The function of timbre in the perception of affective intentions: Effect of enculturation in different musical traditions.

Timbre has been identified as a potential component in the communication of affect in music. Although its function as a carrier of perceptually useful information about sound source mechanics has been established, less is understood about whether and how it functions as a carrier of information for communicating affect in music. To investigate these issues, listeners trained in Chinese and Western musical traditions were presented with Phrases, Measures, and Notes of recorded excerpts interpreted with a variety of affective intentions by performers on instruments from the two cultures.

Null effect of perceived drum pattern complexity on the experience of groove.

There is a broad consensus in groove research that the experience of groove, understood as a pleasurable urge to move in response to music, is to some extent related to the complexity of the rhythm. Specifically, music with medium rhythmic complexity has been found to motivate greater urge to move compared to low or high complexity music (inverted-U hypothesis). Studies that confirmed the inverted-U hypothesis usually based their measure of complexity on the rhythmic phenomenon of syncopation, where rhythms with more and/or stronger syncopation are considered to be more complex than less syncopated rhythms.

Euterpe music therapy methodology and procedure algorithms.

Introduction: As highlighted by the scientific literature, music therapy (MT) represents a significant non-pharmacological intervention within neurorehabilitation programs. MT offers benefits in the recovery process and enhances the quality of life for patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. A review of the literature reveals a lack of MT models focusing on real-time personalized composition using electronic music techniques.

Neural Dynamics of Creative Movements During the Rehearsal and Performance of "LiveWire".

This report contains a description of physiological and motion data, recorded simultaneously and in synchrony using the hyperscanning method from two professional dancers using wireless mobile brain-body imaging (MoBI) technology during rehearsals and public performances of "LiveWire" - a new composition comprised of five choreographed music and dance sections inspired by neuroscience principles. Brain and ocular activity were measured using 28-channel scalp electroencephalography (EEG), and 4-channel electrooculography (EOG), respectively; and head motion was recorded using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed on the forehead of each dancer. Video recordings were obtained for each session to allow for tagging of physiological and motion signals and for behavioral analysis.

Understanding the success factors of MOOCs' retention intention: A Necessary Condition Analysis.

This paper seeks to explore the influence of success factors, specifically motivation and course quality, on MOOC retention intention. Going beyond a mere examination of these motivational and quality factors, the study investigates students' motivation, considering needs, interests, course system, content, and service quality. Methodologically, a questionnaire survey was conducted, collecting data from 311 students enrolled in online courses.

Identifying and ranking causal association between gut microbiota and neuroticism.

Background: Recent studies had explored that gut microbiota was associated with personality traits through the gut-brain axis. Nevertheless, the fundamental causality remained obscure.

Methods: Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to investigate the causal relationship between gut microbiota, metabolites and neuroticism-related traits.

Toddlers' sensitivity to segmental and suprasegmental mispronunciations of familiar words.

Recent research has shown that children as young as 19 months demonstrate graded sensitivity to mispronunciations in consonant onsets and vowels in word recognition tasks. This is evident in their progressively diminishing attention to relevant objects (e.g.

Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders among Chinese conservatoire piano students: prevalence, risk factors and preventive interventions.

Introduction: Both professional musicians and conservatoire students are at significant risk of developing playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) during their career life. With the growing number of students pursuing a conservatory degree and graduating from music conservatory in China, the aims of this study were: (1) to identify the nature of PRMD and explore the prevalence of PRMD in Chinese conservatoire students; (2) to determine the relevant risk factors with the presence of PRMD among Chinese conservatoire students; and (3) to suggest preventive interventions for young pianists at their early career stage.

Methods: A self-reported online survey study was conducted among 363 Chinese conservatoire students who majored in piano performance.

A Feasibility Study of a Music Enrichment Program on Relative Reinforcing Value of Food and Home Environmental Enrichment among Families of Low Socioeconomic Status.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that low socioeconomic status (SES) home environments may play a role by promoting excess energy intake through a lack of access to non-food reinforcers. Because of the deleterious effects of SES-related disparities on child health and development, feasible and culturally acceptable interventions are urgently needed. Community-based music enrichment programs may be an ideal intervention strategy.

Improving motorcyclist safety through hearing in all directions: survey results concerning a novel protective helmet with earpieces.

Background: Every year over 200,000 motorcyclists are killed globally. One poorly understood risk factor for motorcycle crashes is the role of motorcyclists' ability to hear traffic and other sounds around them in all directions. Most motorcycle helmets protect the head and permit vision in the forward direction, but they impair the wearer's ability to hear.

Comparative Study of Two Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Protocols: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Introduction: Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTEs) are widely used as a therapeutic tool to create flow resistance in the upper airway. The current study was a randomized controlled clinical trial to establish the efficacy of two SOVTE protocols, flow-resistant tube (FRT) and Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy (LMRVT). Exploratory investigations included a noninferiority analysis of FRT to the widely adopted therapy protocol (LMRVT), as well as examining the dosing required to improve acoustic measures and subjective ratings.

