Exploring Kinaesthetic and Body Self-Awareness in Professional Musicians

This research aimed to explore whether developing movement awareness in the playing of professional musicians could improve performance and assist in reducing tension. The issue was studied adopting a neurophenomenological perspective (Varela, 1996) which combines the traditions of continental phenomenology and neuroscientific studies related to cognitive processes. Musicians are often not aware of the importance of their body movements or gestures in playing (Holgersen, 2010). This research investigated whether movement awareness could be developed and if so what impact it would have on performance. Qualitative data were collected by applying phenomenological First-person mediator methods through semi-structured interviews, observation, and audiovisual materials. A range of professional instrumentalists participated. A quasi-repeated qualitative measurement research design was adopted. The musicians were asked to perform an easy, slow piece of music, which they had previously chosen, from memory three times. The first time the piece was performed with no intervention. In the first intervention they were asked to mentally rehearse the piece before playing it again, and in the second, they were asked to simulate the movements of playing without their instrument, before performing. The activities and performances were video recorded. The data were analysed in terms of verbal and non-verbal responses during the interviews and following performance. The performances were analysed by a panel of five experienced musicians and comparisons made in relation to the way the participants responded to the interventions. The findings showed that all of the musicians were affected by the simulation which aroused a range of feelings. The simulation seemed to generate kinaesthetic and sensory-motor feedback assisting the musicians in shaping their thoughts and developing body self-awareness even when they expressed negative feelings. The panellists noted a reduction in anxiety particularly following the third performance and an increase in concentration, musical communication, accuracy and fluidity of gestures

Exploring positive and negative empathic behavior in beginner violin-group players

Introduction. This paper reports a case study exploring the effects of musical movement games and kinaesthesia on empathic behaviour with young violinists taking group lessons in an Italian state primary school.Aim. The aim is to explore how movement games develop empathic behavior during violin-group session with beginners.Background. The interest in this topic comes from the fact that most learning occurs in social contexts and empathy (Deitch Feshbach, Feshbach, 2011) has an important role in this learning process. Empathy is defined as the skill to share and understand others’ emotions by also involving cognitive ability. In the Husserlian phenomenology and social neuroscience, imitation and embodied simulation are considered fundamental in developing empathy (Gallese, 2009). Moreover, empathy could underlie motivation in carrying out group activities (Stompe, Ritter, Northoff, 2010).Methods. The participants were 24 children all from fourth-year Italian primary state school. Due to the lack of sufficient space and instruments, they were divided into 2 groups. Both groups imitated the violin teacher and learned the same songs through movement by memory and then played them on the violin. The monitored variables were movement and children’s behavior. Qualitative methods were adopted including observation, focus group interviews, questionnaires, audio-visual material, and children’s drawings. All the sessions were video-recorded. In focus group interviews, the phenomenological approach was employed to let children verbalize their impressions after engaging in musical activities through movements.Results. Results showed that all the children imitated and simulated both their teacher and companions’ movements. It was observed that one group was influenced by a child who appeared to be the leader and contributed to developing negative empathic behavior in most of the sessions. The children from this group negatively assessed the violin course, expressing their opinions in the questionnaires and during the verbalization process they had in the 12th session. However, after the last session when all the children performed the songs they had learned on the violin in front of their parents and their companions, most of these children changed their minds, expressing a wish to continue the course.Conclusions. Possible future implication of this study could investigate the correlation between empathy and movement activities in developing motivation when learning musical instruments in a group.Keywords: empathy, kinaesthesia, violin-group player

GBA ‐Related Parkinson's Disease: Dissection of Genotype–Phenotype Correlates in a Large Italian Cohort

Background Variants in GBA are the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). The impact of different variants on the PD clinical spectrum is still unclear. Objectives We determined the frequency of GBA ‐related PD in Italy and correlated GBA variants with motor and nonmotor features and their occurrence over time. Methods Sanger sequencing of the whole GBA gene was performed. Variants were classified as mild, severe, complex, and risk. β‐glucocerebrosidase activity was measured. The Kaplan‐Meier method and Cox proportional hazard regression models were performed. Results Among 874 patients with PD, 36 variants were detected in 14.3%, including 20.4% early onset. Patients with GBA‐PD had earlier and more frequent occurrence of several nonmotor symptoms. Patients with severe and complex GBA‐PD had the highest burden of symptoms and a higher risk of hallucinations and cognitive impairment. Complex GBA‐PD had the lowest β‐glucocerebrosidase activity. Conclusions GBA‐PD is highly prevalent in Italy. Different types of mutations underlie distinct phenotypic profiles

