Detecting and Correcting Speech Rhythm Errors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yurtbasi, Metin

2015-01-01

Every language has its own rhythm. Unlike many other languages in the world, English depends on the correct pronunciation of stressed and unstressed or weakened syllables recurring in the same phrase or sentence. Mastering the rhythm of English makes speaking more effective. Experiments have shown that we tend to hear speech as more rhythmical…

What Pinnipeds Have to Say about Human Speech, Music, and the Evolution of Rhythm.

PubMed

Ravignani, Andrea; Fitch, W Tecumseh; Hanke, Frederike D; Heinrich, Tamara; Hurgitsch, Bettina; Kotz, Sonja A; Scharff, Constance; Stoeger, Angela S; de Boer, Bart

2016-01-01

Research on the evolution of human speech and music benefits from hypotheses and data generated in a number of disciplines. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the high relevance of pinniped research for the study of speech, musical rhythm, and their origins, bridging and complementing current research on primates and birds. We briefly discuss speech, vocal learning, and rhythm from an evolutionary and comparative perspective. We review the current state of the art on pinniped communication and behavior relevant to the evolution of human speech and music, showing interesting parallels to hypotheses on rhythmic behavior in early hominids. We suggest future research directions in terms of species to test and empirical data needed.

What Pinnipeds Have to Say about Human Speech, Music, and the Evolution of Rhythm

PubMed Central

Ravignani, Andrea; Fitch, W. Tecumseh; Hanke, Frederike D.; Heinrich, Tamara; Hurgitsch, Bettina; Kotz, Sonja A.; Scharff, Constance; Stoeger, Angela S.; de Boer, Bart

2016-01-01

Research on the evolution of human speech and music benefits from hypotheses and data generated in a number of disciplines. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the high relevance of pinniped research for the study of speech, musical rhythm, and their origins, bridging and complementing current research on primates and birds. We briefly discuss speech, vocal learning, and rhythm from an evolutionary and comparative perspective. We review the current state of the art on pinniped communication and behavior relevant to the evolution of human speech and music, showing interesting parallels to hypotheses on rhythmic behavior in early hominids. We suggest future research directions in terms of species to test and empirical data needed. PMID:27378843

Speech rhythm in Kannada speaking adults who stutter.

PubMed

Maruthy, Santosh; Venugopal, Sahana; Parakh, Priyanka

2017-10-01

A longstanding hypothesis about the underlying mechanisms of stuttering suggests that speech disfluencies may be associated with problems in timing and temporal patterning of speech events. Fifteen adults who do and do not stutter read five sentences, and from these, the vocalic and consonantal durations were measured. Using these, pairwise variability index (raw PVI for consonantal intervals and normalised PVI for vocalic intervals) and interval based rhythm metrics (PercV, DeltaC, DeltaV, VarcoC and VarcoV) were calculated for all the participants. Findings suggested higher mean values in adults who stutter when compared to adults who do not stutter for all the rhythm metrics except for VarcoV. Further, statistically significant difference between the two groups was found for all the rhythm metrics except for VarcoV. Combining the present results with consistent prior findings based on rhythm deficits in children and adults who stutter, there appears to be strong empirical support for the hypothesis that individuals who stutter may have deficits in generation of rhythmic speech patterns.

Speech-like orofacial oscillations in stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides) facial and vocal signals.

PubMed

Toyoda, Aru; Maruhashi, Tamaki; Malaivijitnond, Suchinda; Koda, Hiroki

2017-10-01

Speech is unique to humans and characterized by facial actions of ∼5 Hz oscillations of lip, mouth or jaw movements. Lip-smacking, a facial display of primates characterized by oscillatory actions involving the vertical opening and closing of the jaw and lips, exhibits stable 5-Hz oscillation patterns, matching that of speech, suggesting that lip-smacking is a precursor of speech. We tested if facial or vocal actions exhibiting the same rate of oscillation are found in wide forms of facial or vocal displays in various social contexts, exhibiting diversity among species. We observed facial and vocal actions of wild stump-tailed macaques (Macaca arctoides), and selected video clips including facial displays (teeth chattering; TC), panting calls, and feeding. Ten open-to-open mouth durations during TC and feeding and five amplitude peak-to-peak durations in panting were analyzed. Facial display (TC) and vocalization (panting) oscillated within 5.74 ± 1.19 and 6.71 ± 2.91 Hz, respectively, similar to the reported lip-smacking of long-tailed macaques and the speech of humans. These results indicated a common mechanism for the central pattern generator underlying orofacial movements, which would evolve to speech. Similar oscillations in panting, which evolved from different muscular control than the orofacial action, suggested the sensory foundations for perceptual saliency particular to 5-Hz rhythms in macaques. This supports the pre-adaptation hypothesis of speech evolution, which states a central pattern generator for 5-Hz facial oscillation and perceptual background tuned to 5-Hz actions existed in common ancestors of macaques and humans, before the emergence of speech. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effect of paired pitch, rhythm, and speech on working memory as measured by sequential digit recall.

PubMed

Silverman, Michael J

2007-01-01

Educational and therapeutic objectives are often paired with music to facilitate the recall of information. The purpose of this study was to isolate and determine the effect of paired pitch, rhythm, and speech on undergraduate's memory as measured by sequential digit recall performance. Participants (N = 120) listened to 4 completely counterbalanced treatment conditions each consisting of 9 randomized monosyllabic digits paired with speech, pitch, rhythm, and the combination of pitch and rhythm. No statistically significant learning or order effects were found across the 4 trials. A 3-way repeated-measures ANOVA indicated a statistically significant difference in digit recall performance across treatment conditions, positions, groups, and treatment by position. No other comparisons resulted in statistically significant differences. Participants were able to recall digits from the rhythm condition most accurately while recalling digits from the speech and pitch only conditions the least accurately. Consistent with previous research, the music major participants scored significantly higher than non-music major participants and the main effect associated with serial position indicated that recall performance was best during primacy and recency positions. Analyses indicated an interaction between serial position and treatment condition, also a result consistent with previous research. The results of this study suggest that pairing information with rhythm can facilitate recall but pairing information with pitch or the combination of pitch and rhythm may not enhance recall more than speech when participants listen to an unfamiliar musical selection only once. Implications for practice in therapy and education are made as well as suggestions for future research.

Speech rhythm alterations in Spanish-speaking individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Martínez-Sánchez, Francisco; Meilán, Juan J G; Vera-Ferrandiz, Juan Antonio; Carro, Juan; Pujante-Valverde, Isabel M; Ivanova, Olga; Carcavilla, Nuria

2017-07-01

Rhythm is the speech property related to the temporal organization of sounds. Considerable evidence is now available for suggesting that dementia of Alzheimer's type is associated with impairments in speech rhythm. The aim of this study is to assess the use of an automatic computerized system for measuring speech rhythm characteristics in an oral reading task performed by 45 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared with those same characteristics among 82 healthy older adults without a diagnosis of dementia, and matched by age, sex and cultural background. Ranges of rhythmic-metric and clinical measurements were applied. The results show rhythmic differences between the groups, with higher variability of syllabic intervals in AD patients. Signal processing algorithms applied to oral reading recordings prove to be capable of differentiating between AD patients and older adults without dementia with an accuracy of 87% (specificity 81.7%, sensitivity 82.2%), based on the standard deviation of the duration of syllabic intervals. Experimental results show that the syllabic variability measurements extracted from the speech signal can be used to distinguish between older adults without a diagnosis of dementia and those with AD, and may be useful as a tool for the objective study and quantification of speech deficits in AD.

Musical rhythm and reading development: does beat processing matter?

PubMed

Ozernov-Palchik, Ola; Patel, Aniruddh D

2018-05-20

There is mounting evidence for links between musical rhythm processing and reading-related cognitive skills, such as phonological awareness. This may be because music and speech are rhythmic: both involve processing complex sound sequences with systematic patterns of timing, accent, and grouping. Yet, there is a salient difference between musical and speech rhythm: musical rhythm is often beat-based (based on an underlying grid of equal time intervals), while speech rhythm is not. Thus, the role of beat-based processing in the reading-rhythm relationship is not clear. Is there is a distinct relation between beat-based processing mechanisms and reading-related language skills, or is the rhythm-reading link entirely due to shared mechanisms for processing nonbeat-based aspects of temporal structure? We discuss recent evidence for a distinct link between beat-based processing and early reading abilities in young children, and suggest experimental designs that would allow one to further methodically investigate this relationship. We propose that beat-based processing taps into a listener's ability to use rich contextual regularities to form predictions, a skill important for reading development. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Listeners feel the beat: entrainment to English and French speech rhythms.

PubMed

Lidji, Pascale; Palmer, Caroline; Peretz, Isabelle; Morningstar, Michele

2011-12-01

Can listeners entrain to speech rhythms? Monolingual speakers of English and French and balanced English-French bilinguals tapped along with the beat they perceived in sentences spoken in a stress-timed language, English, and a syllable-timed language, French. All groups of participants tapped more regularly to English than to French utterances. Tapping performance was also influenced by the participants' native language: English-speaking participants and bilinguals tapped more regularly and at higher metrical levels than did French-speaking participants, suggesting that long-term linguistic experience with a stress-timed language can differentiate speakers' entrainment to speech rhythm.

Mu Wave Suppression during the Perception of Meaningless Syllables: EEG Evidence of Motor Recruitment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawcour, Stephen; Bowers, Andrew; Harkrider, Ashley; Saltuklaroglu, Tim

2009-01-01

Motor involvement in speech perception has been recently studied using a variety of techniques. In the current study, EEG measurements from Cz, C3 and C4 electrodes were used to examine the relative power of the mu rhythm (i.e., 8-13 Hz) in response to various audio-visual speech and non-speech stimuli, as suppression of these rhythms is…

Rhythmic patterning in Malaysian and Singapore English.

PubMed

Tan, Rachel Siew Kuang; Low, Ee-Ling

2014-06-01

Previous work on the rhythm of Malaysian English has been based on impressionistic observations. This paper utilizes acoustic analysis to measure the rhythmic patterns of Malaysian English. Recordings of the read speech and spontaneous speech of 10 Malaysian English speakers were analyzed and compared with recordings of an equivalent sample of Singaporean English speakers. Analysis was done using two rhythmic indexes, the PVI and VarcoV. It was found that although the rhythm of read speech of the Singaporean speakers was syllable-based as described by previous studies, the rhythm of the Malaysian speakers was even more syllable-based. Analysis of the syllables in specific utterances showed that Malaysian speakers did not reduce vowels as much as Singaporean speakers in cases of syllables in utterances. Results of the spontaneous speech confirmed the findings for the read speech; that is, the same rhythmic patterning was found which normally triggers vowel reductions.

Speech rhythm facilitates syntactic ambiguity resolution: ERP evidence.

PubMed

Roncaglia-Denissen, Maria Paula; Schmidt-Kassow, Maren; Kotz, Sonja A

2013-01-01

In the current event-related potential (ERP) study, we investigated how speech rhythm impacts speech segmentation and facilitates the resolution of syntactic ambiguities in auditory sentence processing. Participants listened to syntactically ambiguous German subject- and object-first sentences that were spoken with either regular or irregular speech rhythm. Rhythmicity was established by a constant metric pattern of three unstressed syllables between two stressed ones that created rhythmic groups of constant size. Accuracy rates in a comprehension task revealed that participants understood rhythmically regular sentences better than rhythmically irregular ones. Furthermore, the mean amplitude of the P600 component was reduced in response to object-first sentences only when embedded in rhythmically regular but not rhythmically irregular context. This P600 reduction indicates facilitated processing of sentence structure possibly due to a decrease in processing costs for the less-preferred structure (object-first). Our data suggest an early and continuous use of rhythm by the syntactic parser and support language processing models assuming an interactive and incremental use of linguistic information during language processing.

Speech Rhythm Facilitates Syntactic Ambiguity Resolution: ERP Evidence

PubMed Central

Roncaglia-Denissen, Maria Paula; Schmidt-Kassow, Maren; Kotz, Sonja A.

2013-01-01

In the current event-related potential (ERP) study, we investigated how speech rhythm impacts speech segmentation and facilitates the resolution of syntactic ambiguities in auditory sentence processing. Participants listened to syntactically ambiguous German subject- and object-first sentences that were spoken with either regular or irregular speech rhythm. Rhythmicity was established by a constant metric pattern of three unstressed syllables between two stressed ones that created rhythmic groups of constant size. Accuracy rates in a comprehension task revealed that participants understood rhythmically regular sentences better than rhythmically irregular ones. Furthermore, the mean amplitude of the P600 component was reduced in response to object-first sentences only when embedded in rhythmically regular but not rhythmically irregular context. This P600 reduction indicates facilitated processing of sentence structure possibly due to a decrease in processing costs for the less-preferred structure (object-first). Our data suggest an early and continuous use of rhythm by the syntactic parser and support language processing models assuming an interactive and incremental use of linguistic information during language processing. PMID:23409109

Speech rhythm: a metaphor?

PubMed

Nolan, Francis; Jeon, Hae-Sung

2014-12-19

Is speech rhythmic? In the absence of evidence for a traditional view that languages strive to coordinate either syllables or stress-feet with regular time intervals, we consider the alternative that languages exhibit contrastive rhythm subsisting merely in the alternation of stronger and weaker elements. This is initially plausible, particularly for languages with a steep 'prominence gradient', i.e. a large disparity between stronger and weaker elements; but we point out that alternation is poorly achieved even by a 'stress-timed' language such as English, and, historically, languages have conspicuously failed to adopt simple phonological remedies that would ensure alternation. Languages seem more concerned to allow 'syntagmatic contrast' between successive units and to use durational effects to support linguistic functions than to facilitate rhythm. Furthermore, some languages (e.g. Tamil, Korean) lack the lexical prominence which would most straightforwardly underpin prominence of alternation. We conclude that speech is not incontestibly rhythmic, and may even be antirhythmic. However, its linguistic structure and patterning allow the metaphorical extension of rhythm in varying degrees and in different ways depending on the language, and it is this analogical process which allows speech to be matched to external rhythms. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Speech rhythm: a metaphor?

PubMed Central

Nolan, Francis; Jeon, Hae-Sung

2014-01-01

Is speech rhythmic? In the absence of evidence for a traditional view that languages strive to coordinate either syllables or stress-feet with regular time intervals, we consider the alternative that languages exhibit contrastive rhythm subsisting merely in the alternation of stronger and weaker elements. This is initially plausible, particularly for languages with a steep ‘prominence gradient’, i.e. a large disparity between stronger and weaker elements; but we point out that alternation is poorly achieved even by a ‘stress-timed’ language such as English, and, historically, languages have conspicuously failed to adopt simple phonological remedies that would ensure alternation. Languages seem more concerned to allow ‘syntagmatic contrast’ between successive units and to use durational effects to support linguistic functions than to facilitate rhythm. Furthermore, some languages (e.g. Tamil, Korean) lack the lexical prominence which would most straightforwardly underpin prominence of alternation. We conclude that speech is not incontestibly rhythmic, and may even be antirhythmic. However, its linguistic structure and patterning allow the metaphorical extension of rhythm in varying degrees and in different ways depending on the language, and it is this analogical process which allows speech to be matched to external rhythms. PMID:25385774

Rate and rhythm control strategies for apraxia of speech in nonfluent primary progressive aphasia.

PubMed

Beber, Bárbara Costa; Berbert, Monalise Costa Batista; Grawer, Ruth Siqueira; Cardoso, Maria Cristina de Almeida Freitas

2018-01-01

The nonfluent/agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia is characterized by apraxia of speech and agrammatism. Apraxia of speech limits patients' communication due to slow speaking rate, sound substitutions, articulatory groping, false starts and restarts, segmentation of syllables, and increased difficulty with increasing utterance length. Speech and language therapy is known to benefit individuals with apraxia of speech due to stroke, but little is known about its effects in primary progressive aphasia. This is a case report of a 72-year-old, illiterate housewife, who was diagnosed with nonfluent primary progressive aphasia and received speech and language therapy for apraxia of speech. Rate and rhythm control strategies for apraxia of speech were trained to improve initiation of speech. We discuss the importance of these strategies to alleviate apraxia of speech in this condition and the future perspectives in the area.

Cross-Linguistic Comparison of Rhythmic and Phonotactic Similarity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stojanovic, Diana

2013-01-01

Literature on speech rhythm has been focused on three major questions: whether languages have rhythms that can be classified into a small number of types, what the criteria are for the membership in each class, and whether the perceived rhythmic similarity between languages can be quantified based on properties found in the speech signal. Claims…

Sensitivity to Speech Rhythm Explains Individual Differences in Reading Ability Independently of Phonological Awareness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holliman, Andrew J.; Wood, Clare; Sheehy, Kieron

2008-01-01

This study considered whether sensitivity to speech rhythm can predict concurrent variance in reading attainment after individual differences in age, vocabulary, and phonological awareness have been controlled. Five- to six-year-old English-speaking children completed a battery of phonological processing assessments and reading assessments, along…

Reducing language to rhythm: Amazonian Bora drummed language exploits speech rhythm for long-distance communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seifart, Frank; Meyer, Julien; Grawunder, Sven; Dentel, Laure

2018-04-01

Many drum communication systems around the world transmit information by emulating tonal and rhythmic patterns of spoken languages in sequences of drumbeats. Their rhythmic characteristics, in particular, have not been systematically studied so far, although understanding them represents a rare occasion for providing an original insight into the basic units of speech rhythm as selected by natural speech practices directly based on beats. Here, we analyse a corpus of Bora drum communication from the northwest Amazon, which is nowadays endangered with extinction. We show that four rhythmic units are encoded in the length of pauses between beats. We argue that these units correspond to vowel-to-vowel intervals with different numbers of consonants and vowel lengths. By contrast, aligning beats with syllables, mora or only vowel length yields inconsistent results. Moreover, we also show that Bora drummed messages conventionally select rhythmically distinct markers to further distinguish words. The two phonological tones represented in drummed speech encode only few lexical contrasts. Rhythm thus appears to crucially contribute to the intelligibility of drummed Bora. Our study provides novel evidence for the role of rhythmic structures composed of vowel-to-vowel intervals in the complex puzzle concerning the redundancy and distinctiveness of acoustic features embedded in speech.

Reducing language to rhythm: Amazonian Bora drummed language exploits speech rhythm for long-distance communication

PubMed Central

Grawunder, Sven; Dentel, Laure

2018-01-01

Many drum communication systems around the world transmit information by emulating tonal and rhythmic patterns of spoken languages in sequences of drumbeats. Their rhythmic characteristics, in particular, have not been systematically studied so far, although understanding them represents a rare occasion for providing an original insight into the basic units of speech rhythm as selected by natural speech practices directly based on beats. Here, we analyse a corpus of Bora drum communication from the northwest Amazon, which is nowadays endangered with extinction. We show that four rhythmic units are encoded in the length of pauses between beats. We argue that these units correspond to vowel-to-vowel intervals with different numbers of consonants and vowel lengths. By contrast, aligning beats with syllables, mora or only vowel length yields inconsistent results. Moreover, we also show that Bora drummed messages conventionally select rhythmically distinct markers to further distinguish words. The two phonological tones represented in drummed speech encode only few lexical contrasts. Rhythm thus appears to crucially contribute to the intelligibility of drummed Bora. Our study provides novel evidence for the role of rhythmic structures composed of vowel-to-vowel intervals in the complex puzzle concerning the redundancy and distinctiveness of acoustic features embedded in speech. PMID:29765620

Speech Rhythm of Monolingual and Bilingual Children at age 2;6: Cantonese and English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mok, Peggy P. K.

2013-01-01

Previous studies have showed that at age 3;0, monolingual children acquiring rhythmically different languages display distinct rhythmic patterns while the speech rhythm patterns of the languages of bilingual children are more similar. It is unclear whether the same observations can be found for younger children, at 2;6. This study compared five…

Speech-rhythm characteristics of client-centered, Gestalt, and rational-emotive therapy interviews.

PubMed

Chen, C L

1981-07-01

The aim of this study was to discover whether client-centered, Gestalt, and rational-emotive psychotherapy interviews could be described and differentiated on the basis of quantitative measurement of their speech rhythms. These measures were taken from the sound portion of a film showing interviews by Carl Rogers, Frederick Perls, and Albert Ellis. The variables used were total session and percentage of speaking times, speaking turns, vocalizations, interruptions, inside and switching pauses, and speaking rates. The three types of interview had very distinctive patterns of speech-rhythm variables. These patterns suggested that Rogers's Client-centered therapy interview was patient dominated, that Ellis's rational-emotive therapy interview was therapist dominated, and that Perls's Gestalt therapy interview was neither therapist nor patient dominated.

“It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got that Swing”– an Alternative Concept for Understanding the Evolution of Dance and Music in Human Beings

PubMed Central

Richter, Joachim; Ostovar, Roya

2016-01-01

The functions of dance and music in human evolution are a mystery. Current research on the evolution of music has mainly focused on its melodic attribute which would have evolved alongside (proto-)language. Instead, we propose an alternative conceptual framework which focuses on the co-evolution of rhythm and dance (R&D) as intertwined aspects of a multimodal phenomenon characterized by the unity of action and perception. Reviewing the current literature from this viewpoint we propose the hypothesis that R&D have co-evolved long before other musical attributes and (proto-)language. Our view is supported by increasing experimental evidence particularly in infants and children: beat is perceived and anticipated already by newborns and rhythm perception depends on body movement. Infants and toddlers spontaneously move to a rhythm irrespective of their cultural background. The impulse to dance may have been prepared by the susceptibility of infants to be soothed by rocking. Conceivable evolutionary functions of R&D include sexual attraction and transmission of mating signals. Social functions include bonding, synchronization of many individuals, appeasement of hostile individuals, and pre- and extra-verbal communication enabling embodied individual and collective memorizing. In many cultures R&D are used for entering trance, a base for shamanism and early religions. Individual benefits of R&D include improvement of body coordination, as well as painkilling, anti-depressive, and anti-boredom effects. Rhythm most likely paved the way for human speech as supported by studies confirming the overlaps between cognitive and neural resources recruited for language and rhythm. In addition, dance encompasses visual and gestural communication. In future studies attention should be paid to which attribute of music is focused on and that the close mutual relation between R&D is taken into account. The possible evolutionary functions of dance deserve more attention. PMID:27774058

"It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got that Swing"- an Alternative Concept for Understanding the Evolution of Dance and Music in Human Beings.

PubMed

Richter, Joachim; Ostovar, Roya

2016-01-01

The functions of dance and music in human evolution are a mystery. Current research on the evolution of music has mainly focused on its melodic attribute which would have evolved alongside (proto-)language. Instead, we propose an alternative conceptual framework which focuses on the co-evolution of rhythm and dance (R&D) as intertwined aspects of a multimodal phenomenon characterized by the unity of action and perception. Reviewing the current literature from this viewpoint we propose the hypothesis that R&D have co-evolved long before other musical attributes and (proto-)language. Our view is supported by increasing experimental evidence particularly in infants and children: beat is perceived and anticipated already by newborns and rhythm perception depends on body movement. Infants and toddlers spontaneously move to a rhythm irrespective of their cultural background. The impulse to dance may have been prepared by the susceptibility of infants to be soothed by rocking. Conceivable evolutionary functions of R&D include sexual attraction and transmission of mating signals. Social functions include bonding, synchronization of many individuals, appeasement of hostile individuals, and pre- and extra-verbal communication enabling embodied individual and collective memorizing. In many cultures R&D are used for entering trance, a base for shamanism and early religions. Individual benefits of R&D include improvement of body coordination, as well as painkilling, anti-depressive, and anti-boredom effects. Rhythm most likely paved the way for human speech as supported by studies confirming the overlaps between cognitive and neural resources recruited for language and rhythm. In addition, dance encompasses visual and gestural communication. In future studies attention should be paid to which attribute of music is focused on and that the close mutual relation between R&D is taken into account. The possible evolutionary functions of dance deserve more attention.

Rhythm as an affordance for the entrainment of movement.

PubMed

Cummins, Fred

2009-01-01

A general account of rhythm in human behaviour is provided, according to which rhythm inheres in the affordance that a signal provides for the entrainment of movement on the part of a perceiver. This generic account is supported by an explication of the central concepts of affordance and entrainment. When viewed in this light, rhythm appears as the correct explanandum to account for coordinated behaviour in a wide variety of situations, including such core senses as dance and the production of music. Speech may appear to be only marginally rhythmical under such an account, but several experimental studies reveal that speech, too, has the potential to entrain movement. (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Neural Oscillations Carry Speech Rhythm through to Comprehension

PubMed Central

Peelle, Jonathan E.; Davis, Matthew H.

2012-01-01

A key feature of speech is the quasi-regular rhythmic information contained in its slow amplitude modulations. In this article we review the information conveyed by speech rhythm, and the role of ongoing brain oscillations in listeners’ processing of this content. Our starting point is the fact that speech is inherently temporal, and that rhythmic information conveyed by the amplitude envelope contains important markers for place and manner of articulation, segmental information, and speech rate. Behavioral studies demonstrate that amplitude envelope information is relied upon by listeners and plays a key role in speech intelligibility. Extending behavioral findings, data from neuroimaging – particularly electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) – point to phase locking by ongoing cortical oscillations to low-frequency information (~4–8 Hz) in the speech envelope. This phase modulation effectively encodes a prediction of when important events (such as stressed syllables) are likely to occur, and acts to increase sensitivity to these relevant acoustic cues. We suggest a framework through which such neural entrainment to speech rhythm can explain effects of speech rate on word and segment perception (i.e., that the perception of phonemes and words in connected speech is influenced by preceding speech rate). Neuroanatomically, acoustic amplitude modulations are processed largely bilaterally in auditory cortex, with intelligible speech resulting in differential recruitment of left-hemisphere regions. Notable among these is lateral anterior temporal cortex, which we propose functions in a domain-general fashion to support ongoing memory and integration of meaningful input. Together, the reviewed evidence suggests that low-frequency oscillations in the acoustic speech signal form the foundation of a rhythmic hierarchy supporting spoken language, mirrored by phase-locked oscillations in the human brain. PMID:22973251

Rhythm Perception and Its Role in Perception and Learning of Dysrhythmic Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borrie, Stephanie A.; Lansford, Kaitlin L.; Barrett, Tyson S.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The perception of rhythm cues plays an important role in recognizing spoken language, especially in adverse listening conditions. Indeed, this has been shown to hold true even when the rhythm cues themselves are dysrhythmic. This study investigates whether expertise in rhythm perception provides a processing advantage for perception…

Awareness of Rhythm Patterns in Speech and Music in Children with Specific Language Impairments

PubMed Central

Cumming, Ruth; Wilson, Angela; Leong, Victoria; Colling, Lincoln J.; Goswami, Usha

2015-01-01

Children with specific language impairments (SLIs) show impaired perception and production of language, and also show impairments in perceiving auditory cues to rhythm [amplitude rise time (ART) and sound duration] and in tapping to a rhythmic beat. Here we explore potential links between language development and rhythm perception in 45 children with SLI and 50 age-matched controls. We administered three rhythmic tasks, a musical beat detection task, a tapping-to-music task, and a novel music/speech task, which varied rhythm and pitch cues independently or together in both speech and music. Via low-pass filtering, the music sounded as though it was played from a low-quality radio and the speech sounded as though it was muffled (heard “behind the door”). We report data for all of the SLI children (N = 45, IQ varying), as well as for two independent subgroupings with intact IQ. One subgroup, “Pure SLI,” had intact phonology and reading (N = 16), the other, “SLI PPR” (N = 15), had impaired phonology and reading. When IQ varied (all SLI children), we found significant group differences in all the rhythmic tasks. For the Pure SLI group, there were rhythmic impairments in the tapping task only. For children with SLI and poor phonology (SLI PPR), group differences were found in all of the filtered speech/music AXB tasks. We conclude that difficulties with rhythmic cues in both speech and music are present in children with SLIs, but that some rhythmic measures are more sensitive than others. The data are interpreted within a “prosodic phrasing” hypothesis, and we discuss the potential utility of rhythmic and musical interventions in remediating speech and language difficulties in children. PMID:26733848

Awareness of Rhythm Patterns in Speech and Music in Children with Specific Language Impairments.

PubMed

Cumming, Ruth; Wilson, Angela; Leong, Victoria; Colling, Lincoln J; Goswami, Usha

2015-01-01

Children with specific language impairments (SLIs) show impaired perception and production of language, and also show impairments in perceiving auditory cues to rhythm [amplitude rise time (ART) and sound duration] and in tapping to a rhythmic beat. Here we explore potential links between language development and rhythm perception in 45 children with SLI and 50 age-matched controls. We administered three rhythmic tasks, a musical beat detection task, a tapping-to-music task, and a novel music/speech task, which varied rhythm and pitch cues independently or together in both speech and music. Via low-pass filtering, the music sounded as though it was played from a low-quality radio and the speech sounded as though it was muffled (heard "behind the door"). We report data for all of the SLI children (N = 45, IQ varying), as well as for two independent subgroupings with intact IQ. One subgroup, "Pure SLI," had intact phonology and reading (N = 16), the other, "SLI PPR" (N = 15), had impaired phonology and reading. When IQ varied (all SLI children), we found significant group differences in all the rhythmic tasks. For the Pure SLI group, there were rhythmic impairments in the tapping task only. For children with SLI and poor phonology (SLI PPR), group differences were found in all of the filtered speech/music AXB tasks. We conclude that difficulties with rhythmic cues in both speech and music are present in children with SLIs, but that some rhythmic measures are more sensitive than others. The data are interpreted within a "prosodic phrasing" hypothesis, and we discuss the potential utility of rhythmic and musical interventions in remediating speech and language difficulties in children.

The Role of Rhythm in Speech and Language Rehabilitation: The SEP Hypothesis

PubMed Central

Fujii, Shinya; Wan, Catherine Y.

2014-01-01

For thousands of years, human beings have engaged in rhythmic activities such as drumming, dancing, and singing. Rhythm can be a powerful medium to stimulate communication and social interactions, due to the strong sensorimotor coupling. For example, the mere presence of an underlying beat or pulse can result in spontaneous motor responses such as hand clapping, foot stepping, and rhythmic vocalizations. Examining the relationship between rhythm and speech is fundamental not only to our understanding of the origins of human communication but also in the treatment of neurological disorders. In this paper, we explore whether rhythm has therapeutic potential for promoting recovery from speech and language dysfunctions. Although clinical studies are limited to date, existing experimental evidence demonstrates rich rhythmic organization in both music and language, as well as overlapping brain networks that are crucial in the design of rehabilitation approaches. Here, we propose the “SEP” hypothesis, which postulates that (1) “sound envelope processing” and (2) “synchronization and entrainment to pulse” may help stimulate brain networks that underlie human communication. Ultimately, we hope that the SEP hypothesis will provide a useful framework for facilitating rhythm-based research in various patient populations. PMID:25352796

Temporal modulations in speech and music.

PubMed

Ding, Nai; Patel, Aniruddh D; Chen, Lin; Butler, Henry; Luo, Cheng; Poeppel, David

2017-10-01

Speech and music have structured rhythms. Here we discuss a major acoustic correlate of spoken and musical rhythms, the slow (0.25-32Hz) temporal modulations in sound intensity and compare the modulation properties of speech and music. We analyze these modulations using over 25h of speech and over 39h of recordings of Western music. We show that the speech modulation spectrum is highly consistent across 9 languages (including languages with typologically different rhythmic characteristics). A different, but similarly consistent modulation spectrum is observed for music, including classical music played by single instruments of different types, symphonic, jazz, and rock. The temporal modulations of speech and music show broad but well-separated peaks around 5 and 2Hz, respectively. These acoustically dominant time scales may be intrinsic features of speech and music, a possibility which should be investigated using more culturally diverse samples in each domain. Distinct modulation timescales for speech and music could facilitate their perceptual analysis and its neural processing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

L2 Acquisition of Prosodic Properties of Speech Rhythm: Evidence from L1 Mandarin and German Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Aike; Post, Brechtje

2014-01-01

This study examines the development of speech rhythm in second language (L2) learners of typologically different first languages (L1s) at different levels of proficiency. An empirical investigation of durational variation in L2 English productions by L1 Mandarin learners and L1 German learners compared to native control values in English and the…

Speech Synthesis Applied to Language Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherwood, Bruce

1981-01-01

The experimental addition of speech output to computer-based Esperanto lessons using speech synthesized from text is described. Because of Esperanto's phonetic spelling and simple rhythm, it is particularly easy to describe the mechanisms of Esperanto synthesis. Attention is directed to how the text-to-speech conversion is performed and the ways…

Thalamocortical mechanisms for integrating musical tone and rhythm

PubMed Central

Musacchia, Gabriella; Large, Edward

2014-01-01

Studies over several decades have identified many of the neuronal substrates of music perception by pursuing pitch and rhythm perception separately. Here, we address the question of how these mechanisms interact, starting with the observation that the peripheral pathways of the so-called “Core” and “Matrix” thalamocortical system provide the anatomical bases for tone and rhythm channels. We then examine the hypothesis that these specialized inputs integrate tonal content within rhythm context in auditory cortex using classical types of “driving” and “modulatory” mechanisms. This hypothesis provides a framework for deriving testable predictions about the early stages of music processing. Furthermore, because thalamocortical circuits are shared by speech and music processing, such a model provides concrete implications for how music experience contributes to the development of robust speech encoding mechanisms. PMID:24103509

Effects of human fatigue on speech signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stamoulis, Catherine

2004-05-01

Cognitive performance may be significantly affected by fatigue. In the case of critical personnel, such as pilots, monitoring human fatigue is essential to ensure safety and success of a given operation. One of the modalities that may be used for this purpose is speech, which is sensitive to respiratory changes and increased muscle tension of vocal cords, induced by fatigue. Age, gender, vocal tract length, physical and emotional state may significantly alter speech intensity, duration, rhythm, and spectral characteristics. In addition to changes in speech rhythm, fatigue may also affect the quality of speech, such as articulation. In a noisy environment, detecting fatigue-related changes in speech signals, particularly subtle changes at the onset of fatigue, may be difficult. Therefore, in a performance-monitoring system, speech parameters which are significantly affected by fatigue need to be identified and extracted from input signals. For this purpose, a series of experiments was performed under slowly varying cognitive load conditions and at different times of the day. The results of the data analysis are presented here.

Rhythm in disguise: why singing may not hold the key to recovery from aphasia

PubMed Central

Kotz, Sonja A.; Henseler, Ilona; Turner, Robert; Geyer, Stefan

2011-01-01

The question of whether singing may be helpful for stroke patients with non-fluent aphasia has been debated for many years. However, the role of rhythm in speech recovery appears to have been neglected. In the current lesion study, we aimed to assess the relative importance of melody and rhythm for speech production in 17 non-fluent aphasics. Furthermore, we systematically alternated the lyrics to test for the influence of long-term memory and preserved motor automaticity in formulaic expressions. We controlled for vocal frequency variability, pitch accuracy, rhythmicity, syllable duration, phonetic complexity and other relevant factors, such as learning effects or the acoustic setting. Contrary to some opinion, our data suggest that singing may not be decisive for speech production in non-fluent aphasics. Instead, our results indicate that rhythm may be crucial, particularly for patients with lesions including the basal ganglia. Among the patients we studied, basal ganglia lesions accounted for more than 50% of the variance related to rhythmicity. Our findings therefore suggest that benefits typically attributed to melodic intoning in the past could actually have their roots in rhythm. Moreover, our data indicate that lyric production in non-fluent aphasics may be strongly mediated by long-term memory and motor automaticity, irrespective of whether lyrics are sung or spoken. PMID:21948939

Breathing-Impaired Speech after Brain Haemorrhage: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heselwood, Barry

2007-01-01

Results are presented from an auditory and acoustic analysis of the speech of an adult male with impaired prosody and articulation due to brain haemorrhage. They show marked effects on phonation, speech rate and articulator velocity, and a speech rhythm disrupted by "intrusive" stresses. These effects are discussed in relation to the speaker's…

Speech Rhythm: Its Relation to Performance Universals and Articulatory Timing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, George D.

1975-01-01

The relationship between the rhythms of spoken language and the rhythms of other human behavior is examined in terms of: (1) types of rhythmic structures observed, (2) rate of succession of rhythmic units, (3) a perceptual tendency equalization of physically unequal intervals, and (4) the variability of rhythmic motor action. (Author/RM)

The design of a device for hearer and feeler differentiation, part A. [speech modulated hearing device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Creecy, R.

1974-01-01

A speech modulated white noise device is reported that gives the rhythmic characteristics of a speech signal for intelligible reception by deaf persons. The signal is composed of random amplitudes and frequencies as modulated by the speech envelope characteristics of rhythm and stress. Time intensity parameters of speech are conveyed through the vibro-tactile sensation stimuli.

Rhythm in Ethiopian English: Implications for the Teaching of English Prosody

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gashaw, Anegagregn

2017-01-01

In order to verify that English speeches produced by Ethiopian speakers fall under syllable-timed or stress-timed rhythm, the study tried to examine the nature of stress and rhythm in the pronunciation of Ethiopian speakers of English by focusing on one language group speaking Amharic as a native language. Using acoustic analysis of the speeches…

Hierarchical Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Speech Rhythm and Articulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tilsen, Samuel Edward

2009-01-01

Hierarchy is one of the most important concepts in the scientific study of language. This dissertation aims to understand why we observe hierarchical structures in speech by investigating the cognitive processes from which they emerge. To that end, the dissertation explores how articulatory, rhythmic, and prosodic patterns of speech interact.…

Automatic measurement and representation of prosodic features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ying, Goangshiuan Shawn

Effective measurement and representation of prosodic features of the acoustic signal for use in automatic speech recognition and understanding systems is the goal of this work. Prosodic features-stress, duration, and intonation-are variations of the acoustic signal whose domains are beyond the boundaries of each individual phonetic segment. Listeners perceive prosodic features through a complex combination of acoustic correlates such as intensity, duration, and fundamental frequency (F0). We have developed new tools to measure F0 and intensity features. We apply a probabilistic global error correction routine to an Average Magnitude Difference Function (AMDF) pitch detector. A new short-term frequency-domain Teager energy algorithm is used to measure the energy of a speech signal. We have conducted a series of experiments performing lexical stress detection on words in continuous English speech from two speech corpora. We have experimented with two different approaches, a segment-based approach and a rhythm unit-based approach, in lexical stress detection. The first approach uses pattern recognition with energy- and duration-based measurements as features to build Bayesian classifiers to detect the stress level of a vowel segment. In the second approach we define rhythm unit and use only the F0-based measurement and a scoring system to determine the stressed segment in the rhythm unit. A duration-based segmentation routine was developed to break polysyllabic words into rhythm units. The long-term goal of this work is to develop a system that can effectively detect the stress pattern for each word in continuous speech utterances. Stress information will be integrated as a constraint for pruning the word hypotheses in a word recognition system based on hidden Markov models.

Assessment of rhythmic entrainment at multiple timescales in dyslexia: evidence for disruption to syllable timing.

PubMed

Leong, Victoria; Goswami, Usha

2014-02-01

Developmental dyslexia is associated with rhythmic difficulties, including impaired perception of beat patterns in music and prosodic stress patterns in speech. Spoken prosodic rhythm is cued by slow (<10 Hz) fluctuations in speech signal amplitude. Impaired neural oscillatory tracking of these slow amplitude modulation (AM) patterns is one plausible source of impaired rhythm tracking in dyslexia. Here, we characterise the temporal profile of the dyslexic rhythm deficit by examining rhythmic entrainment at multiple speech timescales. Adult dyslexic participants completed two experiments aimed at testing the perception and production of speech rhythm. In the perception task, participants tapped along to the beat of 4 metrically-regular nursery rhyme sentences. In the production task, participants produced the same 4 sentences in time to a metronome beat. Rhythmic entrainment was assessed using both traditional rhythmic indices and a novel AM-based measure, which utilised 3 dominant AM timescales in the speech signal each associated with a different phonological grain-sized unit (0.9-2.5 Hz, prosodic stress; 2.5-12 Hz, syllables; 12-40 Hz, phonemes). The AM-based measure revealed atypical rhythmic entrainment by dyslexic participants to syllable patterns in speech, in perception and production. In the perception task, both groups showed equally strong phase-locking to Syllable AM patterns, but dyslexic responses were entrained to a significantly earlier oscillatory phase angle than controls. In the production task, dyslexic utterances showed shorter syllable intervals, and differences in Syllable:Phoneme AM cross-frequency synchronisation. Our data support the view that rhythmic entrainment at slow (∼5 Hz, Syllable) rates is atypical in dyslexia, suggesting that neural mechanisms for syllable perception and production may also be atypical. These syllable timing deficits could contribute to the atypical development of phonological representations for spoken words, the central cognitive characteristic of developmental dyslexia across languages. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of rhythmic entrainment at multiple timescales in dyslexia: Evidence for disruption to syllable timing☆

PubMed Central

Leong, Victoria; Goswami, Usha

2014-01-01

Developmental dyslexia is associated with rhythmic difficulties, including impaired perception of beat patterns in music and prosodic stress patterns in speech. Spoken prosodic rhythm is cued by slow (<10 Hz) fluctuations in speech signal amplitude. Impaired neural oscillatory tracking of these slow amplitude modulation (AM) patterns is one plausible source of impaired rhythm tracking in dyslexia. Here, we characterise the temporal profile of the dyslexic rhythm deficit by examining rhythmic entrainment at multiple speech timescales. Adult dyslexic participants completed two experiments aimed at testing the perception and production of speech rhythm. In the perception task, participants tapped along to the beat of 4 metrically-regular nursery rhyme sentences. In the production task, participants produced the same 4 sentences in time to a metronome beat. Rhythmic entrainment was assessed using both traditional rhythmic indices and a novel AM-based measure, which utilised 3 dominant AM timescales in the speech signal each associated with a different phonological grain-sized unit (0.9–2.5 Hz, prosodic stress; 2.5–12 Hz, syllables; 12–40 Hz, phonemes). The AM-based measure revealed atypical rhythmic entrainment by dyslexic participants to syllable patterns in speech, in perception and production. In the perception task, both groups showed equally strong phase-locking to Syllable AM patterns, but dyslexic responses were entrained to a significantly earlier oscillatory phase angle than controls. In the production task, dyslexic utterances showed shorter syllable intervals, and differences in Syllable:Phoneme AM cross-frequency synchronisation. Our data support the view that rhythmic entrainment at slow (∼5 Hz, Syllable) rates is atypical in dyslexia, suggesting that neural mechanisms for syllable perception and production may also be atypical. These syllable timing deficits could contribute to the atypical development of phonological representations for spoken words, the central cognitive characteristic of developmental dyslexia across languages. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled . PMID:23916752

EEG oscillations entrain their phase to high-level features of speech sound.

PubMed

Zoefel, Benedikt; VanRullen, Rufin

2016-01-01

Phase entrainment of neural oscillations, the brain's adjustment to rhythmic stimulation, is a central component in recent theories of speech comprehension: the alignment between brain oscillations and speech sound improves speech intelligibility. However, phase entrainment to everyday speech sound could also be explained by oscillations passively following the low-level periodicities (e.g., in sound amplitude and spectral content) of auditory stimulation-and not by an adjustment to the speech rhythm per se. Recently, using novel speech/noise mixture stimuli, we have shown that behavioral performance can entrain to speech sound even when high-level features (including phonetic information) are not accompanied by fluctuations in sound amplitude and spectral content. In the present study, we report that neural phase entrainment might underlie our behavioral findings. We observed phase-locking between electroencephalogram (EEG) and speech sound in response not only to original (unprocessed) speech but also to our constructed "high-level" speech/noise mixture stimuli. Phase entrainment to original speech and speech/noise sound did not differ in the degree of entrainment, but rather in the actual phase difference between EEG signal and sound. Phase entrainment was not abolished when speech/noise stimuli were presented in reverse (which disrupts semantic processing), indicating that acoustic (rather than linguistic) high-level features play a major role in the observed neural entrainment. Our results provide further evidence for phase entrainment as a potential mechanism underlying speech processing and segmentation, and for the involvement of high-level processes in the adjustment to the rhythm of speech. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence-Based Intervention for Individuals with Acquired Apraxia of Speech. EBP Briefs. Volume 11, Issue 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Sickle, Angela

2016-01-01

Clinical Question: Would individuals with acquired apraxia of speech (AOS) demonstrate greater improvements for speech production with an articulatory kinematic approach or a rate/rhythm approach? Method: EBP Intervention Comparison Review. Study Sources: ASHA journal, Google Scholar, PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Web of Science, Ovid, and…

Don’t speak too fast! Processing of fast rate speech in children with specific language impairment

PubMed Central

Bedoin, Nathalie; Krifi-Papoz, Sonia; Herbillon, Vania; Caillot-Bascoul, Aurélia; Gonzalez-Monge, Sibylle; Boulenger, Véronique

2018-01-01

Background Perception of speech rhythm requires the auditory system to track temporal envelope fluctuations, which carry syllabic and stress information. Reduced sensitivity to rhythmic acoustic cues has been evidenced in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI), impeding syllabic parsing and speech decoding. Our study investigated whether these children experience specific difficulties processing fast rate speech as compared with typically developing (TD) children. Method Sixteen French children with SLI (8–13 years old) with mainly expressive phonological disorders and with preserved comprehension and 16 age-matched TD children performed a judgment task on sentences produced 1) at normal rate, 2) at fast rate or 3) time-compressed. Sensitivity index (d′) to semantically incongruent sentence-final words was measured. Results Overall children with SLI perform significantly worse than TD children. Importantly, as revealed by the significant Group × Speech Rate interaction, children with SLI find it more challenging than TD children to process both naturally or artificially accelerated speech. The two groups do not significantly differ in normal rate speech processing. Conclusion In agreement with rhythm-processing deficits in atypical language development, our results suggest that children with SLI face difficulties adjusting to rapid speech rate. These findings are interpreted in light of temporal sampling and prosodic phrasing frameworks and of oscillatory mechanisms underlying speech perception. PMID:29373610

[Speech rhythm disorders due to synchronization induced in coupled inhibitory neurons].

