entrainment. The present study investigates the effect of live versus recorded music on neural entrainment and tracking using phase-based and linear modeling approaches. 21 participants listened to 2 live and 2 recorded performances of fast and slow movements of solo violin while their EEG data were collected with a mobile system. Participants made behavioral ratings of engagement, spontaneity, pleasure, investment, focus, and distraction after each trial. Live performances were rated as more engaging, pleasurable, and spontaneous than recorded performances. Live trials showed significantly higher acoustic-EEG phase-locking than recorded trials in the frequency range associated with the note-rate of the fast excerpts. Furthermore, the effect of liveness on phase-locking was strongest in individuals who reported the greatest increases in pleasure and engagement for live over recorded trials. Finally, forward linear mapping revealed stronger neural tracking of spectral over amplitude-related acoustic features and a sensitivity to tempo in neural tracking. Altogether, results suggest that experiencing music live strengthens cerebro-acoustic relationships by enhancing rhythmically-driven neural entrainment alongside perceived pleasure and engagement.

Significance Statement

Neural oscillations entrain to rhythms in naturalistic acoustic stimuli, including speech and music. The rhythmic structure of music impacts the timescale of neural entrainment and facilitates the pleasurable urge to move with music, but less is known about how the live experience of music affects neural entrainment. Here, we measure phase-locking and neural tracking between listeners' EEG activity and naturalistic acoustics during live and recorded solo violin performances, demonstrating that neural-acoustic interactions are driven by musical rhythms and strengthened by the perception of liveness. Together, the study provides insight into neural mechanisms underlying the pleasure of live music, suggesting that the social and affective experience of liveness alters the strength of neural entrainment.

Music in the loop: a systematic review of current neurofeedback methodologies using music

Music, a universal element in human societies, possesses a profound ability to evoke emotions and influence mood. This systematic review explores the utilization of music to allow self-control of brain activity and its implications in clinical neuroscience. Focusing on music-based neurofeedback studies, it explores methodological aspects and findings to propose future directions. Three key questions are addressed: the rationale behind using music as a stimulus, its integration into the feedback loop, and the outcomes of such interventions. While studies emphasize the emotional link between music and brain activity, mechanistic explanations are lacking. Additionally, there is no consensus on the imaging or behavioral measures of neurofeedback success. The review suggests considering whole-brain neural correlates of music stimuli and their interaction with target brain networks and reward mechanisms when designing music-neurofeedback studies. Ultimately, this review aims to serve as a valuable resource for researchers, facilitating a deeper understanding of music's role in neurofeedback and guiding future investigations.

Effect of Implementing Guided Music Management Strategies on the Psychological State of College Students of Science and Technology During Their Graduation Reply

PURPOSE

To study the effect of guided music management strategies on the psychological state of college students of science and technology during their graduation reply.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on the relevant data of 107 college students of science and technology who underwent graduation defense in 2022. These students returned to school 1 week before their graduation reply. On the basis of whether they received guided music management strategies, the students were divided into a control group (no management strategy) and an observation group (received guided music management strategies). Among the students, 50 were included in the observation group after excluding two who did not meet the inclusion criteria. A total of 53 students were included in the control group after excluding 2 who did not meet the inclusion criteria. General demographic information and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Test Anxiety Scale (TAS) and Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) scores were collected.

RESULTS

No significant differences in SAS, TAS and CPSS scores were found between the two groups before management (P > 0.05). After management, the SAS score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The TAS and CPSS scores of the observation group after management were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Implementing guided music management strategies can effectively alleviate anxiety and stress in college students of science and technology during their graduation reply and has a certain utility and promotion value.

Effects of Music Therapy in the Context of Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment (PERMA) on Negative Emotions in Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Depression

OBJECTIVE

This study explores the effects of music therapy under the framework of positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment (PERMA) on the negative emotions and quality of life (QOL) in patients with digestive diseases and mild-to-moderate depression in a general hospital.

METHODS

From January 2020 to December 2021, 192 digestive diseases patients with mild-to-moderate depression who met the inclusion criteria were retrospectively analyzed and divided into the control group (routine nursing, n = 90) and the observation group (music therapy under PERMA, n = 102). Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), General Well-being Scale, and a 36-item short-form health survey were used to evaluate the negative emotions and QOL of patients. SPSS 25.0 was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

At baseline, the general data and the type of digestive disease of the two groups were similar, and no significant difference was noted in the HAMA and HAMD-17 scores (P > 0.05). After 2 weeks of treatment, the HAMA and HAMD-17 scores of the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). In terms of subjective well-being and QOL, the scores of the four dimensions of "satisfaction and interest in life," "melancholy and cheerful mood," "control of emotional behavior" and "relaxation and tension" in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). In the dimension of "body pain" of QOL, the score of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Among patients in a general hospital with digestive diseases and mild-to-moderate depression, music therapy under the framework of PERMA shows significant positive effects in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms and improving subjective well-being and specific QOL dimensions.