Voce: Prelievi e analisi di campioni

Con la legge 30.6.2009 n. 85 l'Italia ha ratificato l'adesione al Trattato di Pr\ufcm, in vista del rafforzamento della cooperazione tra Stati nella lotta al terrorismo, alla criminalit\ue0 transfrontaliera e alla migrazione illegale, tramite lo scambio di informazioni genetiche. La novit\ue0 pi\uf9 saliente che l'adesione al Trattato ha importato nell'ordinamento interno concerne l'introduzione di un'inedita disciplina dei prelievi coattivi di materiale biologico, volta alla tutela dei diritti individuali nell'impiego processuale di strumenti tecnico-scientifici che consentano di non disperdere il materiale probatorio relativo ad un fatto criminoso. Il tema rievoca la tradizionale distinzione che attribuisce all'imputato la duplice funzione di \u201corgano\u201d ed \u201coggetto\u201d nella formazione della prova, a seconda del contributo attivo o passivo che lo stesso apporti alla vicenda processuale. Questi \ue8 considerato \u201corgano\u201d di prova nell'espletamento di attivit\ue0 che costituiscono esercizio del diritto di difesa, nelle due componenti, positiva e negativa, del diritto di difendersi provando e del diritto al silenzio. Viceversa, si parla di imputato come \u201coggetto\u201d di prova allorquando gli sia richiesto un mero pati rispetto all'attivit\ue0 di istruzione probatoria, come accade nelle ispezioni, nelle perquisizioni, nelle ricognizioni personali, nonch\ue9, pi\uf9 in generale, negli accertamenti che si espletano sul corpo del giudicabile, il quale viene in rilievo non come parte processuale, ma come mera entit\ue0 fisica. Il regime di nuovo conio \ue8 intervenuto a colmare la lacuna normativa lasciata dalla sentenza n. 238 del 1996 con cui la Corte costituzionale aveva dichiarato l'illegittimit\ue0 dell'art. 224, comma 2, c.p.p. nella parte in cui consentiva interventi peritali sul corpo della persona, in violazione del principio di riserva di legge che presidia, ex art. 13 Cost., la libert\ue0 personale. La pronuncia ha individuato un \u201cnocciolo duro\u201d rappresentato dalla libert\ue0 corporale, indissolubilmente legata ai principi di libert\ue0 morale, integrit\ue0 psico-fisica e salute della persona, non comprimibili a fini processuali. La Carta fondamentale prevede un'unica ipotesi di lesione del diritto alla salute nell'ambito dei trattamenti sanitari obbligatori, per finalit\ue0 estranee all'accertamento penale; la libert\ue0 morale, peraltro, rappresenta il quid pluris che sopravvive alla compressione del potere statale, persino durante la pi\uf9 intensa restrizione della libert\ue0 personale. Se questo \ue8 il quadro costituzionale di riferimento, \ue8 evidente come il previgente regime in materia di prelievi biologici coattivi abbia disatteso le indicazioni provenienti dalla Consulta. Difatti, a distanza di quasi un decennio dal monito del Giudice delle leggi, il legislatore intervenne (con la legge 31 luglio 2005, n. 155) \uabin un modo persino pi\uf9 imbarazzante dell'inerzia sino ad allora mantenuta\ubb, attribuendo un potere di intrusione corporale (attraverso il prelievo di capelli o saliva nel corso delle indagini) alla polizia giudiziaria, previa autorizzazione - anche orale, purch\ue9 confermata per iscritto - del pubblico ministero, a soli fini identificativi e purch\ue9 sussistesse il pericolo di alterazione o dispersione della res. Non era contemplato il potere giudiziale di disporre un prelievo biologico a fini peritali e l\u2019esclusivo orientamento teleologico dell\u2019atto d\u2019indagine ne limitava fortemente l\u2019utilit\ue0. Veniva, pertanto, inopinatamente elusa la doppia riserva, di legge e di giurisdizione, che presidia la materia. La riforma realizza una netta soluzione di continuit\ue0 rispetto alla normativa precedente, attraverso l'individuazione nell'organo giurisdizionale del baricentro del micro-sistema normativo dedicato ai prelievi biologici coattivi. Se la libert\ue0 personale pu\uf2 subire restrizioni per atto motivato dell'autorit\ue0 giudiziaria, pertanto anche del pubblico ministero, l'intrusione nella sfera corporale esige l'egida di un soggetto super partes, indifferente rispetto all'esito del processo. Il legislatore ha costruito una disciplina minuziosa, concernente sia l'an che il quomodo dei prelievi, in ossequio alla riserva di legge dettagliata (nei \u201cmodi\u201d e nei \u201ccasi\u201d) imposta dalla Consulta. Ne \ue8 derivato un apparato \uabmulti-livello\ubb, calibrato sulla sistematica del codice e diversificato in base all'orientamento teleologico dell'accertamento \u2013istituzionale, probatorio, investigativo o identificativo-, in cui ogni tipologia \ue8 rigidamente separata dalle altre