MUSICAL EXPERTISE FACILITATES DISSONANCE DETECTION ON BEHAVIORAL, NOT ON EARLY SENSORY LEVEL

CONSONANCE AND DISSONANCE ARE BASIC phenomena in the perception of chords that can be discriminated very early in sensory processing. Musical expertise has been shown to facilitate neural processing of various musical stimuli, but it is unclear whether this applies to detecting consonance and dissonance. Our study aimed to determine if sensitivity to increasing levels of dissonance differs between musicians and nonmusicians, using a combination of neural (electroencephalographic mismatch negativity, MMN) and behavioral measurements (conscious discrimination). Furthermore, we wanted to see if focusing attention to the sounds modulated the neural processing. We used chords comprised of either highly consonant or highly dissonant intervals and further manipulated the degree of dissonance to create two levels of dissonant chords. Both groups discriminated dissonant chords from consonant ones neurally and behaviorally. The magnitude of the MMN differed only marginally between the more dissonant and the less dissonant chords. The musicians outperformed the nonmusicians in the behavioral task. As the dissonant chords elicited MMN responses for both groups, sensory dissonance seems to be discriminated in an early sensory level, irrespective of musical expertise, and the facilitating effects of musicianship for this discrimination may arise in later stages of auditory processing, appearing only in the behavioral auditory task.Peer reviewe

Neural processing of changes in phonetic and emotional speech sounds and tones in preterm infants at term age

Objective: Auditory change-detection responses provide information on sound discrimination and memory skills in infants. We examined both the automatic change-detection process and the processing of emotional information content in speech in preterm infants in comparison to full-term infants at term age. Methods: Preterm (n = 21) and full-term infants' (n = 20) event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded at term age. A challenging multi-feature mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm with phonetic deviants and rare emotional speech sounds (happy, sad, angry), and a simple one-deviant oddball paradigm with pure tones were used. Results: Positive mismatch responses (MMR) were found to the emotional sounds and some of the phonetic deviants in preterm and full-term infants in the multi-feature MMN paradigm. Additionally, late positive MMRs to the phonetic deviants were elicited in the preterm group. However, no group differences to speech-sound changes were discovered. In the oddball paradigm, preterm infants had positive MMRs to the deviant change in all latency windows. Responses to non-speech sounds were larger in preterm infants in the second latency window, as well as in the first latency window at the left hemisphere electrodes (F3, C3). Conclusions: No significant group-level differences were discovered in the neural processing of speech sounds between preterm and full-term infants at term age. Change-detection of non-speech sounds, however, may be enhanced in preterm infants at term age. Significance: Auditory processing of speech sounds in healthy preterm infants showed similarities to full-term infants at term age. Large individual variations within the groups may reflect some underlying differences that call for further studies.Peer reviewe

Identifying Personality Characteristics and Indicators of Psychological Well-Being Associated With Attrition in the Motivation Makes the Move! Physical Activity Intervention: : Randomized Technology-Supported Trial

Peer reviewe

Healthy full-term infants' brain responses to emotionally and linguistically relevant sounds using a multi-feature mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm

We evaluated the feasibility of a multi-feature mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm in studying auditory processing of healthy newborns. The aim was to examine the automatic change-detection and processing of semantic and emotional information in speech in newborns. Brain responses of 202 healthy newborns were recorded with a multi-feature paradigm including a Finnish bi-syllabic pseudo-word/ta-ta/as a standard stimulus, six linguistically relevant deviant stimuli and three emotionally relevant stimuli (happy, sad, angry). Clear responses to emotional sounds were found already at the early latency window 100-200 ms, whereas responses to linguistically relevant minor changes and emotional stimuli at the later latency window 300-500 ms did not reach significance. Moreover, significant interaction between gender and emotional stimuli was found in the early latency window. Further studies on using multi-feature paradigms with linguistic and emotional stimuli in newborns are needed, especially those containing of follow-ups, enabling the assessment of the predictive value of early variations between subjects.Peer reviewe