PubMed

Skliarov, O P

2007-01-01

Leaked-integrate-and-fire coupled oscillators (LIFs) were used as a model of electrophysiological activity. The activity of these oscillators determines the speech rhythm, which is governed by the square-law map with inhibition as a controlling parameter. Regular rhythms of convulsive repetitions at early stuttering are changed, however, by a mixture of repetitions and neurotic pauses. This mixture is a "stumbling block" for clinicians. Due to delays, only inhibitory LIFs are capable to create the synchronic activity in-phase or in-anti-phase at medial or at low coupling. This activity has the form of slow oscillations damping to the background level. Splashes of the activity above or below the level lead to neurotic disorders or to convulsive repetitions. Really, increased due to GABA the coupling leads to a reduction of stuttering.

On the Function of Stress Rhythms in Speech: Evidence of a Link with Grouping Effects on Serial Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boucher, Victor J.

2006-01-01

Language learning requires a capacity to recall novel series of speech sounds. Research shows that prosodic marks create grouping effects enhancing serial recall. However, any restriction on memory affecting the reproduction of prosody would limit the set of patterns that could be learned and subsequently used in speech. By implication, grouping…

Auditory and Motor Rhythm Awareness in Adults with Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Jennifer M.; Fryer, Ben; Maltby, James; Goswami, Usha

2006-01-01

Children with developmental dyslexia appear to be insensitive to basic auditory cues to speech rhythm and stress. For example, they experience difficulties in processing duration and amplitude envelope onset cues. Here we explored the sensitivity of adults with developmental dyslexia to the same cues. In addition, relations with expressive and…

The Effects of Fluency Enhancing Conditions on Sensorimotor Control of Speech in Typically Fluent Speakers: An EEG Mu Rhythm Study

PubMed Central

Kittilstved, Tiffani; Reilly, Kevin J.; Harkrider, Ashley W.; Casenhiser, Devin; Thornton, David; Jenson, David E.; Hedinger, Tricia; Bowers, Andrew L.; Saltuklaroglu, Tim

2018-01-01

Objective: To determine whether changes in sensorimotor control resulting from speaking conditions that induce fluency in people who stutter (PWS) can be measured using electroencephalographic (EEG) mu rhythms in neurotypical speakers. Methods: Non-stuttering (NS) adults spoke in one control condition (solo speaking) and four experimental conditions (choral speech, delayed auditory feedback (DAF), prolonged speech and pseudostuttering). Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to identify sensorimotor μ components from EEG recordings. Time-frequency analyses measured μ-alpha (8–13 Hz) and μ-beta (15–25 Hz) event-related synchronization (ERS) and desynchronization (ERD) during each speech condition. Results: 19/24 participants contributed μ components. Relative to the control condition, the choral and DAF conditions elicited increases in μ-alpha ERD in the right hemisphere. In the pseudostuttering condition, increases in μ-beta ERD were observed in the left hemisphere. No differences were present between the prolonged speech and control conditions. Conclusions: Differences observed in the experimental conditions are thought to reflect sensorimotor control changes. Increases in right hemisphere μ-alpha ERD likely reflect increased reliance on auditory information, including auditory feedback, during the choral and DAF conditions. In the left hemisphere, increases in μ-beta ERD during pseudostuttering may have resulted from the different movement characteristics of this task compared with the solo speaking task. Relationships to findings in stuttering are discussed. Significance: Changes in sensorimotor control related feedforward and feedback control in fluency-enhancing speech manipulations can be measured using time-frequency decompositions of EEG μ rhythms in neurotypical speakers. This quiet, non-invasive, and temporally sensitive technique may be applied to learn more about normal sensorimotor control and fluency enhancement in PWS. PMID:29670516

Sensitivity to Rhythmic Parameters in Dyslexic Children: A Comparison of Hungarian and English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suranyi, Zsuzsanna; Csepe, Valeria; Richardson, Ulla; Thomson, Jennifer M.; Honbolygo, Ferenc; Goswami, Usha

2009-01-01

It has been proposed that sensitivity to the parameters underlying speech rhythm may be important in setting up well-specified phonological representations in the mental lexicon. However, different acoustic parameters may contribute differentially to rhythm and stress in different languages. Here we contrast sensitivity to one such cue, amplitude…

Speech, stone tool-making and the evolution of language.

PubMed

Cataldo, Dana Michelle; Migliano, Andrea Bamberg; Vinicius, Lucio

2018-01-01

The 'technological hypothesis' proposes that gestural language evolved in early hominins to enable the cultural transmission of stone tool-making skills, with speech appearing later in response to the complex lithic industries of more recent hominins. However, no flintknapping study has assessed the efficiency of speech alone (unassisted by gesture) as a tool-making transmission aid. Here we show that subjects instructed by speech alone underperform in stone tool-making experiments in comparison to subjects instructed through either gesture alone or 'full language' (gesture plus speech), and also report lower satisfaction with their received instruction. The results provide evidence that gesture was likely to be selected over speech as a teaching aid in the earliest hominin tool-makers; that speech could not have replaced gesturing as a tool-making teaching aid in later hominins, possibly explaining the functional retention of gesturing in the full language of modern humans; and that speech may have evolved for reasons unrelated to tool-making. We conclude that speech is unlikely to have evolved as tool-making teaching aid superior to gesture, as claimed by the technological hypothesis, and therefore alternative views should be considered. For example, gestural language may have evolved to enable tool-making in earlier hominins, while speech may have later emerged as a response to increased trade and more complex inter- and intra-group interactions in Middle Pleistocene ancestors of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens; or gesture and speech may have evolved in parallel rather than in sequence.

Paving the Way for Speech: Voice-Training-Induced Plasticity in Chronic Aphasia and Apraxia of Speech—Three Single Cases

PubMed Central

Jungblut, Monika; Huber, Walter; Mais, Christiane

2014-01-01

Difficulties with temporal coordination or sequencing of speech movements are frequently reported in aphasia patients with concomitant apraxia of speech (AOS). Our major objective was to investigate the effects of specific rhythmic-melodic voice training on brain activation of those patients. Three patients with severe chronic nonfluent aphasia and AOS were included in this study. Before and after therapy, patients underwent the same fMRI procedure as 30 healthy control subjects in our prestudy, which investigated the neural substrates of sung vowel changes in untrained rhythm sequences. A main finding was that post-minus pretreatment imaging data yielded significant perilesional activations in all patients for example, in the left superior temporal gyrus, whereas the reverse subtraction revealed either no significant activation or right hemisphere activation. Likewise, pre- and posttreatment assessments of patients' vocal rhythm production, language, and speech motor performance yielded significant improvements for all patients. Our results suggest that changes in brain activation due to the applied training might indicate specific processes of reorganization, for example, improved temporal sequencing of sublexical speech components. In this context, a training that focuses on rhythmic singing with differently demanding complexity levels as concerns motor and cognitive capabilities seems to support paving the way for speech. PMID:24977055

Evidence for Multiple Rhythmic Skills

PubMed Central

Tierney, Adam; Kraus, Nina

2015-01-01

Rhythms, or patterns in time, play a vital role in both speech and music. Proficiency in a number of rhythm skills has been linked to language ability, suggesting that certain rhythmic processes in music and language rely on overlapping resources. However, a lack of understanding about how rhythm skills relate to each other has impeded progress in understanding how language relies on rhythm processing. In particular, it is unknown whether all rhythm skills are linked together, forming a single broad rhythmic competence, or whether there are multiple dissociable rhythm skills. We hypothesized that beat tapping and rhythm memory/sequencing form two separate clusters of rhythm skills. This hypothesis was tested with a battery of two beat tapping and two rhythm memory tests. Here we show that tapping to a metronome and the ability to adjust to a changing tempo while tapping to a metronome are related skills. The ability to remember rhythms and to drum along to repeating rhythmic sequences are also related. However, we found no relationship between beat tapping skills and rhythm memory skills. Thus, beat tapping and rhythm memory are dissociable rhythmic aptitudes. This discovery may inform future research disambiguating how distinct rhythm competencies track with specific language functions. PMID:26376489

To the Beat of Your Own Drum: Cortical Regularization of Non-Integer Ratio Rhythms toward Metrical Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motz, Benjamin A.; Erickson, Molly A.; Hetrick, William P.

2013-01-01

Humans perceive a wide range of temporal patterns, including those rhythms that occur in music, speech, and movement; however, there are constraints on the rhythmic patterns that we can represent. Past research has shown that sequences in which sounds occur regularly at non-metrical locations in a repeating beat period (non-integer ratio…

θ-Band and β-Band Neural Activity Reflects Independent Syllable Tracking and Comprehension of Time-Compressed Speech.

PubMed

Pefkou, Maria; Arnal, Luc H; Fontolan, Lorenzo; Giraud, Anne-Lise

2017-08-16

Recent psychophysics data suggest that speech perception is not limited by the capacity of the auditory system to encode fast acoustic variations through neural γ activity, but rather by the time given to the brain to decode them. Whether the decoding process is bounded by the capacity of θ rhythm to follow syllabic rhythms in speech, or constrained by a more endogenous top-down mechanism, e.g., involving β activity, is unknown. We addressed the dynamics of auditory decoding in speech comprehension by challenging syllable tracking and speech decoding using comprehensible and incomprehensible time-compressed auditory sentences. We recorded EEGs in human participants and found that neural activity in both θ and γ ranges was sensitive to syllabic rate. Phase patterns of slow neural activity consistently followed the syllabic rate (4-14 Hz), even when this rate went beyond the classical θ range (4-8 Hz). The power of θ activity increased linearly with syllabic rate but showed no sensitivity to comprehension. Conversely, the power of β (14-21 Hz) activity was insensitive to the syllabic rate, yet reflected comprehension on a single-trial basis. We found different long-range dynamics for θ and β activity, with β activity building up in time while more contextual information becomes available. This is consistent with the roles of θ and β activity in stimulus-driven versus endogenous mechanisms. These data show that speech comprehension is constrained by concurrent stimulus-driven θ and low-γ activity, and by endogenous β activity, but not primarily by the capacity of θ activity to track the syllabic rhythm. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Speech comprehension partly depends on the ability of the auditory cortex to track syllable boundaries with θ-range neural oscillations. The reason comprehension drops when speech is accelerated could hence be because θ oscillations can no longer follow the syllabic rate. Here, we presented subjects with comprehensible and incomprehensible accelerated speech, and show that neural phase patterns in the θ band consistently reflect the syllabic rate, even when speech becomes too fast to be intelligible. The drop in comprehension, however, is signaled by a significant decrease in the power of low-β oscillations (14-21 Hz). These data suggest that speech comprehension is not limited by the capacity of θ oscillations to adapt to syllabic rate, but by an endogenous decoding process. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/377930-09$15.00/0.

Evolution of circadian rhythms in Drosophila melanogaster populations reared in constant light and dark regimes for over 330 generations.

PubMed

Shindey, Radhika; Varma, Vishwanath; Nikhil, K L; Sharma, Vijay Kumar

2017-01-01

Organisms are believed to have evolved circadian clocks as adaptations to deal with cyclic environmental changes, and therefore it has been hypothesized that evolution in constant environments would lead to regression of such clocks. However, previous studies have yielded mixed results, and evolution of circadian clocks under constant conditions has remained an unsettled topic of debate in circadian biology. In continuation of our previous studies, which reported persistence of circadian rhythms in Drosophila melanogaster populations evolving under constant light, here we intended to examine whether circadian clocks and the associated properties evolve differently under constant light and constant darkness. In this regard, we assayed activity-rest, adult emergence and oviposition rhythms of D. melanogaster populations which have been maintained for over 19 years (~330 generations) under three different light regimes - constant light (LL), light-dark cycles of 12:12 h (LD) and constant darkness (DD). We observed that while circadian rhythms in all the three behaviors persist in both LL and DD stocks with no differences in circadian period, they differed in certain aspects of the entrained rhythms when compared to controls reared in rhythmic environment (LD). Interestingly, we also observed that DD stocks have evolved significantly higher robustness or power of free-running activity-rest and adult emergence rhythms compared to LL stocks. Thus, our study, in addition to corroborating previous results of circadian clock evolution in constant light, also highlights that, contrary to the expected regression of circadian clocks, rearing in constant darkness leads to the evolution of more robust circadian clocks which may be attributed to an intrinsic adaptive advantage of circadian clocks and/or pleiotropic functions of clock genes in other traits.

The effects of gated speech on the fluency of speakers who stutter

PubMed Central

Howell, Peter

2007-01-01

It is known that the speech of people who stutter improves when the speaker’s own vocalization is changed while the participant is speaking. One explanation of these effects is the disruptive rhythm hypothesis (DRH). DRH maintains that the manipulated sound only needs to disturb timing to affect speech control. The experiment investigated whether speech that was gated on and off (interrupted) affected the speech control of speakers who stutter. Eight children who stutter read a passage when they heard their voice normally and when the speech was gated. Fluency was enhanced (fewer errors were made and time to read a set passage was reduced) when speech was interrupted in this way. The results support the DRH. PMID:17726328

The effects of gated speech on the fluency of speakers who stutter.

PubMed

Howell, Peter

2007-01-01

It is known that the speech of people who stutter improves when the speaker's own vocalization is changed while the participant is speaking. One explanation of these effects is the disruptive rhythm hypothesis (DRH). The DRH maintains that the manipulated sound only needs to disturb timing to affect speech control. The experiment investigated whether speech that was gated on and off (interrupted) affected the speech control of speakers who stutter. Eight children who stutter read a passage when they heard their voice normally and when the speech was gated. Fluency was enhanced (fewer errors were made and time to read a set passage was reduced) when speech was interrupted in this way. The results support the DRH. Copyright 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Temporal Prediction of Stress in Speech and Its Relation to Musical Beat Perception.

PubMed

Beier, Eleonora J; Ferreira, Fernanda

2018-01-01

While rhythmic expectancies are thought to be at the base of beat perception in music, the extent to which stress patterns in speech are similarly represented and predicted during on-line language comprehension is debated. The temporal prediction of stress may be advantageous to speech processing, as stress patterns aid segmentation and mark new information in utterances. However, while linguistic stress patterns may be organized into hierarchical metrical structures similarly to musical meter, they do not typically present the same degree of periodicity. We review the theoretical background for the idea that stress patterns are predicted and address the following questions: First, what is the evidence that listeners can predict the temporal location of stress based on preceding rhythm? If they can, is it thanks to neural entrainment mechanisms similar to those utilized for musical beat perception? And lastly, what linguistic factors other than rhythm may account for the prediction of stress in natural speech? We conclude that while expectancies based on the periodic presentation of stresses are at play in some of the current literature, other processes are likely to affect the prediction of stress in more naturalistic, less isochronous speech. Specifically, aspects of prosody other than amplitude changes (e.g., intonation) as well as lexical, syntactic and information structural constraints on the realization of stress may all contribute to the probabilistic expectation of stress in speech.

Music and speech prosody: a common rhythm.

PubMed

Hausen, Maija; Torppa, Ritva; Salmela, Viljami R; Vainio, Martti; Särkämö, Teppo

2013-01-01

Disorders of music and speech perception, known as amusia and aphasia, have traditionally been regarded as dissociated deficits based on studies of brain damaged patients. This has been taken as evidence that music and speech are perceived by largely separate and independent networks in the brain. However, recent studies of congenital amusia have broadened this view by showing that the deficit is associated with problems in perceiving speech prosody, especially intonation and emotional prosody. In the present study the association between the perception of music and speech prosody was investigated with healthy Finnish adults (n = 61) using an on-line music perception test including the Scale subtest of Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA) and Off-Beat and Out-of-key tasks as well as a prosodic verbal task that measures the perception of word stress. Regression analyses showed that there was a clear association between prosody perception and music perception, especially in the domain of rhythm perception. This association was evident after controlling for music education, age, pitch perception, visuospatial perception, and working memory. Pitch perception was significantly associated with music perception but not with prosody perception. The association between music perception and visuospatial perception (measured using analogous tasks) was less clear. Overall, the pattern of results indicates that there is a robust link between music and speech perception and that this link can be mediated by rhythmic cues (time and stress).

Music and speech prosody: a common rhythm

PubMed Central

Hausen, Maija; Torppa, Ritva; Salmela, Viljami R.; Vainio, Martti; Särkämö, Teppo

2013-01-01

Disorders of music and speech perception, known as amusia and aphasia, have traditionally been regarded as dissociated deficits based on studies of brain damaged patients. This has been taken as evidence that music and speech are perceived by largely separate and independent networks in the brain. However, recent studies of congenital amusia have broadened this view by showing that the deficit is associated with problems in perceiving speech prosody, especially intonation and emotional prosody. In the present study the association between the perception of music and speech prosody was investigated with healthy Finnish adults (n = 61) using an on-line music perception test including the Scale subtest of Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA) and Off-Beat and Out-of-key tasks as well as a prosodic verbal task that measures the perception of word stress. Regression analyses showed that there was a clear association between prosody perception and music perception, especially in the domain of rhythm perception. This association was evident after controlling for music education, age, pitch perception, visuospatial perception, and working memory. Pitch perception was significantly associated with music perception but not with prosody perception. The association between music perception and visuospatial perception (measured using analogous tasks) was less clear. Overall, the pattern of results indicates that there is a robust link between music and speech perception and that this link can be mediated by rhythmic cues (time and stress). PMID:24032022

Common Speech Problems Encountered in General Practice

PubMed Central

Godfrey, Charles M.; Ward, Jean F.

1962-01-01

The authors consider speech and communication in the light of whole patient care and point out that defects may be signs and symptoms of underlying organic disease. They describe the four classifications of speech disorders—articulation, rhythm, voice and language, with an indication of the speech therapy required and duration of treatment. Special emphasis has been given to those speech problems which are seen by the family physician; these are usually of the articulation group. A short discussion of stuttering and aphasia is given. Emphasis is put on the direction of treatment by the physician and the use of well-qualified personnel as members of the rehabilitation team. PMID:13963265

On the function of stress rhythms in speech: evidence of a link with grouping effects on serial memory.

PubMed

Boucher, Victor J

2006-01-01

Language learning requires a capacity to recall novel series of speech sounds. Research shows that prosodic marks create grouping effects enhancing serial recall. However, any restriction on memory affecting the reproduction of prosody would limit the set of patterns that could be learned and subsequently used in speech. By implication, grouping effects of prosody would also be limited to reproducible patterns. This view of the role of prosody and the contribution of memory processes in the organization of prosodic patterns is examined by evaluating the correspondence between a reported tendency to restrict stress intervals in speech and size limits on stress-grouping effects. French speech is used where stress defines the endpoints of groups. In Experiment 1, 40 speakers recalled novel series of syllables containing stress-groups of varying size. Recall was not enhanced by groupings exceeding four syllables, which corresponded to a restriction on the reproducibility of stress-groups. In Experiment 2, the subjects produced given sentences containing phrases of differing length. The results show a strong tendency to insert stress within phrases that exceed four syllables. Since prosody can arise in the recall of syntactically unstructured lists, the results offer initial support for viewing memory processes as a factor of stress-rhythm organization.

Auditory-Motor Rhythms and Speech Processing in French and German Listeners

PubMed Central

Falk, Simone; Volpi-Moncorger, Chloé; Dalla Bella, Simone

2017-01-01

Moving to a speech rhythm can enhance verbal processing in the listener by increasing temporal expectancies (Falk and Dalla Bella, 2016). Here we tested whether this hypothesis holds for prosodically diverse languages such as German (a lexical stress-language) and French (a non-stress language). Moreover, we examined the relation between motor performance and the benefits for verbal processing as a function of language. Sixty-four participants, 32 German and 32 French native speakers detected subtle word changes in accented positions in metrically structured sentences to which they previously tapped with their index finger. Before each sentence, they were cued by a metronome to tap either congruently (i.e., to accented syllables) or incongruently (i.e., to non-accented parts) to the following speech stimulus. Both French and German speakers detected words better when cued to tap congruently compared to incongruent tapping. Detection performance was predicted by participants' motor performance in the non-verbal cueing phase. Moreover, tapping rate while participants tapped to speech predicted detection differently for the two language groups, in particular in the incongruent tapping condition. We discuss our findings in light of the rhythmic differences of both languages and with respect to recent theories of expectancy-driven and multisensory speech processing. PMID:28443036

The Progressive Development of Early Embodied Algebraic Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radford, Luis

2014-06-01

In this article I present some results from a 5-year longitudinal investigation with young students about the genesis of embodied, non-symbolic algebraic thinking and its progressive transition to culturally evolved forms of symbolic thinking. The investigation draws on a cultural-historical theory of teaching and learning—the theory of objectification. Within this theory, thinking is conceived of as a form of reflection and action that is simultaneously material and ideal: It includes inner and outer speech, sensuous forms of imagination and visualisation, gestures, rhythm, and their intertwinement with material culture (symbols, artifacts, etc.). The theory articulates a cultural view of development as an unfolding dialectic process between culturally and historically constituted forms of mathematical knowing and semiotically mediated classroom activity. Looking at the experimental data through these theoretical lenses reveals a developmental path where embodied forms of thinking are sublated or subsumed into more sophisticated ones through the mediation of properly designed classroom activity.

Speech Rhythms and Multiplexed Oscillatory Sensory Coding in the Human Brain

PubMed Central

Gross, Joachim; Hoogenboom, Nienke; Thut, Gregor; Schyns, Philippe; Panzeri, Stefano; Belin, Pascal; Garrod, Simon

2013-01-01

Cortical oscillations are likely candidates for segmentation and coding of continuous speech. Here, we monitored continuous speech processing with magnetoencephalography (MEG) to unravel the principles of speech segmentation and coding. We demonstrate that speech entrains the phase of low-frequency (delta, theta) and the amplitude of high-frequency (gamma) oscillations in the auditory cortex. Phase entrainment is stronger in the right and amplitude entrainment is stronger in the left auditory cortex. Furthermore, edges in the speech envelope phase reset auditory cortex oscillations thereby enhancing their entrainment to speech. This mechanism adapts to the changing physical features of the speech envelope and enables efficient, stimulus-specific speech sampling. Finally, we show that within the auditory cortex, coupling between delta, theta, and gamma oscillations increases following speech edges. Importantly, all couplings (i.e., brain-speech and also within the cortex) attenuate for backward-presented speech, suggesting top-down control. We conclude that segmentation and coding of speech relies on a nested hierarchy of entrained cortical oscillations. PMID:24391472

Affection of Fundamental Brain Activity By Using Sounds For Patients With Prosodic Disorders: A Pilot Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imai, Emiko; Katagiri, Yoshitada; Seki, Keiko; Kawamata, Toshio

2011-06-01

We present a neural model of the production of modulated speech streams in the brain, referred to as prosody, which indicates the limbic structure essential for producing prosody both linguistically and emotionally. This model suggests that activating the fundamental brain including monoamine neurons at the basal ganglia will potentially contribute to helping patients with prosodic disorders coming from functional defects of the fundamental brain to overcome their speech problem. To establish effective clinical treatment for such prosodic disorders, we examine how sounds affect the fundamental activity by using electroencephalographic measurements. Throughout examinations with various melodious sounds, we found that some melodies with lilting rhythms successfully give rise to the fast alpha rhythms at the electroencephalogram which reflect the fundamental brain activity without any negative feelings.

Assessing the Treatment Effects in Apraxia of Speech: Introduction and Evaluation of the Modified Diadochokinesis Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurkmans, Joost; Jonkers, Roel; Boonstra, Anne M.; Stewart, Roy E.; Reinders-Messelink, Heleen A.

2012-01-01

Background: The number of reliable and valid instruments to measure the effects of therapy in apraxia of speech (AoS) is limited. Aims: To evaluate the newly developed Modified Diadochokinesis Test (MDT), which is a task to assess the effects of rate and rhythm therapies for AoS in a multiple baseline across behaviours design. Methods: The…

A hypothesis on the biological origins and social evolution of music and dance.

PubMed

Wang, Tianyan

2015-01-01

The origins of music and musical emotions is still an enigma, here I propose a comprehensive hypothesis on the origins and evolution of music, dance, and speech from a biological and sociological perspective. I suggest that every pitch interval between neighboring notes in music represents corresponding movement pattern through interpreting the Doppler effect of sound, which not only provides a possible explanation for the transposition invariance of music, but also integrates music and dance into a common form-rhythmic movements. Accordingly, investigating the origins of music poses the question: why do humans appreciate rhythmic movements? I suggest that human appreciation of rhythmic movements and rhythmic events developed from the natural selection of organisms adapting to the internal and external rhythmic environments. The perception and production of, as well as synchronization with external and internal rhythms are so vital for an organism's survival and reproduction, that animals have a rhythm-related reward and emotion (RRRE) system. The RRRE system enables the appreciation of rhythmic movements and events, and is integral to the origination of music, dance and speech. The first type of rewards and emotions (rhythm-related rewards and emotions, RRREs) are evoked by music and dance, and have biological and social functions, which in turn, promote the evolution of music, dance and speech. These functions also evoke a second type of rewards and emotions, which I name society-related rewards and emotions (SRREs). The neural circuits of RRREs and SRREs develop in species formation and personal growth, with congenital and acquired characteristics, respectively, namely music is the combination of nature and culture. This hypothesis provides probable selection pressures and outlines the evolution of music, dance, and speech. The links between the Doppler effect and the RRREs and SRREs can be empirically tested, making the current hypothesis scientifically concrete.

The Rhythm of Perception: Entrainment to Acoustic Rhythms Induces Subsequent Perceptual Oscillation.

PubMed

Hickok, Gregory; Farahbod, Haleh; Saberi, Kourosh

2015-07-01

Acoustic rhythms are pervasive in speech, music, and environmental sounds. Recent evidence for neural codes representing periodic information suggests that they may be a neural basis for the ability to detect rhythm. Further, rhythmic information has been found to modulate auditory-system excitability, which provides a potential mechanism for parsing the acoustic stream. Here, we explored the effects of a rhythmic stimulus on subsequent auditory perception. We found that a low-frequency (3 Hz), amplitude-modulated signal induces a subsequent oscillation of the perceptual detectability of a brief nonperiodic acoustic stimulus (1-kHz tone); the frequency but not the phase of the perceptual oscillation matches the entrained stimulus-driven rhythmic oscillation. This provides evidence that rhythmic contexts have a direct influence on subsequent auditory perception of discrete acoustic events. Rhythm coding is likely a fundamental feature of auditory-system design that predates the development of explicit human enjoyment of rhythm in music or poetry. © The Author(s) 2015.

Acoustics in human communication: evolving ideas about the nature of speech.

PubMed

Cooper, F S

1980-07-01

This paper discusses changes in attitude toward the nature of speech during the past half century. After reviewing early views on the subject, it considers the role of speech spectrograms, speech articulation, speech perception, messages and computers, and the nature of fluent speech.

Walking the talk--speech activates the leg motor cortex.

PubMed

Liuzzi, Gianpiero; Ellger, Tanja; Flöel, Agnes; Breitenstein, Caterina; Jansen, Andreas; Knecht, Stefan

2008-09-01

Speech may have evolved from earlier modes of communication based on gestures. Consistent with such a motor theory of speech, cortical orofacial and hand motor areas are activated by both speech production and speech perception. However, the extent of speech-related activation of the motor cortex remains unclear. Therefore, we examined if reading and listening to continuous prose also activates non-brachiofacial motor representations like the leg motor cortex. We found corticospinal excitability of bilateral leg muscle representations to be enhanced by speech production and silent reading. Control experiments showed that speech production yielded stronger facilitation of the leg motor system than non-verbal tongue-mouth mobilization and silent reading more than a visuo-attentional task thus indicating speech-specificity of the effect. In the frame of the motor theory of speech this finding suggests that the system of gestural communication, from which speech may have evolved, is not confined to the hand but includes gestural movements of other body parts as well.

Evolution of speech and evolution of language.

PubMed

de Boer, Bart

2017-02-01

Speech is the physical signal used to convey spoken language. Because of its physical nature, speech is both easier to compare with other species' behaviors and easier to study in the fossil record than other aspects of language. Here I argue that convergent fossil evidence indicates adaptations for complex vocalizations at least as early as the common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans. Furthermore, I argue that it is unlikely that language evolved separately from speech, but rather that gesture, speech, and song coevolved to provide both a multimodal communication system and a musical system. Moreover, coevolution must also have played a role by allowing both cognitive and anatomical adaptations to language and speech to evolve in parallel. Although such a coevolutionary scenario is complex, it is entirely plausible from a biological point of view.

Central timing deficits in subtypes of primary speech disorders.

PubMed

Peter, Beate; Stoel-Gammon, Carol

2008-03-01

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a proposed speech disorder subtype that interferes with motor planning and/or programming, affecting prosody in many cases. Pilot data (Peter & Stoel-Gammon, 2005) were consistent with the notion that deficits in timing accuracy in speech and music-related tasks may be associated with CAS. This study replicated and expanded earlier findings. Eleven children with speech disorders and age-and gender-matched controls participated in non-word imitation, clapped rhythm imitation, and paced repetitive tapping tasks. Results suggest a central timing deficit, expressed in both the oral and the limb modality, and observable in two different types of timing measures, overall rhythmic structures and small-scale durations. Associations among timing measures were strongest in the participants with speech disorders, who also showed lower timing accuracy than the controls in all measures. The number of observed CAS characteristics was associated with timing deficits.

Benefits of Music Training for Perception of Emotional Speech Prosody in Deaf Children With Cochlear Implants

PubMed Central

Gordon, Karen A.; Papsin, Blake C.; Nespoli, Gabe; Hopyan, Talar; Peretz, Isabelle; Russo, Frank A.

2017-01-01

Objectives: Children who use cochlear implants (CIs) have characteristic pitch processing deficits leading to impairments in music perception and in understanding emotional intention in spoken language. Music training for normal-hearing children has previously been shown to benefit perception of emotional prosody. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether deaf children who use CIs obtain similar benefits from music training. We hypothesized that music training would lead to gains in auditory processing and that these gains would transfer to emotional speech prosody perception. Design: Study participants were 18 child CI users (ages 6 to 15). Participants received either 6 months of music training (i.e., individualized piano lessons) or 6 months of visual art training (i.e., individualized painting lessons). Measures of music perception and emotional speech prosody perception were obtained pre-, mid-, and post-training. The Montreal Battery for Evaluation of Musical Abilities was used to measure five different aspects of music perception (scale, contour, interval, rhythm, and incidental memory). The emotional speech prosody task required participants to identify the emotional intention of a semantically neutral sentence under audio-only and audiovisual conditions. Results: Music training led to improved performance on tasks requiring the discrimination of melodic contour and rhythm, as well as incidental memory for melodies. These improvements were predominantly found from mid- to post-training. Critically, music training also improved emotional speech prosody perception. Music training was most advantageous in audio-only conditions. Art training did not lead to the same improvements. Conclusions: Music training can lead to improvements in perception of music and emotional speech prosody, and thus may be an effective supplementary technique for supporting auditory rehabilitation following cochlear implantation. PMID:28085739

Benefits of Music Training for Perception of Emotional Speech Prosody in Deaf Children With Cochlear Implants.

PubMed

Good, Arla; Gordon, Karen A; Papsin, Blake C; Nespoli, Gabe; Hopyan, Talar; Peretz, Isabelle; Russo, Frank A

Children who use cochlear implants (CIs) have characteristic pitch processing deficits leading to impairments in music perception and in understanding emotional intention in spoken language. Music training for normal-hearing children has previously been shown to benefit perception of emotional prosody. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether deaf children who use CIs obtain similar benefits from music training. We hypothesized that music training would lead to gains in auditory processing and that these gains would transfer to emotional speech prosody perception. Study participants were 18 child CI users (ages 6 to 15). Participants received either 6 months of music training (i.e., individualized piano lessons) or 6 months of visual art training (i.e., individualized painting lessons). Measures of music perception and emotional speech prosody perception were obtained pre-, mid-, and post-training. The Montreal Battery for Evaluation of Musical Abilities was used to measure five different aspects of music perception (scale, contour, interval, rhythm, and incidental memory). The emotional speech prosody task required participants to identify the emotional intention of a semantically neutral sentence under audio-only and audiovisual conditions. Music training led to improved performance on tasks requiring the discrimination of melodic contour and rhythm, as well as incidental memory for melodies. These improvements were predominantly found from mid- to post-training. Critically, music training also improved emotional speech prosody perception. Music training was most advantageous in audio-only conditions. Art training did not lead to the same improvements. Music training can lead to improvements in perception of music and emotional speech prosody, and thus may be an effective supplementary technique for supporting auditory rehabilitation following cochlear implantation.

Acoustic landmarks drive delta-theta oscillations to enable speech comprehension by facilitating perceptual parsing

PubMed Central

Doelling, Keith; Arnal, Luc; Ghitza, Oded; Poeppel, David

2013-01-01

A growing body of research suggests that intrinsic neuronal slow (< 10 Hz) oscillations in auditory cortex appear to track incoming speech and other spectro-temporally complex auditory signals. Within this framework, several recent studies have identified critical-band temporal envelopes as the specific acoustic feature being reflected by the phase of these oscillations. However, how this alignment between speech acoustics and neural oscillations might underpin intelligibility is unclear. Here we test the hypothesis that the ‘sharpness’ of temporal fluctuations in the critical band envelope acts as a temporal cue to speech syllabic rate, driving delta-theta rhythms to track the stimulus and facilitate intelligibility. We interpret our findings as evidence that sharp events in the stimulus cause cortical rhythms to re-align and parse the stimulus into syllable-sized chunks for further decoding. Using magnetoencephalographic recordings, we show that by removing temporal fluctuations that occur at the syllabic rate, envelope-tracking activity is reduced. By artificially reinstating these temporal fluctuations, envelope-tracking activity is regained. These changes in tracking correlate with intelligibility of the stimulus. Together, the results suggest that the sharpness of fluctuations in the stimulus, as reflected in the cochlear output, drive oscillatory activity to track and entrain to the stimulus, at its syllabic rate. This process likely facilitates parsing of the stimulus into meaningful chunks appropriate for subsequent decoding, enhancing perception and intelligibility. PMID:23791839

Compressed Speech Technology: Implications for Learning and Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, LeRoy L.

This paper first traces the historical development of speech compression technology, which has made it possible to alter the spoken rate of a pre-recorded message without excessive distortion. Terms used to describe techniques employed as the technology evolved are discussed, including rapid speech, rate altered speech, cut-and-spliced speech, and…

A hypothesis on the biological origins and social evolution of music and dance

PubMed Central

Wang, Tianyan

2015-01-01

The origins of music and musical emotions is still an enigma, here I propose a comprehensive hypothesis on the origins and evolution of music, dance, and speech from a biological and sociological perspective. I suggest that every pitch interval between neighboring notes in music represents corresponding movement pattern through interpreting the Doppler effect of sound, which not only provides a possible explanation for the transposition invariance of music, but also integrates music and dance into a common form—rhythmic movements. Accordingly, investigating the origins of music poses the question: why do humans appreciate rhythmic movements? I suggest that human appreciation of rhythmic movements and rhythmic events developed from the natural selection of organisms adapting to the internal and external rhythmic environments. The perception and production of, as well as synchronization with external and internal rhythms are so vital for an organism's survival and reproduction, that animals have a rhythm-related reward and emotion (RRRE) system. The RRRE system enables the appreciation of rhythmic movements and events, and is integral to the origination of music, dance and speech. The first type of rewards and emotions (rhythm-related rewards and emotions, RRREs) are evoked by music and dance, and have biological and social functions, which in turn, promote the evolution of music, dance and speech. These functions also evoke a second type of rewards and emotions, which I name society-related rewards and emotions (SRREs). The neural circuits of RRREs and SRREs develop in species formation and personal growth, with congenital and acquired characteristics, respectively, namely music is the combination of nature and culture. This hypothesis provides probable selection pressures and outlines the evolution of music, dance, and speech. The links between the Doppler effect and the RRREs and SRREs can be empirically tested, making the current hypothesis scientifically concrete. PMID:25741232

Tuning Neural Phase Entrainment to Speech.

PubMed

Falk, Simone; Lanzilotti, Cosima; Schön, Daniele

2017-08-01

Musical rhythm positively impacts on subsequent speech processing. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are so far unclear. We investigated whether carryover effects from a preceding musical cue to a speech stimulus result from a continuation of neural phase entrainment to periodicities that are present in both music and speech. Participants listened and memorized French metrical sentences that contained (quasi-)periodic recurrences of accents and syllables. Speech stimuli were preceded by a rhythmically regular or irregular musical cue. Our results show that the presence of a regular cue modulates neural response as estimated by EEG power spectral density, intertrial coherence, and source analyses at critical frequencies during speech processing compared with the irregular condition. Importantly, intertrial coherences for regular cues were indicative of the participants' success in memorizing the subsequent speech stimuli. These findings underscore the highly adaptive nature of neural phase entrainment across fundamentally different auditory stimuli. They also support current models of neural phase entrainment as a tool of predictive timing and attentional selection across cognitive domains.

Acoustic-Emergent Phonology in the Amplitude Envelope of Child-Directed Speech

PubMed Central

Leong, Victoria; Goswami, Usha

2015-01-01

When acquiring language, young children may use acoustic spectro-temporal patterns in speech to derive phonological units in spoken language (e.g., prosodic stress patterns, syllables, phonemes). Children appear to learn acoustic-phonological mappings rapidly, without direct instruction, yet the underlying developmental mechanisms remain unclear. Across different languages, a relationship between amplitude envelope sensitivity and phonological development has been found, suggesting that children may make use of amplitude modulation (AM) patterns within the envelope to develop a phonological system. Here we present the Spectral Amplitude Modulation Phase Hierarchy (S-AMPH) model, a set of algorithms for deriving the dominant AM patterns in child-directed speech (CDS). Using Principal Components Analysis, we show that rhythmic CDS contains an AM hierarchy comprising 3 core modulation timescales. These timescales correspond to key phonological units: prosodic stress (Stress AM, ~2 Hz), syllables (Syllable AM, ~5 Hz) and onset-rime units (Phoneme AM, ~20 Hz). We argue that these AM patterns could in principle be used by naïve listeners to compute acoustic-phonological mappings without lexical knowledge. We then demonstrate that the modulation statistics within this AM hierarchy indeed parse the speech signal into a primitive hierarchically-organised phonological system comprising stress feet (proto-words), syllables and onset-rime units. We apply the S-AMPH model to two other CDS corpora, one spontaneous and one deliberately-timed. The model accurately identified 72–82% (freely-read CDS) and 90–98% (rhythmically-regular CDS) stress patterns, syllables and onset-rime units. This in-principle demonstration that primitive phonology can be extracted from speech AMs is termed Acoustic-Emergent Phonology (AEP) theory. AEP theory provides a set of methods for examining how early phonological development is shaped by the temporal modulation structure of speech across languages. The S-AMPH model reveals a crucial developmental role for stress feet (AMs ~2 Hz). Stress feet underpin different linguistic rhythm typologies, and speech rhythm underpins language acquisition by infants in all languages. PMID:26641472

Acoustic-Emergent Phonology in the Amplitude Envelope of Child-Directed Speech.

PubMed

Leong, Victoria; Goswami, Usha

2015-01-01

When acquiring language, young children may use acoustic spectro-temporal patterns in speech to derive phonological units in spoken language (e.g., prosodic stress patterns, syllables, phonemes). Children appear to learn acoustic-phonological mappings rapidly, without direct instruction, yet the underlying developmental mechanisms remain unclear. Across different languages, a relationship between amplitude envelope sensitivity and phonological development has been found, suggesting that children may make use of amplitude modulation (AM) patterns within the envelope to develop a phonological system. Here we present the Spectral Amplitude Modulation Phase Hierarchy (S-AMPH) model, a set of algorithms for deriving the dominant AM patterns in child-directed speech (CDS). Using Principal Components Analysis, we show that rhythmic CDS contains an AM hierarchy comprising 3 core modulation timescales. These timescales correspond to key phonological units: prosodic stress (Stress AM, ~2 Hz), syllables (Syllable AM, ~5 Hz) and onset-rime units (Phoneme AM, ~20 Hz). We argue that these AM patterns could in principle be used by naïve listeners to compute acoustic-phonological mappings without lexical knowledge. We then demonstrate that the modulation statistics within this AM hierarchy indeed parse the speech signal into a primitive hierarchically-organised phonological system comprising stress feet (proto-words), syllables and onset-rime units. We apply the S-AMPH model to two other CDS corpora, one spontaneous and one deliberately-timed. The model accurately identified 72-82% (freely-read CDS) and 90-98% (rhythmically-regular CDS) stress patterns, syllables and onset-rime units. This in-principle demonstration that primitive phonology can be extracted from speech AMs is termed Acoustic-Emergent Phonology (AEP) theory. AEP theory provides a set of methods for examining how early phonological development is shaped by the temporal modulation structure of speech across languages. The S-AMPH model reveals a crucial developmental role for stress feet (AMs ~2 Hz). Stress feet underpin different linguistic rhythm typologies, and speech rhythm underpins language acquisition by infants in all languages.

Suppression of the µ Rhythm during Speech and Non-Speech Discrimination Revealed by Independent Component Analysis: Implications for Sensorimotor Integration in Speech Processing

PubMed Central

Bowers, Andrew; Saltuklaroglu, Tim; Harkrider, Ashley; Cuellar, Megan

2013-01-01

Background Constructivist theories propose that articulatory hypotheses about incoming phonetic targets may function to enhance perception by limiting the possibilities for sensory analysis. To provide evidence for this proposal, it is necessary to map ongoing, high-temporal resolution changes in sensorimotor activity (i.e., the sensorimotor μ rhythm) to accurate speech and non-speech discrimination performance (i.e., correct trials.) Methods Sixteen participants (15 female and 1 male) were asked to passively listen to or actively identify speech and tone-sweeps in a two-force choice discrimination task while the electroencephalograph (EEG) was recorded from 32 channels. The stimuli were presented at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in which discrimination accuracy was high (i.e., 80–100%) and low SNRs producing discrimination performance at chance. EEG data were decomposed using independent component analysis and clustered across participants using principle component methods in EEGLAB. Results ICA revealed left and right sensorimotor µ components for 14/16 and 13/16 participants respectively that were identified on the basis of scalp topography, spectral peaks, and localization to the precentral and postcentral gyri. Time-frequency analysis of left and right lateralized µ component clusters revealed significant (pFDR<.05) suppression in the traditional beta frequency range (13–30 Hz) prior to, during, and following syllable discrimination trials. No significant differences from baseline were found for passive tasks. Tone conditions produced right µ beta suppression following stimulus onset only. For the left µ, significant differences in the magnitude of beta suppression were found for correct speech discrimination trials relative to chance trials following stimulus offset. Conclusions Findings are consistent with constructivist, internal model theories proposing that early forward motor models generate predictions about likely phonemic units that are then synthesized with incoming sensory cues during active as opposed to passive processing. Future directions and possible translational value for clinical populations in which sensorimotor integration may play a functional role are discussed. PMID:23991030

Suppression of the µ rhythm during speech and non-speech discrimination revealed by independent component analysis: implications for sensorimotor integration in speech processing.

PubMed

Bowers, Andrew; Saltuklaroglu, Tim; Harkrider, Ashley; Cuellar, Megan

2013-01-01

Constructivist theories propose that articulatory hypotheses about incoming phonetic targets may function to enhance perception by limiting the possibilities for sensory analysis. To provide evidence for this proposal, it is necessary to map ongoing, high-temporal resolution changes in sensorimotor activity (i.e., the sensorimotor μ rhythm) to accurate speech and non-speech discrimination performance (i.e., correct trials.). Sixteen participants (15 female and 1 male) were asked to passively listen to or actively identify speech and tone-sweeps in a two-force choice discrimination task while the electroencephalograph (EEG) was recorded from 32 channels. The stimuli were presented at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in which discrimination accuracy was high (i.e., 80-100%) and low SNRs producing discrimination performance at chance. EEG data were decomposed using independent component analysis and clustered across participants using principle component methods in EEGLAB. ICA revealed left and right sensorimotor µ components for 14/16 and 13/16 participants respectively that were identified on the basis of scalp topography, spectral peaks, and localization to the precentral and postcentral gyri. Time-frequency analysis of left and right lateralized µ component clusters revealed significant (pFDR<.05) suppression in the traditional beta frequency range (13-30 Hz) prior to, during, and following syllable discrimination trials. No significant differences from baseline were found for passive tasks. Tone conditions produced right µ beta suppression following stimulus onset only. For the left µ, significant differences in the magnitude of beta suppression were found for correct speech discrimination trials relative to chance trials following stimulus offset. Findings are consistent with constructivist, internal model theories proposing that early forward motor models generate predictions about likely phonemic units that are then synthesized with incoming sensory cues during active as opposed to passive processing. Future directions and possible translational value for clinical populations in which sensorimotor integration may play a functional role are discussed.

Adaptation to spectrally-rotated speech.

PubMed

Green, Tim; Rosen, Stuart; Faulkner, Andrew; Paterson, Ruth

2013-08-01

Much recent interest surrounds listeners' abilities to adapt to various transformations that distort speech. An extreme example is spectral rotation, in which the spectrum of low-pass filtered speech is inverted around a center frequency (2 kHz here). Spectral shape and its dynamics are completely altered, rendering speech virtually unintelligible initially. However, intonation, rhythm, and contrasts in periodicity and aperiodicity are largely unaffected. Four normal hearing adults underwent 6 h of training with spectrally-rotated speech using Continuous Discourse Tracking. They and an untrained control group completed pre- and post-training speech perception tests, for which talkers differed from the training talker. Significantly improved recognition of spectrally-rotated sentences was observed for trained, but not untrained, participants. However, there were no significant improvements in the identification of medial vowels in /bVd/ syllables or intervocalic consonants. Additional tests were performed with speech materials manipulated so as to isolate the contribution of various speech features. These showed that preserving intonational contrasts did not contribute to the comprehension of spectrally-rotated speech after training, and suggested that improvements involved adaptation to altered spectral shape and dynamics, rather than just learning to focus on speech features relatively unaffected by the transformation.

