Music and the social brain
In this thesis we investigated the neurobiological foundations of musicality in dementia and its relationship with socia l cognition, focusing on behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The first part examines heari ng function, given its importance for musicality and its role as a ri sk factor for dementia. We found that age-related hearing loss was li nked to cognitive decline and, in younger-old adults, to amyloid path ology—suggesting age-specific mechanisms connecting hearing-loss to dementia. Next, a case study showed that neurodegeneration can alter auditory experiences. In the second part we examined clinical and an atomical associations of musicality and social cognition. Using a met a-analytic approach, we found that brain regions involved in music pe rception overlap with those for social cognition and atrophy profiles in frontotemporal dementia, particularly within the salience, semant ic appraisal, and ventral language network. We found that many bvFTD patients showed changes in music appreciation, especially musicophili a. Musical training and regular listening were associated with better social functioning in bvFTD, including improved perspective-taking, empathy and fewer behavioural problems. Next, we used validated music ality metrics and found impairments in tempo recognition and music em otion recognition in bvFTD, but not in AD. We found that brain region s involved in musicality overlapped with those for social cognition. Finally, using functional MRI we showed that bvFTD and AD patients pr ocess music differently, with altered activity in regions such as the supplementary motor area and caudate nucleus. Overall, our findings suggest that musicality and music processing differ in bvFTD and AD, and that music may be a valuable tool for understanding and assessing social cognition in dementia.
More information on the thes is
DESCRIPTION: Music and the social brain In this thesis we investigated the neurobiological foundations of musicality in dementia and its re lationship with social cognition, focusing on behavioural variant fro ntotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The firs t part examines hearing function, given its importance for musicality and its role as a risk factor for dementia. We found that age-relate d hearing loss was linked to cognitive decline and, in younger-old ad ults, to amyloid pathology—suggesting age-specific mechanisms conne cting hearing-loss to dementia. Next, a case study showed that neurod egeneration can alter auditory experiences. In the second part we exa mined clinical and anatomical associations of musicality and social c ognition. Using a meta-analytic approach, we found that brain regions involved in music perception overlap with those for social cognition and atrophy profiles in frontotemporal dementia, particularly within the salience, semantic appraisal, and ventral language network. We f ound that many bvFTD patients showed changes in music appreciation, e specially musicophilia. Musical training and regular listening were a ssociated with better social functioning in bvFTD, including improved perspective-taking, empathy and fewer behavioural problems. Next, we used validated musicality metrics and found impairments in tempo rec ognition and music emotion recognition in bvFTD, but not in AD. We fo und that brain regions involved in musicality overlapped with those f or social cognition. Finally, using functional MRI we showed that bvF TD and AD patients process music differently, with altered activity i n regions such as the supplementary motor area and caudate nucleus. O verall, our findings suggest that musicality and music processing dif fer in bvFTD and AD, and that music may be a valuable tool for unders tanding and assessing social cognition in dementia.More information o n the thesis END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR