Relating movement recurrence and expressive timing patterns in music performances.

In this study the movement patterns of ten expert musicians are quantitatively related to expressive timing patterns and the music structure during performances. The hypothesis is that ancillary gestures recurrently employed are closely related to expressive intentions, and that the expressive content imposed in key musical passages is thus reflected in the patterns of gestural recurrence. A movement and an audio analysis of 30 clarinet performances of a Brahms' excerpt are compared. Results show direct correlations between the recurrence pattern of clarinetists' ancillary movements and expressive bar duration manipulations employed by them, associated with melodic phrasing and harmonic transitions.

Visual memory in musicians and non-musicians.

Many investigations have reported structural, functional, and cognitive changes in the brains of musicians, which occur as a result of many years of musical practice. We aimed to investigate if intensive, long-term musical practice is associated with improved visual memory ability. Musicians and non-musicians, who were comparable in age, gender, and education, were submitted to a visual memory test. The test consisted of the presentation of four sets of stimuli, each one containing eight figures to be memorized. Each set was followed by individual figures and the subject was required to indicate if each figure was or was not present in the memorized set, by pressing the corresponding keys. We divided the test in two parts, in which the stimuli had greater or reduced semantic coding. Overall, musicians showed better performance on reaction times, but not on accuracy. An additional analysis revealed no significant interaction between group and any part of the test in the prediction of the outcomes. When simple reaction time was included as covariate, no significant difference between groups was found on reaction times. In the group of musicians, we found some significant correlations between variables related to musical practice and performance in the visual memory test. In summary, our data provide no evidence of enhanced visual memory ability in musicians, since there was no difference in accuracy between groups. Our results suggest that performance of musicians in the visual memory test may be associated with better sensorimotor integration, since although they have presented shorter reaction times, such effect disappeared when taken in consideration the simple reaction time test. However, given existing evidence of associations between simple reaction time and cognitive function, their performance in the visual memory test could also be related to enhanced visual attention ability, as has been suggested by previous studies, but this hypothesis deserves more investigation.

Long-term musical training may improve different forms of visual attention ability.

Many studies have suggested that structural and functional cerebral neuroplastic processes result from long-term musical training, which in turn may produce cognitive differences between musicians and non-musicians. We aimed to investigate whether intensive, long-term musical practice is associated with improvements in three different forms of visual attention ability: selective, divided and sustained attention. Musicians from symphony orchestras (n=38) and non-musicians (n=38), who were comparable in age, gender and education, were submitted to three neuropsychological tests, measuring reaction time and accuracy. Musicians showed better performance relative to non-musicians on four variables of the three visual attention tests, and such an advantage could not solely be explained by better sensorimotor integration. Moreover, in the group of musicians, significant correlations were observed between the age at the commencement of musical studies and reaction time in all visual attention tests. The results suggest that musicians present augmented ability in different forms of visual attention, thus illustrating the possible cognitive benefits of long-term musical training.

Musical training, neuroplasticity and cognition / Treinamento musical, neuroplasticidade e cognição

The influence of music on the human brain has been recently investigated in numerous studies. Several investigations have shown that structural and functional cerebral neuroplastic processes emerge as a result of long-term musical training, which in turn may produce cognitive differences between musicians and non-musicians. Musicians can be considered ideal cases for studies on brain adaptation, due to their unique and intensive training experiences. This article presents a review of recent findings showing positive effects of musical training on non-musical cognitive abilities, which probably reflect plastic changes in brains of musicians.

A influência da música no cérebro humano tem sido alvo de vários estudos nos últimos anos. Muitos trabalhos têm demonstrado que processos neuroplásticos estruturais e funcionais surgem no cérebro como resultado de treinamento musical prolongado, os quais podem produzir diferenças cognitivas entre músicos e não-músicos. Os músicos podem ser considerados como casos ideais para investigações relacionadas à adaptação cerebral, devido às suas experiências únicas e intensivas de treinamento. Este artigo apresenta uma revisão das recentes descobertas que mostram efeitos positivos do treinamento musical em capacidades cognitivas não-musicais, o que poderia refletir a ocorrência de alterações plásticas nos cérebros de músicos.

Tradução e validação de conteúdo de uma bateria de testes para avaliação de amusia / Translation and content validation of a battery of tests to evaluate amusia

Este estudo objetivou realizar a adaptação cultural da Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia - MBEA, que se constitui em uma bateria de testes que avalia funções musicais, visando sua adaptação para a população de adolescentes brasileiros. Foram realizadas três etapas: equivalência conceitual, equivalência de itens e equivalência semântica. Participaram deste estudo 20 juízes não-especialistas e 6 juízes especialistas, responsáveis por avaliar os itens da MBEA e seus construtos. Na análise de conteúdo, obtiveram-se altos índices de concordância entre os juízes, exceto para os construtos escala e intervalo. Pelos grupos focais, observou-se que os adolescentes associaram os itens à música erudita, mas isto não afetou sua compreensão do teste. Quanto à equivalência cultural, 70 por cento dos itens apresentaram altos índices de concordância entre juízes. Na equivalência semântica não se apresentaram diferenças significativas entre as retraduções e a versão original. Concluiu-se ser adequado manter os itens originais do teste, pois, além de compreensíveis para a população-alvo, são compostos dentro do sistema tonal ocidental, o qual é utilizado em ambas as culturas.

This study aimed to perform a cultural adaptation of the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia - MBEA, which constitutes a battery of tests that evaluates musical functions, in order to adapt them to the population of Brazilian adolescents. Research was conducted in three stages: conceptual equivalence, items equivalence and semantic equivalence. The study included 20 non-expert judges and 6 expert judges, responsible for assessing the items of MBEA and their constructs. In the analysis of content, there were high rates of agreement among the judges, except for the constructs of scale and intervals. Considering focus groups, it was observed that adolescents associated the items with classical music, but this did not affect their understanding of the test. Concerning cultural equivalence, 70 percent of the items had high rates of agreement among judges. Regarding semantic equivalence, there were no significant differences between the back translation and the original version. We conclude to be appropriate to maintain the original items of the test because, in addition to being comprehensible to the target population, they are made within the Western tonal system, which is used in both cultures.

Musical training, neuroplasticity and cognition.

The influence of music on the human brain has been recently investigated in numerous studies. Several investigations have shown that structural and functional cerebral neuroplastic processes emerge as a result of long-term musical training, which in turn may produce cognitive differences between musicians and non-musicians. Musicians can be considered ideal cases for studies on brain adaptation, due to their unique and intensive training experiences. This article presents a review of recent findings showing positive effects of musical training on non-musical cognitive abilities, which probably reflect plastic changes in brains of musicians.

A influência da música no cérebro humano tem sido alvo de vários estudos nos últimos anos. Muitos trabalhos têm demonstrado que processos neuroplásticos estruturais e funcionais surgem no cérebro como resultado de treinamento musical prolongado, os quais podem produzir diferenças cognitivas entre músicos e não-músicos. Os músicos podem ser considerados como casos ideais para investigações relacionadas à adaptação cerebral, devido às suas experiências únicas e intensivas de treinamento. Este artigo apresenta uma revisão das recentes descobertas que mostram efeitos positivos do treinamento musical em capacidades cognitivas não-musicais, o que poderia refletir a ocorrência de alterações plásticas nos cérebros de músicos.