Healthy full-term infants’ brain responses to emotionally and linguistically relevant sounds using a multi-feature mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm

We evaluated the feasibility of a multi-feature mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm in studying auditory processing of healthy newborns. The aim was to examine the automatic change-detection and processing of semantic and emotional information in speech in newborns. Brain responses of 202 healthy newborns were recorded with a multi-feature paradigm including a Finnish bi-syllabic pseudo-word/ta-ta/as a standard stimulus, six linguistically relevant deviant stimuli and three emotionally relevant stimuli (happy, sad, angry). Clear responses to emotional sounds were found already at the early latency window 100–200 ms, whereas responses to linguistically relevant minor changes and emotional stimuli at the later latency window 300–500 ms did not reach significance. Moreover, significant interaction between gender and emotional stimuli was found in the early latency window. Further studies on using multi-feature paradigms with linguistic and emotional stimuli in newborns are needed, especially those containing of follow-ups, enabling the assessment of the predictive value of early variations between subjects.</p

The impact of parental singing on neural speech sound processing in preterm infants, maternal wellbeing, and early relationship after preterm birth : implications for practice in neonatal care

The present thesis aimed to examine the impact of parental singing during kangaroo care on neural speech sound discrimination in preterm infants, maternal wellbeing, and early mother-infant relationship after preterm birth. The aim was also to create a working model for music therapists in the neonatal wards that focuses on educating parents of preterm infants about the importance of using parental voice after preterm birth. This thesis consists of four studies. Studies I (n = 192) and II (n = 40) served as background research for Study III. They aimed to provide information about sound processing in healthy full-term-born infants and compare auditory discrimination between full-term infants and preterm infants receiving standard care. Study III (n = 40) investigated the effects of parental singing on neural speech sound processing in preterm infants. Study IV (n = 36) examined the effects of singing on maternal anxiety, wellbeing, and early mother-infant relationship. The data for Studies III and IV were collected within the Singing Kangaroo cluster-randomized controlled trial. In this study, a certified music therapist motivated and supported parents in the intervention group to sing during daily kangaroo care, whereas parents in the control group conducted standard kangaroo care without guidance from the music therapist regarding singing. In both groups, parents conducted kangaroo care during the gestational weeks 33–40 and reported the duration of daily care in diaries. Parents in the intervention group also reported the daily singing duration and control group parents described the auditory environment of each kangaroo care situation. After the study period, the infants’ auditory event-related potentials to speech sound and pure tone changes were measured using electroencephalography. The measurements were also conducted with full-term newborns in Studies I and II. Maternal anxiety was measured in both groups using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire at the beginning and the end of the study period. Intervention group mothers also filled up a self-report questionnaire concerning their singing experiences after preterm birth. The results of Studies I and II showed that the full-term infants had statistically significant brain responses mainly to the acoustically distinct speech sounds. Study II further revealed that the processing of speech sound changes did not differ between the