Intelligent Dance Motion Evaluation: An Evaluation Method Based on Keyframe Acquisition According to Musical Beat Features.

Motion perception is crucial in competitive sports like dance, basketball, and diving. However, evaluations in these sports heavily rely on professionals, posing two main challenges: subjective assessments are uncertain and can be influenced by experience, making it hard to guarantee timeliness and accuracy, and increasing labor costs with multi-expert voting. While video analysis methods have alleviated some pressure, challenges remain in extracting key points/frames from videos and constructing a suitable, quantifiable evaluation method that aligns with the static-dynamic nature of movements for accurate assessment.

Timbral cues underlie instrument-specific absolute pitch in expert oboists.

While absolute pitch (AP)-the ability to identify musical pitches without external reference-is rare even in professional musicians, anecdotal evidence and case-report data suggest that some musicians without traditional AP can nonetheless better name notes played on their musical instrument of expertise than notes played on instruments less familiar to them. We have called this gain in AP ability "instrument-specific absolute pitch" (ISAP). Here, we report the results of the first two experiments designed to investigate ISAP in professional oboists.

Musical Sophistication and Multilingualism: Effects on Arcuate Fasciculus Characteristics.

The processing of auditory stimuli which are structured in time is thought to involve the arcuate fasciculus, the white matter tract which connects the temporal cortex and the inferior frontal gyrus. Research has indicated effects of both musical and language experience on the structural characteristics of the arcuate fasciculus. Here, we investigated in a sample of n = 84 young adults whether continuous conceptualizations of musical and multilingual experience related to structural characteristics of the arcuate fasciculus, measured using diffusion tensor imaging.

The efficacy of picture vs. word danger cues in reducing imitation of dangerous actions in children.

Introduction: Children are naturally curious and often have limited self-control, leading them to imitate both safe and dangerous actions. This study aimed to investigate whether dangerous cues could effectively inhibit children's imitation of hazardous behaviors and to compare the effectiveness of picture cues versus word cues in reducing this imitation.

Methods: Seventy-six children were divided into two groups: one group received picture cues, and the other received word cues.

Prevalence of Painful Temporomandibular Disorder Symptoms Among Professional and Student Musicians: An Online Survey.

Background: Within the fields of medicine and music, increasing attention is given to evidence indicating music performance being an occupational risk factor for temporo-mandibular disorders (TMD).

Objectives: Assessment of self-reported painful TMD symptoms among student and professional musicians.

Methods: Using Survey Monkey software, the German version of the 'TMD-Pain-Screener' was distributed electronically to professional and student musicians in Europe.

Music therapy in hemodialysis patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) face significant challenges; however, non-pharmaceutical interventions hold potential for enhancing their quality of life. This paper evaluates the effects of music therapy on various mental and physiological outcomes in patients undergoing HD.

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

Effects of mindfulness-based music listening on conflict control in young adults with insomnia disorder: behavioral and event-related potential evidence.

Introduction: Insomnia Disorder (ID) has become the second most prevalent mental disorder, with significant negative effects on daytime cognitive functions. Previous studies suggested that mindfulness-based music listening (MBML) can effectively improve conflict control and attentional processing in healthy adults. However, the behavioral and neurophysiological characteristics of MBML in young adults with ID remain unclear.

Preschool musicality is associated with school-age communication abilities through genes related to rhythmicity.

Early-life musical engagement is an understudied but developmentally important and heritable precursor of later (social) communication and language abilities. This study aims to uncover the aetiological mechanisms linking musical to communication abilities. We derived polygenic scores (PGS) for self-reported beat synchronisation abilities (PGS) in children (N≤6,737) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and tested their association with preschool musical (0.

Feasibility and acceptability of a group music creativity intervention for adults with varying cognitive function.

Maintaining healthy cognitive functioning and delaying cognitive decline in cognitively intact and cognitive impaired adults are major research initiatives for addressing dementia disease burden. Music interventions are promising, non-pharmaceutical treatment options for preserving cognitive function and psychological health in older adults with varying levels of cognitive function. While passive, music interventions have attracted considerable attention in the abnormal cognitive aging literature, active, music interventions such as music creativity are less well-studied.

Impact of music learning on students' psychological development with mediating role of self-efficacy and self-esteem.

Professionals and academics have recently placed a greater emphasis on comprehending the elements that go into improving students' psychological wellbeing. Students frequently face major obstacles as a result of the rigorous nature of academic life, which can result in problems like tension, depression and other psychological health concerns. These complications have a long-lasting influence on their future aspirations in addition to affecting their academic achievement.

Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Coordinates Contextual Mental Imagery for Single-Beat Manipulation during Rhythmic Sensorimotor Synchronization.

Flexible pulse-by-pulse regulation of sensorimotor synchronization is crucial for voluntarily showing rhythmic behaviors synchronously with external cueing; however, the underpinning neurophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized that the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) plays a key role by coordinating both proactive and reactive motor outcomes based on contextual mental imagery. To test our hypothesis, a missing-oddball task in finger-tapping paradigms was conducted in 33 healthy young volunteers.