An official website of the United States government
Engaging in musical activities throughout the lifespan may protect against age-related cognitive decline and modify structural and functional connectivity in the brain. Prior research suggests that musical experience modulates brain regions that integrate different modalities of sensory information, such as the insula. Most of this research has been performed in individuals classified as professional musicians; however, general musical experiences across the lifespan may also confer beneficial effects on brain health in older adults. The current study investigated whether general musical experience, characterized using the Goldsmith Music Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI), was associated with functional connectivity in older adults (age = 65.7 ± 4.4, n = 69). We tested whether Gold-MSI was associated with individual differences in the functional connectivity of three a priori hypothesis-defined seed regions in the insula (i.e., dorsal anterior, ventral anterior, and posterior insula). We found that older adults with more musical experience showed greater functional connectivity between the dorsal anterior insula and the precentral and postcentral gyrus, and between the ventral anterior insula and diverse brain regions, including the insula and prefrontal cortex, and decreased functional connectivity between the ventral anterior insula and thalamus (voxel p < 0.01, cluster FWE p < 0.05). Follow-up correlation analyses showed that the singing ability subscale score was key in driving the association between functional connectivity differences and musical experience. Overall, our findings suggest that musical experience, even among non-professional musicians, is related to functional brain reorganization in older adults.
more »
« less
Neighborhood Perceptions Are Associated With Intrinsic Amygdala Activity and Resting-State Connectivity With Salience Network Nodes Among Older Adults
ABSTRACT ObjectiveNeighborhood perceptions are associated with physical and mental health outcomes; however, the biological associates of this relationship remain to be fully understood. Here, we evaluate the relationship between neighborhood perceptions and amygdala activity and connectivity with salience network (i.e., insula, anterior cingulate, thalamus) nodes. MethodsForty-eight older adults (mean age = 68 [7] years, 52% female, 47% non-Hispanic Black, 2% Hispanic) without dementia or depression completed the Perceptions of Neighborhood Environment Scale. Lower scores indicated less favorable perceptions of aesthetic quality, walking environment, availability of healthy food, safety, violence (i.e., more perceived violence), social cohesion, and participation in activities with neighbors. Participants separately underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. ResultsLess favorable perceived safety (β= −0.33,pFDR= .04) and participation in activities with neighbors (β= −0.35,pFDR= .02) were associated with higher left amygdala activity, independent of covariates including psychosocial factors. Less favorable safety perceptions were also associated with enhanced left amygdala functional connectivity with the bilateral insular cortices and the left anterior insula (β= −0.34,pFDR= .04). Less favorable perceived social cohesion was associated with enhanced left amygdala functional connectivity with the right thalamus (β =−0.42,pFDR= .04), and less favorable perceptions about healthy food availability were associated with enhanced left amygdala functional connectivity with the bilateral anterior insula (right:β= −0.39,pFDR= .04; left:β= −0.42,pFDR= .02) and anterior cingulate gyrus (β= −0.37,pFDR= .04). ConclusionsTaken together, our findings document relationships between select neighborhood perceptions and amygdala activity as well as connectivity with salience network nodes; if confirmed, targeted community-level interventions and existing community strengths may promote brain-behavior relationships.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2045848
- PAR ID:
- 10518777
- Publisher / Repository:
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Volume:
- 86
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0033-3174
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 116 to 123
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Abstract Study ObjectivesTo investigate associations between social jet lag and the developing adolescent brain. MethodsN = 3507 youth (median (IQR) age = 12.0 (1.1) years; 50.9% females) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development cohort were studied. Social jet lag (adjusted for sleep debt [SJLSC] vs. nonadjusted [SJL]), topological properties and intrinsic dynamics of resting-state networks, and morphometric brain characteristics were analyzed. ResultsOver 35% of participants had SJLSC ≥ 2.0 h. Boys, Hispanic and Black non-Hispanic youth, and/or those at later pubertal stages had longer SJLSC (β = 0.06–0.68, CI = [0.02, 0.83], p ≤ .02), which was also associated with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) (β = 0.13, CI = [0.08, 0.18], p < .01). SJLSC and SJL were associated with lower strength of thalamic connections (β = −0.22, CI = [−0.39, −0.05], p = .03). Longer SJLSC was also associated with lower topological resilience and lower connectivity of the salience network (β = −0.04, CI = [−0.08, −0.01], p = .04), and lower thickness and/or volume of structures overlapping with this and other networks supporting emotional and reward processing and social function (β =−0.08 to −0.05, CI = [−0.12, −0.01], p < .05). Longer SJL was associated with lower connectivity and efficiency of the dorsal attention network (β = −0.05, CI = [−0.10, −0.01], p < .05). Finally, SJLSC and SJL were associated with alterations in spontaneously coordinated brain activity and lower information transfer between regions supporting sensorimotor integration, social function, and emotion regulation (β = −0.07 to −0.05, CI = [−0.12, −0.01], p < .04). ConclusionsMisaligned sleep is associated with widespread alterations in adolescent brain structures, circuit organization, and dynamics of regions that play critical roles in cognitive (including social) function, and emotion and reward regulation.more » « less
-
Abstract Social isolation during development, especially in adolescence, has detrimental but incompletely understood effects on the brain. This study investigated the neural correlates of preference for solitude and social withdrawal in a sample of 2809 youth [median (IQR) age = 12.0 (1.1) years, 1440 (51.26%) females] from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Older youth whose parents had mental health issues more frequently preferred solitude and/or were socially withdrawn (β = 0.04 to 0.14, CI = [0.002, 0.19], P < 0.05), both of which were associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors, depression, and anxiety (β = 0.25 to 0.45, CI = [0.20, 0.49], P < 0.05). Youth who preferred solitude and/or were socially withdrawn had lower cortical thickness in regions involved in social function (cuneus, insula, anterior cingulate, and superior temporal gyri) and/or mental health (β = −0.09 to −0.02, CI = [−0.14, −0.003], P < 0.05), and higher amygdala, entorhinal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and basal ganglia volume (β = 2.62 to 668.10, CI = [0.13, 668.10], P < 0.05). Youth who often preferred solitude had more topologically segregated dorsal attention, temporoparietal, and social networks (β = 0.07 to 0.10, CI = [0.02, 0.14], P ≤ 0.03). Socially withdrawn youth had a less topologically robust and efficient (β = −0.05 to −0.80, CI = [−1.34,−0.01], P < 0.03) and more fragile cerebellum (β = 0.04, CI = [0.01, 0.07], P < 0.05). These findings suggest that social isolation in adolescence may be a risk factor for widespread alterations in brain regions supporting social function and mental health.more » « less
-
Recent work suggests combining physical activity with cognitive tasks may have been critical to human evolution and may be beneficial to human brain health today. These combined tasks are key elements of foraging, a lifestyle employed by human ancestors for over 2 My. However, it is unclear whether cognitive engagement during foraging-like tasks impacts endurance, and therefore foraging performance, and whether cognitive adaptations may mitigate these effects. We tested the hypothesis that cognitive engagement during endurance walking increases perceived physical effort without influencing physiological responses, and that enhanced cognition mitigates these effects. Thirty healthy adults (nfemale= 17; aged 18 to 53) underwent nonlocomotor cognitive testing and completed two separate randomized endurance tests: one without (Ex) and one with simultaneous executive function tasks (ExCog). For each condition, participants walked on a treadmill for up to 30-min while physiological responses were recorded, and perception of effort was assessed every 2-min using Borg’s rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale. During the ExCog condition, RPE was significantly greater (P= 0.005), while energy expenditure was significantly lower (P= 0.008) compared to the Ex condition. Additionally, we observed significant interactions between cognitive abilities and endurance performance—for example, individuals with greater visuospatial abilities experienced a smaller increase in perceived effort (RPE) in the ExCog condition compared to the Ex condition (FDRP= 0.039). These results indicate that cognitive demands and cognitive abilities associated with foraging distinctly influence endurance, suggesting that evolutionary shifts in human cognitive capacities may have relaxed constraints on endurance foraging performance.more » « less
-
ABSTRACT ObjectiveInflammation may be an integral physiological mechanism through which discrimination impacts cardiovascular health and contributes to racial health disparities. Limited research has examined psychosocial factors that protect against the negative effects of discrimination on inflammation. Perceived control is a promising possible protective factor, given that it has been shown to moderate the relationship between other psychosocial stressors and physiological outcomes. This study thus tested whether systemic inflammation mediated the link between discrimination and cardiovascular health and whether perceived control moderated this relationship. MethodsData for this project included 347 non-Hispanic/Latinx Black adults (mean [standard deviation] age = 51.64 [11.24] years; 33% female) taken from the Midlife in the United States study. Perceived control and daily discrimination were assessed via self-report, and inflammation was measured via circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), fibrinogen, and tumor necrosis factor α. Cardiovascular health was measured by morbidity of cardiovascular conditions: heart disease, hypertension, and/or stroke. ResultsCRP (indirect effect:b =0.004, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.001–0.007) and fibrinogen (indirect effect:b =0.002, 95% CI = 0.0003–0.005) mediated the link between discrimination and cardiovascular conditions. Perceived control moderated the relationship between discrimination and CRP (F(1, 293) = 4.58, ΔR2= 0.013,b= −0.02, SE = 0.01,p= .033). CRP mediated the link between discrimination and cardiovascular conditions only for those who reported low levels of perceived control (Index = −0.003, 95% CI = −0.007 to −0.0001). ConclusionFindings provide empirical evidence of inflammation as a mechanism linking discrimination to cardiovascular conditions among Black Americans. Additionally, perceived control may be protective. Findings could suggest beliefs about control as a potential intervention target to help reduce the negative effects of discrimination on cardiovascular health among Black Americans.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001272