full-term and preterm infant groups. According to the results of Study III, preterm infants in the singing intervention group had larger brain responses to speech sound changes when compared to the preterm infants in the control group whose parents did not sing. Furthermore, improved neural speech sound processing was associated with the overall duration of the intervention in the singing group of preterm infants. Thus, the longer the singing intervention was, the larger brain responses were elicited to speech sound changes in the intervention group. In Study IV, maternal anxiety was reduced in the singing intervention group after the study period when compared to the control group. The mothers in the singing group experienced that singing was relaxing for the infants and themselves and it had a positive impact on their mood and overall wellbeing. The mothers also reported that singing supported early relationship by creating interaction moments and enhancing emotional connection. The intervention group mothers benefitted from the support and guidance they received from the music therapist during hospital care. All the mothers in the intervention group continued singing after the study period and it became an important part of their everyday life and interaction after discharge from the hospital. The main results of this thesis indicate that repeated parental singing during kangaroo care may improve speech sound discrimination in preterm infants at term age. Furthermore, singing during kangaroo care may reduce maternal anxiety, relax both infants and mothers and support their early relationship by adding interaction moments and an emotional component to the care situation. Mothers can benefit from support and guidance from a music therapist after preterm birth and it may have a long-term impact on their musical behavior. According to the results of the current thesis, daily singing routines can be recommended for parents after preterm birth to support the development of the auditory system and neural speech sound processing in preterm infants, maternal wellbeing, and the development of mutual relationship. This is a non-invasive and feasible way for all families to support wellbeing and early interaction and it could be introduced more in general in the care of both healthy and sick infants. Based on the results and conclusions of this thesis and literature, a working model proposal for music therapists is introduced at the end of this work. The model focuses on educating parents of preterm infants about the importance of using parental voice after preterm birth to support their infants’ development, their own wellbeing, and early relationship.Tämän väitöskirjan tavoitteena oli tutkia kenguruhoidon aikaisen vanhempien laulamisen vaikutuksia keskosten puheäänten hermostolliseen kuuloerottelukykyyn, äitien hyvinvointiin ja äidin ja vauvan väliseen suhteeseen ennenaikaisen syntymän jälkeen. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli väitöskirjan tuloksiin ja kirjallisuuteen pohjautuen luoda vastasyntyneiden osastolla työskenteleville musiikkiterapeuteille työskentelymalli, jonka avulla vanhempia opastetaan oman äänen käyttöön keskossyntymän jälkeen. Väitöskirja sisältää neljä tutkimusta. Tutkimukset I (n = 192) ja II (n = 40) toimivat taustatutkimuksina Tutkimukselle III. Niiden tavoitteena oli tuoda lisätietoa terveiden täysiaikaisten vastasyntyneiden ääniprosessoinnista ja verrata täysiaikaisten vastasyntyneiden ja standardihoitoa saaneiden keskosten kuuloerottelukykyä. Tutkimuksessa III (n = 40) selvitettiin vanhempien laulamisen vaikutuksia keskosten puheäänten kuuloerottelukykyyn. Tutkimuksessa IV (n = 36) tarkasteltiin laulamisen vaikutuksia äitien ahdistuneisuuteen, hyvinvointiin ja varhaiseen äiti-vauva-suhteeseen. Tutkimusten III ja IV aineistot kerättiin klusteroidussa satunnaistetussa kontrolloidussa Laulava Kenguru -tutkimuksessa. Kyseisessä tutkimuksessa musiikkiterapeutti motivoi ja ohjeisti interventioryhmän vanhempia laulamaan päivittäisen kenguruhoidon aikana, kun taas kontrolliryhmässä vanhemmat toteuttivat standardihoitona päivittäistä kenguruhoitoa ilman musiikkiterapeutin antamaa erillistä ohjeistusta laulamiseen. Molemmissa ryhmissä vanhemmat toteuttivat kenguruhoitoa raskausviikkojen 33–40 aikana ja kirjasivat päivittäisen hoitoajan päiväkirjaan. Lauluryhmän vanhemmat kirjasivat lisäksi ylös päivittäisen lauluajan ja kontrolliryhmän vanhemmat tiedon kenguruhoidon aikaisesta ääniympäristöstä. Tutkimusjakson päätyttyä vauvojen tapahtumasidonnaisia jännitevasteita puheäänten ja siniäänten muutoksille mitattiin aivosähkökäyrämittauksella. Aivosähkökäyrämittaus toteutettiin myös Tutkimusten I ja II täysiaikaisille vastasyntyneille. Äitien ahdistuneisuutta mitattiin molemmissa ryhmissä State-Trait Anxiety Inventory -kyselylomakkeella tutkimusjakson alussa ja lopussa. Lisäksi lauluryhmän äidit täyttivät kyselylomakkeen liittyen heidän kokemuksiinsa laulamisesta keskossyntymän jälkeen. Tutkimusten I ja II tulokset osoittivat, että täysiaikaisilla vastasyntyneillä löydettiin tilastollisesti merkitseviä aivovasteita pääasiasiassa akustisesti selvemmille puheäänten muutoksille. Tutkimuksen II tulokset puolestaan näyttivät, että puheäänten prosessointi ei eronnut ryhmätasolla täysiaikaisten vastasyntyneiden ja standardihoitoa saaneiden keskosten välillä. Tutkimuksessa III lauluinterventioryhmän keskosilla oli suuremmat aivovasteet puheäänten muutoksille lasketussa ajassa verrattuna standardihoitoa saaneisiin kontrolliryhmän keskosiin, joiden vanhemmat eivät laulaneet päivittäisen kenguruhoidon aikana. Lisäksi parempi hermostollinen puheäänten kuuloerottelukyky oli yhteydessä pidempään lauluinterventiojaksoon, tarkoittaen mitä pidempään lauluinterventio kesti, sitä suuremmat aivovasteet lauluryhmän keskosilla oli puheäänten muutoksille. Tutkimuksessa IV interventioryhmän äideillä ahdistuneisuus väheni laulujakson aikana verrattuna kontrolliryhmän äiteihin. Interventioryhmän äidit lisäksi kokivat laulamisen rentouttaneen vauvoja ja heitä itseään sekä vaikuttaneen positiivisesti heidän mielialaansa ja hyvinvointiinsa. Äidit kokivat laulamisen tukeneen heidän ja vauvan välistä suhdetta luomalla vuorovaikutushetkiä ja edistämällä tunnetason yhteyttä. Interventioryhmän äidit kokivat hyötyneensä musiikkiterapeutin antamasta ohjeistuksesta ja tuesta osastohoidon aikana. Kaikki interventioryhmän äidit jatkoivat laulamista tutkimusjakson jälkeen, ja siitä tuli tärkeä osa perheiden arkea ja kodin vuorovaikutushetkiä. Tämän väitöskirjan päätulokset osoittavat, että erityisesti toistuva vanhempien laulaminen kenguruhoidon aikana voi edistää keskosten puheäänten kuuloerottelukykyä jo lasketussa ajassa. Lisäksi laulaminen kenguruhoidon aikana voi rentouttaa vauvoja ja äitejä, vähentää äitien ahdistuneisuutta sekä tukea varhaista suhdetta tuomalla kenguruhoitoon vuorovaikutuksellisia hetkiä ja emotionaalisen lisän. Äidit voivat hyötyä sairaalahoidon aikana musiikkiterapeutin antamasta tuesta ja ohjeistuksesta ja ne voivat vaikuttaa äitien musiikilliseen käyttäytymiseen pitkäaikaisesti. Väitöskirjan tulosten perusteella päivittäisiä laulurutiineja voidaan suositella vanhemmille ennenaikaisen syntymän jälkeen tukemaan keskosten kuulojärjestelmän ja puheäänten hermostollisen prosessoinnin kehittymistä, äitien hyvinvointia ja keskinäisen suhteen rakentumista. Kyseessä on non-invasiivinen ja kaikille perheille mahdollinen keino hyvinvoinnin ja vuorovaikutussuhteen tukemiseen, jota voisikin tietoisesti ottaa enemmän käyttöön sekä terveiden että sairaiden imeväisten hoidossa. Väitöskirjan lopussa esitellään tulosten ja aiemman kirjallisuuden perusteella luotu työskentelymalliehdotus musiikkiterapeuteille. Mallissa vanhempia opastetaan oman äänen käyttöön ennenaikaisen syntymän jälkeen tukemaan keskosvauvan kehitystä, vanhempien omaa hyvinvointia sekä keskinäisen suhteen rakentumista

Effects of maternal singing during kangaroo care on maternal anxiety, wellbeing, and mother-infant relationship after preterm birth : a mixed methods study

Introduction Preterm birth may disturb the typical development of the mother-infant relationship, when physical separation and emotional distress in the neonatal intensive care unit may increase maternal anxiety and create challenges for early interaction. This cluster-randomized controlled trial examined the effects of maternal singing during kangaroo care on mothers' anxiety, wellbeing, and the early mother-infant relationship after preterm birth. Method In the singing intervention group, a certified music therapist guided the mothers (n = 24) to sing or hum during daily kangaroo care during 33-40 gestational weeks (GW). In the control group, the mothers (n = 12) conducted daily kangaroo care without specific encouragement to sing. Using a convergent mixed methods design, the quantitative outcomes included the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at 35 GW and 40 GW to assess the change in maternal-state anxiety levels and parent diaries to examine intervention length. Post-intervention, the singing intervention mothers completed a self-report questionnaire consisting of quantitative and qualitative questions about their singing experiences. Results The mothers in the singing intervention group showed a statistically significant decrease in STAI anxiety levels compared to the control group mothers. According to the self-report questionnaire results, maternal singing relaxed both mothers and infants and supported their relationship by promoting emotional closeness and creating early interaction moments. Discussion Maternal singing can be used during neonatal hospitalization to support maternal wellbeing and early mother-infant relationship after preterm birth. However, mothers may need information, support, and privacy for singing.Peer reviewe

Repeated Parental Singing During Kangaroo Care Improved Neural Processing of Speech Sound Changes in Preterm Infants at Term Age

Preterm birth carries a risk for adverse neurodevelopment. Cognitive dysfunctions, such as language disorders may manifest as atypical sound discrimination already in early infancy. As infant-directed singing has been shown to enhance language acquisition in infants, we examined whether parental singing during skin-to-skin care (kangaroo care) improves speech sound discrimination in preterm infants. Forty-five preterm infants born between 26 and 33 gestational weeks (GW) and their parents participated in this cluster-randomized controlled trial ( ID IRB00003181SK). In both groups, parents conducted kangaroo care during 33-40 GW. In the singing intervention group (n = 24), a certified music therapist guided parents to sing or hum during daily kangaroo care. In the control group (n = 21), parents conducted standard kangaroo care and were not instructed to use their voices. Parents in both groups reported the duration of daily intervention. Auditory event-related potentials were recorded with electroencephalogram at term age using a multi-feature paradigm consisting of phonetic and emotional speech sound changes and a one-deviant oddball paradigm with pure tones. In the multi-feature paradigm, prominent mismatch responses (MMR) were elicited to the emotional sounds and many of the phonetic deviants in the singing intervention group and in the control group to some of the emotional and phonetic deviants. A group difference was found as the MMRs were larger in the singing intervention group, mainly due to larger MMRs being elicited to the emotional sounds, especially in females. The overall duration of the singing intervention (range 15-63 days) was positively associated with the MMR amplitudes for both phonetic and emotional stimuli in both sexes, unlike the daily singing time (range 8-120 min/day). In the oddball paradigm, MMRs for the non-speech sounds were elicited in both groups and no group differences nor connections between the singing time and the response amplitudes were found. These results imply that repeated parental singing during kangaroo care improved auditory discrimination of phonetic and emotional speech sounds in preterm infants at term age. Regular singing routines can be recommended for parents to promote the development of the auditory system and auditory processing of speech sounds in preterm infants.Peer reviewe

Supporting social-emotional development in early childhood education and care : a randomized parallel group trial evaluating the impact of two different interventions

A randomized controlled parallel-group trial was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of two 10-week early childhood education and care (ECEC) interventions “SAGA” and “Pikkuli” for supporting social-emotional and verbal development. All children above the age of 4 were invited from 15 Finnish volunteer ECEC groups (n SAGA = 52, n Pikkuli = 56, n control group = 42). The children and caregivers, but not the personnel (who carried out the intervention), were blinded to the group assignment. Children in the SAGA intervention advanced in prosocial behavior and social orientation and had fewer internalizing and externalizing problems after the intervention. Children in the Pikkuli intervention advanced in prosocial behavior and had fewer internalizing problems after the intervention. There were no significant changes in any of the aforementioned outcomes in the control group. The results suggest that both interventions have good potential in supporting children’s social-emotional development in the ECEC environment.Peer reviewe