Ongoing slow oscillatory phase modulates speech intelligibility in cooperation with motor cortical activity.

PubMed

Onojima, Takayuki; Kitajo, Keiichi; Mizuhara, Hiroaki

2017-01-01

Neural oscillation is attracting attention as an underlying mechanism for speech recognition. Speech intelligibility is enhanced by the synchronization of speech rhythms and slow neural oscillation, which is typically observed as human scalp electroencephalography (EEG). In addition to the effect of neural oscillation, it has been proposed that speech recognition is enhanced by the identification of a speaker's motor signals, which are used for speech production. To verify the relationship between the effect of neural oscillation and motor cortical activity, we measured scalp EEG, and simultaneous EEG and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a speech recognition task in which participants were required to recognize spoken words embedded in noise sound. We proposed an index to quantitatively evaluate the EEG phase effect on behavioral performance. The results showed that the delta and theta EEG phase before speech inputs modulated the participant's response time when conducting speech recognition tasks. The simultaneous EEG-fMRI experiment showed that slow EEG activity was correlated with motor cortical activity. These results suggested that the effect of the slow oscillatory phase was associated with the activity of the motor cortex during speech recognition.

Language discrimination without language: Experiments on tamarin monkeys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tincoff, Ruth; Hauser, Marc; Spaepen, Geertrui; Tsao, Fritz; Mehler, Jacques

2002-05-01

Human newborns can discriminate spoken languages differing on prosodic characteristics such as the timing of rhythmic units [T. Nazzi et al., JEP:HPP 24, 756-766 (1998)]. Cotton-top tamarins have also demonstrated a similar ability to discriminate a morae- (Japanese) vs a stress-timed (Dutch) language [F. Ramus et al., Science 288, 349-351 (2000)]. The finding that tamarins succeed in this task when either natural or synthesized utterances are played in a forward direction, but fail on backward utterances which disrupt the rhythmic cues, suggests that sensitivity to language rhythm may rely on general processes of the primate auditory system. However, the rhythm hypothesis also predicts that tamarins would fail to discriminate languages from the same rhythm class, such as English and Dutch. To assess the robustness of this ability, tamarins were tested on a different-rhythm-class distinction, Polish vs Japanese, and a new same-rhythm-class distinction, English vs Dutch. The stimuli were natural forward utterances produced by multiple speakers. As predicted by the rhythm hypothesis, tamarins discriminated between Polish and Japanese, but not English and Dutch. These findings strengthen the claim that discriminating the rhythmic cues of language does not require mechanisms specialized for human speech. [Work supported by NSF.

A troubled beginning: evolving concepts of an old arrhythmia.

PubMed

Hanon, Sam; Shapiro, Michael; Schweitzer, Paul

2005-07-01

The development of the sphygmograph in the nineteenth century marked the beginning of graphic registration of the arterial and venous pulse. Mackenzie, among other investigators, used this technique to study cardiac rhythm. In the early 20th century, Einthoven developed the electrocardiogram, which replaced the less sophisticated arterial and venous registrations of cardiac events and allowed for more detailed arrhythmia analysis. Interestingly, the early study of cardiac arrhythmias was obscured by misinterpretation. Specifically, atrial fibrillation stands out as a rhythm that was extensively studied though misconstrued in its early history. What follows is an in-depth consideration of the original investigations and evolving theories of this important arrhythmia.

Status Report on Speech Research, 1 January-31 March 1982.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-01

PUMPKIN RHYTHM Nonwords SUBMARINE CONKZMER SURGERY ENGKSTERN THIRD FTERNAPS TOMATO HSPERACH UMBRELLA PGANTERLH VEHICLE PIOTLANING VIDEO PUANT VINEGAR ...and productionI (TABLE 6) data for Catalan subjects with special reference to ferment transions.Ordlnate: F2 ranges (in Hz)abaolsea: PS ranges (in

Let's Start the Music.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivankovic, Patricia; Gilpatrick, Ingrid

1994-01-01

A preschool/kindergarten program that serves 18 students with deafness/hearing impairments and 11 hearing children uses music activities to develop speech, audition, language, and movement and to further explore current classroom themes. A deaf teacher models body movements, signs, rhythm, and facial expressions while a hearing teacher models…

An oscillopathic approach to developmental dyslexia: From genes to speech processing.

PubMed

Jiménez-Bravo, Miguel; Marrero, Victoria; Benítez-Burraco, Antonio

2017-06-30

Developmental dyslexia is a heterogeneous condition entailing problems with reading and spelling. Several genes have been linked or associated to the disease, many of which contribute to the development and function of brain areas important for auditory and phonological processing. Nonetheless, a clear link between genes, the brain, and the symptoms of dyslexia is still pending. The goal of this paper is contributing to bridge this gap. With this aim, we have focused on how the dyslexic brain fails to process speech sounds and reading cues. We have adopted an oscillatory perspective, according to which dyslexia may result from a deficient integration of different brain rhythms during reading/spellings tasks. Moreover, we show that some candidate genes for this condition are related to brain rhythms. This fresh approach is expected to provide a better understanding of the aetiology and the clinical presentation of developmental dyslexia, but also to achieve an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of the disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Generalized auditory agnosia with spared music recognition in a left-hander. Analysis of a case with a right temporal stroke.

PubMed

Mendez, M F

2001-02-01

After a right temporoparietal stroke, a left-handed man lost the ability to understand speech and environmental sounds but developed greater appreciation for music. The patient had preserved reading and writing but poor verbal comprehension. Slower speech, single syllable words, and minimal written cues greatly facilitated his verbal comprehension. On identifying environmental sounds, he made predominant acoustic errors. Although he failed to name melodies, he could match, describe, and sing them. The patient had normal hearing except for presbyacusis, right-ear dominance for phonemes, and normal discrimination of basic psychoacoustic features and rhythm. Further testing disclosed difficulty distinguishing tone sequences and discriminating two clicks and short-versus-long tones, particularly in the left ear. Together, these findings suggest impairment in a direct route for temporal analysis and auditory word forms in his right hemisphere to Wernicke's area in his left hemisphere. The findings further suggest a separate and possibly rhythm-based mechanism for music recognition.

Speech Perception and Short Term Memory Deficits in Persistent Developmental Speech Disorder

PubMed Central

Kenney, Mary Kay; Barac-Cikoja, Dragana; Finnegan, Kimberly; Jeffries, Neal; Ludlow, Christy L.

2008-01-01

Children with developmental speech disorders may have additional deficits in speech perception and/or short-term memory. To determine whether these are only transient developmental delays that can accompany the disorder in childhood or persist as part of the speech disorder, adults with a persistent familial speech disorder were tested on speech perception and short-term memory. Nine adults with a persistent familial developmental speech disorder without language impairment were compared with 20 controls on tasks requiring the discrimination of fine acoustic cues for word identification and on measures of verbal and nonverbal short-term memory. Significant group differences were found in the slopes of the discrimination curves for first formant transitions for word identification with stop gaps of 40 and 20 ms with effect sizes of 1.60 and 1.56. Significant group differences also occurred on tests of nonverbal rhythm and tonal memory, and verbal short-term memory with effect sizes of 2.38, 1.56 and 1.73. No group differences occurred in the use of stop gap durations for word identification. Because frequency-based speech perception and short-term verbal and nonverbal memory deficits both persisted into adulthood in the speech-impaired adults, these deficits may be involved in the persistence of speech disorders without language impairment. PMID:15896836

Speech Research: A Report on the Status and Progress of Studies on the Nature of Speech, Instrumentation for Its Investigation, and Practical Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

adjusting the metronome beats to coincide with the stressed syllables. The sentences were constructed to have a regular rhythm. They were: "I think’ that it...rate was 92 beats per minute, the conversational rate was 120 beats per minute, and the fast rate was 160 beats per minute. Both sentences were recorded...shown in Figure 6 also suggests amplitude modulation (von Holst’s superimposition effect). Thus on some coinciding cycles a " beat " phenomenon can be

How to engage the right brain hemisphere in aphasics without even singing: evidence for two paths of speech recovery

PubMed Central

Stahl, Benjamin; Henseler, Ilona; Turner, Robert; Geyer, Stefan; Kotz, Sonja A.

2012-01-01

There is an ongoing debate as to whether singing helps left-hemispheric stroke patients recover from non-fluent aphasia through stimulation of the right hemisphere. According to recent work, it may not be singing itself that aids speech production in non-fluent aphasic patients, but rhythm and lyric type. However, the long-term effects of melody and rhythm on speech recovery are largely unknown. In the current experiment, we tested 15 patients with chronic non-fluent aphasia who underwent either singing therapy, rhythmic therapy, or standard speech therapy. The experiment controlled for phonatory quality, vocal frequency variability, pitch accuracy, syllable duration, phonetic complexity and other influences, such as the acoustic setting and learning effects induced by the testing itself. The results provide the first evidence that singing and rhythmic speech may be similarly effective in the treatment of non-fluent aphasia. This finding may challenge the view that singing causes a transfer of language function from the left to the right hemisphere. Instead, both singing and rhythmic therapy patients made good progress in the production of common, formulaic phrases—known to be supported by right corticostriatal brain areas. This progress occurred at an early stage of both therapies and was stable over time. Conversely, patients receiving standard therapy made less progress in the production of formulaic phrases. They did, however, improve their production of non-formulaic speech, in contrast to singing and rhythmic therapy patients, who did not. In light of these results, it may be worth considering the combined use of standard therapy and the training of formulaic phrases, whether sung or rhythmically spoken. Standard therapy may engage, in particular, left perilesional brain regions, while training of formulaic phrases may open new ways of tapping into right-hemisphere language resources—even without singing. PMID:23450277

Implicit prosody mining based on the human eye image capture technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Pei-pei; Liu, Feng

2013-08-01

The technology of eye tracker has become the main methods of analyzing the recognition issues in human-computer interaction. Human eye image capture is the key problem of the eye tracking. Based on further research, a new human-computer interaction method introduced to enrich the form of speech synthetic. We propose a method of Implicit Prosody mining based on the human eye image capture technology to extract the parameters from the image of human eyes when reading, control and drive prosody generation in speech synthesis, and establish prosodic model with high simulation accuracy. Duration model is key issues for prosody generation. For the duration model, this paper put forward a new idea for obtaining gaze duration of eyes when reading based on the eye image capture technology, and synchronous controlling this duration and pronunciation duration in speech synthesis. The movement of human eyes during reading is a comprehensive multi-factor interactive process, such as gaze, twitching and backsight. Therefore, how to extract the appropriate information from the image of human eyes need to be considered and the gaze regularity of eyes need to be obtained as references of modeling. Based on the analysis of current three kinds of eye movement control model and the characteristics of the Implicit Prosody reading, relative independence between speech processing system of text and eye movement control system was discussed. It was proved that under the same text familiarity condition, gaze duration of eyes when reading and internal voice pronunciation duration are synchronous. The eye gaze duration model based on the Chinese language level prosodic structure was presented to change previous methods of machine learning and probability forecasting, obtain readers' real internal reading rhythm and to synthesize voice with personalized rhythm. This research will enrich human-computer interactive form, and will be practical significance and application prospect in terms of disabled assisted speech interaction. Experiments show that Implicit Prosody mining based on the human eye image capture technology makes the synthesized speech has more flexible expressions.

Mexican Americans' Perceptions of Differential Chicano Therapist Characteristics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lerma, Joe L.

The proposed study will examine some critical therapist characteristics (skin color, speech rhythm, expertise levels, and counseling approach) possessed by present Chicano mental health personnel. One hundred and sixty lower division Mexican American college students will be asked to rate the therapist on expertness, attractiveness,…

Discriminating Dysarthria Type from Envelope Modulation Spectra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liss, Julie M.; LeGendre, Sue; Lotto, Andrew J.

2010-01-01

Purpose: Previous research demonstrated the ability of temporally based rhythm metrics to distinguish among dysarthrias with different prosodic deficit profiles (J. M. Liss et al., 2009). The authors examined whether comparable results could be obtained by an automated analysis of speech envelope modulation spectra (EMS), which quantifies the…

Auditory temporal processing skills in musicians with dyslexia.

PubMed

Bishop-Liebler, Paula; Welch, Graham; Huss, Martina; Thomson, Jennifer M; Goswami, Usha

2014-08-01

The core cognitive difficulty in developmental dyslexia involves phonological processing, but adults and children with dyslexia also have sensory impairments. Impairments in basic auditory processing show particular links with phonological impairments, and recent studies with dyslexic children across languages reveal a relationship between auditory temporal processing and sensitivity to rhythmic timing and speech rhythm. As rhythm is explicit in music, musical training might have a beneficial effect on the auditory perception of acoustic cues to rhythm in dyslexia. Here we took advantage of the presence of musicians with and without dyslexia in musical conservatoires, comparing their auditory temporal processing abilities with those of dyslexic non-musicians matched for cognitive ability. Musicians with dyslexia showed equivalent auditory sensitivity to musicians without dyslexia and also showed equivalent rhythm perception. The data support the view that extensive rhythmic experience initiated during childhood (here in the form of music training) can affect basic auditory processing skills which are found to be deficient in individuals with dyslexia. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Neural mechanisms of rhythm perception: current findings and future perspectives.

PubMed

Grahn, Jessica A

2012-10-01

Perception of temporal patterns is fundamental to normal hearing, speech, motor control, and music. Certain types of pattern understanding are unique to humans, such as musical rhythm. Although human responses to musical rhythm are universal, there is much we do not understand about how rhythm is processed in the brain. Here, I consider findings from research into basic timing mechanisms and models through to the neuroscience of rhythm and meter. A network of neural areas, including motor regions, is regularly implicated in basic timing as well as processing of musical rhythm. However, fractionating the specific roles of individual areas in this network has remained a challenge. Distinctions in activity patterns appear between "automatic" and "cognitively controlled" timing processes, but the perception of musical rhythm requires features of both automatic and controlled processes. In addition, many experimental manipulations rely on participants directing their attention toward or away from certain stimulus features, and measuring corresponding differences in neural activity. Many temporal features, however, are implicitly processed whether attended to or not, making it difficult to create controlled baseline conditions for experimental comparisons. The variety of stimuli, paradigms, and definitions can further complicate comparisons across domains or methodologies. Despite these challenges, the high level of interest and multitude of methodological approaches from different cognitive domains (including music, language, and motor learning) have yielded new insights and hold promise for future progress. Copyright © 2012 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Clinical Linguistics--Retrospect and Prospect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grunwell, Pamela

In the past 20 years, linguistics has gained a prominent position in speech and language pathology in Britain, evolving into a new field, clinical linguistics. It includes three related areas of activity: training of speech pathologists/therapists; professional practice; and research. Linguistics and speech/language pathology have developed as…

A Class of Clowns: Spontaneous Joking in Computer-Assisted Discussions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holcomb, Christopher

1997-01-01

Finds that joking in computer-mediated communication constitutes a hybrid form of discourse, mingling the conventions of print and speech. Notes that students use typography and space to better capture the rhythms and inflections of oral joking, but such joking instantly organizes participants into hierarchically differentiated groups, creating…

Sound Classification in Hearing Aids Inspired by Auditory Scene Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Büchler, Michael; Allegro, Silvia; Launer, Stefan; Dillier, Norbert

2005-12-01

A sound classification system for the automatic recognition of the acoustic environment in a hearing aid is discussed. The system distinguishes the four sound classes "clean speech," "speech in noise," "noise," and "music." A number of features that are inspired by auditory scene analysis are extracted from the sound signal. These features describe amplitude modulations, spectral profile, harmonicity, amplitude onsets, and rhythm. They are evaluated together with different pattern classifiers. Simple classifiers, such as rule-based and minimum-distance classifiers, are compared with more complex approaches, such as Bayes classifier, neural network, and hidden Markov model. Sounds from a large database are employed for both training and testing of the system. The achieved recognition rates are very high except for the class "speech in noise." Problems arise in the classification of compressed pop music, strongly reverberated speech, and tonal or fluctuating noises.

Rhythm as a Coordinating Device: Entrainment With Disordered Speech

PubMed Central

Borrie, Stephanie A.; Liss, Julie M.

2014-01-01

Purpose The rhythmic entrainment (coordination) of behavior during human interaction is a powerful phenomenon, considered essential for successful communication, supporting social and emotional connection, and facilitating sense-making and information exchange. Disruption in entrainment likely occurs in conversations involving those with speech and language impairment, but its contribution to communication disorders has not been defined. As a first step to exploring this phenomenon in clinical populations, the present investigation examined the influence of disordered speech on the speech production properties of healthy interactants. Method Twenty-nine neurologically healthy interactants participated in a quasi-conversational paradigm, in which they read sentences (response) in response to hearing prerecorded sentences (exposure) from speakers with dysarthria (n = 4) and healthy controls (n = 4). Recordings of read sentences prior to the task were also collected (habitual). Results Findings revealed that interactants modified their speaking rate and pitch variation to align more closely with the disordered speech. Production shifts in these rhythmic properties, however, remained significantly different from corresponding properties in dysarthric speech. Conclusion Entrainment offers a new avenue for exploring speech and language impairment, addressing a communication process not currently explained by existing frameworks. This article offers direction for advancing this line of inquiry. PMID:24686410

Cross-Linguistic Influence in L3 Phonological Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gut, Ulrike

2010-01-01

This study investigates possible sources and directions of cross-linguistic influence on vowel reduction and speech rhythm produced by four trilingual speakers with different L1s in their L2 (German or English) and L3 (English or German). It was shown that, compared to native speakers, the speakers produced distinct differences in these…

The Role of Speech Rhythm in Language Discrimination: Further Tests with a Non-Human Primate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tincoff, Ruth; Hauser, Marc; Tsao, Fritz; Spaepen, Geertrui; Ramus, Franck; Mehler, Jacques

2005-01-01

Human newborns discriminate languages from different rhythmic classes, fail to discriminate languages from the same rhythmic class, and fail to discriminate languages when the utterances are played backwards. Recent evidence showing that cotton-top tamarins discriminate Dutch from Japanese, but not when utterances are played backwards, is…

African Music in an American Context. Mini-Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

African-American Inst., New York, NY. School Services Div.

Insights are offered into how speech, melody, and rhythm dramatize the differences in the construction and interpretation of music for Africa and America. Intended for use in instructing American students about African music, the learning module relates music to traditional African culture and maintains that the music is at the same time…

VERBAL AND SPATIAL WORKING MEMORY LOAD HAVE SIMILARLY MINIMAL EFFECTS ON SPEECH PRODUCTION.

PubMed

Lee, Ogyoung; Redford, Melissa A

2015-08-10

The goal of the present study was to test the effects of working memory on speech production. Twenty American-English speaking adults produced syntactically complex sentences in tasks that taxed either verbal or spatial working memory. Sentences spoken under load were produced with more errors, fewer prosodic breaks, and at faster rates than sentence produced in the control conditions, but other acoustic correlates of rhythm and intonation did not change. Verbal and spatial working memory had very similar effects on production, suggesting that the different span tasks used to tax working memory merely shifted speakers' attention away from the act of speaking. This finding runs contra the hypothesis of incremental phonological/phonetic encoding, which predicts the manipulation of information in verbal working memory during speech production.

What can we learn about beat perception by comparing brain signals and stimulus envelopes?

PubMed

Henry, Molly J; Herrmann, Björn; Grahn, Jessica A

2017-01-01

Entrainment of neural oscillations on multiple time scales is important for the perception of speech. Musical rhythms, and in particular the perception of a regular beat in musical rhythms, is also likely to rely on entrainment of neural oscillations. One recently proposed approach to studying beat perception in the context of neural entrainment and resonance (the "frequency-tagging" approach) has received an enthusiastic response from the scientific community. A specific version of the approach involves comparing frequency-domain representations of acoustic rhythm stimuli to the frequency-domain representations of neural responses to those rhythms (measured by electroencephalography, EEG). The relative amplitudes at specific EEG frequencies are compared to the relative amplitudes at the same stimulus frequencies, and enhancements at beat-related frequencies in the EEG signal are interpreted as reflecting an internal representation of the beat. Here, we show that frequency-domain representations of rhythms are sensitive to the acoustic features of the tones making up the rhythms (tone duration, onset/offset ramp duration); in fact, relative amplitudes at beat-related frequencies can be completely reversed by manipulating tone acoustics. Crucially, we show that changes to these acoustic tone features, and in turn changes to the frequency-domain representations of rhythms, do not affect beat perception. Instead, beat perception depends on the pattern of onsets (i.e., whether a rhythm has a simple or complex metrical structure). Moreover, we show that beat perception can differ for rhythms that have numerically identical frequency-domain representations. Thus, frequency-domain representations of rhythms are dissociable from beat perception. For this reason, we suggest caution in interpreting direct comparisons of rhythms and brain signals in the frequency domain. Instead, we suggest that combining EEG measurements of neural signals with creative behavioral paradigms is of more benefit to our understanding of beat perception.

Modeling Co-evolution of Speech and Biology.

PubMed

de Boer, Bart

2016-04-01

Two computer simulations are investigated that model interaction of cultural evolution of language and biological evolution of adaptations to language. Both are agent-based models in which a population of agents imitates each other using realistic vowels. The agents evolve under selective pressure for good imitation. In one model, the evolution of the vocal tract is modeled; in the other, a cognitive mechanism for perceiving speech accurately is modeled. In both cases, biological adaptations to using and learning speech evolve, even though the system of speech sounds itself changes at a more rapid time scale than biological evolution. However, the fact that the available acoustic space is used maximally (a self-organized result of cultural evolution) is constant, and therefore biological evolution does have a stable target. This work shows that when cultural and biological traits are continuous, their co-evolution may lead to cognitive adaptations that are strong enough to detect empirically. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Towards an Auditory Account of Speech Rhythm: Application of a Model of the Auditory "Primal Sketch" to Two Multi-Language Corpora

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Christopher S.; Todd, Neil P. McAngus

2004-01-01

The world's languages display important differences in their rhythmic organization; most particularly, different languages seem to privilege different phonological units (mora, syllable, or stress foot) as their basic rhythmic unit. There is now considerable evidence that such differences have important consequences for crucial aspects of language…

The Mozart Effect[R] for Children: Awakening Your Child's Mind, Health, and Creativity with Music.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Don

The Mozart Effect is defined as the ability of Mozart's music to temporarily heighten listeners' spatial awareness and intelligence, to improve listeners' concentration and speech abilities, and to advance reading and language skills. This book provides information about the ways in which the rhythm and tone components of music can enhance…

On the Impact of L2 Speech Rhythm on Syntactic Ambiguity Resolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roncaglia-Denissen, M. Paula; Schmidt-Kassow, Maren; Heine, Angela; Kotz, Sonja A.

2015-01-01

In an event-related potential (ERP) study we investigated the role of age of acquisition (AoA) on the use of second language rhythmic properties during syntactic ambiguity resolution. Syntactically ambiguous sentences embedded in rhythmically regular and irregular contexts were presented to Turkish early and late second language (L2) learners of…

THE ROLE OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS IN THE TEACHING OF FRENCH AND SPANISH.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

STEINER, FLORENCE

APPLIED LINGUISTICS CAN ASSIST TEACHERS OF FRENCH AND SPANISH IN DETECTING ERRORS IN PITCH, INTONATION, RHYTHM, WORD COMBINATION, AND SOUND REPRODUCTION, AS WELL AS IN ENABLING THEM TO DO A PROFESSIONAL JOB OF TEACHING STUDENTS MORE ACCURATE SPEECH HABITS. AS THE TEACHER CONCENTRATES ON THE SOUND OF THE LANGUAGE, HE MUST VALUE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF…

Demonstration of the Instantaneous Pitch Period Indicator in Classrooms of Deaf Children. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolansky, Ladislav; And Others

A visual rhythm-intonation-duration display called Instantaneous Pitch-period Indicator (Amplitude-Intonation, Duration) (IPPI-AID) was used in several classrooms in a school for the deaf to determine its usefulness as an electromechanical aid for classroom language instruction with speech/language materials. It was found in all classroom levels,…

Music and Literacy: Strategies Using "Comprehension Connections" by Tanny McGregor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frasher, Kathleen Diane

2014-01-01

Music and literacy share many of the same skills; therefore, it is no surprise that music and literacy programs can be used together to help children learn to read. Music study can help promote literacy skills such as vocabulary, articulation, pronunciation, grammar, fluency, writing, sentence patterns, rhythm/parts of speech, auditory processing,…

The effect of lens aging and cataract surgery on circadian rhythm.

PubMed

Yan, Shen-Shen; Wang, Wei

2016-01-01

Many organisms have evolved an approximately 24-hour circadian rhythm that allows them to achieve internal physiological homeostasis with external environment. Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the central pacemaker of circadian rhythm, and its activity is entrained to the external light-dark cycle. The SCN controls circadian rhythm through regulating the synthesis of melatonin by pineal gland via a multisynaptic pathway. Light, especially short-wavelength blue light, is the most potent environmental time cue in circadian photoentrainment. Recently, the discovery of a novel type of retinal photoreceptors, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, sheds light on the mechanism of circadian photoentrainment and raises concerns about the effect of ocular diseases on circadian system. With age, light transmittance is significantly decreased due to the aging of crystalline lens, thus possibly resulting in progressive loss of circadian photoreception. In the current review, we summarize the circadian physiology, highlight the important role of light in circadian rhythm regulation, discuss about the correlation between age-related cataract and sleep disorders, and compare the effect of blue light- filtering intraocular lenses (IOLs) and ultraviolet only filtering IOLs on circadian rhythm.

The effect of lens aging and cataract surgery on circadian rhythm

PubMed Central

Yan, Shen-Shen; Wang, Wei

2016-01-01

Many organisms have evolved an approximately 24-hour circadian rhythm that allows them to achieve internal physiological homeostasis with external environment. Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the central pacemaker of circadian rhythm, and its activity is entrained to the external light-dark cycle. The SCN controls circadian rhythm through regulating the synthesis of melatonin by pineal gland via a multisynaptic pathway. Light, especially short-wavelength blue light, is the most potent environmental time cue in circadian photoentrainment. Recently, the discovery of a novel type of retinal photoreceptors, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, sheds light on the mechanism of circadian photoentrainment and raises concerns about the effect of ocular diseases on circadian system. With age, light transmittance is significantly decreased due to the aging of crystalline lens, thus possibly resulting in progressive loss of circadian photoreception. In the current review, we summarize the circadian physiology, highlight the important role of light in circadian rhythm regulation, discuss about the correlation between age-related cataract and sleep disorders, and compare the effect of blue light- filtering intraocular lenses (IOLs) and ultraviolet only filtering IOLs on circadian rhythm. PMID:27500118

Situational influences on rhythmicity in speech, music, and their interaction

PubMed Central

Hawkins, Sarah

2014-01-01

Brain processes underlying the production and perception of rhythm indicate considerable flexibility in how physical signals are interpreted. This paper explores how that flexibility might play out in rhythmicity in speech and music. There is much in common across the two domains, but there are also significant differences. Interpretations are explored that reconcile some of the differences, particularly with respect to how functional properties modify the rhythmicity of speech, within limits imposed by its structural constraints. Functional and structural differences mean that music is typically more rhythmic than speech, and that speech will be more rhythmic when the emotions are more strongly engaged, or intended to be engaged. The influence of rhythmicity on attention is acknowledged, and it is suggested that local increases in rhythmicity occur at times when attention is required to coordinate joint action, whether in talking or music-making. Evidence is presented which suggests that while these short phases of heightened rhythmical behaviour are crucial to the success of transitions in communicative interaction, their modality is immaterial: they all function to enhance precise temporal prediction and hence tightly coordinated joint action. PMID:25385776

What Constitutes a Phrase in Sound-Based Music? A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Perception and Acoustics.

PubMed

Olsen, Kirk N; Dean, Roger T; Leung, Yvonne

2016-01-01

Phrasing facilitates the organization of auditory information and is central to speech and music. Not surprisingly, aspects of changing intensity, rhythm, and pitch are key determinants of musical phrases and their boundaries in instrumental note-based music. Different kinds of speech (such as tone- vs. stress-languages) share these features in different proportions and form an instructive comparison. However, little is known about whether or how musical phrasing is perceived in sound-based music, where the basic musical unit from which a piece is created is commonly non-instrumental continuous sounds, rather than instrumental discontinuous notes. This issue forms the target of the present paper. Twenty participants (17 untrained in music) were presented with six stimuli derived from sound-based music, note-based music, and environmental sound. Their task was to indicate each occurrence of a perceived phrase and qualitatively describe key characteristics of the stimulus associated with each phrase response. It was hypothesized that sound-based music does elicit phrase perception, and that this is primarily associated with temporal changes in intensity and timbre, rather than rhythm and pitch. Results supported this hypothesis. Qualitative analysis of participant descriptions showed that for sound-based music, the majority of perceived phrases were associated with intensity or timbral change. For the note-based piano piece, rhythm was the main theme associated with perceived musical phrasing. We modeled the occurrence in time of perceived musical phrases with recurrent event 'hazard' analyses using time-series data representing acoustic predictors associated with intensity, spectral flatness, and rhythmic density. Acoustic intensity and timbre (represented here by spectral flatness) were strong predictors of perceived musical phrasing in sound-based music, and rhythm was only predictive for the piano piece. A further analysis including five additional spectral measures linked to timbre strengthened the models. Overall, results show that even when little of the pitch and rhythm information important for phrasing in note-based music is available, phrasing is still perceived, primarily in response to changes of intensity and timbre. Implications for electroacoustic music composition and music recommender systems are discussed.

What Constitutes a Phrase in Sound-Based Music? A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Perception and Acoustics

PubMed Central

Olsen, Kirk N.; Dean, Roger T.; Leung, Yvonne

2016-01-01

Phrasing facilitates the organization of auditory information and is central to speech and music. Not surprisingly, aspects of changing intensity, rhythm, and pitch are key determinants of musical phrases and their boundaries in instrumental note-based music. Different kinds of speech (such as tone- vs. stress-languages) share these features in different proportions and form an instructive comparison. However, little is known about whether or how musical phrasing is perceived in sound-based music, where the basic musical unit from which a piece is created is commonly non-instrumental continuous sounds, rather than instrumental discontinuous notes. This issue forms the target of the present paper. Twenty participants (17 untrained in music) were presented with six stimuli derived from sound-based music, note-based music, and environmental sound. Their task was to indicate each occurrence of a perceived phrase and qualitatively describe key characteristics of the stimulus associated with each phrase response. It was hypothesized that sound-based music does elicit phrase perception, and that this is primarily associated with temporal changes in intensity and timbre, rather than rhythm and pitch. Results supported this hypothesis. Qualitative analysis of participant descriptions showed that for sound-based music, the majority of perceived phrases were associated with intensity or timbral change. For the note-based piano piece, rhythm was the main theme associated with perceived musical phrasing. We modeled the occurrence in time of perceived musical phrases with recurrent event ‘hazard’ analyses using time-series data representing acoustic predictors associated with intensity, spectral flatness, and rhythmic density. Acoustic intensity and timbre (represented here by spectral flatness) were strong predictors of perceived musical phrasing in sound-based music, and rhythm was only predictive for the piano piece. A further analysis including five additional spectral measures linked to timbre strengthened the models. Overall, results show that even when little of the pitch and rhythm information important for phrasing in note-based music is available, phrasing is still perceived, primarily in response to changes of intensity and timbre. Implications for electroacoustic music composition and music recommender systems are discussed. PMID:27997625

An exploratory study on the driving method of speech synthesis based on the human eye reading imaging data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Pei-pei; Liu, Feng

2016-10-01

With the development of information technology and artificial intelligence, speech synthesis plays a significant role in the fields of Human-Computer Interaction Techniques. However, the main problem of current speech synthesis techniques is lacking of naturalness and expressiveness so that it is not yet close to the standard of natural language. Another problem is that the human-computer interaction based on the speech synthesis is too monotonous to realize mechanism of user subjective drive. This thesis introduces the historical development of speech synthesis and summarizes the general process of this technique. It is pointed out that prosody generation module is an important part in the process of speech synthesis. On the basis of further research, using eye activity rules when reading to control and drive prosody generation was introduced as a new human-computer interaction method to enrich the synthetic form. In this article, the present situation of speech synthesis technology is reviewed in detail. Based on the premise of eye gaze data extraction, using eye movement signal in real-time driving, a speech synthesis method which can express the real speech rhythm of the speaker is proposed. That is, when reader is watching corpora with its eyes in silent reading, capture the reading information such as the eye gaze duration per prosodic unit, and establish a hierarchical prosodic pattern of duration model to determine the duration parameters of synthesized speech. At last, after the analysis, the feasibility of the above method is verified.

Control of Rest:Activity by a Dopaminergic Ultradian Oscillator and the Circadian Clock.

PubMed

Bourguignon, Clément; Storch, Kai-Florian

2017-01-01

There is long-standing evidence for rhythms in locomotor activity, as well as various other aspects of physiology, with periods substantially shorter than 24 h in organisms ranging from fruit flies to humans. These ultradian oscillations, whose periods frequently fall between 2 and 6 h, are normally well integrated with circadian rhythms; however, they often lack the period stability and expression robustness of the latter. An adaptive advantage of ultradian rhythms has been clearly demonstrated for the common vole, suggesting that they may have evolved to confer social synchrony. The cellular substrate and mechanism of ultradian rhythm generation have remained elusive so far, however recent findings-the subject of this review-now indicate that ultradian locomotor rhythms rely on an oscillator based on dopamine, dubbed the dopaminergic ultradian oscillator (DUO). These findings also reveal that the DUO period can be lengthened from <4 to >48 h by methamphetamine treatment, suggesting that the previously described methamphetamine-sensitive (circadian) oscillator represents a long-period manifestation of the DUO.

Comparison of mapping quantitative theta encephalograms during directed and required visual-verbal activity and passive period in children with different disorders of speech-language functioning.

PubMed

Radicevic, Zoran; Jelicic Dobrijevic, Ljiljana; Sovilj, Mirjana; Barlov, Ivana

2009-06-01

Aim of the research was to examine similarities and differences between the periods of experiencing visually stimulated directed speech-language information and periods of undirected attention. The examined group comprised N = 64 children, aged 4-5, with different speech-language disorders (developmental dysphasia, hyperactive syndrome with attention disorder, children with borderline intellectual abilities, autistic complex). Theta EEG was registered in children in the period of watching and describing the picture ("task"), and in the period of undirected attention ("passive period"). The children were recorded in standard EEG conditions, at 19 points of EEG registration and in longitudinal bipolar montage. Results in the observed age-operative theta rhythm indicated significant similarities and differences in the prevalence of spatial engagement of certain regions between the two hemispheres at the input and output of processing, which opens the possibility for more detailed analysis of conscious control of speech-language processing and its disorders.

Atrial fibrillation and stroke: the evolving role of rhythm control.

PubMed

Patel, Taral K; Passman, Rod S

2013-06-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains a major risk factor for stroke. Unfortunately, clinical trials have failed to demonstrate that a strategy of rhythm control--therapy to maintain normal sinus rhythm (NSR)--reduces stroke risk. The apparent lack of benefit of rhythm control likely reflects the difficulty in maintaining NSR using currently available therapies. However, there are signals from several trials that the presence of NSR is indeed beneficial and associated with better outcomes related to stroke and mortality. Most electrophysiologists feel that as rhythm control strategies continue to improve, the crucial link between rhythm control and stroke reduction will finally be demonstrated. Therefore, AF specialists tend to be aggressive in their attempts to maintain NSR, especially in patients who have symptomatic AF. A step-wise approach from antiarrhythmic drugs to catheter ablation to cardiac surgery is generally used. In select patients, catheter ablation or cardiac surgery may supersede antiarrhythmic drugs. The choice depends on the type of AF, concurrent heart disease, drug toxicity profiles, procedural risks, and patient preferences. Regardless of strategy, given the limited effectiveness of currently available rhythm control therapies, oral anticoagulation is still recommended for stroke prophylaxis in AF patients with other stroke risk factors. Major challenges in atrial fibrillation management include selecting patients most likely to benefit from rhythm control, choosing specific antiarrhythmic drugs or procedures to achieve rhythm control, long-term monitoring to gauge the efficacy of rhythm control, and determining which (if any) patients may safely discontinue anticoagulation if long-term NSR is achieved.

Where Is the Beat? The Neural Correlates of Lexical Stress and Rhythmical Well-formedness in Auditory Story Comprehension.

PubMed

Kandylaki, Katerina D; Henrich, Karen; Nagels, Arne; Kircher, Tilo; Domahs, Ulrike; Schlesewsky, Matthias; Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Ina; Wiese, Richard

2017-07-01

While listening to continuous speech, humans process beat information to correctly identify word boundaries. The beats of language are stress patterns that are created by combining lexical (word-specific) stress patterns and the rhythm of a specific language. Sometimes, the lexical stress pattern needs to be altered to obey the rhythm of the language. This study investigated the interplay of lexical stress patterns and rhythmical well-formedness in natural speech with fMRI. Previous electrophysiological studies on cases in which a regular lexical stress pattern may be altered to obtain rhythmical well-formedness showed that even subtle rhythmic deviations are detected by the brain if attention is directed toward prosody. Here, we present a new approach to this phenomenon by having participants listen to contextually rich stories in the absence of a task targeting the manipulation. For the interaction of lexical stress and rhythmical well-formedness, we found one suprathreshold cluster localized between the cerebellum and the brain stem. For the main effect of lexical stress, we found higher BOLD responses to the retained lexical stress pattern in the bilateral SMA, bilateral postcentral gyrus, bilateral middle fontal gyrus, bilateral inferior and right superior parietal lobule, and right precuneus. These results support the view that lexical stress is processed as part of a sensorimotor network of speech comprehension. Moreover, our results connect beat processing in language to domain-independent timing perception.

Speech and gait in Parkinson's disease: When rhythm matters.

PubMed

Ricciardi, Lucia; Ebreo, Michela; Graziosi, Adriana; Barbuto, Marianna; Sorbera, Chiara; Morgante, Letterio; Morgante, Francesca

2016-11-01

Speech disturbances in Parkinson's disease (PD) are heterogeneous, ranging from hypokinetic to hyperkinetic types. Repetitive speech disorder has been demonstrated in more advanced disease stages and has been considered the speech equivalent of freezing of gait (FOG). We aimed to verify a possible relationship between speech and FOG in patients with PD. Forty-three consecutive PD patients and 20 healthy control subjects underwent standardized speech evaluation using the Italian version of the Dysarthria Profile (DP), for its motor component, and subsets of the Battery for the Analysis of the Aphasic Deficit (BADA), for its procedural component. DP is a scale composed of 7 sub-sections assessing different features of speech; the rate/prosody section of DP includes items investigating the presence of repetitive speech disorder. Severity of FOG was evaluated with the new freezing of gait questionnaire (NFGQ). PD patients performed worse at DP and BADA compared to healthy controls; patients with FOG or with Hoehn-Yahr >2 reported lower scores in the articulation, intellibility, rate/prosody sections of DP and in the semantic verbal fluency test. Logistic regression analysis showed that only age and rate/prosody scores were significantly associated to FOG in PD. Multiple regression analysis showed that only the severity of FOG was associated to rate/prosody score. Our data demonstrate that repetitive speech disorder is related to FOG and is associated to advanced disease stages and independent of disease duration. Speech dysfluency represents a disorder of motor speech control, possibly sharing pathophysiological mechanisms with FOG. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From Denial to Participation: Turkey’s Evolving Discourse on Kurdish Nationalism

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

years, however, relaxed restrictions on associations and political speech have improved opportunities for discourse amongst Kurdish activists. This has...align with the PKK. Nonetheless, the state’s relaxed restrictions on associations and political speech have dramatically increased opportunities for...Ascending, 65. 28 justifying liberation through Islamic narratives, and delivered speeches praising Muhammad as a “great revolutionary.”107 Turkey’s

Relationships between early literacy and nonlinguistic rhythmic processes in kindergarteners.

PubMed

Ozernov-Palchik, Ola; Wolf, Maryanne; Patel, Aniruddh D

2018-03-01

A growing number of studies report links between nonlinguistic rhythmic abilities and certain linguistic abilities, particularly phonological skills. The current study investigated the relationship between nonlinguistic rhythmic processing, phonological abilities, and early literacy abilities in kindergarteners. A distinctive aspect of the current work was the exploration of whether processing of different types of rhythmic patterns is differentially related to kindergarteners' phonological and reading-related abilities. Specifically, we examined the processing of metrical versus nonmetrical rhythmic patterns, that is, patterns capable of being subdivided into equal temporal intervals or not (Povel & Essens, 1985). This is an important comparison because most music involves metrical sequences, in which rhythm often has an underlying temporal grid of isochronous units. In contrast, nonmetrical sequences are arguably more typical to speech rhythm, which is temporally structured but does not involve an underlying grid of equal temporal units. A rhythm discrimination app with metrical and nonmetrical patterns was administered to 74 kindergarteners in conjunction with cognitive and preliteracy measures. Findings support a relationship among rhythm perception, phonological awareness, and letter-sound knowledge (an essential precursor of reading). A mediation analysis revealed that the association between rhythm perception and letter-sound knowledge is mediated through phonological awareness. Furthermore, metrical perception accounted for unique variance in letter-sound knowledge above all other language and cognitive measures. These results point to a unique role for temporal regularity processing in the association between musical rhythm and literacy in young children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Basic Auditory Processing Skills and Specific Language Impairment: A New Look at an Old Hypothesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corriveau, Kathleen; Pasquini, Elizabeth; Goswami, Usha

2007-01-01

Purpose: To explore the sensitivity of children with specific language impairment (SLI) to amplitude-modulated and durational cues that are important for perceiving suprasegmental speech rhythm and stress patterns. Method: Sixty-three children between 7 and 11 years of age were tested, 21 of whom had a diagnosis of SLI, 21 of whom were matched for…

An Analysis of Difficulties of Children with Stuttering Enrolled in Turkish Primary Inclusive Classes Who Encounter in Academic and Social Activities: From Their Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sari, Hakan; Gökdag, Hatice

2017-01-01

Stuttering means that children have difficulties in rhythm, sound, syllable, word and phrase repetitions, or flow of speech cut in the form of extension or block form. In the "International Classification of Diseases" (1992) ("International Classification of Diseases-10" ("ICD-10"), Stuttering was defined as speech…

Teaching tone and intonation with the Prosody Workstation using schematic versus veridical contours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, George D.; Eulenberg, John B.

2004-05-01

Prosodic features of speech (e.g., intonation and rhythm) are often challenging for adults to learn. Most computerized teaching tools, developed to help learners mimic model prosodic patterns, display lines representing the veridical (actual) acoustic fundamental frequency and intensity of the model speech. However, a veridical display may not be optimal for this task. Instead, stereotypical representations (e.g., simplified level or slanting lines) may help by reducing the amount of potentially distracting information. The Prosody Workstation (PW) permits the prosodic contours of both models and users' responses to be displayed using either veridical or stereotypical contours. Users are informed by both visual displays and scores representing the degree of match of their utterance to the model. American English-speaking undergraduates are being studied learning the tone contours and rhythm of Chinese and Hausa utterances ranging in length from two to six syllables. Data include (a) accuracy of mimicking of the models' prosodic contours, measured by the PW; (b) quality of tonal and rhythmic production, judged by native speaker listeners; and (c) learners' perceptions of the ease of the task, measured by a questionnaire at the end of each session.

Idiosyncratic gesture use in atypical language development, and its interaction with speech rhythm, word juncture, syntax, pragmatics and discourse: a case study.

PubMed

Howard, Sara J; Perkins, Michael R; Sowden, Hannah

2012-10-01

Very little is known about the use of gesture by children with developmental language disorders (DLDs). This case study of 'Lucy', a child aged 4;10 with a DLD, expands on what is known and in particular focuses on a type of idiosyncratic "rhythmic gesture" (RG) not previously reported. A fine-grained qualitative analysis was carried out of video recordings of Lucy in conversation with the first author. This revealed that Lucy's RG was closely integrated in complex ways with her use of other gesture types, speech rhythm, word juncture, syntax, pragmatics, discourse, visual processing and processing demands generally. Indeed, the only satisfactory way to explain it was as a partial byproduct of such interactions. These findings support the theoretical accounts of gesture which see it as just one component of a multimodal, integrated signalling system (e.g. Goldin-Meadow, S. (2000). Beyond words: The importance of gesture to researchers and learners. Child Development, 71(1), 231-239), and emergentist accounts of communication impairment which regard compensatory adaptation as integral (e.g. Perkins, M. R. (2007). Pragmatic Impairment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.).

Phase-Locked Responses to Speech in Human Auditory Cortex are Enhanced During Comprehension

PubMed Central

Peelle, Jonathan E.; Gross, Joachim; Davis, Matthew H.

2013-01-01

A growing body of evidence shows that ongoing oscillations in auditory cortex modulate their phase to match the rhythm of temporally regular acoustic stimuli, increasing sensitivity to relevant environmental cues and improving detection accuracy. In the current study, we test the hypothesis that nonsensory information provided by linguistic content enhances phase-locked responses to intelligible speech in the human brain. Sixteen adults listened to meaningful sentences while we recorded neural activity using magnetoencephalography. Stimuli were processed using a noise-vocoding technique to vary intelligibility while keeping the temporal acoustic envelope consistent. We show that the acoustic envelopes of sentences contain most power between 4 and 7 Hz and that it is in this frequency band that phase locking between neural activity and envelopes is strongest. Bilateral oscillatory neural activity phase-locked to unintelligible speech, but this cerebro-acoustic phase locking was enhanced when speech was intelligible. This enhanced phase locking was left lateralized and localized to left temporal cortex. Together, our results demonstrate that entrainment to connected speech does not only depend on acoustic characteristics, but is also affected by listeners’ ability to extract linguistic information. This suggests a biological framework for speech comprehension in which acoustic and linguistic cues reciprocally aid in stimulus prediction. PMID:22610394

Phase-locked responses to speech in human auditory cortex are enhanced during comprehension.

PubMed

Peelle, Jonathan E; Gross, Joachim; Davis, Matthew H

2013-06-01

A growing body of evidence shows that ongoing oscillations in auditory cortex modulate their phase to match the rhythm of temporally regular acoustic stimuli, increasing sensitivity to relevant environmental cues and improving detection accuracy. In the current study, we test the hypothesis that nonsensory information provided by linguistic content enhances phase-locked responses to intelligible speech in the human brain. Sixteen adults listened to meaningful sentences while we recorded neural activity using magnetoencephalography. Stimuli were processed using a noise-vocoding technique to vary intelligibility while keeping the temporal acoustic envelope consistent. We show that the acoustic envelopes of sentences contain most power between 4 and 7 Hz and that it is in this frequency band that phase locking between neural activity and envelopes is strongest. Bilateral oscillatory neural activity phase-locked to unintelligible speech, but this cerebro-acoustic phase locking was enhanced when speech was intelligible. This enhanced phase locking was left lateralized and localized to left temporal cortex. Together, our results demonstrate that entrainment to connected speech does not only depend on acoustic characteristics, but is also affected by listeners' ability to extract linguistic information. This suggests a biological framework for speech comprehension in which acoustic and linguistic cues reciprocally aid in stimulus prediction.

Situational influences on rhythmicity in speech, music, and their interaction.

PubMed

Hawkins, Sarah

2014-12-19

Brain processes underlying the production and perception of rhythm indicate considerable flexibility in how physical signals are interpreted. This paper explores how that flexibility might play out in rhythmicity in speech and music. There is much in common across the two domains, but there are also significant differences. Interpretations are explored that reconcile some of the differences, particularly with respect to how functional properties modify the rhythmicity of speech, within limits imposed by its structural constraints. Functional and structural differences mean that music is typically more rhythmic than speech, and that speech will be more rhythmic when the emotions are more strongly engaged, or intended to be engaged. The influence of rhythmicity on attention is acknowledged, and it is suggested that local increases in rhythmicity occur at times when attention is required to coordinate joint action, whether in talking or music-making. Evidence is presented which suggests that while these short phases of heightened rhythmical behaviour are crucial to the success of transitions in communicative interaction, their modality is immaterial: they all function to enhance precise temporal prediction and hence tightly coordinated joint action. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Assessing the treatment effects in apraxia of speech: introduction and evaluation of the Modified Diadochokinesis Test.

PubMed

Hurkmans, Joost; Jonkers, Roel; Boonstra, Anne M; Stewart, Roy E; Reinders-Messelink, Heleen A

2012-01-01

The number of reliable and valid instruments to measure the effects of therapy in apraxia of speech (AoS) is limited. To evaluate the newly developed Modified Diadochokinesis Test (MDT), which is a task to assess the effects of rate and rhythm therapies for AoS in a multiple baseline across behaviours design. The consistency, accuracy and fluency of speech of 24 adults with AoS and 12 unaffected speakers matched for age, gender and educational level were assessed using the MDT. The reliability and validity of the instrument were considered and outcomes compared with those obtained with existing tests. The results revealed that MDT had a strong internal consistency. Scores were influenced by syllable structure complexity, while distinctive features of articulation had no measurable effect. The test-retest and intra- and inter-rater reliabilities were shown to be adequate, and the discriminant validity was good. For convergent validity different outcomes were found: apart from one correlation, the scores on tests assessing functional communication and AoS correlated significantly with the MDT outcome measures. The spontaneous speech phonology measure of the Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT) correlated significantly with the MDT outcome measures, but no correlations were found for the repetition subtest and the spontaneous speech articulation/prosody measure of the AAT. The study shows that the MDT has adequate psychometric properties, implying that it can be used to measure changes in speech motor control during treatment for apraxia of speech. The results demonstrate the validity and utility of the instrument as a supplement to speech tasks in assessing speech improvement aimed at the level of planning and programming of speech. © 2012 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Attention Is Required for Knowledge-Based Sequential Grouping: Insights from the Integration of Syllables into Words.

PubMed

Ding, Nai; Pan, Xunyi; Luo, Cheng; Su, Naifei; Zhang, Wen; Zhang, Jianfeng

2018-01-31

How the brain groups sequential sensory events into chunks is a fundamental question in cognitive neuroscience. This study investigates whether top-down attention or specific tasks are required for the brain to apply lexical knowledge to group syllables into words. Neural responses tracking the syllabic and word rhythms of a rhythmic speech sequence were concurrently monitored using electroencephalography (EEG). The participants performed different tasks, attending to either the rhythmic speech sequence or a distractor, which was another speech stream or a nonlinguistic auditory/visual stimulus. Attention to speech, but not a lexical-meaning-related task, was required for reliable neural tracking of words, even when the distractor was a nonlinguistic stimulus presented cross-modally. Neural tracking of syllables, however, was reliably observed in all tested conditions. These results strongly suggest that neural encoding of individual auditory events (i.e., syllables) is automatic, while knowledge-based construction of temporal chunks (i.e., words) crucially relies on top-down attention. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Why we cannot understand speech when not paying attention is an old question in psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Speech processing is a complex process that involves multiple stages, e.g., hearing and analyzing the speech sound, recognizing words, and combining words into phrases and sentences. The current study investigates which speech-processing stage is blocked when we do not listen carefully. We show that the brain can reliably encode syllables, basic units of speech sounds, even when we do not pay attention. Nevertheless, when distracted, the brain cannot group syllables into multisyllabic words, which are basic units for speech meaning. Therefore, the process of converting speech sound into meaning crucially relies on attention. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/381178-11$15.00/0.

Music and speech distractors disrupt sensorimotor synchronization: effects of musical training.

PubMed

Białuńska, Anita; Dalla Bella, Simone

2017-12-01

Humans display a natural tendency to move to the beat of music, more than to the rhythm of any other auditory stimulus. We typically move with music, but rarely with speech. This proclivity is apparent early during development and can be further developed over the years via joint dancing, singing, or instrument playing. Synchronization of movement to the beat can thus improve with age, but also with musical experience. In a previous study, we found that music perturbed synchronization with a metronome more than speech fragments; music superiority disappeared when distractors shared isochrony and the same meter (Dalla Bella et al., PLoS One 8(8):e71945, 2013). Here, we examined if the interfering effect of music and speech distractors in a synchronization task is influenced by musical training. Musicians and non-musicians synchronized by producing finger force pulses to the sounds of a metronome while music and speech distractors were presented at one of various phase relationships with respect to the target. Distractors were familiar musical excerpts and fragments of children poetry comparable in terms of beat/stress isochrony. Music perturbed synchronization with the metronome more than speech did in both groups. However, the difference in synchronization error between music and speech distractors was smaller for musicians than for non-musicians, especially when the peak force of movement is reached. These findings point to a link between musical training and timing of sensorimotor synchronization when reacting to music and speech distractors.

[Acquired aphasia with convulsion anomalies in the developmental age: clinical neuropsychological and electroencephalographic study of a case].

PubMed

Rossi, P G; Pazzaglia, P; Frank, G

1976-01-01

A four year old boy presented three epileptic seizures of psychomotor type; immediately after he began to show a progressive and rapid dissolution of speech, until he became completely aphasic after few weeks. Since then, repeated EEG examinations have always shown anomalies of epileptic type, located on the left hemisphere, at times on the right, at times bilaterally asynchronous. The neurological, psychic, audiological, chemical-biological and neuro-radiological (bi-lateral carotidogram and penumoencephalogram) exams did not show any other anomalies. After an observation period three years, the AA. underline the following evolutive aspects of the case: 1) The aphasic syndrome is on the way to slow improvement both in its expressive component and in its perceptive component. The recovery of speech seems to follow, with a slower rhythm, the stages of acquisition of the speech in the normal subject. 2) Diversely from other cases of the literature, no positive correlation exists between the gravity of the aphasic syndrome and that of the EEG anomaly: they have worsened while the disturbance of the speech have partially regressed.

Systematic Studies of Modified Vocalization: Speech Production Changes During a Variation of Metronomic Speech in Persons Who Do and Do Not Stutter

PubMed Central

Davidow, Jason H.; Bothe, Anne K.; Ye, Jun

2011-01-01

The most common way to induce fluency using rhythm requires persons who stutter to speak one syllable or one word to each beat of a metronome, but stuttering can also be eliminated when the stimulus is of a particular duration (e.g., 1 s). The present study examined stuttering frequency, speech production changes, and speech naturalness during rhythmic speech that alternated 1 s of reading with 1 s of silence. A repeated-measures design was used to compare data obtained during a control reading condition and during rhythmic reading in 10 persons who stutter (PWS) and 10 normally fluent controls. Ratings for speech naturalness were also gathered from naïve listeners. Results showed that mean vowel duration increased significantly, and the percentage of short phonated intervals decreased significantly, for both groups from the control to the experimental condition. Mean phonated interval length increased significantly for the fluent controls. Mean speech naturalness ratings during the experimental condition were approximately 7 on a 1–9 scale (1 = highly natural; 9 = highly unnatural), and these ratings were significantly correlated with vowel duration and phonated intervals for PWS. The findings indicate that PWS may be altering vocal fold vibration duration to obtain fluency during this rhythmic speech style, and that vocal fold vibration duration may have an impact on speech naturalness during rhythmic speech. Future investigations should examine speech production changes and speech naturalness during variations of this rhythmic condition. Educational Objectives The reader will be able to: (1) describe changes (from a control reading condition) in speech production variables when alternating between 1 s of reading and 1 s of silence, (2) describe which rhythmic conditions have been found to sound and feel the most natural, (3) describe methodological issues for studies about alterations in speech production variables during fluency-inducing conditions, and (4) describe which fluency-inducing conditions have been shown to involve a reduction in short phonated intervals. PMID:21664528

Song and speech: examining the link between singing talent and speech imitation ability.

PubMed

Christiner, Markus; Reiterer, Susanne M

2013-01-01

In previous research on speech imitation, musicality, and an ability to sing were isolated as the strongest indicators of good pronunciation skills in foreign languages. We, therefore, wanted to take a closer look at the nature of the ability to sing, which shares a common ground with the ability to imitate speech. This study focuses on whether good singing performance predicts good speech imitation. Forty-one singers of different levels of proficiency were selected for the study and their ability to sing, to imitate speech, their musical talent and working memory were tested. Results indicated that singing performance is a better indicator of the ability to imitate speech than the playing of a musical instrument. A multiple regression revealed that 64% of the speech imitation score variance could be explained by working memory together with educational background and singing performance. A second multiple regression showed that 66% of the speech imitation variance of completely unintelligible and unfamiliar language stimuli (Hindi) could be explained by working memory together with a singer's sense of rhythm and quality of voice. This supports the idea that both vocal behaviors have a common grounding in terms of vocal and motor flexibility, ontogenetic and phylogenetic development, neural orchestration and auditory memory with singing fitting better into the category of "speech" on the productive level and "music" on the acoustic level. As a result, good singers benefit from vocal and motor flexibility, productively and cognitively, in three ways. (1) Motor flexibility and the ability to sing improve language and musical function. (2) Good singers retain a certain plasticity and are open to new and unusual sound combinations during adulthood both perceptually and productively. (3) The ability to sing improves the memory span of the auditory working memory.

Application of a model of the auditory primal sketch to cross-linguistic differences in speech rhythm: Implications for the acquisition and recognition of speech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd, Neil P. M.; Lee, Christopher S.

2002-05-01

It has long been noted that the world's languages vary considerably in their rhythmic organization. Different languages seem to privilege different phonological units as their basic rhythmic unit, and there is now a large body of evidence that such differences have important consequences for crucial aspects of language acquisition and processing. The most fundamental finding is that the rhythmic structure of a language strongly influences the process of spoken-word recognition. This finding, together with evidence that infants are sensitive from birth to rhythmic differences between languages, and exploit rhythmic cues to segmentation at an earlier developmental stage than other cues prompted the claim that rhythm is the key which allows infants to begin building a lexicon and then go on to acquire syntax. It is therefore of interest to determine how differences in rhythmic organization arise at the acoustic/auditory level. In this paper, it is shown how an auditory model of the primitive representation of sound provides just such an account of rhythmic differences. Its performance is evaluated on a data set of French and English sentences and compared with the results yielded by the phonetic accounts of Frank Ramus and his colleagues and Esther Grabe and her colleagues.

The relation between categorical perception of speech stimuli and reading skills in children

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breier, Joshua; Fletcher, Jack; Klaas, Patricia; Gray, Lincoln

2005-09-01

Children ages 7 to 14 years listened to seven tokens, /ga/ to /ka/ synthesized in equal steps from 0 to 60 ms along the voice onset time (VOT) continuum, played in continuous rhythm. All possible changes (21) between the seven tokens were presented seven times at random intervals, maintaining the rhythm. Children were asked to press a button as soon as they detected a change. Maps of the seven tokens, constructed from multidimensional scaling of reaction times, indicated two salient dimensions: one phonological and the other acoustic/phonetic. Better reading, spelling, and phonological processing skills were associated with greater relative weighting of the phonological as compared to the acoustic dimension, suggesting that children with reading difficulty and associated deficits may underweight the phonological and/or overweight the acoustic information in speech signals. This task required no training and only momentary memory of the tokens. That an analysis of a simple task coincides with more complex reading tests suggests a low-level deficit (or shift in listening strategy). Compared to control children, children with reading disabilities may pay more attention to subtle details in these signals and less attention to the global pattern or attribute. [Supported by NIH Grant 1 RO1 HD35938 to JIB.

Effects of hand gestures on auditory learning of second-language vowel length contrasts.

PubMed

Hirata, Yukari; Kelly, Spencer D; Huang, Jessica; Manansala, Michael

2014-12-01

Research has shown that hand gestures affect comprehension and production of speech at semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic levels for both native language and second language (L2). This study investigated a relatively less explored question: Do hand gestures influence auditory learning of an L2 at the segmental phonology level? To examine auditory learning of phonemic vowel length contrasts in Japanese, 88 native English-speaking participants took an auditory test before and after one of the following 4 types of training in which they (a) observed an instructor in a video speaking Japanese words while she made syllabic-rhythm hand gesture, (b) produced this gesture with the instructor, (c) observed the instructor speaking those words and her moraic-rhythm hand gesture, or (d) produced the moraic-rhythm gesture with the instructor. All of the training types yielded similar auditory improvement in identifying vowel length contrast. However, observing the syllabic-rhythm hand gesture yielded the most balanced improvement between word-initial and word-final vowels and between slow and fast speaking rates. The overall effect of hand gesture on learning of segmental phonology is limited. Implications for theories of hand gesture are discussed in terms of the role it plays at different linguistic levels.

Sensorimotor Synchronization with Different Metrical Levels of Point-Light Dance Movements.

PubMed

Su, Yi-Huang

2016-01-01

Rhythm perception and synchronization have been extensively investigated in the auditory domain, as they underlie means of human communication such as music and speech. Although recent studies suggest comparable mechanisms for synchronizing with periodically moving visual objects, the extent to which it applies to ecologically relevant information, such as the rhythm of complex biological motion, remains unknown. The present study addressed this issue by linking rhythm of music and dance in the framework of action-perception coupling. As a previous study showed that observers perceived multiple metrical periodicities in dance movements that embodied this structure, the present study examined whether sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) to dance movements resembles what is known of auditory SMS. Participants watched a point-light figure performing two basic steps of Swing dance cyclically, in which the trunk bounced at every beat and the limbs moved at every second beat, forming two metrical periodicities. Participants tapped synchronously to the bounce of the trunk with or without the limbs moving in the stimuli (Experiment 1), or tapped synchronously to the leg movements with or without the trunk bouncing simultaneously (Experiment 2). Results showed that, while synchronization with the bounce (lower-level pulse) was not influenced by the presence or absence of limb movements (metrical accent), synchronization with the legs (beat) was improved by the presence of the bounce (metrical subdivision) across different movement types. The latter finding parallels the "subdivision benefit" often demonstrated in auditory tasks, suggesting common sensorimotor mechanisms for visual rhythms in dance and auditory rhythms in music.

A Musical Approach to Speech Melody

PubMed Central

Chow, Ivan; Brown, Steven

2018-01-01

We present here a musical approach to speech melody, one that takes advantage of the intervallic precision made possible with musical notation. Current phonetic and phonological approaches to speech melody either assign localized pitch targets that impoverish the acoustic details of the pitch contours and/or merely highlight a few salient points of pitch change, ignoring all the rest of the syllables. We present here an alternative model using musical notation, which has the advantage of representing the pitch of all syllables in a sentence as well as permitting a specification of the intervallic excursions among syllables and the potential for group averaging of pitch use across speakers. We tested the validity of this approach by recording native speakers of Canadian English reading unfamiliar test items aloud, spanning from single words to full sentences containing multiple intonational phrases. The fundamental-frequency trajectories of the recorded items were converted from hertz into semitones, averaged across speakers, and transcribed into musical scores of relative pitch. Doing so allowed us to quantify local and global pitch-changes associated with declarative, imperative, and interrogative sentences, and to explore the melodic dynamics of these sentence types. Our basic observation is that speech is atonal. The use of a musical score ultimately has the potential to combine speech rhythm and melody into a unified representation of speech prosody, an important analytical feature that is not found in any current linguistic approach to prosody. PMID:29556206

Turn exchange rhythm in English dialogues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fon, Janice

2005-09-01

This study looked at the relationship between rhythm and exchange type in British English, a stress-timed language, and Singaporean English, a syllable-timed language, using a spontaneous speech corpus. Exchange intervals (EIs), or the time difference between the end of one speaker and the beginning of another, were measured and exchanges of different types were labeled. Results showed that, in a dialogue, EIs were generally limited to a narrow range. However, within this range, EIs had at least four functions. First, EIs were reflective of the cognitive load and functioned as a way to differentiate various exchange types. Those requiring more cognitive resources, such as question-and-answer pairs, generally needed longer EIs than those not as cognitively loaded, such as backchanneling pairs. Second, EIs were indicative of linguistic rhythm. Singaporean English tended to have shorter EIs than British English. Third, EIs were reflective of politeness. The degree of politeness correlated negatively with EI. Shorter EIs showed a higher degree of respect. Finally, EIs were also indicative of the level of insecurity of a speaker, which was best reflected by gender differences. Females in general had longer EIs than males.

Emergence of neural encoding of auditory objects while listening to competing speakers

PubMed Central

Ding, Nai; Simon, Jonathan Z.

2012-01-01

A visual scene is perceived in terms of visual objects. Similar ideas have been proposed for the analogous case of auditory scene analysis, although their hypothesized neural underpinnings have not yet been established. Here, we address this question by recording from subjects selectively listening to one of two competing speakers, either of different or the same sex, using magnetoencephalography. Individual neural representations are seen for the speech of the two speakers, with each being selectively phase locked to the rhythm of the corresponding speech stream and from which can be exclusively reconstructed the temporal envelope of that speech stream. The neural representation of the attended speech dominates responses (with latency near 100 ms) in posterior auditory cortex. Furthermore, when the intensity of the attended and background speakers is separately varied over an 8-dB range, the neural representation of the attended speech adapts only to the intensity of that speaker but not to the intensity of the background speaker, suggesting an object-level intensity gain control. In summary, these results indicate that concurrent auditory objects, even if spectrotemporally overlapping and not resolvable at the auditory periphery, are neurally encoded individually in auditory cortex and emerge as fundamental representational units for top-down attentional modulation and bottom-up neural adaptation. PMID:22753470

A simple model of circadian rhythms based on dimerization and proteolysis of PER and TIM

PubMed Central

Tyson, JJ; Hong, CI; Thron, CD; Novak, B

1999-01-01

Many organisms display rhythms of physiology and behavior that are entrained to the 24-h cycle of light and darkness prevailing on Earth. Under constant conditions of illumination and temperature, these internal biological rhythms persist with a period close to 1 day ("circadian"), but it is usually not exactly 24 h. Recent discoveries have uncovered stunning similarities among the molecular circuitries of circadian clocks in mice, fruit flies, and bread molds. A consensus picture is coming into focus around two proteins (called PER and TIM in fruit flies), which dimerize and then inhibit transcription of their own genes. Although this picture seems to confirm a venerable model of circadian rhythms based on time-delayed negative feedback, we suggest that just as crucial to the circadian oscillator is a positive feedback loop based on stabilization of PER upon dimerization. These ideas can be expressed in simple mathematical form (phase plane portraits), and the model accounts naturally for several hallmarks of circadian rhythms, including temperature compensation and the per(L) mutant phenotype. In addition, the model suggests how an endogenous circadian oscillator could have evolved from a more primitive, light-activated switch. PMID:20540926

Song and speech: examining the link between singing talent and speech imitation ability

PubMed Central

Christiner, Markus; Reiterer, Susanne M.

2013-01-01

In previous research on speech imitation, musicality, and an ability to sing were isolated as the strongest indicators of good pronunciation skills in foreign languages. We, therefore, wanted to take a closer look at the nature of the ability to sing, which shares a common ground with the ability to imitate speech. This study focuses on whether good singing performance predicts good speech imitation. Forty-one singers of different levels of proficiency were selected for the study and their ability to sing, to imitate speech, their musical talent and working memory were tested. Results indicated that singing performance is a better indicator of the ability to imitate speech than the playing of a musical instrument. A multiple regression revealed that 64% of the speech imitation score variance could be explained by working memory together with educational background and singing performance. A second multiple regression showed that 66% of the speech imitation variance of completely unintelligible and unfamiliar language stimuli (Hindi) could be explained by working memory together with a singer's sense of rhythm and quality of voice. This supports the idea that both vocal behaviors have a common grounding in terms of vocal and motor flexibility, ontogenetic and phylogenetic development, neural orchestration and auditory memory with singing fitting better into the category of “speech” on the productive level and “music” on the acoustic level. As a result, good singers benefit from vocal and motor flexibility, productively and cognitively, in three ways. (1) Motor flexibility and the ability to sing improve language and musical function. (2) Good singers retain a certain plasticity and are open to new and unusual sound combinations during adulthood both perceptually and productively. (3) The ability to sing improves the memory span of the auditory working memory. PMID:24319438

Subcortical processing of speech regularities underlies reading and music aptitude in children.

PubMed

Strait, Dana L; Hornickel, Jane; Kraus, Nina

2011-10-17

Neural sensitivity to acoustic regularities supports fundamental human behaviors such as hearing in noise and reading. Although the failure to encode acoustic regularities in ongoing speech has been associated with language and literacy deficits, how auditory expertise, such as the expertise that is associated with musical skill, relates to the brainstem processing of speech regularities is unknown. An association between musical skill and neural sensitivity to acoustic regularities would not be surprising given the importance of repetition and regularity in music. Here, we aimed to define relationships between the subcortical processing of speech regularities, music aptitude, and reading abilities in children with and without reading impairment. We hypothesized that, in combination with auditory cognitive abilities, neural sensitivity to regularities in ongoing speech provides a common biological mechanism underlying the development of music and reading abilities. We assessed auditory working memory and attention, music aptitude, reading ability, and neural sensitivity to acoustic regularities in 42 school-aged children with a wide range of reading ability. Neural sensitivity to acoustic regularities was assessed by recording brainstem responses to the same speech sound presented in predictable and variable speech streams. Through correlation analyses and structural equation modeling, we reveal that music aptitude and literacy both relate to the extent of subcortical adaptation to regularities in ongoing speech as well as with auditory working memory and attention. Relationships between music and speech processing are specifically driven by performance on a musical rhythm task, underscoring the importance of rhythmic regularity for both language and music. These data indicate common brain mechanisms underlying reading and music abilities that relate to how the nervous system responds to regularities in auditory input. Definition of common biological underpinnings for music and reading supports the usefulness of music for promoting child literacy, with the potential to improve reading remediation.

Exaggeration of Language-Specific Rhythms in English and French Children's Songs

PubMed Central

Hannon, Erin E.; Lévêque, Yohana; Nave, Karli M.; Trehub, Sandra E.

2016-01-01

The available evidence indicates that the music of a culture reflects the speech rhythm of the prevailing language. The normalized pairwise variability index (nPVI) is a measure of durational contrast between successive events that can be applied to vowels in speech and to notes in music. Music–language parallels may have implications for the acquisition of language and music, but it is unclear whether native-language rhythms are reflected in children's songs. In general, children's songs exhibit greater rhythmic regularity than adults' songs, in line with their caregiving goals and frequent coordination with rhythmic movement. Accordingly, one might expect lower nPVI values (i.e., lower variability) for such songs regardless of culture. In addition to their caregiving goals, children's songs may serve an intuitive didactic function by modeling culturally relevant content and structure for music and language. One might therefore expect pronounced rhythmic parallels between children's songs and language of origin. To evaluate these predictions, we analyzed a corpus of 269 English and French songs from folk and children's music anthologies. As in prior work, nPVI values were significantly higher for English than for French children's songs. For folk songs (i.e., songs not for children), the difference in nPVI for English and French songs was small and in the expected direction but non-significant. We subsequently collected ratings from American and French monolingual and bilingual adults, who rated their familiarity with each song, how much they liked it, and whether or not they thought it was a children's song. Listeners gave higher familiarity and liking ratings to songs from their own culture, and they gave higher familiarity and preference ratings to children's songs than to other songs. Although higher child-directedness ratings were given to children's than to folk songs, French listeners drove this effect, and their ratings were uniquely predicted by nPVI. Together, these findings suggest that language-based rhythmic structures are evident in children's songs, and that listeners expect exaggerated language-based rhythms in children's songs. The implications of these findings for enculturation processes and for the acquisition of music and language are discussed. PMID:27445907

Exaggeration of Language-Specific Rhythms in English and French Children's Songs.

PubMed

Hannon, Erin E; Lévêque, Yohana; Nave, Karli M; Trehub, Sandra E

2016-01-01

The available evidence indicates that the music of a culture reflects the speech rhythm of the prevailing language. The normalized pairwise variability index (nPVI) is a measure of durational contrast between successive events that can be applied to vowels in speech and to notes in music. Music-language parallels may have implications for the acquisition of language and music, but it is unclear whether native-language rhythms are reflected in children's songs. In general, children's songs exhibit greater rhythmic regularity than adults' songs, in line with their caregiving goals and frequent coordination with rhythmic movement. Accordingly, one might expect lower nPVI values (i.e., lower variability) for such songs regardless of culture. In addition to their caregiving goals, children's songs may serve an intuitive didactic function by modeling culturally relevant content and structure for music and language. One might therefore expect pronounced rhythmic parallels between children's songs and language of origin. To evaluate these predictions, we analyzed a corpus of 269 English and French songs from folk and children's music anthologies. As in prior work, nPVI values were significantly higher for English than for French children's songs. For folk songs (i.e., songs not for children), the difference in nPVI for English and French songs was small and in the expected direction but non-significant. We subsequently collected ratings from American and French monolingual and bilingual adults, who rated their familiarity with each song, how much they liked it, and whether or not they thought it was a children's song. Listeners gave higher familiarity and liking ratings to songs from their own culture, and they gave higher familiarity and preference ratings to children's songs than to other songs. Although higher child-directedness ratings were given to children's than to folk songs, French listeners drove this effect, and their ratings were uniquely predicted by nPVI. Together, these findings suggest that language-based rhythmic structures are evident in children's songs, and that listeners expect exaggerated language-based rhythms in children's songs. The implications of these findings for enculturation processes and for the acquisition of music and language are discussed.

Neural mechanisms of rhythm-based temporal prediction: Delta phase-locking reflects temporal predictability but not rhythmic entrainment.

PubMed

Breska, Assaf; Deouell, Leon Y

2017-02-01

Predicting the timing of upcoming events enables efficient resource allocation and action preparation. Rhythmic streams, such as music, speech, and biological motion, constitute a pervasive source for temporal predictions. Widely accepted entrainment theories postulate that rhythm-based predictions are mediated by synchronizing low-frequency neural oscillations to the rhythm, as indicated by increased phase concentration (PC) of low-frequency neural activity for rhythmic compared to random streams. However, we show here that PC enhancement in scalp recordings is not specific to rhythms but is observed to the same extent in less periodic streams if they enable memory-based prediction. This is inconsistent with the predictions of a computational entrainment model of stronger PC for rhythmic streams. Anticipatory change in alpha activity and facilitation of electroencephalogram (EEG) manifestations of response selection are also comparable between rhythm- and memory-based predictions. However, rhythmic sequences uniquely result in obligatory depression of preparation-related premotor brain activity when an on-beat event is omitted, even when it is strategically beneficial to maintain preparation, leading to larger behavioral costs for violation of prediction. Thus, while our findings undermine the validity of PC as a sign of rhythmic entrainment, they constitute the first electrophysiological dissociation, to our knowledge, between mechanisms of rhythmic predictions and of memory-based predictions: the former obligatorily lead to resonance-like preparation patterns (that are in line with entrainment), while the latter allow flexible resource allocation in time regardless of periodicity in the input. Taken together, they delineate the neural mechanisms of three distinct modes of preparation: continuous vigilance, interval-timing-based prediction and rhythm-based prediction.

Neural mechanisms of rhythm-based temporal prediction: Delta phase-locking reflects temporal predictability but not rhythmic entrainment

PubMed Central

Deouell, Leon Y.

2017-01-01

Predicting the timing of upcoming events enables efficient resource allocation and action preparation. Rhythmic streams, such as music, speech, and biological motion, constitute a pervasive source for temporal predictions. Widely accepted entrainment theories postulate that rhythm-based predictions are mediated by synchronizing low-frequency neural oscillations to the rhythm, as indicated by increased phase concentration (PC) of low-frequency neural activity for rhythmic compared to random streams. However, we show here that PC enhancement in scalp recordings is not specific to rhythms but is observed to the same extent in less periodic streams if they enable memory-based prediction. This is inconsistent with the predictions of a computational entrainment model of stronger PC for rhythmic streams. Anticipatory change in alpha activity and facilitation of electroencephalogram (EEG) manifestations of response selection are also comparable between rhythm- and memory-based predictions. However, rhythmic sequences uniquely result in obligatory depression of preparation-related premotor brain activity when an on-beat event is omitted, even when it is strategically beneficial to maintain preparation, leading to larger behavioral costs for violation of prediction. Thus, while our findings undermine the validity of PC as a sign of rhythmic entrainment, they constitute the first electrophysiological dissociation, to our knowledge, between mechanisms of rhythmic predictions and of memory-based predictions: the former obligatorily lead to resonance-like preparation patterns (that are in line with entrainment), while the latter allow flexible resource allocation in time regardless of periodicity in the input. Taken together, they delineate the neural mechanisms of three distinct modes of preparation: continuous vigilance, interval-timing-based prediction and rhythm-based prediction. PMID:28187128

Oral and Hand Movement Speeds are Associated with Expressive Language Ability in Children with Speech Sound Disorder

PubMed Central

Peter, Beate

2013-01-01

This study tested the hypothesis that children with speech sound disorder have generalized slowed motor speeds. It evaluated associations among oral and hand motor speeds and measures of speech (articulation and phonology) and language (receptive vocabulary, sentence comprehension, sentence imitation), in 11 children with moderate to severe SSD and 11 controls. Syllable durations from a syllable repetition task served as an estimate of maximal oral movement speed. In two imitation tasks, nonwords and clapped rhythms, unstressed vowel durations and quarter-note clap intervals served as estimates of oral and hand movement speed, respectively. Syllable durations were significantly correlated with vowel durations and hand clap intervals. Sentence imitation was correlated with all three timed movement measures. Clustering on syllable repetition durations produced three clusters that also differed in sentence imitation scores. Results are consistent with limited movement speeds across motor systems and SSD subtypes defined by motor speeds as a corollary of expressive language abilities. PMID:22411590

Age-related changes to the production of linguistic prosody

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, Daniel R.

The production of speech prosody (the rhythm, pausing, and intonation associated with natural speech) is critical to effective communication. The current study investigated the impact of age-related changes to physiology and cognition in relation to the production of two types of linguistic prosody: lexical stress and the disambiguation of syntactically ambiguous utterances. Analyses of the acoustic correlates of stress: speech intensity (or sound-pressure level; SPL), fundamental frequency (F0), key word/phrase duration, and pause duration revealed that both young and older adults effectively use these acoustic features to signal linguistic prosody, although the relative weighting of cues differed by group. Differences in F0 were attributed to age-related physiological changes in the laryngeal subsystem, while group differences in duration measures were attributed to relative task complexity and the cognitive-linguistic load of these respective tasks. The current study provides normative acoustic data for older adults which informs interpretation of clinical findings as well as research pertaining to dysprosody as the result of disease processes.

Oral and hand movement speeds are associated with expressive language ability in children with speech sound disorder.

PubMed

Peter, Beate

2012-12-01

This study tested the hypothesis that children with speech sound disorder have generalized slowed motor speeds. It evaluated associations among oral and hand motor speeds and measures of speech (articulation and phonology) and language (receptive vocabulary, sentence comprehension, sentence imitation), in 11 children with moderate to severe SSD and 11 controls. Syllable durations from a syllable repetition task served as an estimate of maximal oral movement speed. In two imitation tasks, nonwords and clapped rhythms, unstressed vowel durations and quarter-note clap intervals served as estimates of oral and hand movement speed, respectively. Syllable durations were significantly correlated with vowel durations and hand clap intervals. Sentence imitation was correlated with all three timed movement measures. Clustering on syllable repetition durations produced three clusters that also differed in sentence imitation scores. Results are consistent with limited movement speeds across motor systems and SSD subtypes defined by motor speeds as a corollary of expressive language abilities.

Idiosyncratic Gesture Use in Atypical Language Development, and Its Interaction with Speech Rhythm, Word Juncture, Syntax, Pragmatics and Discourse: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Sara J.; Perkins, Michael R.; Sowden, Hannah

2012-01-01

Very little is known about the use of gesture by children with developmental language disorders (DLDs). This case study of "Lucy", a child aged 4;10 with a DLD, expands on what is known and in particular focuses on a type of idiosyncratic "rhythmic gesture" (RG) not previously reported. A fine-grained qualitative analysis was carried out of video…

Envelope Responses in Single-Trial EEG Indicate Attended Speaker in a Cocktail Party

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-20

users to modulate their brain activity, such as motor rhythms, in order to signal intent [13], but these often require considerable training . Other...BCIs forgo training and instead have subjects make choices by attending to one of multiple visual and/or auditory stimuli. By presenting each stimulus...modulated). An envelope-based BCI could operate on more naturalistic auditory stimuli, such as speech or music . For example, an envelope-based BCI

Prosodic Transfer in Learner and Contact Varieties: Speech Rhythm and Intonation of Buenos Aires Spanish and L2 Castilian Spanish Produced by Italian Native Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabriel, Christoph; Kireva, Elena

2014-01-01

A remarkable example of Spanish-Italian contact is the Spanish variety spoken in Buenos Aires (Porteño), which is said to be prosodically "Italianized" due to migration-induced contact. The change in Porteño prosody has been interpreted as a result of transfer from the first language (L1) that occurred when Italian immigrants learned…

Acoustic Sources of Accent in Second Language Japanese Speech.

PubMed

Idemaru, Kaori; Wei, Peipei; Gubbins, Lucy

2018-05-01

This study reports an exploratory analysis of the acoustic characteristics of second language (L2) speech which give rise to the perception of a foreign accent. Japanese speech samples were collected from American English and Mandarin Chinese speakers ( n = 16 in each group) studying Japanese. The L2 participants and native speakers ( n = 10) provided speech samples modeling after six short sentences. Segmental (vowels and stops) and prosodic features (rhythm, tone, and fluency) were examined. Native Japanese listeners ( n = 10) rated the samples with regard to degrees of foreign accent. The analyses predicting accent ratings based on the acoustic measurements indicated that one of the prosodic features in particular, tone (defined as high and low patterns of pitch accent and intonation in this study), plays an important role in robustly predicting accent rating in L2 Japanese across the two first language (L1) backgrounds. These results were consistent with the prediction based on phonological and phonetic comparisons between Japanese and English, as well as Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. The results also revealed L1-specific predictors of perceived accent in Japanese. The findings of this study contribute to the growing literature that examines sources of perceived foreign accent.

Systematic studies of modified vocalization: speech production changes during a variation of metronomic speech in persons who do and do not stutter.

PubMed

Davidow, Jason H; Bothe, Anne K; Ye, Jun

2011-06-01

The most common way to induce fluency using rhythm requires persons who stutter to speak one syllable or one word to each beat of a metronome, but stuttering can also be eliminated when the stimulus is of a particular duration (e.g., 1 second [s]). The present study examined stuttering frequency, speech production changes, and speech naturalness during rhythmic speech that alternated 1s of reading with 1s of silence. A repeated-measures design was used to compare data obtained during a control reading condition and during rhythmic reading in 10 persons who stutter (PWS) and 10 normally fluent controls. Ratings for speech naturalness were also gathered from naïve listeners. Results showed that mean vowel duration increased significantly, and the percentage of short phonated intervals decreased significantly, for both groups from the control to the experimental condition. Mean phonated interval length increased significantly for the fluent controls. Mean speech naturalness ratings during the experimental condition were approximately "7" on a 1-9 scale (1=highly natural; 9=highly unnatural), and these ratings were significantly correlated with vowel duration and phonated intervals for PWS. The findings indicate that PWS may be altering vocal fold vibration duration to obtain fluency during this rhythmic speech style, and that vocal fold vibration duration may have an impact on speech naturalness during rhythmic speech. Future investigations should examine speech production changes and speech naturalness during variations of this rhythmic condition. The reader will be able to: (1) describe changes (from a control reading condition) in speech production variables when alternating between 1s of reading and 1s of silence, (2) describe which rhythmic conditions have been found to sound and feel the most natural, (3) describe methodological issues for studies about alterations in speech production variables during fluency-inducing conditions, and (4) describe which fluency-inducing conditions have been shown to involve a reduction in short phonated intervals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What's on Your Mind? How Private Speech Mediates Cognition during Initial Non-Primary Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stafford, Catherine A.

2013-01-01

Vygotskian sociocultural theory of mind holds that language mediates thought. According to the theory, speech does not merely put completed thought into words; rather, it is a tool to refine thought as it evolves in real time. This study investigated from a sociocultural theory of mind perspective how nine beginning learners of Latin used private…

Sensorimotor Synchronization with Different Metrical Levels of Point-Light Dance Movements

PubMed Central

Su, Yi-Huang

2016-01-01

Rhythm perception and synchronization have been extensively investigated in the auditory domain, as they underlie means of human communication such as music and speech. Although recent studies suggest comparable mechanisms for synchronizing with periodically moving visual objects, the extent to which it applies to ecologically relevant information, such as the rhythm of complex biological motion, remains unknown. The present study addressed this issue by linking rhythm of music and dance in the framework of action-perception coupling. As a previous study showed that observers perceived multiple metrical periodicities in dance movements that embodied this structure, the present study examined whether sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) to dance movements resembles what is known of auditory SMS. Participants watched a point-light figure performing two basic steps of Swing dance cyclically, in which the trunk bounced at every beat and the limbs moved at every second beat, forming two metrical periodicities. Participants tapped synchronously to the bounce of the trunk with or without the limbs moving in the stimuli (Experiment 1), or tapped synchronously to the leg movements with or without the trunk bouncing simultaneously (Experiment 2). Results showed that, while synchronization with the bounce (lower-level pulse) was not influenced by the presence or absence of limb movements (metrical accent), synchronization with the legs (beat) was improved by the presence of the bounce (metrical subdivision) across different movement types. The latter finding parallels the “subdivision benefit” often demonstrated in auditory tasks, suggesting common sensorimotor mechanisms for visual rhythms in dance and auditory rhythms in music. PMID:27199709

Dark matters: effects of light at night on metabolism.

PubMed

Nelson, Randy J; Chbeir, Souhad

2018-05-11

Life on earth has evolved during the past several billion years under relatively bright days and dark night conditions. The wide-spread adoption of electric lights during the past century exposed animals, both human and non-human, to significant light at night for the first time in their evolutionary history. Endogenous circadian clocks depend on light to entrain to the external daily environment and seasonal rhythms depend on clear nightly melatonin signals to assess time of year. Thus, light at night can derange temporal adaptations. Indeed, disruption of naturally evolved light-dark cycles results in several physiological and behavioural changes with potentially serious implications for physiology, behaviour and mood. In this review, data from night-shift workers on their elevated risk for metabolic disorders, as well as data from animal studies will be discussed. Night-shift workers are predisposed to obesity and dysregulated metabolism that may result from disrupted circadian rhythms. Although studies in human subjects are correlative, animal studies have revealed several mechanisms through which light at night may exert its effects on metabolism by disrupting circadian rhythms that are associated with inflammation, both in the brain and in the periphery. Disruption of the typical timing of food intake is a key effect of light at night and subsequent metabolic dysregulation. Strategies to avoid the effects of light at night on body mass dysregulation should be pursued.

Dim Light at Night Disrupts Molecular Circadian Rhythms and Affects Metabolism

PubMed Central

Fonken, Laura K.; Aubrecht, Taryn G.; Meléndez-Fernández, O. Hecmarie; Weil, Zachary M.; Nelson, Randy J.

2014-01-01

With the exception of high latitudes, life has evolved under bright days and dark nights. Most organisms have developed endogenously driven circadian rhythms which are synchronized to this daily light/dark cycle. In recent years, humans have shifted away from the naturally occurring solar light cycle in favor of artificial and sometimes irregular light schedules produced by electrical lighting. Exposure to unnatural light cycles is increasingly associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome; however the means by which environmental lighting alters metabolism are poorly understood. Thus, we exposed mice to nighttime light and investigated changes in the circadian system and body weight. Here we report that exposure to ecologically relevant levels of dim (5 lux) light at night attenuate core circadian clock rhythms in the SCN at both the gene and protein level. Moreover, circadian clock rhythms were perturbed in the liver by nighttime light exposure. Changes in the circadian clock were associated with temporal alterations in feeding behavior and increased weight gain. These results are significant because they provide mechanistic evidence for how mild changes in environmental lighting can alter circadian and metabolic function. PMID:23929553

Assessment of Speech in Primary Cleft Palate by Two-layer Closure (Conservative Management).

PubMed

Jain, Harsha; Rao, Dayashankara; Sharma, Shailender; Gupta, Saurabh

2012-01-01

Treatment of the cleft palate has evolved over a long period of time. Various techniques of cleft palate repair that are practiced today are the results of principles learned through many years of modifications. The challenge in the art of modern palatoplasty is no longer successful closure of the cleft palate but an optimal speech outcome without compromising maxillofacial growth. Throughout these periods of evolution in the treatment of cleft palate, the effectiveness of various treatment protocols has been challenged by controversies concerning speech and maxillofacial growth. In this article we have evaluated the results of Pinto's modification of Wardill-Kilner palatoplasty without radical dissection of the levator veli palitini muscle on speech and post-op fistula in two different age groups in 20 patients. Preoperative and 6-month postoperative speech assessment values indicated that two-layer palatoplasty (modified Wardill-Kilner V-Y pushback technique) without an intravelar veloplasty technique was good for speech.

Neural Entrainment to Rhythmically Presented Auditory, Visual, and Audio-Visual Speech in Children

PubMed Central

Power, Alan James; Mead, Natasha; Barnes, Lisa; Goswami, Usha

2012-01-01

Auditory cortical oscillations have been proposed to play an important role in speech perception. It is suggested that the brain may take temporal “samples” of information from the speech stream at different rates, phase resetting ongoing oscillations so that they are aligned with similar frequency bands in the input (“phase locking”). Information from these frequency bands is then bound together for speech perception. To date, there are no explorations of neural phase locking and entrainment to speech input in children. However, it is clear from studies of language acquisition that infants use both visual speech information and auditory speech information in learning. In order to study neural entrainment to speech in typically developing children, we use a rhythmic entrainment paradigm (underlying 2 Hz or delta rate) based on repetition of the syllable “ba,” presented in either the auditory modality alone, the visual modality alone, or as auditory-visual speech (via a “talking head”). To ensure attention to the task, children aged 13 years were asked to press a button as fast as possible when the “ba” stimulus violated the rhythm for each stream type. Rhythmic violation depended on delaying the occurrence of a “ba” in the isochronous stream. Neural entrainment was demonstrated for all stream types, and individual differences in standardized measures of language processing were related to auditory entrainment at the theta rate. Further, there was significant modulation of the preferred phase of auditory entrainment in the theta band when visual speech cues were present, indicating cross-modal phase resetting. The rhythmic entrainment paradigm developed here offers a method for exploring individual differences in oscillatory phase locking during development. In particular, a method for assessing neural entrainment and cross-modal phase resetting would be useful for exploring developmental learning difficulties thought to involve temporal sampling, such as dyslexia. PMID:22833726

Circadian Rhythm Shapes the Gut Microbiota Affecting Host Radiosensitivity.

PubMed

Cui, Ming; Xiao, Huiwen; Luo, Dan; Zhang, Xin; Zhao, Shuyi; Zheng, Qisheng; Li, Yuan; Zhao, Yu; Dong, Jiali; Li, Hang; Wang, Haichao; Fan, Saijun

2016-10-26

Modern lifestyles, such as shift work, nocturnal social activities, and jet lag, disturb the circadian rhythm. The interaction between mammals and the co-evolved intestinal microbiota modulates host physiopathological processes. Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of modern management of malignancies; however, it was previously unknown whether circadian rhythm disorder impairs prognosis after radiotherapy. To investigate the effect of circadian rhythm on radiotherapy, C57BL/6 mice were housed in different dark/light cycles, and their intestinal bacterial compositions were compared using high throughput sequencing. The survival rate, body weight, and food intake of mice in diverse cohorts were measured following irradiation exposure. Finally, the enteric bacterial composition of irradiated mice that experienced different dark/light cycles was assessed using 16S RNA sequencing. Intriguingly, mice housed in aberrant light cycles harbored a reduction of observed intestinal bacterial species and shifts of gut bacterial composition compared with those of the mice kept under 12 h dark/12 h light cycles, resulting in a decrease of host radioresistance. Moreover, the alteration of enteric bacterial composition of mice in different groups was dissimilar. Our findings provide novel insights into the effects of biological clocks on the gut bacterial composition, and underpin that the circadian rhythm influences the prognosis of patients after radiotherapy in a preclinical setting.

Preserved appreciation of aesthetic elements of speech and music prosody in an amusic individual: A holistic approach.

PubMed

Loutrari, Ariadne; Lorch, Marjorie Perlman

2017-07-01

We present a follow-up study on the case of a Greek amusic adult, B.Z., whose impaired performance on scale, contour, interval, and meter was reported by Paraskevopoulos, Tsapkini, and Peretz in 2010, employing a culturally-tailored version of the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia. In the present study, we administered a novel set of perceptual judgement tasks designed to investigate the ability to appreciate holistic prosodic aspects of 'expressiveness' and emotion in phrase length music and speech stimuli. Our results show that, although diagnosed as a congenital amusic, B.Z. scored as well as healthy controls (N=24) on judging 'expressiveness' and emotional prosody in both speech and music stimuli. These findings suggest that the ability to make perceptual judgements about such prosodic qualities may be preserved in individuals who demonstrate difficulties perceiving basic musical features such as melody or rhythm. B.Z.'s case yields new insights into amusia and the processing of speech and music prosody through a holistic approach. The employment of novel stimuli with relatively fewer non-naturalistic manipulations, as developed for this study, may be a useful tool for revealing unexplored aspects of music and speech cognition and offer the possibility to further the investigation of the perception of acoustic streams in more authentic auditory conditions. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of the Response to Intervention Model for Remediation of Mild Articulation Errors by Speech-Language Pathologists in Indiana Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fritz-Ocock, Amy

2016-01-01

The role of the school speech-language pathologist (SLP) has recently evolved to reflect national trends of educational reform. In an era of accountability for all student learning, Response to Intervention (RTI) has become the predominant vehicle for providing preventative, intensified instruction to students at risk. School SLPs in Indiana have…

Short- and long-term rhythmic interventions: perspectives for language rehabilitation.

PubMed

Schön, Daniele; Tillmann, Barbara

2015-03-01

This paper brings together different perspectives on the investigation and understanding of temporal processing and temporal expectations. We aim to bridge different temporal deficit hypotheses in dyslexia, dysphasia, or deafness in a larger framework, taking into account multiple nested temporal scales. We present data testing the hypothesis that temporal attention can be influenced by external rhythmic auditory stimulation (i.e., musical rhythm) and benefits subsequent language processing, including syntax processing and speech production. We also present data testing the hypothesis that phonological awareness can be influenced by several months of musical training and, more particularly, rhythmic training, which in turn improves reading skills. Together, our data support the hypothesis of a causal role of rhythm-based processing for language processing and acquisition. These results open new avenues for music-based remediation of language and hearing impairment. © 2015 New York Academy of Sciences.

Cortical Signatures of Heard and Imagined Speech Envelopes

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

music  has  a  great   rhythm,  and  6)  The  government  sought  authorization  of  his...a   training  set  and  a  testing  set.    This  partitioning  was  performed  to  prevent  circular  inference...and  to   facilitate  the  classification  procedures  described  in  the  next  few  sections.    The   training

Dysprosody nonassociated with neurological diseases--a case report.

PubMed

Pinto, José Antonio; Corso, Renato José; Guilherme, Ana Cláudia Rocha; Pinho, Sílvia Rebelo; Nóbrega, Monica de Oliveira

2004-03-01

Dysprosody also known as pseudo-foreign dialect, is the rarest neurological speech disorder. It is characterized by alterations in intensity, in the timing of utterance segments, and in rhythm, cadency, and intonation of words. The terms refers to changes as to duration, fundamental frequency, and intensity of tonic and atonic syllables of the sentences spoken, which deprive an individual's particular speech of its characteristics. The cause of this disease is usually associated with neurological pathologies such as brain vascular accidents, cranioencephalic traumatisms, and brain tumors. The authors report a case of dysprosody attended to at the Núcleo de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço de São Paulo (NOSP). It is about a female patient with bilateral III degree Reinke's edema and normal neurological examinations that started presenting characteristics of the German dialect following a larynx microsurgery.

Rhythmic motor entrainment in children with speech and language impairments: tapping to the beat.

PubMed

Corriveau, Kathleen H; Goswami, Usha

2009-01-01

In prior work (Corriveau et al., 2007), we showed that children with speech and language impairments (SLI) were significantly less sensitive than controls to two auditory cues to rhythmic timing, amplitude envelope rise time and duration. Here we explore whether rhythmic problems extend to rhythmic motor entrainment. Tapping in synchrony with a beat has been described as the simplest rhythmic act that humans perform. We explored whether tapping to a beat would be impaired in children for whom auditory rhythmic timing is impaired. Children with SLI were indeed found to be impaired in a range of measures of paced rhythmic tapping, but were not equally impaired in tapping in an unpaced control condition requiring an internally-generated rhythm. The severity of impairment in paced tapping was linked to language and literacy outcomes.

An Exploration of Rhythmic Grouping of Speech Sequences by French- and German-Learning Infants

PubMed Central

Abboub, Nawal; Boll-Avetisyan, Natalie; Bhatara, Anjali; Höhle, Barbara; Nazzi, Thierry

2016-01-01

Rhythm in music and speech can be characterized by a constellation of several acoustic cues. Individually, these cues have different effects on rhythmic perception: sequences of sounds alternating in duration are perceived as short-long pairs (weak-strong/iambic pattern), whereas sequences of sounds alternating in intensity or pitch are perceived as loud-soft, or high-low pairs (strong-weak/trochaic pattern). This perceptual bias—called the Iambic-Trochaic Law (ITL)–has been claimed to be an universal property of the auditory system applying in both the music and the language domains. Recent studies have shown that language experience can modulate the effects of the ITL on rhythmic perception of both speech and non-speech sequences in adults, and of non-speech sequences in 7.5-month-old infants. The goal of the present study was to explore whether language experience also modulates infants’ grouping of speech. To do so, we presented sequences of syllables to monolingual French- and German-learning 7.5-month-olds. Using the Headturn Preference Procedure (HPP), we examined whether they were able to perceive a rhythmic structure in sequences of syllables that alternated in duration, pitch, or intensity. Our findings show that both French- and German-learning infants perceived a rhythmic structure when it was cued by duration or pitch but not intensity. Our findings also show differences in how these infants use duration and pitch cues to group syllable sequences, suggesting that pitch cues were the easier ones to use. Moreover, performance did not differ across languages, failing to reveal early language effects on rhythmic perception. These results contribute to our understanding of the origin of rhythmic perception and perceptual mechanisms shared across music and speech, which may bootstrap language acquisition. PMID:27378887

Subcortical processing of speech regularities underlies reading and music aptitude in children

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Neural sensitivity to acoustic regularities supports fundamental human behaviors such as hearing in noise and reading. Although the failure to encode acoustic regularities in ongoing speech has been associated with language and literacy deficits, how auditory expertise, such as the expertise that is associated with musical skill, relates to the brainstem processing of speech regularities is unknown. An association between musical skill and neural sensitivity to acoustic regularities would not be surprising given the importance of repetition and regularity in music. Here, we aimed to define relationships between the subcortical processing of speech regularities, music aptitude, and reading abilities in children with and without reading impairment. We hypothesized that, in combination with auditory cognitive abilities, neural sensitivity to regularities in ongoing speech provides a common biological mechanism underlying the development of music and reading abilities. Methods We assessed auditory working memory and attention, music aptitude, reading ability, and neural sensitivity to acoustic regularities in 42 school-aged children with a wide range of reading ability. Neural sensitivity to acoustic regularities was assessed by recording brainstem responses to the same speech sound presented in predictable and variable speech streams. Results Through correlation analyses and structural equation modeling, we reveal that music aptitude and literacy both relate to the extent of subcortical adaptation to regularities in ongoing speech as well as with auditory working memory and attention. Relationships between music and speech processing are specifically driven by performance on a musical rhythm task, underscoring the importance of rhythmic regularity for both language and music. Conclusions These data indicate common brain mechanisms underlying reading and music abilities that relate to how the nervous system responds to regularities in auditory input. Definition of common biological underpinnings for music and reading supports the usefulness of music for promoting child literacy, with the potential to improve reading remediation. PMID:22005291

Comparison of Two Music Training Approaches on Music and Speech Perception in Cochlear Implant Users

PubMed Central

Fuller, Christina D.; Galvin, John J.; Maat, Bert; Başkent, Deniz; Free, Rolien H.

2018-01-01

In normal-hearing (NH) adults, long-term music training may benefit music and speech perception, even when listening to spectro-temporally degraded signals as experienced by cochlear implant (CI) users. In this study, we compared two different music training approaches in CI users and their effects on speech and music perception, as it remains unclear which approach to music training might be best. The approaches differed in terms of music exercises and social interaction. For the pitch/timbre group, melodic contour identification (MCI) training was performed using computer software. For the music therapy group, training involved face-to-face group exercises (rhythm perception, musical speech perception, music perception, singing, vocal emotion identification, and music improvisation). For the control group, training involved group nonmusic activities (e.g., writing, cooking, and woodworking). Training consisted of weekly 2-hr sessions over a 6-week period. Speech intelligibility in quiet and noise, vocal emotion identification, MCI, and quality of life (QoL) were measured before and after training. The different training approaches appeared to offer different benefits for music and speech perception. Training effects were observed within-domain (better MCI performance for the pitch/timbre group), with little cross-domain transfer of music training (emotion identification significantly improved for the music therapy group). While training had no significant effect on QoL, the music therapy group reported better perceptual skills across training sessions. These results suggest that more extensive and intensive training approaches that combine pitch training with the social aspects of music therapy may further benefit CI users. PMID:29621947

Comparison of Two Music Training Approaches on Music and Speech Perception in Cochlear Implant Users.

PubMed

Fuller, Christina D; Galvin, John J; Maat, Bert; Başkent, Deniz; Free, Rolien H

2018-01-01

In normal-hearing (NH) adults, long-term music training may benefit music and speech perception, even when listening to spectro-temporally degraded signals as experienced by cochlear implant (CI) users. In this study, we compared two different music training approaches in CI users and their effects on speech and music perception, as it remains unclear which approach to music training might be best. The approaches differed in terms of music exercises and social interaction. For the pitch/timbre group, melodic contour identification (MCI) training was performed using computer software. For the music therapy group, training involved face-to-face group exercises (rhythm perception, musical speech perception, music perception, singing, vocal emotion identification, and music improvisation). For the control group, training involved group nonmusic activities (e.g., writing, cooking, and woodworking). Training consisted of weekly 2-hr sessions over a 6-week period. Speech intelligibility in quiet and noise, vocal emotion identification, MCI, and quality of life (QoL) were measured before and after training. The different training approaches appeared to offer different benefits for music and speech perception. Training effects were observed within-domain (better MCI performance for the pitch/timbre group), with little cross-domain transfer of music training (emotion identification significantly improved for the music therapy group). While training had no significant effect on QoL, the music therapy group reported better perceptual skills across training sessions. These results suggest that more extensive and intensive training approaches that combine pitch training with the social aspects of music therapy may further benefit CI users.

The Paradox of Isochrony in the Evolution of Human Rhythm

PubMed Central

Ravignani, Andrea; Madison, Guy

2017-01-01

Isochrony is crucial to the rhythm of human music. Some neural, behavioral and anatomical traits underlying rhythm perception and production are shared with a broad range of species. These may either have a common evolutionary origin, or have evolved into similar traits under different evolutionary pressures. Other traits underlying rhythm are rare across species, only found in humans and few other animals. Isochrony, or stable periodicity, is common to most human music, but isochronous behaviors are also found in many species. It appears paradoxical that humans are particularly good at producing and perceiving isochronous patterns, although this ability does not conceivably confer any evolutionary advantage to modern humans. This article will attempt to solve this conundrum. To this end, we define the concept of isochrony from the present functional perspective of physiology, cognitive neuroscience, signal processing, and interactive behavior, and review available evidence on isochrony in the signals of humans and other animals. We then attempt to resolve the paradox of isochrony by expanding an evolutionary hypothesis about the function that isochronous behavior may have had in early hominids. Finally, we propose avenues for empirical research to examine this hypothesis and to understand the evolutionary origin of isochrony in general. PMID:29163252

Body weight, metabolism and clock genes

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Biological rhythms are present in the lives of almost all organisms ranging from plants to more evolved creatures. These oscillations allow the anticipation of many physiological and behavioral mechanisms thus enabling coordination of rhythms in a timely manner, adaption to environmental changes and more efficient organization of the cellular processes responsible for survival of both the individual and the species. Many components of energy homeostasis exhibit circadian rhythms, which are regulated by central (suprachiasmatic nucleus) and peripheral (located in other tissues) circadian clocks. Adipocyte plays an important role in the regulation of energy homeostasis, the signaling of satiety and cellular differentiation and proliferation. Also, the adipocyte circadian clock is probably involved in the control of many of these functions. Thus, circadian clocks are implicated in the control of energy balance, feeding behavior and consequently in the regulation of body weight. In this regard, alterations in clock genes and rhythms can interfere with the complex mechanism of metabolic and hormonal anticipation, contributing to multifactorial diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The aim of this review was to define circadian clocks by describing their functioning and role in the whole body and in adipocyte metabolism, as well as their influence on body weight control and the development of obesity. PMID:20712885

A cortical circuit for voluntary laryngeal control: Implications for the evolution language.

PubMed

Hickok, Gregory

2017-02-01

The development of voluntary laryngeal control has been argued to be a key innovation in the evolution of language. Part of the evidence for this hypothesis comes from neuroscience. For example, comparative research has shown that humans have direct cortical innervation of motor neurons controlling the larynx, whereas nonhuman primates do not. Research on cortical motor control circuits has shown that the frontal lobe cortical motor system does not work alone; it is dependent on sensory feedback control circuits. Thus, the human brain must have evolved not only the required efferent motor pathway but also the cortical circuit for controlling those efferent signals. To fill this gap, I propose a link between the evolution of laryngeal control and neuroscience research on the human dorsal auditory-motor speech stream. Specifically, I argue that the dorsal stream Spt (Sylvian parietal-temporal) circuit evolved in step with the direct cortico-laryngeal control pathway and together represented a key advance in the evolution of speech. I suggest that a cortical laryngeal control circuit may play an important role in language by providing a prosodic frame for speech planning.

The evolution of speech: a comparative review.

PubMed

Fitch

2000-07-01

The evolution of speech can be studied independently of the evolution of language, with the advantage that most aspects of speech acoustics, physiology and neural control are shared with animals, and thus open to empirical investigation. At least two changes were necessary prerequisites for modern human speech abilities: (1) modification of vocal tract morphology, and (2) development of vocal imitative ability. Despite an extensive literature, attempts to pinpoint the timing of these changes using fossil data have proven inconclusive. However, recent comparative data from nonhuman primates have shed light on the ancestral use of formants (a crucial cue in human speech) to identify individuals and gauge body size. Second, comparative analysis of the diverse vertebrates that have evolved vocal imitation (humans, cetaceans, seals and birds) provides several distinct, testable hypotheses about the adaptive function of vocal mimicry. These developments suggest that, for understanding the evolution of speech, comparative analysis of living species provides a viable alternative to fossil data. However, the neural basis for vocal mimicry and for mimesis in general remains unknown.

Assessment of Speech in Primary Cleft Palate by Two-layer Closure (Conservative Management)

PubMed Central

Jain, Harsha; Rao, Dayashankara; Sharma, Shailender; Gupta, Saurabh

2012-01-01

Treatment of the cleft palate has evolved over a long period of time. Various techniques of cleft palate repair that are practiced today are the results of principles learned through many years of modifications. The challenge in the art of modern palatoplasty is no longer successful closure of the cleft palate but an optimal speech outcome without compromising maxillofacial growth. Throughout these periods of evolution in the treatment of cleft palate, the effectiveness of various treatment protocols has been challenged by controversies concerning speech and maxillofacial growth. In this article we have evaluated the results of Pinto's modification of Wardill–Kilner palatoplasty without radical dissection of the levator veli palitini muscle on speech and post-op fistula in two different age groups in 20 patients. Preoperative and 6-month postoperative speech assessment values indicated that two-layer palatoplasty (modified Wardill–Kilner V-Y pushback technique) without an intravelar veloplasty technique was good for speech. PMID:23066454

Systems Chronobiology: Global Analysis of Gene Regulation in a 24-Hour Periodic World.

PubMed

Mermet, Jérôme; Yeung, Jake; Naef, Felix

2017-03-01

Mammals have evolved an internal timing system, the circadian clock, which synchronizes physiology and behavior to the daily light and dark cycles of the Earth. The master clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the brain, takes fluctuating light input from the retina and synchronizes other tissues to the same internal rhythm. The molecular clocks that drive these circadian rhythms are ticking in nearly all cells in the body. Efforts in systems chronobiology are now being directed at understanding, on a comprehensive scale, how the circadian clock controls different layers of gene regulation to provide robust timing cues at the cellular and tissue level. In this review, we introduce some basic concepts underlying periodicity of gene regulation, and then highlight recent genome-wide investigations on the propagation of rhythms across multiple regulatory layers in mammals, all the way from chromatin conformation to protein accumulation. Copyright © 2017 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Multiple-scale neuroendocrine signals connect brain and pituitary hormone rhythms

PubMed Central

Romanò, Nicola; Guillou, Anne; Martin, Agnès O; Mollard, Patrice

2017-01-01

Small assemblies of hypothalamic “parvocellular” neurons release their neuroendocrine signals at the median eminence (ME) to control long-lasting pituitary hormone rhythms essential for homeostasis. How such rapid hypothalamic neurotransmission leads to slowly evolving hormonal signals remains unknown. Here, we show that the temporal organization of dopamine (DA) release events in freely behaving animals relies on a set of characteristic features that are adapted to the dynamic dopaminergic control of pituitary prolactin secretion, a key reproductive hormone. First, locally generated DA release signals are organized over more than four orders of magnitude (0.001 Hz–10 Hz). Second, these DA events are finely tuned within and between frequency domains as building blocks that recur over days to weeks. Third, an integration time window is detected across the ME and consists of high-frequency DA discharges that are coordinated within the minutes range. Thus, a hierarchical combination of time-scaled neuroendocrine signals displays local–global integration to connect brain–pituitary rhythms and pace hormone secretion. PMID:28193889

Perceptual centres in speech - an acoustic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Sophie Kerttu

Perceptual centres, or P-centres, represent the perceptual moments of occurrence of acoustic signals - the 'beat' of a sound. P-centres underlie the perception and production of rhythm in perceptually regular speech sequences. P-centres have been modelled both in speech and non speech (music) domains. The three aims of this thesis were toatest out current P-centre models to determine which best accounted for the experimental data bto identify a candidate parameter to map P-centres onto (a local approach) as opposed to the previous global models which rely upon the whole signal to determine the P-centre the final aim was to develop a model of P-centre location which could be applied to speech and non speech signals. The first aim was investigated by a series of experiments in which a) speech from different speakers was investigated to determine whether different models could account for variation between speakers b) whether rendering the amplitude time plot of a speech signal affects the P-centre of the signal c) whether increasing the amplitude at the offset of a speech signal alters P-centres in the production and perception of speech. The second aim was carried out by a) manipulating the rise time of different speech signals to determine whether the P-centre was affected, and whether the type of speech sound ramped affected the P-centre shift b) manipulating the rise time and decay time of a synthetic vowel to determine whether the onset alteration was had more affect on P-centre than the offset manipulation c) and whether the duration of a vowel affected the P-centre, if other attributes (amplitude, spectral contents) were held constant. The third aim - modelling P-centres - was based on these results. The Frequency dependent Amplitude Increase Model of P-centre location (FAIM) was developed using a modelling protocol, the APU GammaTone Filterbank and the speech from different speakers. The P-centres of the stimuli corpus were highly predicted by attributes of the increase in amplitude within one output channel of the filterbank. When this was used to make predictions of the P-centres for all the stimuli used in the thesis, 85[percent] of the observed variance was accounted for. The FAIM approach combines aspects of previous, speech and non speech models (Gordon 1987, Marcus 1981, Vos and Rasch 1981). P-centre were thus modelled in a non speech specific, local manner.

The not face: A grammaticalization of facial expressions of emotion.

PubMed

Benitez-Quiroz, C Fabian; Wilbur, Ronnie B; Martinez, Aleix M

2016-05-01

Facial expressions of emotion are thought to have evolved from the development of facial muscles used in sensory regulation and later adapted to express moral judgment. Negative moral judgment includes the expressions of anger, disgust and contempt. Here, we study the hypothesis that these facial expressions of negative moral judgment have further evolved into a facial expression of negation regularly used as a grammatical marker in human language. Specifically, we show that people from different cultures expressing negation use the same facial muscles as those employed to express negative moral judgment. We then show that this nonverbal signal is used as a co-articulator in speech and that, in American Sign Language, it has been grammaticalized as a non-manual marker. Furthermore, this facial expression of negation exhibits the theta oscillation (3-8 Hz) universally seen in syllable and mouthing production in speech and signing. These results provide evidence for the hypothesis that some components of human language have evolved from facial expressions of emotion, and suggest an evolutionary route for the emergence of grammatical markers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Not Face: A grammaticalization of facial expressions of emotion

PubMed Central

Benitez-Quiroz, C. Fabian; Wilbur, Ronnie B.; Martinez, Aleix M.

2016-01-01

Facial expressions of emotion are thought to have evolved from the development of facial muscles used in sensory regulation and later adapted to express moral judgment. Negative moral judgment includes the expressions of anger, disgust and contempt. Here, we study the hypothesis that these facial expressions of negative moral judgment have further evolved into a facial expression of negation regularly used as a grammatical marker in human language. Specifically, we show that people from different cultures expressing negation use the same facial muscles as those employed to express negative moral judgment. We then show that this nonverbal signal is used as a co-articulator in speech and that, in American Sign Language, it has been grammaticalized as a non-manual marker. Furthermore, this facial expression of negation exhibits the theta oscillation (3–8 Hz) universally seen in syllable and mouthing production in speech and signing. These results provide evidence for the hypothesis that some components of human language have evolved from facial expressions of emotion, and suggest an evolutionary route for the emergence of grammatical markers. PMID:26872248

Circadian clocks, feeding time, and metabolic homeostasis

PubMed Central

Paschos, Georgios K.

2015-01-01

Metabolic processes exhibit diurnal variation from cyanobacteria to humans. The circadian clock is thought to have evolved as a time keeping system for the cell to optimize the timing of metabolic events according to physiological needs and environmental conditions. Circadian rhythms temporally separate incompatible cellular processes and optimize cellular and organismal fitness. A modern 24 h lifestyle can run at odds with the circadian rhythm dictated by our molecular clocks and create desynchrony between internal and external timing. It has been suggested that this desynchrony compromises metabolic homeostasis and may promote the development of obesity (Morris et al., 2012). Here we review the evidence supporting the association between circadian misalignment and metabolic homeostasis and discuss the role of feeding time. PMID:26082718

Some components of the ``cocktail-party effect,'' as revealed when it fails

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Divenyi, Pierre L.; Gygi, Brian

2003-04-01

The precise way listeners cope with cocktail-party situations, i.e., understand speech in the midst of other, simultaneously ongoing conversations, has by-and-large remained a puzzle, despite research committed to studying the problem over the past half century. In contrast, it is widely acknowledged that the cocktail-party effect (CPE) deteriorates in aging. Our investigations during the last decade have assessed the deterioration of the CPE in elderly listeners and attempted to uncover specific auditory tasks, on which the performance of the same listeners will also exhibit a deficit. Correlated performance on CPE and such auditory tasks arguably signify that the tasks in question are necessary for perceptual segregation of the target speech and the background babble. We will present results on three tasks correlated with CPE performance. All three tasks require temporal processing-based perceptual segregation of specific non-speech stimuli (amplitude- and/or frequency-modulated sinusoidal complexes): discrimination of formant transition patterns, segregation of streams with different syllabic rhythms, and selective attention to AM or FM features in the designated stream. [Work supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging and by the V.A. Medical Research.

Learning to talk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messum, Piers

2004-05-01

Is imitation a necessary part of learning to talk? The faithful replication by children of such arbitrary phenomena of English as tense and lax vowel properties, ``rhythm,'' and context-dependent VOT's seems to insist that it is. But a nonimitative account of this is also possible. It relies on two principal mechanisms. First, basic speech sounds are learned by emulation: attempting to reproduce the results achieved by other speakers but without copying their actions to do so. The effectiveness of the output provides sufficient feedback to inform the child of the adequacy of its performance and to guide refinement. Second, phonetic phenomena such as those above appear through aerodynamic accommodation. Key elements of this are (a) that speech breathing is a complex motor skill which dominates other articulatory processes during acquisition and starts pulsatile before becoming smooth, and (b) that a child-scale production system imposes constraints on talking which do not operate in the adult speaker. Much of ``the terrible complexity of phonetic patterns'' [J. Pierrehumbert, Lang. Speech 46, 115-154 (2003)] then becomes epiphenomenal: appearing not as a result of young learners copying phonetic detail that is not linguistically significant, but of them reconciling conflicting production demands while just talking.

Evolving building blocks of rhythm: how human cognition creates music via cultural transmission.

PubMed

Ravignani, Andrea; Thompson, Bill; Grossi, Thomas; Delgado, Tania; Kirby, Simon

2018-03-06

Why does musical rhythm have the structure it does? Musical rhythm, in all its cross-cultural diversity, exhibits commonalities across world cultures. Traditionally, music research has been split into two fields. Some scientists focused on musicality, namely the human biocognitive predispositions for music, with an emphasis on cross-cultural similarities. Other scholars investigated music, seen as a cultural product, focusing on the variation in world musical cultures. Recent experiments found deep connections between music and musicality, reconciling these opposing views. Here, we address the question of how individual cognitive biases affect the process of cultural evolution of music. Data from two experiments are analyzed using two complementary techniques. In the experiments, participants hear drumming patterns and imitate them. These patterns are then given to the same or another participant to imitate. The structure of these initially random patterns is tracked along experimental "generations." Frequentist statistics show how participants' biases are amplified by cultural transmission, making drumming patterns more structured. Structure is achieved faster in transmission within rather than between participants. A Bayesian model approximates the motif structures participants learned and created. Our data and models suggest that individual biases for musicality may shape the cultural transmission of musical rhythm. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Harnessing functional segregation across brain rhythms as a means to detect EEG oscillatory multiplexing during music listening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamos, Dimitrios A.; Laskaris, Nikolaos A.; Micheloyannis, Sifis

2018-06-01

Objective. Music, being a multifaceted stimulus evolving at multiple timescales, modulates brain function in a manifold way that encompasses not only the distinct stages of auditory perception, but also higher cognitive processes like memory and appraisal. Network theory is apparently a promising approach to describe the functional reorganization of brain oscillatory dynamics during music listening. However, the music induced changes have so far been examined within the functional boundaries of isolated brain rhythms. Approach. Using naturalistic music, we detected the functional segregation patterns associated with different cortical rhythms, as these were reflected in the surface electroencephalography (EEG) measurements. The emerged structure was compared across frequency bands to quantify the interplay among rhythms. It was also contrasted against the structure from the rest and noise listening conditions to reveal the specific components stemming from music listening. Our methodology includes an efficient graph-partitioning algorithm, which is further utilized for mining prototypical modular patterns, and a novel algorithmic procedure for identifying ‘switching nodes’ (i.e. recording sites) that consistently change module during music listening. Main results. Our results suggest the multiplex character of the music-induced functional reorganization and particularly indicate the dependence between the networks reconstructed from the δ and β H rhythms. This dependence is further justified within the framework of nested neural oscillations and fits perfectly within the context of recently introduced cortical entrainment to music. Significance. Complying with the contemporary trends towards a multi-scale examination of the brain network organization, our approach specifies the form of neural coordination among rhythms during music listening. Considering its computational efficiency, and in conjunction with the flexibility of in situ electroencephalography, it may lead to novel assistive tools for real-life applications.

Dim light at night disrupts molecular circadian rhythms and increases body weight.

PubMed

Fonken, Laura K; Aubrecht, Taryn G; Meléndez-Fernández, O Hecmarie; Weil, Zachary M; Nelson, Randy J

2013-08-01

With the exception of high latitudes, life has evolved under bright days and dark nights. Most organisms have developed endogenously driven circadian rhythms that are synchronized to this daily light/dark cycle. In recent years, humans have shifted away from the naturally occurring solar light cycle in favor of artificial and sometimes irregular light schedules produced by electric lighting. Exposure to unnatural light cycles is increasingly associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome; however, the means by which environmental lighting alters metabolism are poorly understood. Thus, we exposed mice to dim light at night and investigated changes in the circadian system and metabolism. Here we report that exposure to ecologically relevant levels of dim (5 lux) light at night altered core circadian clock rhythms in the hypothalamus at both the gene and protein level. Circadian rhythms in clock expression persisted during light at night; however, the amplitude of Per1 and Per2 rhythms was attenuated in the hypothalamus. Circadian oscillations were also altered in peripheral tissues critical for metabolic regulation. Exposure to dimly illuminated, as compared to dark, nights decreased the rhythmic expression in all but one of the core circadian clock genes assessed in the liver. Additionally, mice exposed to dim light at night attenuated Rev-Erb expression in the liver and adipose tissue. Changes in the circadian clock were associated with temporal alterations in feeding behavior and increased weight gain. These results are significant because they provide evidence that mild changes in environmental lighting can alter circadian and metabolic function. Detailed analysis of temporal changes induced by nighttime light exposure may provide insight into the onset and progression of obesity and metabolic syndrome, as well as other disorders involving sleep and circadian rhythm disruption.

Harnessing functional segregation across brain rhythms as a means to detect EEG oscillatory multiplexing during music listening.

PubMed

Adamos, Dimitrios A; Laskaris, Nikolaos A; Micheloyannis, Sifis

2018-06-01

Music, being a multifaceted stimulus evolving at multiple timescales, modulates brain function in a manifold way that encompasses not only the distinct stages of auditory perception, but also higher cognitive processes like memory and appraisal. Network theory is apparently a promising approach to describe the functional reorganization of brain oscillatory dynamics during music listening. However, the music induced changes have so far been examined within the functional boundaries of isolated brain rhythms. Using naturalistic music, we detected the functional segregation patterns associated with different cortical rhythms, as these were reflected in the surface electroencephalography (EEG) measurements. The emerged structure was compared across frequency bands to quantify the interplay among rhythms. It was also contrasted against the structure from the rest and noise listening conditions to reveal the specific components stemming from music listening. Our methodology includes an efficient graph-partitioning algorithm, which is further utilized for mining prototypical modular patterns, and a novel algorithmic procedure for identifying 'switching nodes' (i.e. recording sites) that consistently change module during music listening. Our results suggest the multiplex character of the music-induced functional reorganization and particularly indicate the dependence between the networks reconstructed from the δ and β H rhythms. This dependence is further justified within the framework of nested neural oscillations and fits perfectly within the context of recently introduced cortical entrainment to music. Complying with the contemporary trends towards a multi-scale examination of the brain network organization, our approach specifies the form of neural coordination among rhythms during music listening. Considering its computational efficiency, and in conjunction with the flexibility of in situ electroencephalography, it may lead to novel assistive tools for real-life applications.

Effects of Gravity on Insect Circadian Rhythmicity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoban-Higgins, Tana M.

2000-01-01

Circadian rhythms - endogenous daily rhythmic fluctuations in virtually all characteristics of life - are generated and coordinated by the circadian timing system (CTS). The CTS is synchronized to the external 24-hour day by time cues such as the light/dark cycle. In an environment without time cues, the length of an animal's day is determined by the period of its internal pacemaker (tau) and the animal is said to be free-running. All life on earth evolved under the solar day; the CTS exists as an adaptation that allows organisms to anticipate and to prepare for rhythmic environmental fluctuations. All life on earth also evolved under the force of earth's gravitational environment. While it is therefore not surprising that changes in the lighting environment affect the CTS, it is surprising that changes in the gravitational environment would do so. However, recent data from one of our laboratories using the brn-3.1 knockout mouse revealed that this model, which lacks the sensory receptor hair cells within the neurovestibular system, does not respond to exposure to a hyperdynamic environment in the same fashion as normal mice. The brn-3.1 mice did not show the expected suppression of circadian rhythmicity shown by control mice exposed to 2G. Exposure to altered ambient force environments affects the amplitude, mean and timing of circadian rhythms in species from unicellular organisms to man. In addition, there is a circadian influence on the homeostatic response to acute 2G acceleration and pulses of 2G can act as a time cue, synchronizing the CTS. This is of significance because maintenance of internal and external temporal coordination is critical for normal physiological and psychological function. Typically, during adaptation to an increased gravitational environment (+G), an initial acute reaction is followed by adaptation and, eventually, a new steady state (14-16), which can take weeks to months to establish. Until the development of space stations, exposure to microgravity was, of necessity, relatively short in duration. In early spaceflight experiments an organism's internal rhythms often expressed periods that were different from each other, even in the presence of a 24.0 hour light-dark cycle, suggesting that the organism was experiencing internal desynchronization (17, 18). In (micro)G, the body temperature rhythm was delayed with respect to other body rhythms and to the light-dark cycle in rhesus macaques (19) and man (20, 21). In the absence of a light-dark cycle, the circadian rhythm of spore formation persisted in Neurospora crassa, however, both the variability and average period of the rhythm increased (22). The beetle Trigonoscelis gigas, exhibited changes in period during and following 11-13 days in (micro)G (23, 24). Resynchronization of the urinary calcium rhythm following a 1800 phase shift of the LID cycle was retarded in rats exposed to (micro)G compared to 1G controls (25). With the development of the Russian Mir Space Station, long-term controlled microgravity exposure became possible. We recorded activity rhythms from black-bodied Tenebrionid beetles, Trigonoscelis gigas, in (micro)G (spaceflight). Each insect was housed individually within an activity monitor (26) and data (activity counts) were collected and stored in five-minute bins. Thirty-two individual activity monitors were housed within each of 2 experimental kits. The beetles within each kit were divided into two groups and the lighting was controlled separately for each group.

Acoustic constituents of prosodic typology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Masahiko

Different languages sound different, and considerable part of it derives from the typological difference of prosody. Although such difference is often referred to as lexical accent types (stress accent, pitch accent, and tone; e.g. English, Japanese, and Chinese respectively) and rhythm types (stress-, syllable-, and mora-timed rhythms; e.g. English, Spanish, and Japanese respectively), it is unclear whether these types are determined in terms of acoustic properties, The thesis intends to provide a potential basis for the description of prosody in terms of acoustics. It argues for the hypothesis that the source component of the source-filter model (acoustic features) approximately corresponds to prosody (linguistic features) through several experimental-phonetic studies. The study consists of four parts. (1) Preliminary experiment: Perceptual language identification tests were performed using English and Japanese speech samples whose frequency spectral information (i.e. non-source component) is heavily reduced. The results indicated that humans can discriminate languages with such signals. (2) Discussion on the linguistic information that the source component contains: This part constitutes the foundation of the argument of the thesis. Perception tests of consonants with the source signal indicated that the source component carries the information on broad categories of phonemes that contributes to the creation of rhythm. (3) Acoustic analysis: The speech samples of Chinese, English, Japanese, and Spanish, differing in prosodic types, were analyzed. These languages showed difference in acoustic characteristics of the source component. (4) Perceptual experiment: A language identification test for the above four languages was performed using the source signal with its acoustic features parameterized. It revealed that humans can discriminate prosodic types solely with the source features and that the discrimination is easier as acoustic information increases. The series of studies showed the correspondence of the source component to prosodic features. In linguistics, prosodic types have not been discussed purely in terms of acoustics; they are usually related to the function of prosody or phonological units such as phonemes. The present thesis focuses on acoustics and makes a contribution to establishing the crosslinguistic description system of prosody.

The personality of past, present and future speech-language pathology students.

PubMed

Byrne, Nicole

2018-03-01

As allied health professions change over time to keep up with and reflect a rapidly changing society, it is quite possible that the people attracted to the profession may also change. If this is the case, then knowing this could be critical for future workforce marketing, training and planning. The aim was to investigate whether the personality of students entering a speech-language pathology (SLP) program had changed over time and whether there were generational differences in personality. The study used the Big Five personality inventory to consider whether there were differences in the personality in speech-language pathology (SLP) students enrolled in the same regional university in Australia in 2005 and 2016. The results showed there were significant differences between the two groups on the Agreeableness and Extroversion scales. The students who were more Conscientious were also more Confident in their ability to perform as an SLP. Generational differences across the two cohorts were also considered. SLP is a dynamic profession that is reflected through an evolving scope of practice, increasing utilization of technology and specialization. As careers evolve it is logical that the people attracted to those careers may also shift; as demonstrated here via changes in the personality of SLP students. Understanding the personality of current SLP students and future Generation Z students may assist universities to identify specific skills and experiences students need to be successful in the workforce. © 2017 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Experiment K-7-35: Circadian Rhythms and Temperature Regulation During Spaceflight. Part 1; Circadian Rhythms and Temperature Regulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, C. A.; Alpatov, A. M.; Hoban-Higgins, T. M.; Klimovitsky, V. Y.

1994-01-01

Mammals have developed the ability to adapt to most variations encountered in their everyday environment. For example, homeotherms have developed the ability to maintain the internal cellular environment at a relatively constant temperature. Also, in order to compensate for temporal variations in the terrestrial environment, the circadian timing system has evolved. However, throughout the evolution of life on earth, living organisms have been exposed to the influence of an unvarying level of earth's gravity. As a result changes in gravity produce adaptive responses which are not completely understood. In particular, spaceflight has pronounced effects on various physiological and behavioral systems. Such systems include body temperature regulation and circadian rhythms. This program has examined the influence of microgravity on temperature regulation and circadian timekeeping systems in Rhesus monkeys. Animals flown on the Soviet Biosatellite, COSMOS 2044, were exposed to 14 days of microgravity while constantly monitoring the circadian patterns temperature regulation, heart rate and activity. This experiment has extended our previous observations from COSMOS 1514, as well as providing insights into the physiological mechanisms that produce these changes.

The discoveries of molecular mechanisms for the circadian rhythm: The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

PubMed

Huang, Rong-Chi

2018-02-01

Circadian clocks evolved to allow plants and animals to adapt their behaviors to the 24-hr change in the external environment due to the Earth's rotation. While the first scientific observation of circadian rhythm in the plant leaf movement may be dated back to the early 18th century, it took 200 years to realize that the leaf movement is controlled by an endogenous circadian clock. The cloning and characterization of the first Drosophila clock gene period in the early 1980s, independently by Jeffery C. Hall and Michael Rosbash at Brandeis University and Michael Young at Rockefeller University, paved the way for their further discoveries of additional genes and proteins, culminating in establishing the so-called transcriptional translational feedback loop (TTFL) model for the generation of autonomous oscillator with a period of ∼24 h. The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to honor their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm. Copyright © 2018 Chang Gung University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SLEEP AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHM DISORDERS IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE.

PubMed

Gros, Priti; Videnovic, Aleksandar

2017-09-01

Sleep disorders are among the most challenging non-motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD) and significantly affect quality of life. Research in this field has gained recent interest among clinicians and scientists and is rapidly evolving. This review is dedicated to sleep and circadian dysfunction associated with PD. Most primary sleep disorders may co-exist with PD; majority of these disorders have unique features when expressed in the PD population. We discuss the specific considerations related to the common sleep problems in Parkinson's disease including insomnia, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, restless legs syndrome, sleep disordered breathing, excessive daytime sleepiness and circadian rhythm disorders. Within each of these sleep disorders, we present updated definitions, epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, clinical implications and management. Furthermore, areas of potential interest for further research are outlined.

Implementation of the Intelligent Voice System for Kazakh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yessenbayev, Zh; Saparkhojayev, N.; Tibeyev, T.

2014-04-01

Modern speech technologies are highly advanced and widely used in day-to-day applications. However, this is mostly concerned with the languages of well-developed countries such as English, German, Japan, Russian, etc. As for Kazakh, the situation is less prominent and research in this field is only starting to evolve. In this research and application-oriented project, we introduce an intelligent voice system for the fast deployment of call-centers and information desks supporting Kazakh speech. The demand on such a system is obvious if the country's large size and small population is considered. The landline and cell phones become the only means of communication for the distant villages and suburbs. The system features Kazakh speech recognition and synthesis modules as well as a web-GUI for efficient dialog management. For speech recognition we use CMU Sphinx engine and for speech synthesis- MaryTTS. The web-GUI is implemented in Java enabling operators to quickly create and manage the dialogs in user-friendly graphical environment. The call routines are handled by Asterisk PBX and JBoss Application Server. The system supports such technologies and protocols as VoIP, VoiceXML, FastAGI, Java SpeechAPI and J2EE. For the speech recognition experiments we compiled and used the first Kazakh speech corpus with the utterances from 169 native speakers. The performance of the speech recognizer is 4.1% WER on isolated word recognition and 6.9% WER on clean continuous speech recognition tasks. The speech synthesis experiments include the training of male and female voices.

Status report on speech research. A report on the status and progress of studies on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liberman, A. M.

1985-10-01

This interim status report on speech research discusses the following topics: On Vagueness and Fictions as Cornerstones of a Theory of Perceiving and Acting: A Comment on Walter (1983); The Informational Support for Upright Stance; Determining the Extent of Coarticulation-effects of Experimental Design; The Roles of Phoneme Frequency, Similarity, and Availability in the Experimental Elicitation of Speech Errors; On Learning to Speak; The Motor Theory of Speech Perception Revised; Linguistic and Acoustic Correlates of the Perceptual Structure Found in an Individual Differences Scaling Study of Vowels; Perceptual Coherence of Speech: Stability of Silence-cued Stop Consonants; Development of the Speech Perceptuomotor System; Dependence of Reading on Orthography-Investigations in Serbo-Croatian; The Relationship between Knowledge of Derivational Morphology and Spelling Ability in Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth Graders; Relations among Regular and Irregular, Morphologically-Related Words in the Lexicon as Revealed by Repetition Priming; Grammatical Priming of Inflected Nouns by the Gender of Possessive Adjectives; Grammatical Priming of Inflected Nouns by Inflected Adjectives; Deaf Signers and Serial Recall in the Visual Modality-Memory for Signs, Fingerspelling, and Print; Did Orthographies Evolve?; The Development of Children's Sensitivity to Factors Inf luencing Vowel Reading.

[Rehabilitation of children with apallic syndrome of traumatic or ischemic etiology].

PubMed

Jović, Stevan; Cutović, Milisav; Konstantinović, Ljubica; Lazović, Milica; Jović, Marko

2006-01-01

Apallic syndrome may be defined as the complete lack of cortical function - paragnosia and parapraxia. Vegetative functions and other sub cortical functions are maintained (sleep rhythm, suckling and swallowing reflex). The aim of the study was to investigate the recovery of children with Apallic syndrome depending on the etiology and differences among various modalities like self-care, motor control and speech during rehabilitation. The study was conducted among eight children (mean age 9.4) (SD-2.6). Four had a post-traumatic and four Apallic syndrome of ischemic etiology. Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for statistical analysis. There was no evident difference in recovery among children with Apallic syndrome of different etiology. In regard to self-care, motor control and speech, all children showed the same level of improvement during rehabilitation therapy. These results correspond with similar research findings. Rehabilitation is essential to aid recovery and it does not depend on the etiology. Recovery success is the same regardless of the chosen modality.

Aging affects the balance of neural entrainment and top-down neural modulation in the listening brain

PubMed Central

Henry, Molly J.; Herrmann, Björn; Kunke, Dunja; Obleser, Jonas

2017-01-01

Healthy aging is accompanied by listening difficulties, including decreased speech comprehension, that stem from an ill-understood combination of sensory and cognitive changes. Here, we use electroencephalography to demonstrate that auditory neural oscillations of older adults entrain less firmly and less flexibly to speech-paced (∼3 Hz) rhythms than younger adults’ during attentive listening. These neural entrainment effects are distinct in magnitude and origin from the neural response to sound per se. Non-entrained parieto-occipital alpha (8–12 Hz) oscillations are enhanced in young adults, but suppressed in older participants, during attentive listening. Entrained neural phase and task-induced alpha amplitude exert opposite, complementary effects on listening performance: higher alpha amplitude is associated with reduced entrainment-driven behavioural performance modulation. Thus, alpha amplitude as a task-driven, neuro-modulatory signal can counteract the behavioural corollaries of neural entrainment. Balancing these two neural strategies may present new paths for intervention in age-related listening difficulties. PMID:28654081

Influence of artificially induced light pollution on the hormone system of two common fish species, perch and roach, in a rural habitat

PubMed Central

Brüning, Anika; Kloas, Werner; Preuer, Torsten; Hölker, Franz

2018-01-01

Abstract Almost all life on earth has adapted to natural cycles of light and dark by evolving circadian and circannual rhythms to synchronize behavioural and physiological processes with the environment. Artificial light at night (ALAN) is suspected to interfere with these rhythms. In this study we examined the influence of ALAN on nocturnal melatonin and sex steroid blood concentrations and mRNA expression of gonadotropins in the pituitary of European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and roach (Rutilus rutilus). In a rural experimental setting, fish were held in net cages in drainage channels experiencing either additional ALAN of ~15 lx at the water surface or natural light conditions at half-moon. No differences in melatonin concentrations between ALAN and natural conditions were detected. However, blood concentration of sex steroids (17β-estradiol; 11-ketotestosterone) as well as mRNA expression of gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone) was reduced in both fish species. We conclude that ALAN can disturb biological rhythms in fish in urban waters. However, impacts on melatonin rhythm might have been blurred by individual differences, sampling methods and moonlight. The effect of ALAN on biomarkers of reproduction suggests a photo-labile period around the onset of gonadogenesis, including the experimental period (August). Light pollution therefore has a great potential to influence crucial life history traits with unpredictable outcome for fish population dynamics. PMID:29686874

Influence of artificially induced light pollution on the hormone system of two common fish species, perch and roach, in a rural habitat.

PubMed

Brüning, Anika; Kloas, Werner; Preuer, Torsten; Hölker, Franz

2018-01-01

Almost all life on earth has adapted to natural cycles of light and dark by evolving circadian and circannual rhythms to synchronize behavioural and physiological processes with the environment. Artificial light at night (ALAN) is suspected to interfere with these rhythms. In this study we examined the influence of ALAN on nocturnal melatonin and sex steroid blood concentrations and mRNA expression of gonadotropins in the pituitary of European perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) and roach ( Rutilus rutilus ). In a rural experimental setting, fish were held in net cages in drainage channels experiencing either additional ALAN of ~15 lx at the water surface or natural light conditions at half-moon. No differences in melatonin concentrations between ALAN and natural conditions were detected. However, blood concentration of sex steroids (17β-estradiol; 11-ketotestosterone) as well as mRNA expression of gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone) was reduced in both fish species. We conclude that ALAN can disturb biological rhythms in fish in urban waters. However, impacts on melatonin rhythm might have been blurred by individual differences, sampling methods and moonlight. The effect of ALAN on biomarkers of reproduction suggests a photo-labile period around the onset of gonadogenesis, including the experimental period (August). Light pollution therefore has a great potential to influence crucial life history traits with unpredictable outcome for fish population dynamics.

Synergetic Organization in Speech Rhythm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cummins, Fred

The Speech Cycling Task is a novel experimental paradigm developed together with Robert Port and Keiichi Tajima at Indiana University. In a task of this sort, subjects repeat a phrase containing multiple prominent, or stressed, syllables in time with an auditory metronome, which can be simple or complex. A phase-based collective variable is defined in the acoustic speech signal. This paper reports on two experiments using speech cycling which together reveal many of the hallmarks of hierarchically coupled oscillatory processes. The first experiment requires subjects to place the final stressed syllable of a small phrase at specified phases within the overall Phrase Repetition Cycle (PRC). It is clearly demonstrated that only three patterns, characterized by phases around 1/3, 1/2 or 2/3 are reliably produced, and these points are attractors for other target phases. The system is thus multistable, and the attractors correspond to stable couplings between the metrical foot and the PRC. A second experiment examines the behavior of these attractors at increased rates. Faster rates lead to mode jumps between attractors. Previous experiments have also illustrated hysteresis as the system moves from one mode to the next. The dynamical organization is particularly interesting from a modeling point of view, as there is no single part of the speech production system which cycles at the level of either the metrical foot or the phrase repetition cycle. That is, there is no continuous kinematic observable in the system. Nonetheless, there is strong evidence that the oscopic behavior of the entire production system is correctly described as hierarchically coupled oscillators. There are many parallels between this organization and the forms of inter-limb coupling observed in locomotion and rhythmic manual tasks.

Anti-arrhythmic strategies for atrial fibrillation

PubMed Central

Grandi, Eleonora; Maleckar, Mary M.

2016-01-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with increased risk of cerebrovascular stroke, and with several other pathologies, including heart failure. Current therapies for AF are targeted at reducing risk of stroke (anticoagulation) and tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (rate or rhythm control). Rate control, typically achieved by atrioventricular nodal blocking drugs, is often insufficient to alleviate symptoms. Rhythm control approaches include antiarrhythmic drugs, electrical cardioversion, and ablation strategies. Here, we offer several examples of how computational modeling can provide a quantitative framework for integrating multi scale data to: (a) gain insight into multi-scale mechanisms of AF; (b) identify and test pharmacological and electrical therapy and interventions; and (c) support clinical decisions. We review how modeling approaches have evolved and contributed to the research pipeline and preclinical development and discuss future directions and challenges in the field. PMID:27612549

Evolution of speech-specific cognitive adaptations.

PubMed

de Boer, Bart

2015-01-01

This paper argues that an evolutionary perspective is natural when investigating cognitive adaptations related to language. This is because there appears to be correspondence between traits that linguists consider interesting and traits that have undergone selective pressure related to language. The paper briefly reviews theoretical results that shed light on what kind of adaptations we can expect to have evolved and then reviews concrete work related to the evolution of adaptations for combinatorial speech. It turns out that there is as yet no strong direct evidence for cognitive traits that have undergone selection related to speech, but there is indirect evidence that indicates selection. However, the traits that may have undergone selection are expected to be continuously variable ones, rather than the discrete ones that linguists have focused on traditionally.

Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds

PubMed Central

Pfenning, Andreas R.; Hara, Erina; Whitney, Osceola; Rivas, Miriam V.; Wang, Rui; Roulhac, Petra L.; Howard, Jason T.; Wirthlin, Morgan; Lovell, Peter V.; Ganapathy, Ganeshkumar; Mouncastle, Jacquelyn; Moseley, M. Arthur; Thompson, J. Will; Soderblom, Erik J.; Iriki, Atsushi; Kato, Masaki; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Zhang, Guojie; Bakken, Trygve; Bongaarts, Angie; Bernard, Amy; Lein, Ed; Mello, Claudio V.; Hartemink, Alexander J.; Jarvis, Erich D.

2015-01-01

Song-learning birds and humans share independently evolved similarities in brain pathways for vocal learning that are essential for song and speech and are not found in most other species. Comparisons of brain transcriptomes of song-learning birds and humans relative to vocal nonlearners identified convergent gene expression specializations in specific song and speech brain regions of avian vocal learners and humans. The strongest shared profiles relate bird motor and striatal song-learning nuclei, respectively, with human laryngeal motor cortex and parts of the striatum that control speech production and learning. Most of the associated genes function in motor control and brain connectivity. Thus, convergent behavior and neural connectivity for a complex trait are associated with convergent specialized expression of multiple genes. PMID:25504733

Jazz drummers recruit language-specific areas for the processing of rhythmic structure.

PubMed

Herdener, Marcus; Humbel, Thierry; Esposito, Fabrizio; Habermeyer, Benedikt; Cattapan-Ludewig, Katja; Seifritz, Erich

2014-03-01

Rhythm is a central characteristic of music and speech, the most important domains of human communication using acoustic signals. Here, we investigated how rhythmical patterns in music are processed in the human brain, and, in addition, evaluated the impact of musical training on rhythm processing. Using fMRI, we found that deviations from a rule-based regular rhythmic structure activated the left planum temporale together with Broca's area and its right-hemispheric homolog across subjects, that is, a network also crucially involved in the processing of harmonic structure in music and the syntactic analysis of language. Comparing the BOLD responses to rhythmic variations between professional jazz drummers and musical laypersons, we found that only highly trained rhythmic experts show additional activity in left-hemispheric supramarginal gyrus, a higher-order region involved in processing of linguistic syntax. This suggests an additional functional recruitment of brain areas usually dedicated to complex linguistic syntax processing for the analysis of rhythmical patterns only in professional jazz drummers, who are especially trained to use rhythmical cues for communication.

Chronobiology of deep-water decapod crustaceans on continental margins.

PubMed

Aguzzi, Jacopo; Company, Joan B

2010-01-01

Species have evolved biological rhythms in behaviour and physiology with a 24-h periodicity in order to increase their fitness, anticipating the onset of unfavourable habitat conditions. In marine organisms inhabiting deep-water continental margins (i.e. the submerged outer edges of continents), day-night activity rhythms are often referred to in three ways: vertical water column migrations (i.e. pelagic), horizontal displacements within benthic boundary layer of the continental margin, along bathymetric gradients (i.e. nektobenthic), and endobenthic movements (i.e. rhythmic emergence from the substrate). Many studies have been conducted on crustacean decapods that migrate vertically in the water column, but much less information is available for other endobenthic and nektobenthic species. Also, the types of displacement and major life habits of most marine species are still largely unknown, especially in deep-water continental margins, where steep clines in habitat factors (i.e. light intensity and its spectral quality, sediment characteristics, and hydrography) take place. This is the result of technical difficulties in performing temporally scheduled sampling and laboratory testing on living specimens. According to this scenario, there are several major issues that still need extensive research in deep-water crustacean decapods. First, the regulation of their behaviour and physiology by a biological clock is almost unknown compared to data for coastal species that are easily accessible to direct observation and sampling. Second, biological rhythms may change at different life stages (i.e. size-related variations) or at different moments of the reproductive cycle (e.g. at egg-bearing) based on different intra- and interspecific interactions. Third, there is still a major lack of knowledge on the links that exist among the observed bathymetric distributions of species and selected autoecological traits that are controlled by their biological clock, such as the diel rhythm of behaviour. Species evolved in a photically variable environment where intra- and inter-specific interactions change along with the community structure over 24 h. Accordingly, the regulation of their biology through a biological clock may be the major evolutionary constraint that is responsible for their reported bathymetric distributions. In this review, our aim is to propose a series of innovative guidelines for a discussion of the modulation of behavioural rhythms of adult decapod crustaceans, focusing on the deep waters of the continental margin areas of the Mediterranean as a paradigm for other marine zones of the world. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Overview of Monthly Rhythms and Clocks

PubMed Central

Raible, Florian; Takekata, Hiroki; Tessmar-Raible, Kristin

2017-01-01

Organisms have evolved to cope with geophysical cycles of different period lengths. In this review, we focus on the adaptations of animals to the lunar cycle, specifically, on the occurrence of biological rhythms with monthly (circalunar) or semi-monthly (circasemilunar) period lengths. Systematic experimental investigation, starting in the early twentieth century, has allowed scientists to distinguish between mythological belief and scientific facts concerning the influence of the lunar cycle on animals. These studies revealed that marine animals of various taxa exhibit circalunar or circasemilunar reproductive rhythms. Some of these rely on endogenous oscillators (circalunar or circasemilunar clocks), whereas others are directly driven by external cues, such as the changes in nocturnal illuminance. We review current insight in the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in circalunar rhythms, focusing on recent work in corals, annelid worms, midges, and fishes. In several of these model systems, the transcript levels of some core circadian clock genes are affected by both light and endogenous circalunar oscillations. How these and other molecular changes relate to the changes in physiology or behavior over the lunar cycle remains to be determined. We further review the possible relevance of circalunar rhythms for terrestrial species, with a particular focus on mammalian reproduction. Studies on circalunar rhythms of conception or birth rates extend to humans, where the lunar cycle was suggested to also affect sleep and mental health. While these reports remain controversial, factors like the increase in “light pollution” by artificial light might contribute to discrepancies between studies. We finally discuss the existence of circalunar oscillations in mammalian physiology. We speculate that these oscillations could be the remnant of ancient circalunar oscillators that were secondarily uncoupled from a natural entrainment mechanism, but still maintained relevance for structuring the timing of reproduction or physiology. The analysis and comparison of circalunar rhythms and clocks are currently challenging due to the heterogeneity of samples concerning species diversity, environmental conditions, and chronobiological conditions. We suggest that future research will benefit from the development of standardized experimental paradigms, and common principles for recording and reporting environmental conditions, especially light spectra and intensities. PMID:28553258

Chorusing, synchrony, and the evolutionary functions of rhythm.

PubMed

Ravignani, Andrea; Bowling, Daniel L; Fitch, W Tecumseh

2014-01-01

A central goal of biomusicology is to understand the biological basis of human musicality. One approach to this problem has been to compare core components of human musicality (relative pitch perception, entrainment, etc.) with similar capacities in other animal species. Here we extend and clarify this comparative approach with respect to rhythm. First, whereas most comparisons between human music and animal acoustic behavior have focused on spectral properties (melody and harmony), we argue for the central importance of temporal properties, and propose that this domain is ripe for further comparative research. Second, whereas most rhythm research in non-human animals has examined animal timing in isolation, we consider how chorusing dynamics can shape individual timing, as in human music and dance, arguing that group behavior is key to understanding the adaptive functions of rhythm. To illustrate the interdependence between individual and chorusing dynamics, we present a computational model of chorusing agents relating individual call timing with synchronous group behavior. Third, we distinguish and clarify mechanistic and functional explanations of rhythmic phenomena, often conflated in the literature, arguing that this distinction is key for understanding the evolution of musicality. Fourth, we expand biomusicological discussions beyond the species typically considered, providing an overview of chorusing and rhythmic behavior across a broad range of taxa (orthopterans, fireflies, frogs, birds, and primates). Finally, we propose an "Evolving Signal Timing" hypothesis, suggesting that similarities between timing abilities in biological species will be based on comparable chorusing behaviors. We conclude that the comparative study of chorusing species can provide important insights into the adaptive function(s) of rhythmic behavior in our "proto-musical" primate ancestors, and thus inform our understanding of the biology and evolution of rhythm in human music and language.

Chorusing, synchrony, and the evolutionary functions of rhythm

PubMed Central

Ravignani, Andrea; Bowling, Daniel L.; Fitch, W. Tecumseh

2014-01-01

A central goal of biomusicology is to understand the biological basis of human musicality. One approach to this problem has been to compare core components of human musicality (relative pitch perception, entrainment, etc.) with similar capacities in other animal species. Here we extend and clarify this comparative approach with respect to rhythm. First, whereas most comparisons between human music and animal acoustic behavior have focused on spectral properties (melody and harmony), we argue for the central importance of temporal properties, and propose that this domain is ripe for further comparative research. Second, whereas most rhythm research in non-human animals has examined animal timing in isolation, we consider how chorusing dynamics can shape individual timing, as in human music and dance, arguing that group behavior is key to understanding the adaptive functions of rhythm. To illustrate the interdependence between individual and chorusing dynamics, we present a computational model of chorusing agents relating individual call timing with synchronous group behavior. Third, we distinguish and clarify mechanistic and functional explanations of rhythmic phenomena, often conflated in the literature, arguing that this distinction is key for understanding the evolution of musicality. Fourth, we expand biomusicological discussions beyond the species typically considered, providing an overview of chorusing and rhythmic behavior across a broad range of taxa (orthopterans, fireflies, frogs, birds, and primates). Finally, we propose an “Evolving Signal Timing” hypothesis, suggesting that similarities between timing abilities in biological species will be based on comparable chorusing behaviors. We conclude that the comparative study of chorusing species can provide important insights into the adaptive function(s) of rhythmic behavior in our “proto-musical” primate ancestors, and thus inform our understanding of the biology and evolution of rhythm in human music and language. PMID:25346705

Relating dynamic brain states to dynamic machine states: Human and machine solutions to the speech recognition problem

PubMed Central

Liu, Xunying; Zhang, Chao; Woodland, Phil; Fonteneau, Elisabeth

2017-01-01

There is widespread interest in the relationship between the neurobiological systems supporting human cognition and emerging computational systems capable of emulating these capacities. Human speech comprehension, poorly understood as a neurobiological process, is an important case in point. Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems with near-human levels of performance are now available, which provide a computationally explicit solution for the recognition of words in continuous speech. This research aims to bridge the gap between speech recognition processes in humans and machines, using novel multivariate techniques to compare incremental ‘machine states’, generated as the ASR analysis progresses over time, to the incremental ‘brain states’, measured using combined electro- and magneto-encephalography (EMEG), generated as the same inputs are heard by human listeners. This direct comparison of dynamic human and machine internal states, as they respond to the same incrementally delivered sensory input, revealed a significant correspondence between neural response patterns in human superior temporal cortex and the structural properties of ASR-derived phonetic models. Spatially coherent patches in human temporal cortex responded selectively to individual phonetic features defined on the basis of machine-extracted regularities in the speech to lexicon mapping process. These results demonstrate the feasibility of relating human and ASR solutions to the problem of speech recognition, and suggest the potential for further studies relating complex neural computations in human speech comprehension to the rapidly evolving ASR systems that address the same problem domain. PMID:28945744

Health economics and the European Heart Rhythm Association.

PubMed

Vardas, Panos; Boriani, Giuseppe

2011-05-01

The management of healthcare is becoming extremely complex in developed countries, as a result of increasing age of the population and increasing costs of care, coupled with diminishing resources due to global financial crisis. This situation threatens access to appropriate care, and a more or less explicit rationing of some types of treatment may occur in 'real world' clinical practice. This is particularly true for those treatments or interventions with a relatively high up-front cost, such as cardioverter defibrillators, devices for cardiac resynchronization therapy or ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation. The European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) is strongly convinced that the skills of electrophysiologists and cardiologists responsible for the management of rhythm disorders have to evolve, also embracing the knowledge of health economics, clinical epidemiology, health-care management and outcome research. These disciplines do not belong to what is considered as the conventional cultural background of physicians, but knowledge of comparative cost effectiveness and of other economic approaches nowadays appears fundamental for a dialogue with a series of stakeholders, such as policy makers, politicians, and administrators, involved in budgeting the activity of hospitals and health-care services, as well as in approaching health technology assessment.

How do we use language? Shared patterns in the frequency of word use across 17 world languages

PubMed Central

Calude, Andreea S.; Pagel, Mark

2011-01-01

We present data from 17 languages on the frequency with which a common set of words is used in everyday language. The languages are drawn from six language families representing 65 per cent of the world's 7000 languages. Our data were collected from linguistic corpora that record frequencies of use for the 200 meanings in the widely used Swadesh fundamental vocabulary. Our interest is to assess evidence for shared patterns of language use around the world, and for the relationship of language use to rates of lexical replacement, defined as the replacement of a word by a new unrelated or non-cognate word. Frequencies of use for words in the Swadesh list range from just a few per million words of speech to 191 000 or more. The average inter-correlation among languages in the frequency of use across the 200 words is 0.73 (p < 0.0001). The first principal component of these data accounts for 70 per cent of the variance in frequency of use. Elsewhere, we have shown that frequently used words in the Indo-European languages tend to be more conserved, and that this relationship holds separately for different parts of speech. A regression model combining the principal factor loadings derived from the worldwide sample along with their part of speech predicts 46 per cent of the variance in the rates of lexical replacement in the Indo-European languages. This suggests that Indo-European lexical replacement rates might be broadly representative of worldwide rates of change. Evidence for this speculation comes from using the same factor loadings and part-of-speech categories to predict a word's position in a list of 110 words ranked from slowest to most rapidly evolving among 14 of the world's language families. This regression model accounts for 30 per cent of the variance. Our results point to a remarkable regularity in the way that human speakers use language, and hint that the words for a shared set of meanings have been slowly evolving and others more rapidly evolving throughout human history. PMID:21357232

Network speech systems technology program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinstein, C. J.

1981-09-01

This report documents work performed during FY 1981 on the DCA-sponsored Network Speech Systems Technology Program. The two areas of work reported are: (1) communication system studies in support of the evolving Defense Switched Network (DSN) and (2) design and implementation of satellite/terrestrial interfaces for the Experimental Integrated Switched Network (EISN). The system studies focus on the development and evaluation of economical and endurable network routing procedures. Satellite/terrestrial interface development includes circuit-switched and packet-switched connections to the experimental wideband satellite network. Efforts in planning and coordination of EISN experiments are reported in detail in a separate EISN Experiment Plan.

Inferior frontal oscillations reveal visuo-motor matching for actions and speech: evidence from human intracranial recordings.

PubMed

Halje, Pär; Seeck, Margitta; Blanke, Olaf; Ionta, Silvio

2015-12-01

The neural correspondence between the systems responsible for the execution and recognition of actions has been suggested both in humans and non-human primates. Apart from being a key region of this visuo-motor observation-execution matching (OEM) system, the human inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) is also important for speech production. The functional overlap of visuo-motor OEM and speech, together with the phylogenetic history of the IFG as a motor area, has led to the idea that speech function has evolved from pre-existing motor systems and to the hypothesis that an OEM system may exist also for speech. However, visuo-motor OEM and speech OEM have never been compared directly. We used electrocorticography to analyze oscillations recorded from intracranial electrodes in human fronto-parieto-temporal cortex during visuo-motor (executing or visually observing an action) and speech OEM tasks (verbally describing an action using the first or third person pronoun). The results show that neural activity related to visuo-motor OEM is widespread in the frontal, parietal, and temporal regions. Speech OEM also elicited widespread responses partly overlapping with visuo-motor OEM sites (bilaterally), including frontal, parietal, and temporal regions. Interestingly a more focal region, the inferior frontal gyrus (bilaterally), showed both visuo-motor OEM and speech OEM properties independent of orolingual speech-unrelated movements. Building on the methodological advantages in human invasive electrocorticography, the present findings provide highly precise spatial and temporal information to support the existence of a modality-independent action representation system in the human brain that is shared between systems for performing, interpreting and describing actions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The evolution of primary progressive apraxia of speech

PubMed Central

Duffy, Joseph R.; Strand, Edythe A.; Machulda, Mary M.; Senjem, Matthew L.; Gunter, Jeffrey L.; Schwarz, Christopher G.; Reid, Robert I.; Spychalla, Anthony J.; Lowe, Val J.; Jack, Clifford R.; Whitwell, Jennifer L.

2014-01-01

Primary progressive apraxia of speech is a recently described neurodegenerative disorder in which patients present with an isolated apraxia of speech and show focal degeneration of superior premotor cortex. Little is known about how these individuals progress over time, making it difficult to provide prognostic estimates. Thirteen subjects with primary progressive apraxia of speech underwent two serial comprehensive clinical and neuroimaging evaluations 2.4 years apart [median age of onset = 67 years (range: 49–76), seven females]. All underwent detailed speech and language, neurological and neuropsychological assessments, and magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography at both baseline and follow-up. Rates of change of whole brain, ventricle, and midbrain volumes were calculated using the boundary-shift integral and atlas-based parcellation, and rates of regional grey matter atrophy were assessed using tensor-based morphometry. White matter tract degeneration was assessed on diffusion-tensor imaging at each time-point. Patterns of hypometabolism were assessed at the single subject-level. Neuroimaging findings were compared with a cohort of 20 age, gender, and scan-interval matched healthy controls. All subjects developed extrapyramidal signs. In eight subjects the apraxia of speech remained the predominant feature. In the other five there was a striking progression of symptoms that had evolved into a progressive supranuclear palsy-like syndrome; they showed a combination of severe parkinsonism, near mutism, dysphagia with choking, vertical supranuclear gaze palsy or slowing, balance difficulties with falls and urinary incontinence, and one was wheelchair bound. Rates of whole brain atrophy (1.5% per year; controls = 0.4% per year), ventricular expansion (8.0% per year; controls = 3.3% per year) and midbrain atrophy (1.5% per year; controls = 0.1% per year) were elevated (P ≤ 0.001) in all 13, compared to controls. Increased rates of brain atrophy over time were observed throughout the premotor cortex, as well as prefrontal cortex, motor cortex, basal ganglia and midbrain, while white matter tract degeneration spread into the splenium of the corpus callosum and motor cortex white matter. Hypometabolism progressed over time in almost all subjects. These findings demonstrate that some subjects with primary progressive apraxia of speech will rapidly evolve and develop a devastating progressive supranuclear palsy-like syndrome ∼ 5 years after onset, perhaps related to progressive involvement of neocortex, basal ganglia and midbrain. These findings help improve our understanding of primary progressive apraxia of speech and provide some important prognostic guidelines. PMID:25113789

Gravitational biology and the mammalian circadian timing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, Charles A.; Murakami, Dean M.; Sulzman, Frank M.

Mammals have evolved under the influence of many selective pressures. Two of these pressures have been the static force of gravity and the daily variations in the environment due to the rotation of the earth. It is now clear that each of these pressures has led to specific adaptations which influence how organisms respond to changes in either gravity or daily time cues. However, several unpredicted responses to altered gravitational environments occur within the homeostatic and circadian control systems. These results may be particularly relevant to biological and medical issues related to spaceflight. This paper demonstrates that the homeostatic regulation of rat body temperature, heart rate, and activity become depressed following exposure to a 2 G hyperdynamic field, and recovers within 5-6 days. In addition, the circadian rhythms of these same variables exhibit a depression of rhythm amplitude; however, recovery required a minimum of 7 days.

A Brain for Speech. Evolutionary Continuity in Primate and Human Auditory-Vocal Processing

PubMed Central

Aboitiz, Francisco

2018-01-01

In this review article, I propose a continuous evolution from the auditory-vocal apparatus and its mechanisms of neural control in non-human primates, to the peripheral organs and the neural control of human speech. Although there is an overall conservatism both in peripheral systems and in central neural circuits, a few changes were critical for the expansion of vocal plasticity and the elaboration of proto-speech in early humans. Two of the most relevant changes were the acquisition of direct cortical control of the vocal fold musculature and the consolidation of an auditory-vocal articulatory circuit, encompassing auditory areas in the temporoparietal junction and prefrontal and motor areas in the frontal cortex. This articulatory loop, also referred to as the phonological loop, enhanced vocal working memory capacity, enabling early humans to learn increasingly complex utterances. The auditory-vocal circuit became progressively coupled to multimodal systems conveying information about objects and events, which gradually led to the acquisition of modern speech. Gestural communication accompanies the development of vocal communication since very early in human evolution, and although both systems co-evolved tightly in the beginning, at some point speech became the main channel of communication. PMID:29636657

Extent of palatal lengthening after cleft palate repair as a contributing factor to the speech outcome.

PubMed

Bae, Yong-Chan; Choi, Soo-Jong; Lee, Jae-Woo; Seo, Hyoung-Joon

2015-03-01

Operative techniques in performing cleft palate repair have gradually evolved to achieve better speech ability with its main focus on palatal lengthening and accurate approximation of the velar musculature. The authors doubted whether the extent of palatal lengthening would be directly proportional to the speech outcome. Patients with incomplete cleft palates who went into surgery before 18 months of age were intended for this study. Cases with associated syndromes, mental retardation, hearing loss, or presence of postoperative complications were excluded from the analysis. Palatal length was measured by the authors' devised method before and immediately after the cleft palate repair. Postoperative speech outcome was evaluated around 4 years by a definite pronunciation scoring system. Statistical analysis was carried out between the extent of palatal lengthening and the postoperative pronunciation score by Spearman correlation coefficient method. However, the authors could not find any significant correlation. Although the need for additional research on other variables affecting speech outcome is unequivocal, we carefully conclude that other intraoperative constituents such as accurate reapproximation of the velar musculature should be emphasized more in cleft palate repair rather than palatal lengthening itself.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation in developmental stuttering: Relations with previous neurophysiological research and future perspectives.

PubMed

Busan, P; Battaglini, P P; Sommer, M

2017-06-01

Developmental stuttering (DS) is a disruption of the rhythm of speech, and affected people may be unable to execute fluent voluntary speech. There are still questions about the exact causes of DS. Evidence suggests there are differences in the structure and functioning of motor systems used for preparing, executing, and controlling motor acts, especially when they are speech related. Much research has been obtained using neuroimaging methods, ranging from functional magnetic resonance to diffusion tensor imaging and electroencephalography/magnetoencephalography. Studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in DS have been uncommon until recently. This is surprising considering the relationship between the functionality of the motor system and DS, and the wide use of TMS in motor-related disturbances such as Parkinson's Disease, Tourette's Syndrome, and dystonia. Consequently, TMS could shed further light on motor aspects of DS. The present work aims to investigate the use of TMS for understanding DS neural mechanisms by reviewing TMS papers in the DS field. Until now, TMS has contributed to the understanding of the excitatory/inhibitory ratio of DS motor functioning, also helping to better understand and critically review evidence about stuttering mechanisms obtained from different techniques, which allowed the investigation of cortico-basal-thalamo-cortical and white matter/connection dysfunctions. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Introduction to Chronobiology.

PubMed

Kuhlman, Sandra J; Craig, L Michon; Duffy, Jeanne F

2017-10-16

A diverse range of species, from cyanobacteria to humans, evolved endogenous biological clocks that allow for the anticipation of daily variations in light and temperature. The ability to anticipate regular environmental rhythms promotes optimal performance and survival. Herein we present a brief historical timeline of how circadian concepts and terminology have emerged since the early observation of daily leaf movement in plants made by an astronomer in the 1700s. Copyright © 2017 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

The burden of proof: The current state of atrial fibrillation prevention and treatment trials.

PubMed

Zakeri, Rosita; Van Wagoner, David R; Calkins, Hugh; Wong, Tom; Ross, Heather M; Heist, E Kevin; Meyer, Timothy E; Kowey, Peter R; Mentz, Robert J; Cleland, John G; Pitt, Bertram; Zannad, Faiez; Linde, Cecilia

2017-05-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an age-related arrhythmia of enormous socioeconomic significance. In recent years, our understanding of the basic mechanisms that initiate and perpetuate AF has evolved rapidly, catheter ablation of AF has progressed from concept to reality, and recent studies suggest lifestyle modification may help prevent AF recurrence. Emerging developments in genetics, imaging, and informatics also present new opportunities for personalized care. However, considerable challenges remain. These include a paucity of studies examining AF prevention, modest efficacy of existing antiarrhythmic therapies, diverse ablation technologies and practice, and limited evidence to guide management of high-risk patients with multiple comorbidities. Studies examining the long-term effects of AF catheter ablation on morbidity and mortality outcomes are not yet completed. In many ways, further progress in the field is heavily contingent on the feasibility, capacity, and efficiency of clinical trials to incorporate the rapidly evolving knowledge base and to provide substantive evidence for novel AF therapeutic strategies. This review outlines the current state of AF prevention and treatment trials, including the foreseeable challenges, as discussed by a unique forum of clinical trialists, scientists, and regulatory representatives in a session endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society at the 12th Global CardioVascular Clinical Trialists Forum in Washington, DC, December 3-5, 2015. Copyright © 2017 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ISHNE/EHRA expert consensus on remote monitoring of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs).

PubMed

Dubner, Sergio; Auricchio, Angelo; Steinberg, Jonathan S; Vardas, Panos; Stone, Peter; Brugada, Josep; Piotrowicz, Ryszard; Hayes, David L; Kirchhof, Paulus; Breithardt, Günter; Zareba, Wojciech; Schuger, Claudio; Aktas, Mehmet K; Chudzik, Michal; Mittal, Suneet; Varma, Niraj

2012-02-01

We are in the midst of a rapidly evolving era of technology-assisted medicine. The field of telemedicine provides the opportunity for highly individualized medical management in a way that has never been possible before. Evolving medical technologies using cardiac implantable devices (CIEDs) with capabilities for remote monitoring permit evaluation of multiple parameters of cardiovascular physiology and risk, including cardiac rhythm, device function, blood pressure values, the presence of myocardial ischaemia, and the degree of compensation of congestive heart failure. Cardiac risk, device status, and response to therapies can now be assessed with these electronic systems of detection and reporting. This document reflects the extensive experience from investigators and innovators around the world who are shaping the evolution of this rapidly expanding field, focusing in particular on implantable pacemakers (IPGs), implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), devices for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) (both, with and without defibrillation properties), loop recorders, and haemodynamic monitoring devices. This document covers the basic methodologies, guidelines for their use, experience with existing applications, and the legal and reimbursement aspects associated with their use. To adequately cover this important emerging topic, the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology (ISHNE) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) combined their expertise in this field. We hope that the development of this field can contribute to improve care of our cardiovascular patients.

Neurogenic stuttering: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Cruz, C; Amorim, H; Beca, G; Nunes, R

2018-01-16

Neurogenic stuttering is a disorder of neurologic origin in the rhythm of speech during which the patient knows exactly what he wants to say but is unable to because of an involuntary prolongation, cessation or repetition of a sound. To assemble new insights regarding the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of neurogenic stuttering. A review of all PubMed and Scopus published articles between January 2000 and September 2016 was performed. Thirty-three publications were analyzed. Neurogenic stuttering is a rare entity whose epidemiological incidence is yet not fully established. It is correlated with several neurological diseases and with several possible localizations within the nervous system. Notwithstanding the recent advances in the understanding of the underlying mechanism, it is not yet possible to establish a single pathophysiological mechanism of neurogenic stuttering. The differential diagnosis is complex and requires the detailed knowledge of other language disorders. The treatment is currently based on specific speech language therapy strategies. Neurogenic stuttering is a complex disorder which is not fully understood. Additional studies might help to better explain the underlying pathophysiological mechanism and to open doors to novel therapeutic methods.

Primate vocal communication: a useful tool for understanding human speech and language evolution?

PubMed

Fedurek, Pawel; Slocombe, Katie E

2011-04-01

Language is a uniquely human trait, and questions of how and why it evolved have been intriguing scientists for years. Nonhuman primates (primates) are our closest living relatives, and their behavior can be used to estimate the capacities of our extinct ancestors. As humans and many primate species rely on vocalizations as their primary mode of communication, the vocal behavior of primates has been an obvious target for studies investigating the evolutionary roots of human speech and language. By studying the similarities and differences between human and primate vocalizations, comparative research has the potential to clarify the evolutionary processes that shaped human speech and language. This review examines some of the seminal and recent studies that contribute to our knowledge regarding the link between primate calls and human language and speech. We focus on three main aspects of primate vocal behavior: functional reference, call combinations, and vocal learning. Studies in these areas indicate that despite important differences, primate vocal communication exhibits some key features characterizing human language. They also indicate, however, that some critical aspects of speech, such as vocal plasticity, are not shared with our primate cousins. We conclude that comparative research on primate vocal behavior is a very promising tool for deepening our understanding of the evolution of human speech and language, but much is still to be done as many aspects of monkey and ape vocalizations remain largely unexplored.

"Bird Song Metronomics": Isochronous Organization of Zebra Finch Song Rhythm.

PubMed

Norton, Philipp; Scharff, Constance

2016-01-01

The human capacity for speech and vocal music depends on vocal imitation. Songbirds, in contrast to non-human primates, share this vocal production learning with humans. The process through which birds and humans learn many of their vocalizations as well as the underlying neural system exhibit a number of striking parallels and have been widely researched. In contrast, rhythm, a key feature of language, and music, has received surprisingly little attention in songbirds. Investigating temporal periodicity in bird song has the potential to inform the relationship between neural mechanisms and behavioral output and can also provide insight into the biology and evolution of musicality. Here we present a method to analyze birdsong for an underlying rhythmic regularity. Using the intervals from one note onset to the next as input, we found for each bird an isochronous sequence of time stamps, a "signal-derived pulse," or pulse(S), of which a subset aligned with all note onsets of the bird's song. Fourier analysis corroborated these results. To determine whether this finding was just a byproduct of the duration of notes and intervals typical for zebra finches but not dependent on the individual duration of elements and the sequence in which they are sung, we compared natural songs to models of artificial songs. Note onsets of natural song deviated from the pulse(S) significantly less than those of artificial songs with randomized note and gap durations. Thus, male zebra finch song has the regularity required for a listener to extract a perceived pulse (pulse(P)), as yet untested. Strikingly, in our study, pulses(S) that best fit note onsets often also coincided with the transitions between sub-note elements within complex notes, corresponding to neuromuscular gestures. Gesture durations often equaled one or more pulse(S) periods. This suggests that gesture duration constitutes the basic element of the temporal hierarchy of zebra finch song rhythm, an interesting parallel to the hierarchically structured components of regular rhythms in human music.

“Bird Song Metronomics”: Isochronous Organization of Zebra Finch Song Rhythm

PubMed Central

Norton, Philipp; Scharff, Constance

2016-01-01

The human capacity for speech and vocal music depends on vocal imitation. Songbirds, in contrast to non-human primates, share this vocal production learning with humans. The process through which birds and humans learn many of their vocalizations as well as the underlying neural system exhibit a number of striking parallels and have been widely researched. In contrast, rhythm, a key feature of language, and music, has received surprisingly little attention in songbirds. Investigating temporal periodicity in bird song has the potential to inform the relationship between neural mechanisms and behavioral output and can also provide insight into the biology and evolution of musicality. Here we present a method to analyze birdsong for an underlying rhythmic regularity. Using the intervals from one note onset to the next as input, we found for each bird an isochronous sequence of time stamps, a “signal-derived pulse,” or pulseS, of which a subset aligned with all note onsets of the bird's song. Fourier analysis corroborated these results. To determine whether this finding was just a byproduct of the duration of notes and intervals typical for zebra finches but not dependent on the individual duration of elements and the sequence in which they are sung, we compared natural songs to models of artificial songs. Note onsets of natural song deviated from the pulseS significantly less than those of artificial songs with randomized note and gap durations. Thus, male zebra finch song has the regularity required for a listener to extract a perceived pulse (pulseP), as yet untested. Strikingly, in our study, pulsesS that best fit note onsets often also coincided with the transitions between sub-note elements within complex notes, corresponding to neuromuscular gestures. Gesture durations often equaled one or more pulseS periods. This suggests that gesture duration constitutes the basic element of the temporal hierarchy of zebra finch song rhythm, an interesting parallel to the hierarchically structured components of regular rhythms in human music. PMID:27458334

Spoken language achieves robustness and evolvability by exploiting degeneracy and neutrality.

PubMed

Winter, Bodo

2014-10-01

As with biological systems, spoken languages are strikingly robust against perturbations. This paper shows that languages achieve robustness in a way that is highly similar to many biological systems. For example, speech sounds are encoded via multiple acoustically diverse, temporally distributed and functionally redundant cues, characteristics that bear similarities to what biologists call "degeneracy". Speech is furthermore adequately characterized by neutrality, with many different tongue configurations leading to similar acoustic outputs, and different acoustic variants understood as the same by recipients. This highlights the presence of a large neutral network of acoustic neighbors for every speech sound. Such neutrality ensures that a steady backdrop of variation can be maintained without impeding communication, assuring that there is "fodder" for subsequent evolution. Thus, studying linguistic robustness is not only important for understanding how linguistic systems maintain their functioning upon the background of noise, but also for understanding the preconditions for language evolution. © 2014 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Children Using Cochlear Implants Capitalize on Acoustical Hearing for Music Perception

PubMed Central

Hopyan, Talar; Peretz, Isabelle; Chan, Lisa P.; Papsin, Blake C.; Gordon, Karen A.

2012-01-01

Cochlear implants (CIs) electrically stimulate the auditory nerve providing children who are deaf with access to speech and music. Because of device limitations, it was hypothesized that children using CIs develop abnormal perception of musical cues. Perception of pitch and rhythm as well as memory for music was measured by the children’s version of the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA) in 23 unilateral CI users and 22 age-matched children with normal hearing. Children with CIs were less accurate than their normal hearing peers (p < 0.05). CI users were best able to discern rhythm changes (p < 0.01) and to remember musical pieces (p < 0.01). Contrary to expectations, abilities to hear cues in music improved as the age at implantation increased (p < 0.01). Because the children implanted at older ages also had better low frequency hearing prior to cochlear implantation and were able to use this hearing by wearing hearing aids. Access to early acoustical hearing in the lower frequency ranges appears to establish a base for music perception, which can be accessed with later electrical CI hearing. PMID:23133430

Neural responses to sounds presented on and off the beat of ecologically valid music

PubMed Central

Tierney, Adam; Kraus, Nina

2013-01-01

The tracking of rhythmic structure is a vital component of speech and music perception. It is known that sequences of identical sounds can give rise to the percept of alternating strong and weak sounds, and that this percept is linked to enhanced cortical and oscillatory responses. The neural correlates of the perception of rhythm elicited by ecologically valid, complex stimuli, however, remain unexplored. Here we report the effects of a stimulus' alignment with the beat on the brain's processing of sound. Human subjects listened to short popular music pieces while simultaneously hearing a target sound. Cortical and brainstem electrophysiological onset responses to the sound were enhanced when it was presented on the beat of the music, as opposed to shifted away from it. Moreover, the size of the effect of alignment with the beat on the cortical response correlated strongly with the ability to tap to a beat, suggesting that the ability to synchronize to the beat of simple isochronous stimuli and the ability to track the beat of complex, ecologically valid stimuli may rely on overlapping neural resources. These results suggest that the perception of musical rhythm may have robust effects on processing throughout the auditory system. PMID:23717268

Reflections on the "gesture-first" hypothesis of language origins.

PubMed

Kendon, Adam

2017-02-01

The main lines of evidence taken as support for the "gesture-first" hypothesis of language origins are briefly evaluated, and the problem that speech poses for this hypothesis is discussed. I conclude that language must have evolved in the oral-aural and kinesic modalities together, with neither modality taking precedence over the other.

French Liaison: Linguistic and Sociolinguistic Influences on Speech Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dautricourt, Robin Guillaume

2010-01-01

French liaison is a phonological process that takes place when an otherwise silent word-final consonant is pronounced before a following vowel-initial word. It is a process that has been evolving for centuries, and whose patterns of realization are influenced by a wide range of interacting linguistic and social factors. French speakers therefore…

Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" Address: Mythic Containment of Technical Reasoning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rushing, Janice Hocker

1986-01-01

Views Reagan's "Star Wars" address as part of the culturally evolving myth of the New Frontier. Discusses how the speech creates the illusion of both preserving and transcending science by (1) subordinating technical reasoning to prevent nuclear holocaust and (2) using technoscience to rescript history and remove temporal and spacial…

Spotlight on fish: light pollution affects circadian rhythms of European perch but does not cause stress.

PubMed

Brüning, Anika; Hölker, Franz; Franke, Steffen; Preuer, Torsten; Kloas, Werner

2015-04-01

Flora and fauna evolved under natural day and night cycles. However, natural light is now enhanced by artificial light at night, particularly in urban areas. This alteration of natural light environments during the night is hypothesised to alter biological rhythms in fish, by effecting night-time production of the hormone melatonin. Artificial light at night is also expected to increase the stress level of fish, resulting in higher cortisol production. In laboratory experiments, European perch (Perca fluviatilis) were exposed to four different light intensities during the night, 0 lx (control), 1 lx (potential light level in urban waters), 10 lx (typical street lighting at night) and 100 lx. Melatonin and cortisol concentrations were measured from water samples every 3h during a 24 hour period. This study revealed that the nocturnal increase in melatonin production was inhibited even at the lowest light level of 1 lx. However, cortisol levels did not differ between control and treatment illumination levels. We conclude that artificial light at night at very low intensities may disturb biological rhythms in fish since nocturnal light levels around 1 lx are already found in urban waters. However, enhanced stress induction could not be demonstrated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Music Perception of Cochlear Implant Recipients with Implications for Music Instruction: A Review of Literature

PubMed Central

Hsiao, Feilin; Gfeller, Kate

2013-01-01

This review of literature presents a systematic analysis of the capabilities and limitations of cochlear implant recipients regarding music perception. Specifically, it a) analyzes individual components of music (e.g., rhythm, timbre, and pitch) as they interface with the technical characteristics of cochlear implants and the perceptual abilities of cochlear implant recipients; and b) describes accommodations for music instruction that support successful participation of children with cochlear implants. This article consolidates research studies from various disciplines (audiology, hearing science, speech-language pathology, cochlear implants, and music therapy) to provide practical recommendations for educators in fostering the musical growth of children with cochlear implants. PMID:23469365

Multimodal Neuroelectric Interface Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trejo, Leonard J.; Wheeler, Kevin R.; Jorgensen, Charles C.; Totah, Joseph (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This project aims to improve performance of NASA missions by developing multimodal neuroelectric technologies for augmented human-system interaction. Neuroelectric technologies will add completely new modes of interaction that operate in parallel with keyboards, speech, or other manual controls, thereby increasing the bandwidth of human-system interaction. We recently demonstrated the feasibility of real-time electromyographic (EMG) pattern recognition for a direct neuroelectric human-computer interface. We recorded EMG signals from an elastic sleeve with dry electrodes, while a human subject performed a range of discrete gestures. A machine-teaming algorithm was trained to recognize the EMG patterns associated with the gestures and map them to control signals. Successful applications now include piloting two Class 4 aircraft simulations (F-15 and 757) and entering data with a "virtual" numeric keyboard. Current research focuses on on-line adaptation of EMG sensing and processing and recognition of continuous gestures. We are also extending this on-line pattern recognition methodology to electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. This will allow us to bypass muscle activity and draw control signals directly from the human brain. Our system can reliably detect P-rhythm (a periodic EEG signal from motor cortex in the 10 Hz range) with a lightweight headset containing saline-soaked sponge electrodes. The data show that EEG p-rhythm can be modulated by real and imaginary motions. Current research focuses on using biofeedback to train of human subjects to modulate EEG rhythms on demand, and to examine interactions of EEG-based control with EMG-based and manual control. Viewgraphs on these neuroelectric technologies are also included.

The Human Voice in Speech and Singing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindblom, Björn; Sundberg, Johan

This chapter speech describes various aspects of the human voice as a means of communication in speech and singing. From the point of view of function, vocal sounds can be regarded as the end result of a three stage process: (1) the compression of air in the respiratory system, which produces an exhalatory airstream, (2) the vibrating vocal folds' transformation of this air stream to an intermittent or pulsating air stream, which is a complex tone, referred to as the voice source, and (3) the filtering of this complex tone in the vocal tract resonator. The main function of the respiratory system is to generate an overpressure of air under the glottis, or a subglottal pressure. Section 16.1 describes different aspects of the respiratory system of significance to speech and singing, including lung volume ranges, subglottal pressures, and how this pressure is affected by the ever-varying recoil forces. The complex tone generated when the air stream from the lungs passes the vibrating vocal folds can be varied in at least three dimensions: fundamental frequency, amplitude and spectrum. Section 16.2 describes how these properties of the voice source are affected by the subglottal pressure, the length and stiffness of the vocal folds and how firmly the vocal folds are adducted. Section 16.3 gives an account of the vocal tract filter, how its form determines the frequencies of its resonances, and Sect. 16.4 gives an account for how these resonance frequencies or formants shape the vocal sounds by imposing spectrum peaks separated by spectrum valleys, and how the frequencies of these peaks determine vowel and voice qualities. The remaining sections of the chapter describe various aspects of the acoustic signals used for vocal communication in speech and singing. The syllable structure is discussed in Sect. 16.5, the closely related aspects of rhythmicity and timing in speech and singing is described in Sect. 16.6, and pitch and rhythm aspects in Sect. 16.7. The impressive control of all these acoustic characteristics of vocal signals is discussed in Sect. 16.8, while Sect. 16.9 considers expressive aspects of vocal communication.

The evolution of primary progressive apraxia of speech.

PubMed

Josephs, Keith A; Duffy, Joseph R; Strand, Edythe A; Machulda, Mary M; Senjem, Matthew L; Gunter, Jeffrey L; Schwarz, Christopher G; Reid, Robert I; Spychalla, Anthony J; Lowe, Val J; Jack, Clifford R; Whitwell, Jennifer L

2014-10-01

Primary progressive apraxia of speech is a recently described neurodegenerative disorder in which patients present with an isolated apraxia of speech and show focal degeneration of superior premotor cortex. Little is known about how these individuals progress over time, making it difficult to provide prognostic estimates. Thirteen subjects with primary progressive apraxia of speech underwent two serial comprehensive clinical and neuroimaging evaluations 2.4 years apart [median age of onset = 67 years (range: 49-76), seven females]. All underwent detailed speech and language, neurological and neuropsychological assessments, and magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography at both baseline and follow-up. Rates of change of whole brain, ventricle, and midbrain volumes were calculated using the boundary-shift integral and atlas-based parcellation, and rates of regional grey matter atrophy were assessed using tensor-based morphometry. White matter tract degeneration was assessed on diffusion-tensor imaging at each time-point. Patterns of hypometabolism were assessed at the single subject-level. Neuroimaging findings were compared with a cohort of 20 age, gender, and scan-interval matched healthy controls. All subjects developed extrapyramidal signs. In eight subjects the apraxia of speech remained the predominant feature. In the other five there was a striking progression of symptoms that had evolved into a progressive supranuclear palsy-like syndrome; they showed a combination of severe parkinsonism, near mutism, dysphagia with choking, vertical supranuclear gaze palsy or slowing, balance difficulties with falls and urinary incontinence, and one was wheelchair bound. Rates of whole brain atrophy (1.5% per year; controls = 0.4% per year), ventricular expansion (8.0% per year; controls = 3.3% per year) and midbrain atrophy (1.5% per year; controls = 0.1% per year) were elevated (P ≤ 0.001) in all 13, compared to controls. Increased rates of brain atrophy over time were observed throughout the premotor cortex, as well as prefrontal cortex, motor cortex, basal ganglia and midbrain, while white matter tract degeneration spread into the splenium of the corpus callosum and motor cortex white matter. Hypometabolism progressed over time in almost all subjects. These findings demonstrate that some subjects with primary progressive apraxia of speech will rapidly evolve and develop a devastating progressive supranuclear palsy-like syndrome ∼ 5 years after onset, perhaps related to progressive involvement of neocortex, basal ganglia and midbrain. These findings help improve our understanding of primary progressive apraxia of speech and provide some important prognostic guidelines. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of exposure to sulfur mustard on speech aerodynamics.

PubMed

Heydari, Fatemeh; Ghanei, Mostafa

2011-01-01

Sulfur mustard is an alkylating agent with highly cytotoxic properties even at low exposure. It was used widely against both military and civilian population by Iraqi forces in the Iraq-Iran war (1983-1988). Although various aspects of mustard gas effects on patients with chemical injury have been relatively well characterized, its effects on speech are still evolving. We evaluated aerodynamics of speech in male patients following sulfur mustard inhalation. In a case-control study patients with chemical injuries (n=19) along with age and sex-matched healthy control group (n=20) were selected. Aerodynamic analyses were performed by using the Glasgow Airflow Measurement System (known as ST1 dysphonia). Results indicated that except mean flow rate, there were statistically significant differences in vital capacity, phonation time, phonation volume, vocal velocity index, total expired volume and phonation quotient of patients between experimental and control groups (P<0.05). This study demonstrated mustard gas can impair different parameters of speech aerodynamics. As a result of this activity, the reader will be able to describe: (1) the evaluation of air flow in relation to speech system dysfunction and efficiency; (2) the effect of sulfur mustard known as mustard gas on respiratory physiology. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Natural daylight restricted to twilights delays the timing of testicular regression but does not affect the timing of the daily activity rhythm of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus)

PubMed Central

Trivedi, Amit K; Rani, Sangeeta; Kumar, Vinod

2006-01-01

Background A stable and systematic daily change in light levels at dawn and dusk provides the most reliable indicator of the phase of the day. It is likely that organisms have evolved mechanisms to use these twilight transitions as the primary zeitgeber to adjust their circadian phases. In this study, we investigated under natural illumination conditions the effects of daylight exposure restricted to twilights on the timing of testicular regression and locomotor activity of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), which possesses a strongly self-sustaining circadian system. Methods and results Two experiments were performed on adult male house sparrows. Beginning in the third week of April, the first experiment examined whether exposure to natural daylight only during twilights influenced the timing of testicular regression and concomitant changes in testosterone-dependent beak color of reproductively mature sparrows. Interestingly, there was a significant delay in testicular regression and depigmentation of the beak in sparrows exposed to natural daylight (NDL) only during twilights as compared to those exposed to NDL all day. The second experiment examined twice in the year, around the equinoxes (March and September), the effects of exposure to twilights only on the daily activity rhythm of sparrows kept in an outdoor aviary. Five of 7 birds continued exhibiting entrained activity rhythms when exposed only to twilights (NDL minus day light from sunrise to sunset) in September, but not in March. Both in NDL and twilight conditions, March birds had significantly lower activity counts than September birds. Conclusion Exposure to natural daylight only during twilights delayed the timing of testicular regression and concomitant depigmentation of the beak but did not affect the daily activity rhythm in male sparrows. This suggests that daily twilights can serve as cues for regulation of the circadian activity rhythm but not for the photoperiodic regulation of testicular cycle in the house sparrow. PMID:16553964

Network Speech Systems Technology Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinstein, C. J.

1980-09-01

This report documents work performed during FY 1980 on the DCA-sponsored Network Speech Systems Technology Program. The areas of work reported are: (1) communication systems studies in Demand-Assignment Multiple Access (DAMA), voice/data integration, and adaptive routing, in support of the evolving Defense Communications System (DCS) and Defense Switched Network (DSN); (2) a satellite/terrestrial integration design study including the functional design of voice and data interfaces to interconnect terrestrial and satellite network subsystems; and (3) voice-conferencing efforts dealing with support of the Secure Voice and Graphics Conferencing (SVGC) Test and Evaluation Program. Progress in definition and planning of experiments for the Experimental Integrated Switched Network (EISN) is detailed separately in an FY 80 Experiment Plan Supplement.

Neurologic and developmental features of the Smith-Magenis syndrome (del 17p11.2).

PubMed

Gropman, Andrea L; Duncan, Wallace C; Smith, Ann C M

2006-05-01

The Smith-Magenis syndrome is a rare, complex multisystemic disorder featuring, mental retardation and multiple congenital anomalies caused by a heterozygous interstitial deletion of chromosome 17p11.2. The phenotype of Smith-Magenis syndrome is characterized by a distinct pattern of features including infantile hypotonia, generalized complacency and lethargy in infancy, minor skeletal (brachycephaly, brachydactyly) and craniofacial features, ocular abnormalities, middle ear and laryngeal abnormalities including hoarse voice, as well as marked early expressive speech and language delays, psychomotor and growth retardation, and a 24-hour sleep disturbance. A striking neurobehavioral pattern of stereotypies, hyperactivity, polyembolokoilamania, onychotillomania, maladaptive and self-injurious and aggressive behavior is observed with increasing age. The diagnosis of Smith-Magenis syndrome is based upon the clinical recognition of a constellation of physical, developmental, and behavioral features in combination with a sleep disorder characterized by inverted circadian rhythm of melatonin secretion. Many of the features of Smith-Magenis syndrome are subtle in infancy and early childhood, and become more recognizable with advancing age. Infants are described as looking "cherubic" with a Down syndrome-like appearance, whereas with age the facial appearance is that of relative prognathism. Early diagnosis requires awareness of the often subtle clinical and neurobehavioral phenotype of the infant period. Speech delay with or without hearing loss is common. Most children are diagnosed in mid-childhood when the features of the disorder are most recognizable and striking. While improvements in cytogenetic analysis help to bring cases to clinical recognition at an earlier age, this review seeks to increase clinical awareness about Smith-Magenis syndrome by presenting the salient features observed at different ages including descriptions of the neurologic and behavioral features. Detailed review of the circadian rhythm disturbance unique to Smith-Magenis syndrome is presented. Suggestions for management of the behavioral and sleep difficulties are discussed in the context of the authors' personal experience in the setting of an ongoing Smith-Magenis syndrome natural history study.

Standing by?…?Standing off--Troublesome Compassion in the Relationships of School Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huuki, Tuija; Sunnari, Vappu

2015-01-01

This paper draws on the story of "Mikael", a schoolboy from northern Finland, to examine how his affective ties of compassion and his pursuit of dominant forms of masculinity evolve in his journey from middle childhood to young adulthood. In his earlier years, Mikael's speech regarding his relationships with peers and family members…

This Book Is Not about Drama: It's about New Ways to Inspire Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrs, Myra; Barton, Bob; Booth, David

2012-01-01

"This Book Is Not About Drama" explores issues around storytelling, silent speech, writing and imagination and shows teachers how to use role play and discussion to build language experiences that are meaningful for learners. This authoritative resource is full of simple strategies that begin with the simple and evolve in to more complex…

Sherlock Holmes and the Strange Case of the Missing Attribution: A Historical Note on "The Grandfather Passage"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reilly, Jamie; Fisher, Jamie L.

2012-01-01

Purpose: In 1963, Charles Van Riper published "My Grandfather," a short reading passage that has evolved into a ubiquitous metric of reading ability and speech intelligibility. In this historical note, we describe several heretofore unacknowledged similarities between "The Grandfather Passage" (Darley, Aronson, & Brown, 1975) and a portion of "The…

THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF SPEECH AND READING PROBLEMS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DELACATO, CARL H.

THE BASIC THESIS OF THE AUTHOR IS THAT THE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF MAN HAS EVOLVED FROM A VERY SIMPLE TO A VERY COMPLEX MECHANISM. MAN HAS ACHIEVED CORTICAL DOMINANCE WHEREIN ONE SIDE OF THE CORTEX CONTROLS THE SKILLS WHICH SEPARATE MAN FROM OTHER ANIMALS. THIS EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS MUST BE RECAPITULATED ONTOGENETICALLY OR MOBILITY AND COMMUNICATION…

Djinnati syndrome: symptoms and prevalence in rural population of Baluchistan (southeast of Iran).

PubMed

Bakhshani, Nour Mohammad; Hosseinbore, Nasrin; Kianpoor, Mohsen

2013-12-01

The present study describes "Djinnati," a culture-bound syndrome and examines its prevalence and demographic attributes such as age, gender and education level in the rural population of Baluchistan in southeast Iran. In this cross-sectional study, the participants (n=4129) were recruited from people living in rural areas of Baluchistan (southeast Iran) by multistage sampling. The data were collected through interviews with local healers, health care personnel, family health records, interview patients suspected with the disorder and their relatives. We administered the dissociative experiences scale. Prevalence of Djinnati syndrome was about 0.5% in the studied population and 1.03% in women. All patients who experienced episodic symptoms of Djinnati were female. The most common reported symptoms were altered consciousness and memory, muteness, laughing, crying, incomprehensible speech and hallucination that have been attributed to a foreign entity called "Djinn." In addition loss of speech or change in speech rhythm and tone of voice was observed in a subgroup. In one case, speaking in a different language during the attack was reported. There was partial and rarely complete amnesia during the attack. Attacks usually lasted from 30 min to 2h. It is suggested that future studies explore prevalence of Djinnati syndrome in women and explore predisposing, precipitating, and maintaining factors. It is further suggested that a comprehensive pathology model should integrate the data related to socio-cultural context in order to prevent and treat this syndrome. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modelling and Analysis of the Feeding Regimen Induced Entrainment of Hepatocyte Circadian Oscillators Using Petri Nets

PubMed Central

Tareen, Samar Hayat Khan; Ahmad, Jamil

2015-01-01

Circadian rhythms are certain periodic behaviours exhibited by living organism at different levels, including cellular and system-wide scales. Recent studies have found that the circadian rhythms of several peripheral organs in mammals, such as the liver, are able to entrain their clocks to received signals independent of other system level clocks, in particular when responding to signals generated during feeding. These studies have found SIRT1, PARP1, and HSF1 proteins to be the major influencers of the core CLOCKBMAL1:PER-CRY circadian clock. These entities, along with abstracted feeding induced signals were modelled collectively in this study using Petri Nets. The properties of the model show that the circadian system itself is strongly robust, and is able to continually evolve. The modelled feeding regimens suggest that the usual 3 meals/day and 2 meals/day feeding regimens are beneficial with any more or less meals/day negatively affecting the system. PMID:25789928

Bone growth marks reveal protracted growth in New Zealand kiwi (Aves, Apterygidae)

PubMed Central

Bourdon, Estelle; Castanet, Jacques; de Ricqlès, Armand; Scofield, Paul; Tennyson, Alan; Lamrous, Hayat; Cubo, Jorge

2009-01-01

The presence of bone growth marks reflecting annual rhythms in the cortical bone of non-avian tetrapods is now established as a general phenomenon. In contrast, ornithurines (the theropod group including modern birds and their closest relatives) usually grow rapidly in less than a year, such that no annual rhythms are expressed in bone cortices, except scarce growth marks restricted to the outer cortical layer. So far, cyclical growth in modern birds has been restricted to the Eocene Diatryma, the extant parrot Amazona amazonica and the extinct New Zealand (NZ) moa (Dinornithidae). Here we show the presence of lines of arrested growth in the long bones of the living NZ kiwi (Apteryx spp., Apterygidae). Kiwis take 5–6 years to reach full adult body size, which indicates a delayed maturity and a slow reproductive cycle. Protracted growth probably evolved convergently in moa and kiwi sometime since the Middle Miocene, owing to the severe climatic cooling in the southwest Pacific and the absence of mammalian predators. PMID:19515655

Synchrony and desynchrony in circadian clocks: impacts on learning and memory

PubMed Central

Krishnan, Harini C.

2015-01-01

Circadian clocks evolved under conditions of environmental variation, primarily alternating light dark cycles, to enable organisms to anticipate daily environmental events and coordinate metabolic, physiological, and behavioral activities. However, modern lifestyle and advances in technology have increased the percentage of individuals working in phases misaligned with natural circadian activity rhythms. Endogenous circadian oscillators modulate alertness, the acquisition of learning, memory formation, and the recall of memory with examples of circadian modulation of memory observed across phyla from invertebrates to humans. Cognitive performance and memory are significantly diminished when occurring out of phase with natural circadian rhythms. Disruptions in circadian regulation can lead to impairment in the formation of memories and manifestation of other cognitive deficits. This review explores the types of interactions through which the circadian clock modulates cognition, highlights recent progress in identifying mechanistic interactions between the circadian system and the processes involved in memory formation, and outlines methods used to remediate circadian perturbations and reinforce circadian adaptation. PMID:26286653

Digital Daily Cycles of Individuals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aledavood, Talayeh; Lehmann, Sune; Saramäki, Jari

2015-10-01

Humans, like almost all animals, are phase-locked to the diurnal cycle. Most of us sleep at night and are active through the day. Because we have evolved to function with this cycle, the circadian rhythm is deeply ingrained and even detectable at the biochemical level. However, within the broader day-night pattern, there are individual differences: e.g., some of us are intrinsically morning-active, while others prefer evenings. In this article, we look at digital daily cycles: circadian patterns of activity viewed through the lens of auto-recorded data of communication and online activity. We begin at the aggregate level, discuss earlier results, and illustrate differences between population-level daily rhythms in different media. Then we move on to the individual level, and show that there is a strong individual-level variation beyond averages: individuals typically have their distinctive daily pattern that persists in time. We conclude by discussing the driving forces behind these signature daily patterns, from personal traits (morningness/eveningness) to variation in activity level and external constraints, and outline possibilities for future research.

Nursing physical assessment for patient safety in general wards: reaching consensus on core skills.

PubMed

Douglas, Clint; Booker, Catriona; Fox, Robyn; Windsor, Carol; Osborne, Sonya; Gardner, Glenn

2016-07-01

To determine consensus across acute care specialty areas on core physical assessment skills necessary for early recognition of changes in patient status in general wards. Current approaches to physical assessment are inconsistent and have not evolved to meet increased patient and system demands. New models of nursing assessment are needed in general wards that ensure a proactive and patient safety approach. A modified Delphi study. Focus group interviews with 150 acute care registered nurses at a large tertiary referral hospital generated a framework of core skills that were developed into a web-based survey. We then sought consensus with a panel of 35 senior acute care registered nurses following a classical Delphi approach over three rounds. Consensus was predefined as at least 80% agreement for each skill across specialty areas. Content analysis of focus group transcripts identified 40 discrete core physical assessment skills. In the Delphi rounds, 16 of these were consensus validated as core skills and were conceptually aligned with the primary survey: (Airway) Assess airway patency; (Breathing) Measure respiratory rate, Evaluate work of breathing, Measure oxygen saturation; (Circulation) Palpate pulse rate and rhythm, Measure blood pressure by auscultation, Assess urine output; (Disability) Assess level of consciousness, Evaluate speech, Assess for pain; (Exposure) Measure body temperature, Inspect skin integrity, Inspect and palpate skin for signs of pressure injury, Observe any wounds, dressings, drains and invasive lines, Observe ability to transfer and mobilise, Assess bowel movements. Among a large and diverse group of experienced acute care registered nurses consensus was achieved on a structured core physical assessment to detect early changes in patient status. Although further research is needed to refine the model, clinical application should promote systematic assessment and clinical reasoning at the bedside. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Earth--moon evolution: implications for the mechanism of the biological clock?

PubMed

Shweiki, D

2001-04-01

The geophysical characteristics of the planet Earth dictate the physiological traits of living organisms. Changes in the geophysical conditions over the course of geological time are responsible for major evolutionary changes in life emergence and evolvement. Calendar day length is one of earth's geophysical characteristics which is under a constant, if extremely small, progressive change. This enforces an adjustment of circadian rhythmicity throughout geological time. The calendar day has extended approximately 9 hours in the last 3.5 billion years. Two mechanisms for circadian-rhythm adjustment are suggested: a directional selection mechanism -- an endogenous -- oriented explanation regarding a genetic drift in the population's endogenous oscillation toward a lengthened daily cycle; and an exogenous calibration mechanism - a hypothesis on the existence of a geophysical responsive element which senses a geophysical stimuli and calibrates the inner cellular oscillation in accordance with the length of the calendar day. A distinguishing experiment between the two explanations is suggested and discussed. Circadian rhythm mechanism and the evolution of circadian rhythmicity are tightly connected. Circadian rhythms' evolutionary theories are discussed in light of their contribution to our understanding of the selective pressures being applied throughout geological time and of how, once the clock has been established, it maintains an ongoing adjustment to a continuous change in the length of day.I argue that the exogenous calibration mechanism combines with the endosymbiont coordination theory, together, present an explanation to the path by which the calendar day adjustment was acquired and maintained. This hypothesis suggests a role for gravity cyclic force and for cytoskeleton's components in calendar day adjustment mechanism and circadian rhythm entrainment. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

A study of voice production characteristics of astronuat speech during Apollo 11 for speaker modeling in space.

PubMed

Yu, Chengzhu; Hansen, John H L

2017-03-01

Human physiology has evolved to accommodate environmental conditions, including temperature, pressure, and air chemistry unique to Earth. However, the environment in space varies significantly compared to that on Earth and, therefore, variability is expected in astronauts' speech production mechanism. In this study, the variations of astronaut voice characteristics during the NASA Apollo 11 mission are analyzed. Specifically, acoustical features such as fundamental frequency and phoneme formant structure that are closely related to the speech production system are studied. For a further understanding of astronauts' vocal tract spectrum variation in space, a maximum likelihood frequency warping based analysis is proposed to detect the vocal tract spectrum displacement during space conditions. The results from fundamental frequency, formant structure, as well as vocal spectrum displacement indicate that astronauts change their speech production mechanism when in space. Moreover, the experimental results for astronaut voice identification tasks indicate that current speaker recognition solutions are highly vulnerable to astronaut voice production variations in space conditions. Future recommendations from this study suggest that successful applications of speaker recognition during extended space missions require robust speaker modeling techniques that could effectively adapt to voice production variation caused by diverse space conditions.

Context-dependent categorical perception in a songbird

PubMed Central

Lachlan, Robert F.; Nowicki, Stephen

2015-01-01

Some of the psychological abilities that underlie human speech are shared with other species. One hallmark of speech is that linguistic context affects both how speech sounds are categorized into phonemes, and how different versions of phonemes are produced. We here confirm earlier findings that swamp sparrows categorically perceive the notes that constitute their learned songs and then investigate how categorical boundaries differ according to context. We clustered notes according to their acoustic structure, and found statistical evidence for clustering into 10 population-wide note types. Examining how three related types were perceived, we found, in both discrimination and labeling tests, that an “intermediate” note type is categorized with a “short” type when it occurs at the beginning of a song syllable, but with a “long” type at the end of a syllable. In sum, three produced note-type clusters appear to be underlain by two perceived categories. Thus, in birdsong, as in human speech, categorical perception is context-dependent, and as is the case for human phonology, there is a complex relationship between underlying categorical representations and surface forms. Our results therefore suggest that complex phonology can evolve even in the absence of rich linguistic components, like syntax and semantics. PMID:25561538

Learning to talk: A non-imitative account of the replication of phonetics by child learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messum, Piers

2005-04-01

How is it that an English-speaking 5-year-old comes to: pronounce the vowel of seat to be longer than that of sit, but shorter than that of seed; say a multi-word phrase with stress-timed rhythm; aspirate the /p/s of pin, polite, and spin to different degrees? These are systematic features of English, and most people believe that a child replicates them by imitation. If so, he is paying attention to phonetic detail in adult speech that is not very significant linguistically, and then making the effort to reproduce it. With all the other communicative challenges he faces, how plausible is this? An alternative, non-imitative account of the replication of these features relies on two mechanisms: (1) emulation, and (2) the conditioning of articulatory activity by the developing characteristics of speech breathing. The phenomena above then become no more than expressions of how a child finds ways to warp his phonetic output in order to reconcile conflicting production demands. The criteria he uses to do this make the challenges both of learning to talk and then of managing the interaction of complex phonetic patterns considerably more straightforward than has been imagined.

Open source OCR framework using mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Steven Zhiying; Gilani, Syed Omer; Winkler, Stefan

2008-02-01

Mobile phones have evolved from passive one-to-one communication device to powerful handheld computing device. Today most new mobile phones are capable of capturing images, recording video, and browsing internet and do much more. Exciting new social applications are emerging on mobile landscape, like, business card readers, sing detectors and translators. These applications help people quickly gather the information in digital format and interpret them without the need of carrying laptops or tablet PCs. However with all these advancements we find very few open source software available for mobile phones. For instance currently there are many open source OCR engines for desktop platform but, to our knowledge, none are available on mobile platform. Keeping this in perspective we propose a complete text detection and recognition system with speech synthesis ability, using existing desktop technology. In this work we developed a complete OCR framework with subsystems from open source desktop community. This includes a popular open source OCR engine named Tesseract for text detection & recognition and Flite speech synthesis module, for adding text-to-speech ability.

Influences on infant speech processing: toward a new synthesis.

PubMed

Werker, J F; Tees, R C

1999-01-01

To comprehend and produce language, we must be able to recognize the sound patterns of our language and the rules for how these sounds "map on" to meaning. Human infants are born with a remarkable array of perceptual sensitivities that allow them to detect the basic properties that are common to the world's languages. During the first year of life, these sensitivities undergo modification reflecting an exquisite tuning to just that phonological information that is needed to map sound to meaning in the native language. We review this transition from language-general to language-specific perceptual sensitivity that occurs during the first year of life and consider whether the changes propel the child into word learning. To account for the broad-based initial sensitivities and subsequent reorganizations, we offer an integrated transactional framework based on the notion of a specialized perceptual-motor system that has evolved to serve human speech, but which functions in concert with other developing abilities. In so doing, we highlight the links between infant speech perception, babbling, and word learning.

Cerebellar contributions to motor timing: a PET study of auditory and visual rhythm reproduction.

PubMed

Penhune, V B; Zattore, R J; Evans, A C

1998-11-01

The perception and production of temporal patterns, or rhythms, is important for both music and speech. However, the way in which the human brain achieves accurate timing of perceptual input and motor output is as yet little understood. Central control of both motor timing and perceptual timing across modalities has been linked to both the cerebellum and the basal ganglia (BG). The present study was designed to test the hypothesized central control of temporal processing and to examine the roles of the cerebellum, BG, and sensory association areas. In this positron emission tomography (PET) activation paradigm, subjects reproduced rhythms of increasing temporal complexity that were presented separately in the auditory and visual modalities. The results provide support for a supramodal contribution of the lateral cerebellar cortex and cerebellar vermis to the production of a timed motor response, particularly when it is complex and/or novel. The results also give partial support to the involvement of BG structures in motor timing, although this may be more directly related to implementation of the motor response than to timing per se. Finally, sensory association areas and the ventrolateral frontal cortex were found to be involved in modality-specific encoding and retrieval of the temporal stimuli. Taken together, these results point to the participation of a number of neural structures in the production of a timed motor response from an external stimulus. The role of the cerebellum in timing is conceptualized not as a clock or counter but simply as the structure that provides the necessary circuitry for the sensory system to extract temporal information and for the motor system to learn to produce a precisely timed response.

Alpha Rhythms in Audition: Cognitive and Clinical Perspectives

PubMed Central

Weisz, Nathan; Hartmann, Thomas; Müller, Nadia; Lorenz, Isabel; Obleser, Jonas

2011-01-01

Like the visual and the sensorimotor systems, the auditory system exhibits pronounced alpha-like resting oscillatory activity. Due to the relatively small spatial extent of auditory cortical areas, this rhythmic activity is less obvious and frequently masked by non-auditory alpha-generators when recording non-invasively using magnetoencephalography (MEG) or electroencephalography (EEG). Following stimulation with sounds, marked desynchronizations can be observed between 6 and 12 Hz, which can be localized to the auditory cortex. However knowledge about the functional relevance of the auditory alpha rhythm has remained scarce so far. Results from the visual and sensorimotor system have fuelled the hypothesis of alpha activity reflecting a state of functional inhibition. The current article pursues several intentions: (1) Firstly we review and present own evidence (MEG, EEG, sEEG) for the existence of an auditory alpha-like rhythm independent of visual or motor generators, something that is occasionally met with skepticism. (2) In a second part we will discuss tinnitus and how this audiological symptom may relate to reduced background alpha. The clinical part will give an introduction into a method which aims to modulate neurophysiological activity hypothesized to underlie this distressing disorder. Using neurofeedback, one is able to directly target relevant oscillatory activity. Preliminary data point to a high potential of this approach for treating tinnitus. (3) Finally, in a cognitive neuroscientific part we will show that auditory alpha is modulated by anticipation/expectations with and without auditory stimulation. We will also introduce ideas and initial evidence that alpha oscillations are involved in the most complex capability of the auditory system, namely speech perception. The evidence presented in this article corroborates findings from other modalities, indicating that alpha-like activity functionally has an universal inhibitory role across sensory modalities. PMID:21687444

Interpretations of Frequency Domain Analyses of Neural Entrainment: Periodicity, Fundamental Frequency, and Harmonics.

PubMed

Zhou, Hong; Melloni, Lucia; Poeppel, David; Ding, Nai

2016-01-01

Brain activity can follow the rhythms of dynamic sensory stimuli, such as speech and music, a phenomenon called neural entrainment. It has been hypothesized that low-frequency neural entrainment in the neural delta and theta bands provides a potential mechanism to represent and integrate temporal information. Low-frequency neural entrainment is often studied using periodically changing stimuli and is analyzed in the frequency domain using the Fourier analysis. The Fourier analysis decomposes a periodic signal into harmonically related sinusoids. However, it is not intuitive how these harmonically related components are related to the response waveform. Here, we explain the interpretation of response harmonics, with a special focus on very low-frequency neural entrainment near 1 Hz. It is illustrated why neural responses repeating at f Hz do not necessarily generate any neural response at f Hz in the Fourier spectrum. A strong neural response at f Hz indicates that the time scales of the neural response waveform within each cycle match the time scales of the stimulus rhythm. Therefore, neural entrainment at very low frequency implies not only that the neural response repeats at f Hz but also that each period of the neural response is a slow wave matching the time scale of a f Hz sinusoid.

Clapping in time parallels literacy and calls upon overlapping neural mechanisms in early readers.

PubMed

Bonacina, Silvia; Krizman, Jennifer; White-Schwoch, Travis; Kraus, Nina

2018-05-12

The auditory system is extremely precise in processing the temporal information of perceptual events and using these cues to coordinate action. Synchronizing movement to a steady beat relies on this bidirectional connection between sensory and motor systems, and activates many of the auditory and cognitive processes used when reading. Here, we use Interactive Metronome, a clinical intervention technology requiring an individual to clap her hands in time with a steady beat, to investigate whether the links between literacy and synchronization skills, previously established in older children, are also evident in children who are learning to read. We tested 64 typically developing children (ages 5-7 years) on their synchronization abilities, neurophysiological responses to speech in noise, and literacy skills. We found that children who have lower variability in synchronizing have higher phase consistency, higher stability, and more accurate envelope encoding-all neurophysiological response components linked to language skills. Moreover, performing the same task with visual feedback reveals links with literacy skills, notably processing speed, phonological processing, word reading, spelling, morphology, and syntax. These results suggest that rhythm skills and literacy call on overlapping neural mechanisms, supporting the idea that rhythm training may boost literacy in part by engaging sensory-motor systems. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Animal-Microbial Symbioses in Changing Environments

PubMed Central

Carey, Hannah V.; Duddleston, Khrystyne N.

2014-01-01

The environments in which animals have evolved and live have profound effects on all aspects of their biology. Predictable rhythmic changes in the physical environment are arguably among the most important forces shaping the evolution of behavior and physiology of animals, and to anticipate and prepare for these predictable changes animals have evolved biological clocks. Unpredictable changes in the physical environment have important impacts on animal biology as well. The ability of animals to cope with and survive unpredictable perturbations depends on phenotypic plasticity and/or microevolution. From the time metazoans first evolved from their protistan ancestors they have lived in close association with a diverse array of microbes that have influenced, in some way, all aspects of the evolution of animal structure, function and behavior. Yet, few studies have addressed whether daily or seasonal rhythms may affect, or be affected by, an animal’s microbial symbionts. This survey highlights how biologists interested in the ecological and evolutionary physiology of animals whose lifestyles are influenced by environmental cycles may benefit from considering whether symbiotic microbes have shaped the features they study. PMID:25086977

The Human Voice in Speech and Singing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindblom, Björn; Sundberg, Johan

This chapter describes various aspects of the human voice as a means of communication in speech and singing. From the point of view of function, vocal sounds can be regarded as the end result of a three stage process: (1) the compression of air in the respiratory system, which produces an exhalatory airstream, (2) the vibrating vocal folds' transformation of this air stream to an intermittent or pulsating air stream, which is a complex tone, referred to as the voice source, and (3) the filtering of this complex tone in the vocal tract resonator. The main function of the respiratory system is to generate an overpressure of air under the glottis, or a subglottal pressure. Section 16.1 describes different aspects of the respiratory system of significance to speech and singing, including lung volume ranges, subglottal pressures, and how this pressure is affected by the ever-varying recoil forces. The complex tone generated when the air stream from the lungs passes the vibrating vocal folds can be varied in at least three dimensions: fundamental frequency, amplitude and spectrum. Section 16.2 describes how these properties of the voice source are affected by the subglottal pressure, the length and stiffness of the vocal folds and how firmly the vocal folds are adducted. Section 16.3 gives an account of the vocal tract filter, how its form determines the frequencies of its resonances, and Sect. 16.4 gives an account for how these resonance frequencies or formants shape the vocal sounds by imposing spectrum peaks separated by spectrum valleys, and how the frequencies of these peaks determine vowel and voice qualities. The remaining sections of the chapter describe various aspects of the acoustic signals used for vocal communication in speech and singing. The syllable structure is discussed in Sect. 16.5, the closely related aspects of rhythmicity and timing in speech and singing is described in Sect. 16.6, and pitch and rhythm aspects in Sect. 16.7. The impressive control of all these acoustic characteristics of vocal signals is discussed in Sect. 16.8, while Sect. 16.9 considers expressive aspects of vocal communication.

Comparison of bimodal and bilateral cochlear implant users on speech recognition with competing talker, music perception, affective prosody discrimination, and talker identification.

PubMed

Cullington, Helen E; Zeng, Fan-Gang

2011-02-01

Despite excellent performance in speech recognition in quiet, most cochlear implant users have great difficulty with speech recognition in noise, music perception, identifying tone of voice, and discriminating different talkers. This may be partly due to the pitch coding in cochlear implant speech processing. Most current speech processing strategies use only the envelope information; the temporal fine structure is discarded. One way to improve electric pitch perception is to use residual acoustic hearing via a hearing aid on the nonimplanted ear (bimodal hearing). This study aimed to test the hypothesis that bimodal users would perform better than bilateral cochlear implant users on tasks requiring good pitch perception. Four pitch-related tasks were used. 1. Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) sentences spoken by a male talker with a competing female, male, or child talker. 2. Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia. This is a music test with six subtests examining pitch, rhythm and timing perception, and musical memory. 3. Aprosodia Battery. This has five subtests evaluating aspects of affective prosody and recognition of sarcasm. 4. Talker identification using vowels spoken by 10 different talkers (three men, three women, two boys, and two girls). Bilateral cochlear implant users were chosen as the comparison group. Thirteen bimodal and 13 bilateral adult cochlear implant users were recruited; all had good speech perception in quiet. There were no significant differences between the mean scores of the bimodal and bilateral groups on any of the tests, although the bimodal group did perform better than the bilateral group on almost all tests. Performance on the different pitch-related tasks was not correlated, meaning that if a subject performed one task well they would not necessarily perform well on another. The correlation between the bimodal users' hearing threshold levels in the aided ear and their performance on these tasks was weak. Although the bimodal cochlear implant group performed better than the bilateral group on most parts of the four pitch-related tests, the differences were not statistically significant. The lack of correlation between test results shows that the tasks used are not simply providing a measure of pitch ability. Even if the bimodal users have better pitch perception, the real-world tasks used are reflecting more diverse skills than pitch. This research adds to the existing speech perception, language, and localization studies that show no significant difference between bimodal and bilateral cochlear implant users.

2013 Dewey Lecture: College--What Is It Good For?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labaree, David F.

2014-01-01

In this 2013 John Dewey Society Lecture I examine the history and the structure of the American system of higher education. I argue that the true hero of the story is the evolved "form" of the American university and that all the things we love about it, like free speech, are the side effects of a structure that arose for other purposes.…

Racial Extremism in the Army

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-04-01

viewpoint (e.g., prohibiting speech made by certain political parties or religions ) are considered forms of "viewpoint-based" discrimination and are...on race, color, sex, religion , or national origin; advocate the use of force or violence or unlawful means to deprive individuals of their rights...writings. The former derive from a mishmash of pseudoscience and fanaticism .... The latter evolved out of a tradition of high-powered political theory

The Transition from Animal to Linguistic Communication.

PubMed

Smit, Harry

Darwin's theory predicts that linguistic behavior gradually evolved out of animal forms of communication (signaling). However, this prediction is confronted by the conceptual problem that there is an essential difference between signaling and linguistic behavior: using words is a normative practice. It is argued that we can resolve this problem if we (1) note that language evolution is the outcome of an evolutionary transition, and (2) observe that the use of words evolves during ontogenesis out of babbling. It is discussed that language evolved as the result of an expansion of the vocalizing powers of our ancestors. This involved an increase in the volitional control of our speech apparatus (leading to the ability to produce new combinations of vowels and consonants), but also the evolution of socially guided learning. It resulted in unique human abilities, namely doing things with words and later reasoning and giving reasons.

Selling health data: de-identification, privacy, and speech.

PubMed

Kaplan, Bonnie

2015-07-01

Two court cases that involve selling prescription data for pharmaceutical marketing affect biomedical informatics, patient and clinician privacy, and regulation. Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc. et al. in the United States and R v. Department of Health, Ex Parte Source Informatics Ltd. in the United Kingdom concern privacy and health data protection, data de-identification and reidentification, drug detailing (marketing), commercial benefit from the required disclosure of personal information, clinician privacy and the duty of confidentiality, beneficial and unsavory uses of health data, regulating health technologies, and considering data as speech. Individuals should, at the very least, be aware of how data about them are collected and used. Taking account of how those data are used is needed so societal norms and law evolve ethically as new technologies affect health data privacy and protection.

Biorhythms on cellular and organismic level (introduction).

PubMed

Mergenhagen, D

1989-01-01

The regular change of day and night, of light and darkness during millions of years has strongly affected the development of life on earth. Many organisms adapted themselves to this environmental condition and, finally, evolved an endogenous timer which usually is in phase with the earth's rotation and causes many functions to perform one oscillation per day. Such circadian rhythms (derived from circa dies i.e. about 1 day) were found in almost all classes of plants and animals, and even in protozoans. They persist in a constant environment and, therefore, are independent of any known external trigger signals. Since even unicells perform circadian rhythms which are similar to those observed in highly developed multicellular organisms many scientists favor the existence of a basic mechanism common to all kinds of biological clocks that is located somewhere in the single cell and probably comprises many different biochemical reactions. One purpose of this topical meeting was to discuss how organisms respond to the absence of gravity and terrestrial zeitgeber and how they may react to the imposing of hypergravity fields. Another aim was to develop model-mechanisms appropriate to describe these responses.

Multiple layers of posttranslational regulation refine circadian clock activity in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Seo, Pil Joon; Mas, Paloma

2014-01-01

The circadian clock is a cellular time-keeper mechanism that regulates biological rhythms with a period of ~24 h. The circadian rhythms in metabolism, physiology, and development are synchronized by environmental cues such as light and temperature. In plants, proper matching of the internal circadian time with the external environment confers fitness advantages on plant survival and propagation. Accordingly, plants have evolved elaborated regulatory mechanisms that precisely control the circadian oscillations. Transcriptional feedback regulation of several clock components has been well characterized over the past years. However, the importance of additional regulatory mechanisms such as chromatin remodeling, protein complexes, protein phosphorylation, and stability is only starting to emerge. The multiple layers of circadian regulation enable plants to properly synchronize with the environmental cycles and to fine-tune the circadian oscillations. This review focuses on the diverse posttranslational events that regulate circadian clock function. We discuss the mechanistic insights explaining how plants articulate a high degree of complexity in their regulatory networks to maintain circadian homeostasis and to generate highly precise waveforms of circadian expression and activity.

Evolution of temporal order in living organisms

PubMed Central

Paranjpe, Dhanashree A; Sharma, Vijay Kumar

2005-01-01

Circadian clocks are believed to have evolved in parallel with the geological history of the earth, and have since been fine-tuned under selection pressures imposed by cyclic factors in the environment. These clocks regulate a wide variety of behavioral and metabolic processes in many life forms. They enhance the fitness of organisms by improving their ability to efficiently anticipate periodic events in their external environments, especially periodic changes in light, temperature and humidity. Circadian clocks provide fitness advantage even to organisms living under constant conditions, such as those prevailing in the depth of oceans or in subterranean caves, perhaps by coordinating several metabolic processes in the internal milieu. Although the issue of adaptive significance of circadian rhythms has always remained central to circadian biology research, it has never been subjected to systematic and rigorous empirical validation. A few studies carried out on free-living animals under field conditions and simulated periodic and aperiodic conditions of the laboratory suggest that circadian rhythms are of adaptive value to their owners. However, most of these studies suffer from a number of drawbacks such as lack of population-level replication, lack of true controls and lack of adequate control on the genetic composition of the populations, which in many ways limits the potential insights gained from the studies. The present review is an effort to critically discuss studies that directly or indirectly touch upon the issue of adaptive significance of circadian rhythms and highlight some shortcomings that should be avoided while designing future experiments. PMID:15869714

Ultraconserved words point to deep language ancestry across Eurasia.

PubMed

Pagel, Mark; Atkinson, Quentin D; S Calude, Andreea; Meade, Andrew

2013-05-21

The search for ever deeper relationships among the World's languages is bedeviled by the fact that most words evolve too rapidly to preserve evidence of their ancestry beyond 5,000 to 9,000 y. On the other hand, quantitative modeling indicates that some "ultraconserved" words exist that might be used to find evidence for deep linguistic relationships beyond that time barrier. Here we use a statistical model, which takes into account the frequency with which words are used in common everyday speech, to predict the existence of a set of such highly conserved words among seven language families of Eurasia postulated to form a linguistic superfamily that evolved from a common ancestor around 15,000 y ago. We derive a dated phylogenetic tree of this proposed superfamily with a time-depth of ~14,450 y, implying that some frequently used words have been retained in related forms since the end of the last ice age. Words used more than once per 1,000 in everyday speech were 7- to 10-times more likely to show deep ancestry on this tree. Our results suggest a remarkable fidelity in the transmission of some words and give theoretical justification to the search for features of language that might be preserved across wide spans of time and geography.

Ultraconserved words point to deep language ancestry across Eurasia

PubMed Central

Pagel, Mark; Atkinson, Quentin D.; S. Calude, Andreea; Meade, Andrew

2013-01-01

The search for ever deeper relationships among the World’s languages is bedeviled by the fact that most words evolve too rapidly to preserve evidence of their ancestry beyond 5,000 to 9,000 y. On the other hand, quantitative modeling indicates that some “ultraconserved” words exist that might be used to find evidence for deep linguistic relationships beyond that time barrier. Here we use a statistical model, which takes into account the frequency with which words are used in common everyday speech, to predict the existence of a set of such highly conserved words among seven language families of Eurasia postulated to form a linguistic superfamily that evolved from a common ancestor around 15,000 y ago. We derive a dated phylogenetic tree of this proposed superfamily with a time-depth of ∼14,450 y, implying that some frequently used words have been retained in related forms since the end of the last ice age. Words used more than once per 1,000 in everyday speech were 7- to 10-times more likely to show deep ancestry on this tree. Our results suggest a remarkable fidelity in the transmission of some words and give theoretical justification to the search for features of language that might be preserved across wide spans of time and geography. PMID:23650390

Evo-devo, deep homology and FoxP2: implications for the evolution of speech and language

PubMed Central

Scharff, Constance; Petri, Jana

2011-01-01

The evolution of novel morphological features, such as feathers, involves the modification of developmental processes regulated by gene networks. The fact that genetic novelty operates within developmental constraints is the central tenet of the ‘evo-devo’ conceptual framework. It is supported by findings that certain molecular regulatory pathways act in a similar manner in the development of morphological adaptations, which are not directly related by common ancestry but evolved convergently. The Pax6 gene, important for vision in molluscs, insects and vertebrates, and Hox genes, important for tetrapod limbs and fish fins, exemplify this ‘deep homology’. Recently, ‘evo-devo’ has expanded to the molecular analysis of behavioural traits, including social behaviour, learning and memory. Here, we apply this approach to the evolution of human language. Human speech is a form of auditory-guided, learned vocal motor behaviour that also evolved in certain species of birds, bats and ocean mammals. Genes relevant for language, including the transcription factor FOXP2, have been identified. We review evidence that FoxP2 and its regulatory gene network shapes neural plasticity in cortico-basal ganglia circuits underlying the sensory-guided motor learning in animal models. The emerging picture can help us understand how complex cognitive traits can ‘descend with modification’. PMID:21690130

Evo-devo, deep homology and FoxP2: implications for the evolution of speech and language.

PubMed

Scharff, Constance; Petri, Jana

2011-07-27

The evolution of novel morphological features, such as feathers, involves the modification of developmental processes regulated by gene networks. The fact that genetic novelty operates within developmental constraints is the central tenet of the 'evo-devo' conceptual framework. It is supported by findings that certain molecular regulatory pathways act in a similar manner in the development of morphological adaptations, which are not directly related by common ancestry but evolved convergently. The Pax6 gene, important for vision in molluscs, insects and vertebrates, and Hox genes, important for tetrapod limbs and fish fins, exemplify this 'deep homology'. Recently, 'evo-devo' has expanded to the molecular analysis of behavioural traits, including social behaviour, learning and memory. Here, we apply this approach to the evolution of human language. Human speech is a form of auditory-guided, learned vocal motor behaviour that also evolved in certain species of birds, bats and ocean mammals. Genes relevant for language, including the transcription factor FOXP2, have been identified. We review evidence that FoxP2 and its regulatory gene network shapes neural plasticity in cortico-basal ganglia circuits underlying the sensory-guided motor learning in animal models. The emerging picture can help us understand how complex cognitive traits can 'descend with modification'.

Can rhythmic auditory cuing remediate language-related deficits in Parkinson's disease?

PubMed

Kotz, Sonja A; Gunter, Thomas C

2015-03-01

Neurodegenerative changes of the basal ganglia in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) lead to motor deficits as well as general cognitive decline. Given these impairments, the question arises as to whether motor and nonmotor deficits can be ameliorated similarly. We reason that a domain-general sensorimotor circuit involved in temporal processing may support the remediation of such deficits. Following findings that auditory cuing benefits gait kinematics, we explored whether reported language-processing deficits in IPD can also be remediated via auditory cuing. During continuous EEG measurement, an individual diagnosed with IPD heard two types of temporally predictable but metrically different auditory beat-based cues: a march, which metrically aligned with the speech accent structure, a waltz that did not metrically align, or no cue before listening to naturally spoken sentences that were either grammatically well formed or were semantically or syntactically incorrect. Results confirmed that only the cuing with a march led to improved computation of syntactic and semantic information. We infer that a marching rhythm may lead to a stronger engagement of the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit that compensates dysfunctional striato-cortical timing. Reinforcing temporal realignment, in turn, may lead to the timely processing of linguistic information embedded in the temporally variable speech signal. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Paired variability indices in assessing speech rhythm in Spanish/English bilingual language acquisition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Work, Richard; Andruski, Jean; Casielles, Eugenia; Kim, Sahyang; Nathan, Geoff

2005-04-01

Traditionally, English is classified as a stress-timed language while Spanish is classified as syllable-timed. Examining the contrasting development of rhythmic patterns in bilingual first language acquisition should provide information on how this differentiation takes place. As part of a longitudinal study, speech samples were taken of a Spanish/English bilingual child of Argentinean parents living in the Midwestern United States between the ages of 1;8 and 3;2. Spanish is spoken at home and English input comes primarily from an English day care the child attends 5 days a week. The parents act as interlocutors for Spanish recordings with a native speaker interacting with the child for the English recordings. Following the work of Grabe, Post and Watson (1999) and Grabe and Low (2002) a normalized Pairwise Variability Index (PVI) is used which compares, in utterances of minimally four syllables, the durations of vocalic intervals in successive syllables. Comparisons are then made between the rhythmic patterns of the child's productions within each language over time and between languages at comparable MLUs. Comparisons are also made with the rhythmic patterns of the adult productions of each language. Results will be analyzed for signs of native speaker-like rhythmic production in the child.

Structural Organization of the Laryngeal Motor Cortical Network and Its Implication for Evolution of Speech Production.

PubMed

Kumar, Veena; Croxson, Paula L; Simonyan, Kristina

2016-04-13

The laryngeal motor cortex (LMC) is essential for the production of learned vocal behaviors because bilateral damage to this area renders humans unable to speak but has no apparent effect on innate vocalizations such as human laughing and crying or monkey calls. Several hypotheses have been put forward attempting to explain the evolutionary changes from monkeys to humans that potentially led to enhanced LMC functionality for finer motor control of speech production. These views, however, remain limited to the position of the larynx area within the motor cortex, as well as its connections with the phonatory brainstem regions responsible for the direct control of laryngeal muscles. Using probabilistic diffusion tractography in healthy humans and rhesus monkeys, we show that, whereas the LMC structural network is largely comparable in both species, the LMC establishes nearly 7-fold stronger connectivity with the somatosensory and inferior parietal cortices in humans than in macaques. These findings suggest that important "hard-wired" components of the human LMC network controlling the laryngeal component of speech motor output evolved from an already existing, similar network in nonhuman primates. However, the evolution of enhanced LMC-parietal connections likely allowed for more complex synchrony of higher-order sensorimotor coordination, proprioceptive and tactile feedback, and modulation of learned voice for speech production. The role of the primary motor cortex in the formation of a comprehensive network controlling speech and language has been long underestimated and poorly studied. Here, we provide comparative and quantitative evidence for the significance of this region in the control of a highly learned and uniquely human behavior: speech production. From the viewpoint of structural network organization, we discuss potential evolutionary advances of enhanced temporoparietal cortical connections with the laryngeal motor cortex in humans compared with nonhuman primates that may have contributed to the development of finer vocal motor control necessary for speech production. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/364170-12$15.00/0.

Individual development of preschool children-prevalences and determinants of delays in Germany: a cross-sectional study in Southern Bavaria.

PubMed

Stich, Heribert L; Baune, Bernhard Th; Caniato, Riccardo N; Mikolajczyk, Rafael T; Krämer, Alexander

2012-12-05

Even minor abnormalities of early child development may have dramatic long term consequences. Accurate prevalence rates for a range of developmental impairments have been difficult to establish. Since related studies have used different methodological approaches, direct comparisons of the prevalence of developmental delays are difficult. The understanding of the key factors affecting child development, especially in preschool aged children remains limited. We used data from school entry examinations in Bavaria to measure the prevalence of developmental impairments in pre-school children beginning primary school in 1997-2009. The developmental impairments of all school beginners in the district of Dingolfing-Landau, Bavaria were assessed using modified "Bavarian School Entry Model" examination from 1997 to 2009 (N=13,182). The children were assessed for motor, cognitive, language and psychosocial impairments using a standardised medical protocol. Prevalence rates of impairments in twelve domains of development were estimated. Using uni- and multivariable logistic regression models, association between selected factors and development delays were assessed. The highest prevalence existed for impairments of pronunciation (13.8%) followed by fine motor impairments (12.2%), and impairments of memory and concentration (11.3%) and the lowest for impairments of rhythm of speech (3.1%). Younger children displayed more developmental delays. Male gender was strongly associated with all developmental impairments (highest risk for fine motor impairments = OR 3.22, 95% confidence interval 2.86-3.63). Preschool children with siblings (vs. children without any siblings) were at higher risk of having impairments in pronunciation (OR 1.31, 1.14-1.50). The influence of the non-German nationality was strong, with a maximum risk increase for the subareas of grammar and psychosocial development. Although children with non-German nationality had a reduced risk of disorders for the rhythm of speech and pronunciation, in all other 10 subareas their risk was increased. In preschool children, most common were delays of pronunciation, memory and concentration. Age effects suggest that delays can spontaneously resolve, but providing support at school entry might be helpful. Boys and migrant children appear at high risk of developmental problems, which may warrant tailored intervention strategies.

Tracing the neural basis of auditory entrainment.

PubMed

Lehmann, Alexandre; Arias, Diana Jimena; Schönwiesner, Marc

2016-11-19

Neurons in the auditory cortex synchronize their responses to temporal regularities in sound input. This coupling or "entrainment" is thought to facilitate beat extraction and rhythm perception in temporally structured sounds, such as music. As a consequence of such entrainment, the auditory cortex responds to an omitted (silent) sound in a regular sequence. Although previous studies suggest that the auditory brainstem frequency-following response (FFR) exhibits some of the beat-related effects found in the cortex, it is unknown whether omissions of sounds evoke a brainstem response. We simultaneously recorded cortical and brainstem responses to isochronous and irregular sequences of consonant-vowel syllable /da/ that contained sporadic omissions. The auditory cortex responded strongly to omissions, but we found no evidence of evoked responses to omitted stimuli from the auditory brainstem. However, auditory brainstem responses in the isochronous sound sequence were more consistent across trials than in the irregular sequence. These results indicate that the auditory brainstem faithfully encodes short-term acoustic properties of a stimulus and is sensitive to sequence regularity, but does not entrain to isochronous sequences sufficiently to generate overt omission responses, even for sequences that evoke such responses in the cortex. These findings add to our understanding of the processing of sound regularities, which is an important aspect of human cognitive abilities like rhythm, music and speech perception. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Voice-processing technologies--their application in telecommunications.

PubMed Central

Wilpon, J G

1995-01-01

As the telecommunications industry evolves over the next decade to provide the products and services that people will desire, several key technologies will become commonplace. Two of these, automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech synthesis, will provide users with more freedom on when, where, and how they access information. While these technologies are currently in their infancy, their capabilities are rapidly increasing and their deployment in today's telephone network is expanding. The economic impact of just one application, the automation of operator services, is well over $100 million per year. Yet there still are many technical challenges that must be resolved before these technologies can be deployed ubiquitously in products and services throughout the worldwide telephone network. These challenges include: (i) High level of accuracy. The technology must be perceived by the user as highly accurate, robust, and reliable. (ii) Easy to use. Speech is only one of several possible input/output modalities for conveying information between a human and a machine, much like a computer terminal or Touch-Tone pad on a telephone. It is not the final product. Therefore, speech technologies must be hidden from the user. That is, the burden of using the technology must be on the technology itself. (iii) Quick prototyping and development of new products and services. The technology must support the creation of new products and services based on speech in an efficient and timely fashion. In this paper I present a vision of the voice-processing industry with a focus on the areas with the broadest base of user penetration: speech recognition, text-to-speech synthesis, natural language processing, and speaker recognition technologies. The current and future applications of these technologies in the telecommunications industry will be examined in terms of their strengths, limitations, and the degree to which user needs have been or have yet to be met. Although noteworthy gains have been made in areas with potentially small user bases and in the more mature speech-coding technologies, these subjects are outside the scope of this paper. Images Fig. 1 PMID:7479815

A study on nonlinear characteristics of speech sound with reference to some languages of North East region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Rashmi

INTRODUCTION : Speech science is, in fact, a sub-discipline of the Nonlinear Dynamical System [2,104 ]. There are two different types of Dynamical System. A Continuous Dynamical System may be defined for the continuous time case, by the equation: x = F (x), where x is a vector of length d, defining a point in a d- dimensional space, F is some function (linear or nonlinear) operating on x, and x is the time derivative of x. This system is deterministic, in that it is possible to completely specify its evolution or flow of trajectories in the d- dimensional space, given the initial starting conditions. A Discrete Dynamical System can be defined as a map [by the process of literations]: Xn+1 = G ( Xn ), where Xn is again a d- length vector at time step n, and G is an operator function. Given an initial state, X0, it is possible to calculate the value of xn for any n > 0. Speech has evolved as a primary form of communication between humans, i.e. speech and hearing are the man's most used means of communication [104, 114]. Analysis of human speech has been a goal of Research during the last few decades [105, 108]. With the rapid development of information technology (IT), the human-machine communication, using natural speech, has received wide attention from both academic and business communities. One highly quantitative approach of characterizing the communications potential of speech is in terms of information theory ideas as introduced by Shannon [C.E. Shannon, "A Mathematical Theory of Communication," Bell System Tech journal, Vol 27, pp623- 656, October, 1968]. According to information theory, speech can be represented in terms of its message content, or information. An alternative way of characterizing speech is in terms of the signal carrying the message information, i.e., the acoustic waveform. Although information theoretic ideas have played a major role in sophisticated communications systems, it is the speech representation based on the waveform, or some parametric model, which has been most useful in practical applications. Developing a system that can understand natural language has been a continuing goal of speech researchers. Fully automatic high quality machine translation systems are extremely difficult to build. The difficulty arises from the following reasons: In any natural language text, only part of the information to be conveyed is explicitly expressed. It is the human mind which fills up and supplements the details using contextual.

Temporal dynamics of sensorimotor integration in speech perception and production: independent component analysis of EEG data

PubMed Central

Jenson, David; Bowers, Andrew L.; Harkrider, Ashley W.; Thornton, David; Cuellar, Megan; Saltuklaroglu, Tim

2014-01-01

Activity in anterior sensorimotor regions is found in speech production and some perception tasks. Yet, how sensorimotor integration supports these functions is unclear due to a lack of data examining the timing of activity from these regions. Beta (~20 Hz) and alpha (~10 Hz) spectral power within the EEG μ rhythm are considered indices of motor and somatosensory activity, respectively. In the current study, perception conditions required discrimination (same/different) of syllables pairs (/ba/ and /da/) in quiet and noisy conditions. Production conditions required covert and overt syllable productions and overt word production. Independent component analysis was performed on EEG data obtained during these conditions to (1) identify clusters of μ components common to all conditions and (2) examine real-time event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP) within alpha and beta bands. 17 and 15 out of 20 participants produced left and right μ-components, respectively, localized to precentral gyri. Discrimination conditions were characterized by significant (pFDR < 0.05) early alpha event-related synchronization (ERS) prior to and during stimulus presentation and later alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) following stimulus offset. Beta ERD began early and gained strength across time. Differences were found between quiet and noisy discrimination conditions. Both overt syllable and word productions yielded similar alpha/beta ERD that began prior to production and was strongest during muscle activity. Findings during covert production were weaker than during overt production. One explanation for these findings is that μ-beta ERD indexes early predictive coding (e.g., internal modeling) and/or overt and covert attentional/motor processes. μ-alpha ERS may index inhibitory input to the premotor cortex from sensory regions prior to and during discrimination, while μ-alpha ERD may index sensory feedback during speech rehearsal and production. PMID:25071633

Effects of culture on musical pitch perception.

PubMed

Wong, Patrick C M; Ciocca, Valter; Chan, Alice H D; Ha, Louisa Y Y; Tan, Li-Hai; Peretz, Isabelle

2012-01-01

The strong association between music and speech has been supported by recent research focusing on musicians' superior abilities in second language learning and neural encoding of foreign speech sounds. However, evidence for a double association--the influence of linguistic background on music pitch processing and disorders--remains elusive. Because languages differ in their usage of elements (e.g., pitch) that are also essential for music, a unique opportunity for examining such language-to-music associations comes from a cross-cultural (linguistic) comparison of congenital amusia, a neurogenetic disorder affecting the music (pitch and rhythm) processing of about 5% of the Western population. In the present study, two populations (Hong Kong and Canada) were compared. One spoke a tone language in which differences in voice pitch correspond to differences in word meaning (in Hong Kong Cantonese, /si/ means 'teacher' and 'to try' when spoken in a high and mid pitch pattern, respectively). Using the On-line Identification Test of Congenital Amusia, we found Cantonese speakers as a group tend to show enhanced pitch perception ability compared to speakers of Canadian French and English (non-tone languages). This enhanced ability occurs in the absence of differences in rhythmic perception and persists even after relevant factors such as musical background and age were controlled. Following a common definition of amusia (5% of the population), we found Hong Kong pitch amusics also show enhanced pitch abilities relative to their Canadian counterparts. These findings not only provide critical evidence for a double association of music and speech, but also argue for the reconceptualization of communicative disorders within a cultural framework. Along with recent studies documenting cultural differences in visual perception, our auditory evidence challenges the common assumption of universality of basic mental processes and speaks to the domain generality of culture-to-perception influences.

Effects of Culture on Musical Pitch Perception

PubMed Central

Wong, Patrick C. M.; Ciocca, Valter; Chan, Alice H. D.; Ha, Louisa Y. Y.; Tan, Li-Hai; Peretz, Isabelle

2012-01-01

The strong association between music and speech has been supported by recent research focusing on musicians' superior abilities in second language learning and neural encoding of foreign speech sounds. However, evidence for a double association—the influence of linguistic background on music pitch processing and disorders—remains elusive. Because languages differ in their usage of elements (e.g., pitch) that are also essential for music, a unique opportunity for examining such language-to-music associations comes from a cross-cultural (linguistic) comparison of congenital amusia, a neurogenetic disorder affecting the music (pitch and rhythm) processing of about 5% of the Western population. In the present study, two populations (Hong Kong and Canada) were compared. One spoke a tone language in which differences in voice pitch correspond to differences in word meaning (in Hong Kong Cantonese, /si/ means ‘teacher’ and ‘to try’ when spoken in a high and mid pitch pattern, respectively). Using the On-line Identification Test of Congenital Amusia, we found Cantonese speakers as a group tend to show enhanced pitch perception ability compared to speakers of Canadian French and English (non-tone languages). This enhanced ability occurs in the absence of differences in rhythmic perception and persists even after relevant factors such as musical background and age were controlled. Following a common definition of amusia (5% of the population), we found Hong Kong pitch amusics also show enhanced pitch abilities relative to their Canadian counterparts. These findings not only provide critical evidence for a double association of music and speech, but also argue for the reconceptualization of communicative disorders within a cultural framework. Along with recent studies documenting cultural differences in visual perception, our auditory evidence challenges the common assumption of universality of basic mental processes and speaks to the domain generality of culture-to-perception influences. PMID:22509257

Machine learning based sample extraction for automatic speech recognition using dialectal Assamese speech.

PubMed

Agarwalla, Swapna; Sarma, Kandarpa Kumar

2016-06-01

Automatic Speaker Recognition (ASR) and related issues are continuously evolving as inseparable elements of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). With assimilation of emerging concepts like big data and Internet of Things (IoT) as extended elements of HCI, ASR techniques are found to be passing through a paradigm shift. Oflate, learning based techniques have started to receive greater attention from research communities related to ASR owing to the fact that former possess natural ability to mimic biological behavior and that way aids ASR modeling and processing. The current learning based ASR techniques are found to be evolving further with incorporation of big data, IoT like concepts. Here, in this paper, we report certain approaches based on machine learning (ML) used for extraction of relevant samples from big data space and apply them for ASR using certain soft computing techniques for Assamese speech with dialectal variations. A class of ML techniques comprising of the basic Artificial Neural Network (ANN) in feedforward (FF) and Deep Neural Network (DNN) forms using raw speech, extracted features and frequency domain forms are considered. The Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP) is configured with inputs in several forms to learn class information obtained using clustering and manual labeling. DNNs are also used to extract specific sentence types. Initially, from a large storage, relevant samples are selected and assimilated. Next, a few conventional methods are used for feature extraction of a few selected types. The features comprise of both spectral and prosodic types. These are applied to Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) and Fully Focused Time Delay Neural Network (FFTDNN) structures to evaluate their performance in recognizing mood, dialect, speaker and gender variations in dialectal Assamese speech. The system is tested under several background noise conditions by considering the recognition rates (obtained using confusion matrices and manually) and computation time. It is found that the proposed ML based sentence extraction techniques and the composite feature set used with RNN as classifier outperform all other approaches. By using ANN in FF form as feature extractor, the performance of the system is evaluated and a comparison is made. Experimental results show that the application of big data samples has enhanced the learning of the ASR system. Further, the ANN based sample and feature extraction techniques are found to be efficient enough to enable application of ML techniques in big data aspects as part of ASR systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anther evolution: pollen presentation strategies when pollinators differ.

PubMed

Castellanos, Maria Clara; Wilson, Paul; Keller, Sarah J; Wolfe, Andrea D; Thomson, James D

2006-02-01

Male-male competition in plants is thought to exert selection on flower morphology and on the temporal presentation of pollen. Theory suggests that a plant's pollen dosing strategy should evolve to match the abundance and pollen transfer efficiency of its pollinators. Simultaneous pollen presentation should be favored when pollinators are infrequent or efficient at delivering the pollen they remove, whereas gradual dosing should optimize delivery by frequent and wasteful pollinators. Among Penstemon and Keckiella species, anthers vary in ways that affect pollen release, and the morphology of dried anthers reliably indicates how they dispense pollen. In these genera, hummingbird pollination has evolved repeatedly from hymenopteran pollination. Pollen production does not change with evolutionary shifts between pollinators. We show that after we control for phylogeny, hymenopteran-adapted species present their pollen more gradually than hummingbird-adapted relatives. In a species pair that seemed to defy the pattern, the rhythm of anther maturation produced an equivalent dosing effect. These results accord with previous findings that hummingbirds can be more efficient than bees at delivering pollen.

Weak and Failing States: Evolving Security Threats and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-15

operate in both “ caves ” (i.e., failed states, where militant groups can exist CRS-6 11 Rabasa (2007), ibid. 12 U.S. Government Interagency Working Group...Support to Low-Income Countries Under Stress (Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2006); Chauvet and Collier, “Helping Hand? Aid to Failing States...Oxford University Working Paper (2006). 24 See Chauvet and Collier (2004), op. cit.; Francois Bourguignon, “Broadening Progress Toward the MDGs,” Speech

Weak and Failing States: Evolving Security Threats and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-15

operate in both “ caves ” (i.e., failed states, where militant groups can exist CRS-6 11 Rabasa (2007), ibid. 12 U.S. Government Interagency Working Group...Support to Low-Income Countries Under Stress (Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2006); Chauvet and Collier, “Helping Hand? Aid to Failing States,” Oxford...University Working Paper (2006). 24 See Chauvet and Collier (2004), op. cit.; Francois Bourguignon, “Broadening Progress Toward the MDGs,” Speech

Analysis of precision in chemical oscillators: implications for circadian clocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

d'Eysmond, Thomas; De Simone, Alessandro; Naef, Felix

2013-10-01

Biochemical reaction networks often exhibit spontaneous self-sustained oscillations. An example is the circadian oscillator that lies at the heart of daily rhythms in behavior and physiology in most organisms including humans. While the period of these oscillators evolved so that it resonates with the 24 h daily environmental cycles, the precision of the oscillator (quantified via the Q factor) is another relevant property of these cell-autonomous oscillators. Since this quantity can be measured in individual cells, it is of interest to better understand how this property behaves across mathematical models of these oscillators. Current theoretical schemes for computing the Q factors show limitations for both high-dimensional models and in the vicinity of Hopf bifurcations. Here, we derive low-noise approximations that lead to numerically stable schemes also in high-dimensional models. In addition, we generalize normal form reductions that are appropriate near Hopf bifurcations. Applying our approximations to two models of circadian clocks, we show that while the low-noise regime is faithfully recapitulated, increasing the level of noise leads to species-dependent precision. We emphasize that subcomponents of the oscillator gradually decouple from the core oscillator as noise increases, which allows us to identify the subnetworks responsible for robust rhythms.

Are men better than women at acoustic size judgements?

PubMed

Charlton, Benjamin D; Taylor, Anna M; Reby, David

2013-08-23

Formants are important phonetic elements of human speech that are also used by humans and non-human mammals to assess the body size of potential mates and rivals. As a consequence, it has been suggested that formant perception, which is crucial for speech perception, may have evolved through sexual selection. Somewhat surprisingly, though, no previous studies have examined whether sexes differ in their ability to use formants for size evaluation. Here, we investigated whether men and women differ in their ability to use the formant frequency spacing of synthetic vocal stimuli to make auditory size judgements over a wide range of fundamental frequencies (the main determinant of vocal pitch). Our results reveal that men are significantly better than women at comparing the apparent size of stimuli, and that lower pitch improves the ability of both men and women to perform these acoustic size judgements. These findings constitute the first demonstration of a sex difference in formant perception, and lend support to the idea that acoustic size normalization, a crucial prerequisite for speech perception, may have been sexually selected through male competition. We also provide the first evidence that vocalizations with relatively low pitch improve the perception of size-related formant information.

Production-perception relationships during speech development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menard, Lucie; Schwartz, Jean-Luc; Boe, Louis-Jean; Aubin, Jerome

2005-04-01

It has been shown that nonuniform growth of the supraglottal cavities, motor control development, and perceptual refinement shape the vowel systems during speech development. In this talk, we propose to investigate the role of perceptual constraints as a guide to the speakers task from birth to adulthood. Simulations with an articulatory-to-acoustic model, acoustic analyses of natural vowels, and results of perceptual tests provide evidence that the production-perception relationships evolve with age. At the perceptual level, results show that (i) linear combination of spectral peaks are good predictors of vowel targets, and (ii) focalization, defined as an acoustic pattern with close neighboring formants [J.-L. Schwartz, L.-J. Boe, N. Vallee, and C. Abry, J. Phonetics 25, 255-286 (1997)], is part of the speech task. At the production level, we propose that (i) frequently produced vowels in the baby's early sound inventory can in part be explained by perceptual templates, (ii) the achievement of these perceptual templates may require adaptive articulatory strategies for the child, compared with the adults, to cope with morphological differences. Results are discussed in the light of a perception for action control theory. [Work supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Exploring the emerging profession of speech-language pathology in Vietnam through pioneering eyes.

PubMed

Atherton, Marie; Davidson, Bronwyn; McAllister, Lindy

2017-04-01

In September 2012, 18 Vietnamese health professionals graduated as Vietnam's first university qualified speech-language pathologists (SLPs). This study details the reflections of these pioneering health professionals at 12 months following their graduation, drawing attention to their scope of practice as SLPs and to the opportunities and challenges to progressing the practice of speech-language pathology (SLP) in Vietnam. Thirteen graduates participated in small group interviews where they described their work and their perceptions of their emerging practice. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was employed to identify key concepts and themes within the data. Four overarching themes were identified-scope of practice, establishing identity, confidence to practise and progressing the profession. Overall analysis revealed evolving professional practice characterised by new learning, fluctuations in confidence and an active forging of professional identity. Mentoring and support by international colleagues and advancing professional recognition were identified as critical to the profession's progression and to the development of context-specific and culturally appropriate services. Participants' reflections draw focus to an important role for the international SLP community as it works in partnership with colleagues to enhance awareness of and services for people with communication disabilities in under-served communities such as Vietnam.

Cross-cultural influences on rhythm processing: reproduction, discrimination, and beat tapping

PubMed Central

Cameron, Daniel J.; Bentley, Jocelyn; Grahn, Jessica A.

2015-01-01

The structures of musical rhythm differ between cultures, despite the fact that the ability to entrain movement to musical rhythm occurs in virtually all individuals across cultures. To measure the influence of culture on rhythm processing, we tested East African and North American adults on perception, production, and beat tapping for rhythms derived from East African and Western music. To assess rhythm perception, participants identified whether pairs of rhythms were the same or different. To assess rhythm production, participants reproduced rhythms after hearing them. To assess beat tapping, participants tapped the beat along with repeated rhythms. We expected that performance in all three tasks would be influenced by the culture of the participant and the culture of the rhythm. Specifically, we predicted that a participant’s ability to discriminate, reproduce, and accurately tap the beat would be better for rhythms from their own culture than for rhythms from another culture. In the rhythm discrimination task, there were no differences in discriminating culturally familiar and unfamiliar rhythms. In the rhythm reproduction task, both groups reproduced East African rhythms more accurately than Western rhythms, but East African participants also showed an effect of cultural familiarity, leading to a significant interaction. In the beat tapping task, participants in both groups tapped the beat more accurately for culturally familiar than for unfamiliar rhythms. Moreover, there were differences between the two participant groups, and between the two types of rhythms, in the metrical level selected for beat tapping. The results demonstrate that culture does influence the processing of musical rhythm. In terms of the function of musical rhythm, our results are consistent with theories that musical rhythm enables synchronization. Musical rhythm may foster musical cultural identity by enabling within-group synchronization to music, perhaps supporting social cohesion. PMID:26029122

Cross-cultural influences on rhythm processing: reproduction, discrimination, and beat tapping.

PubMed

Cameron, Daniel J; Bentley, Jocelyn; Grahn, Jessica A

2015-01-01

The structures of musical rhythm differ between cultures, despite the fact that the ability to entrain movement to musical rhythm occurs in virtually all individuals across cultures. To measure the influence of culture on rhythm processing, we tested East African and North American adults on perception, production, and beat tapping for rhythms derived from East African and Western music. To assess rhythm perception, participants identified whether pairs of rhythms were the same or different. To assess rhythm production, participants reproduced rhythms after hearing them. To assess beat tapping, participants tapped the beat along with repeated rhythms. We expected that performance in all three tasks would be influenced by the culture of the participant and the culture of the rhythm. Specifically, we predicted that a participant's ability to discriminate, reproduce, and accurately tap the beat would be better for rhythms from their own culture than for rhythms from another culture. In the rhythm discrimination task, there were no differences in discriminating culturally familiar and unfamiliar rhythms. In the rhythm reproduction task, both groups reproduced East African rhythms more accurately than Western rhythms, but East African participants also showed an effect of cultural familiarity, leading to a significant interaction. In the beat tapping task, participants in both groups tapped the beat more accurately for culturally familiar than for unfamiliar rhythms. Moreover, there were differences between the two participant groups, and between the two types of rhythms, in the metrical level selected for beat tapping. The results demonstrate that culture does influence the processing of musical rhythm. In terms of the function of musical rhythm, our results are consistent with theories that musical rhythm enables synchronization. Musical rhythm may foster musical cultural identity by enabling within-group synchronization to music, perhaps supporting social cohesion.

Dependency distance minimization in understanding of ambiguous structure. Comment on "Dependency distance: A new perspective on syntactic patterns in natural languages" by Haitao Liu et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yiyi

2017-07-01

Dependency Distance, proposed by Hudson [1], calculated by Liu [2,3], is an important concept in Dependency Theory. It can be used as a measure of the syntactic difficulty, and lots of research [2,4] have testified the universal of Dependency Distance in various languages. Human languages seem to present a preference for short dependency distance, which may be explained in terms of general cognitive constraint of limited working memory [5]. Psychological experiments in English, German, Russian and Chinese support the hypothesis that Dependency Distance minimization (DDM) make languages to evolve into some syntactic patterns to reduce memory burden [6-9]. The study of psychology focuses on the process and mechanism of syntactic structure selection in speech comprehension. In many speech comprehension experiments [10], ambiguous structure is an important experimental material.

Evidence of a Vocalic Proto-System in the Baboon (Papio papio) Suggests Pre-Hominin Speech Precursors

PubMed Central

Boë, Louis-Jean; Berthommier, Frédéric; Legou, Thierry; Captier, Guillaume; Kemp, Caralyn; Sawallis, Thomas R.; Becker, Yannick; Rey, Arnaud; Fagot, Joël

2017-01-01

Language is a distinguishing characteristic of our species, and the course of its evolution is one of the hardest problems in science. It has long been generally considered that human speech requires a low larynx, and that the high larynx of nonhuman primates should preclude their producing the vowel systems universally found in human language. Examining the vocalizations through acoustic analyses, tongue anatomy, and modeling of acoustic potential, we found that baboons (Papio papio) produce sounds sharing the F1/F2 formant structure of the human [ɨ æ ɑ ɔ u] vowels, and that similarly with humans those vocalic qualities are organized as a system on two acoustic-anatomic axes. This confirms that hominoids can produce contrasting vowel qualities despite a high larynx. It suggests that spoken languages evolved from ancient articulatory skills already present in our last common ancestor with Cercopithecoidea, about 25 MYA. PMID:28076426

Common Premotor Regions for the Perception and Production of Prosody and Correlations with Empathy and Prosodic Ability

PubMed Central

Aziz-Zadeh, Lisa; Sheng, Tong; Gheytanchi, Anahita

2010-01-01

Background Prosody, the melody and intonation of speech, involves the rhythm, rate, pitch and voice quality to relay linguistic and emotional information from one individual to another. A significant component of human social communication depends upon interpreting and responding to another person's prosodic tone as well as one's own ability to produce prosodic speech. However there has been little work on whether the perception and production of prosody share common neural processes, and if so, how these might correlate with individual differences in social ability. Methods The aim of the present study was to determine the degree to which perception and production of prosody rely on shared neural systems. Using fMRI, neural activity during perception and production of a meaningless phrase in different prosodic intonations was measured. Regions of overlap for production and perception of prosody were found in premotor regions, in particular the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Activity in these regions was further found to correlate with how high an individual scored on two different measures of affective empathy as well as a measure on prosodic production ability. Conclusions These data indicate, for the first time, that areas that are important for prosody production may also be utilized for prosody perception, as well as other aspects of social communication and social understanding, such as aspects of empathy and prosodic ability. PMID:20098696

Aural analysis of image texture via cepstral filtering and sonification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rangayyan, Rangaraj M.; Martins, Antonio C. G.; Ruschioni, Ruggero A.

1996-03-01

Texture plays an important role in image analysis and understanding, with many applications in medical imaging and computer vision. However, analysis of texture by image processing is a rather difficult issue, with most techniques being oriented towards statistical analysis which may not have readily comprehensible perceptual correlates. We propose new methods for auditory display (AD) and sonification of (quasi-) periodic texture (where a basic texture element or `texton' is repeated over the image field) and random texture (which could be modeled as filtered or `spot' noise). Although the AD designed is not intended to be speech- like or musical, we draw analogies between the two types of texture mentioned above and voiced/unvoiced speech, and design a sonification algorithm which incorporates physical and perceptual concepts of texture and speech. More specifically, we present a method for AD of texture where the projections of the image at various angles (Radon transforms or integrals) are mapped to audible signals and played in sequence. In the case of random texture, the spectral envelopes of the projections are related to the filter spot characteristics, and convey the essential information for texture discrimination. In the case of periodic texture, the AD provides timber and pitch related to the texton and periodicity. In another procedure for sonification of periodic texture, we propose to first deconvolve the image using cepstral analysis to extract information about the texton and horizontal and vertical periodicities. The projections of individual textons at various angles are used to create a voiced-speech-like signal with each projection mapped to a basic wavelet, the horizontal period to pitch, and the vertical period to rhythm on a longer time scale. The sound pattern then consists of a serial, melody-like sonification of the patterns for each projection. We believe that our approaches provide the much-desired `natural' connection between the image data and the sounds generated. We have evaluated the sonification techniques with a number of synthetic textures. The sound patterns created have demonstrated the potential of the methods in distinguishing between different types of texture. We are investigating the application of these techniques to auditory analysis of texture in medical images such as magnetic resonance images.

Music Appreciation after Cochlear Implantation in Adult Patients: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Riley, Phoebe E; Ruhl, Douglas S; Camacho, Macario; Tolisano, Anthony M

2018-06-01

Objective The cochlear implant (CI) improves quality of life for people who are severely and profoundly deafened, allowing implantees to perceive speech at levels similar to those of individuals with normal hearing. However, patients with CIs generally report a reduced appreciation of music after implantation. We aimed to systematically review the English-language literature for studies evaluating music enjoyment and perception among adult patients with CIs. Data Sources A systematic review of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Review Methods The PRISMA statement was utilized to identify English-language studies reporting music appreciation among adults with CIs. Two independent reviewers performed searches through May 2017. Included studies investigated parameters related to music enjoyment and music perception, including (1) pitch and timbre perception, (2) noise-canceling algorithms, and (3) the presence of dissonant chords, lyrics, or visual cues. Results A total of 508 articles were screened for relevance. Forty-one full-text articles were evaluated, and 18 met final inclusion criteria. Studies used heterogeneous methods of outcome measurement for identifying music appreciation. The outcome measures suggest that rhythm and lyrics are important components of enjoyment. Patients with CIs had difficulty with pitch and timbre perception. Conclusion The heterogeneous outcome measures identified in this systematic review suggest that rhythm and lyrics are important components of enjoyment, while patients with CIs had difficulty with pitch and timbre perception. Because there is no standardized reporting metric for music appreciation among adult patients with CIs, a standardized validated outcome-measuring tool is warranted.

The Ronnie Gardiner Rhythm and Music Method - a feasibility study in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Pohl, Petra; Dizdar, Nil; Hallert, Eva

2013-01-01

To assess the feasibility of the novel intervention, Ronnie Gardiner Rhythm and Music (RGRM™) Method compared to a control group for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Eighteen patients, mean age 68, participating in a disability study within a neurological rehabilitation centre, were randomly allocated to intervention group (n = 12) or control group (n = 6). Feasibility was assessed by comparing effects of the intervention on clinical outcome measures (primary outcome: mobility as assessed by two-dimensional motion analysis, secondary outcomes: mobility, cognition, quality of life, adherence, adverse events and eligibility). Univariable analyses showed no significant differences between groups following intervention. However, analyses suggested that patients in the intervention group improved more on mobility (p = 0.006), cognition and quality of life than patients in the control group. There were no adverse events and a high level of adherence to therapy was observed. In this disability study, the use of the RGRM™ Method showed promising results in the intervention group and the adherence level was high. Our results suggest that most assessments chosen are eligible to use in a larger randomized controlled study for patients with PD. The RGRM™ Method appeared to be a useful and safe method that showed promising results in both motor and cognitive functions as well as quality of life in patients with moderate PD. The RGRM™ Method can be used by physiotherapists, occupational, speech and music therapists in neurological rehabilitation. Most measurements were feasible except for Timed-Up-and-Go.

Antiarrhythmic Drugs for Nonshockable-Turned-Shockable Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: The ALPS Study (Amiodarone, Lidocaine, or Placebo).

PubMed

Kudenchuk, Peter J; Leroux, Brian G; Daya, Mohamud; Rea, Thomas; Vaillancourt, Christian; Morrison, Laurie J; Callaway, Clifton W; Christenson, James; Ornato, Joseph P; Dunford, James V; Wittwer, Lynn; Weisfeldt, Myron L; Aufderheide, Tom P; Vilke, Gary M; Idris, Ahamed H; Stiell, Ian G; Colella, M Riccardo; Kayea, Tami; Egan, Debra; Desvigne-Nickens, Patrice; Gray, Pamela; Gray, Randal; Straight, Ron; Dorian, Paul

2017-11-28

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) commonly presents with nonshockable rhythms (asystole and pulseless electric activity). It is unknown whether antiarrhythmic drugs are safe and effective when nonshockable rhythms evolve to shockable rhythms (ventricular fibrillation/pulseless ventricular tachycardia [VF/VT]) during resuscitation. Adults with nontraumatic OHCA, vascular access, and VF/VT anytime after ≥1 shock(s) were prospectively randomized, double-blind, to receive amiodarone, lidocaine, or placebo by paramedics. Patients presenting with initial shock-refractory VF/VT were previously reported. The current study was a prespecified analysis in a separate cohort that initially presented with nonshockable OHCA and was randomized on subsequently developing shock-refractory VF/VT. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes included discharge functional status and adverse drug-related effects. Of 37 889 patients with OHCA, 3026 with initial VF/VT and 1063 with initial nonshockable-turned-shockable rhythms were treatment-eligible, were randomized, and received their assigned drug. Baseline characteristics among patients with nonshockable-turned-shockable rhythms were balanced across treatment arms, except that recipients of a placebo included fewer men and were less likely to receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Active-drug recipients in this cohort required fewer shocks, supplemental doses of their assigned drug, and ancillary antiarrhythmic drugs than recipients of a placebo ( P <0.05). In all, 16 (4.1%) amiodarone, 11 (3.1%) lidocaine, and 6 (1.9%) placebo-treated patients survived to hospital discharge ( P =0.24). No significant interaction between treatment assignment and discharge survival occurred with the initiating OHCA rhythm (asystole, pulseless electric activity, or VF/VT). Survival in each of these categories was consistently higher with active drugs, although the trends were not statistically significant. Adjusted absolute differences (95% confidence interval) in survival from nonshockable-turned-shockable arrhythmias with amiodarone versus placebo were 2.3% (-0.3, 4.8), P =0.08, and for lidocaine versus placebo 1.2% (-1.1, 3.6), P =0.30. More than 50% of these survivors were functionally independent or required minimal assistance. Drug-related adverse effects were infrequent. Outcome from nonshockable-turned-shockable OHCA is poor but not invariably fatal. Although not statistically significant, point estimates for survival were greater after amiodarone or lidocaine than placebo, without increased risk of adverse effects or disability and consistent with previously observed favorable trends from treatment of initial shock-refractory VF/VT with these drugs. Together the findings may signal a clinical benefit that invites further investigation. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01401647. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Speech-language pathology program for reading comprehension and orthography: effects on the spelling of dyslexic individuals.

PubMed

Nogueira, Débora Manzano; Cárnio, Maria Silvia

2018-01-01

Purpose Prepare a Speech-language Pathology Program for Reading Comprehension and Orthography and verify its effects on the reading comprehension and spelling of students with Developmental Dyslexia. Methods The study sample was composed of eleven individuals (eight males), diagnosed with Developmental Dyslexia, aged 09-11 years. All participants underwent a Speech-language Pathology Program in Reading Comprehension and Orthography comprising 16 individual weekly sessions. In each session, tasks of reading comprehension of texts and orthography were developed. At the beginning and end of the Program, the participants were submitted to a specific assessment (pre- and post-test). Results The individuals presented difficulty in reading comprehension, but the Cloze technique proved to be a useful remediation tool, and significant improvement in their performance was observed in the post-test evaluation. The dyslexic individuals showed poor performance for their educational level in the spelling assessment. At the end of the program, their performance evolved, but it remained below the expected, showing the same error pattern at the pre- and post-tests, with errors in both natural and arbitrary spelling. Conclusion The proposed Speech-language Pathology Program for Reading Comprehension and Orthography produced positive effects on the reading comprehension, spelling, and motivation to reading and writing of the participants. This study presents an unprecedented contribution by proposing joint stimulation of reading and writing by means of a program easy to apply and analyze in individuals with Developmental Dyslexia.

Spontaneous tempo and rhythmic entrainment in a bonobo (Pan paniscus).

PubMed

Large, Edward W; Gray, Patricia M

2015-11-01

The emergence of speech and music in the human species represent major evolutionary transitions that enabled the use of complex, temporally structured acoustic signals to coordinate social interaction. While the fundamental capacity for temporal coordination with complex acoustic signals has been shown in a few distantly related species, the extent to which nonhuman primates exhibit sensitivity to auditory rhythms remains controversial. In Experiment 1, we assessed spontaneous motor tempo and tempo matching in a bonobo (Pan paniscus), in the context of a social drumming interaction. In Experiment 2, the bonobo spontaneously entrained and synchronized her drum strikes within a range around her spontaneous motor tempo. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the evolution of acoustic communication builds upon fundamental neurodynamic mechanisms that can be found in a wide range of species, and are recruited for social interactions. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Predictive motor control of sensory dynamics in Auditory Active Sensing

PubMed Central

Morillon, Benjamin; Hackett, Troy A.; Kajikawa, Yoshinao; Schroeder, Charles E.

2016-01-01

Neuronal oscillations present potential physiological substrates for brain operations that require temporal prediction. We review this idea in the context of auditory perception. Using speech as an exemplar, we illustrate how hierarchically organized oscillations can be used to parse and encode complex input streams. We then consider the motor system as a major source of rhythms (temporal priors) in auditory processing, that act in concert with attention to sharpen sensory representations and link them across areas. We discuss the anatomo-functional pathways that could mediate this audio-motor interaction, and notably the potential role of the somatosensory cortex. Finally, we reposition temporal predictions in the context of internal models, discussing how they interact with feature-based or spatial predictions. We argue that complementary predictions interact synergistically according to the organizational principles of each sensory system, forming multidimensional filters crucial to perception. PMID:25594376

Modularity of music: evidence from a case of pure amusia.

PubMed

Piccirilli, M; Sciarma, T; Luzzi, S

2000-10-01

A case of pure amusia in a 20 year old left handed non-professional musician is reported. The patient showed an impairment of music abilities in the presence of normal processing of speech and environmental sounds. Furthermore, whereas recognition and production of melodic sequences were grossly disturbed, both the recognition and production of rhythm patterns were preserved. This selective breakdown pattern was produced by a focal lesion in the left superior temporal gyrus. This case thus suggests that not only linguistic and musical skills, but also melodic and rhythmic processing are independent of each other. This functional dissociation in the musical domain supports the hypothesis that music components have a modular organisation. Furthermore, there is the suggestion that amusia may be produced by a lesion located strictly in one hemisphere and that the superior temporal gyrus plays a crucial part in melodic processing.

Evolution of robust circadian clocks in Drosophila melanogaster populations reared in constant dark for over 330 generations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shindey, Radhika; Varma, Vishwanath; Nikhil, K. L.; Sharma, Vijay Kumar

2016-10-01

Robustness is considered to be an important feature of biological systems which may evolve when the functionality of a trait is associated with higher fitness across multiple environmental conditions. Thus, the ability to maintain stable biological phenotypes across environments is thought to be of adaptive value. Previously, we have reported higher intrinsic activity levels (activity levels of free-running rhythm in constant darkness) and power of rhythm (as assessed by amplitude of the periodogram) in Drosophila melanogaster populations (stocks) reared in constant darkness (DD stocks) as compared to those reared in constant light (LL stocks) and 12:12-h light-dark cycles (LD stocks) for over 19 years (˜330 generations). In the current study, we intended to examine whether the enhanced levels of activity observed in DD stocks persist under various environments such as photoperiods, ambient temperatures, non-24-h light-dark (LD) cycles, and semi-natural conditions (SN). We found that DD stocks largely retain their phenotype of enhanced activity levels across most of the above-mentioned environments suggesting the evolution of robust circadian clocks in DD stocks. Furthermore, we compared the peak activity levels of the three stocks across different environmental conditions relative to their peaks in constant darkness and found that the change in peak activity levels upon entrainment was not significantly different across the three stocks for any of the examined environmental conditions. This suggests that the enhancement of activity levels in DD stocks is not due to differential sensitivity to environment. Thus, these results suggest that rearing in constant darkness (DD) leads to evolution of robust circadian clocks suggesting a possible adaptive value of possessing such rhythms under constant dark environments.

Evolution of robust circadian clocks in Drosophila melanogaster populations reared in constant dark for over 330 generations.

PubMed

Shindey, Radhika; Varma, Vishwanath; Nikhil, K L; Sharma, Vijay Kumar

2016-10-01

Robustness is considered to be an important feature of biological systems which may evolve when the functionality of a trait is associated with higher fitness across multiple environmental conditions. Thus, the ability to maintain stable biological phenotypes across environments is thought to be of adaptive value. Previously, we have reported higher intrinsic activity levels (activity levels of free-running rhythm in constant darkness) and power of rhythm (as assessed by amplitude of the periodogram) in Drosophila melanogaster populations (stocks) reared in constant darkness (DD stocks) as compared to those reared in constant light (LL stocks) and 12:12-h light-dark cycles (LD stocks) for over 19 years (∼330 generations). In the current study, we intended to examine whether the enhanced levels of activity observed in DD stocks persist under various environments such as photoperiods, ambient temperatures, non-24-h light-dark (LD) cycles, and semi-natural conditions (SN). We found that DD stocks largely retain their phenotype of enhanced activity levels across most of the above-mentioned environments suggesting the evolution of robust circadian clocks in DD stocks. Furthermore, we compared the peak activity levels of the three stocks across different environmental conditions relative to their peaks in constant darkness and found that the change in peak activity levels upon entrainment was not significantly different across the three stocks for any of the examined environmental conditions. This suggests that the enhancement of activity levels in DD stocks is not due to differential sensitivity to environment. Thus, these results suggest that rearing in constant darkness (DD) leads to evolution of robust circadian clocks suggesting a possible adaptive value of possessing such rhythms under constant dark environments.

Clinical benefits of remote versus transtelephonic monitoring of implanted pacemakers.

PubMed

Crossley, George H; Chen, Jane; Choucair, Wassim; Cohen, Todd J; Gohn, Douglas C; Johnson, W Ben; Kennedy, Eleanor E; Mongeon, Luc R; Serwer, Gerald A; Qiao, Hongyan; Wilkoff, Bruce L

2009-11-24

The purpose of this study was to evaluate remote pacemaker interrogation for the earlier diagnosis of clinically actionable events compared with traditional transtelephonic monitoring and routine in-person evaluation. Pacemaker patient follow-up procedures have evolved from evaluating devices with little programmability and diagnostic information solely in person to transtelephonic rhythm strip recordings that allow monitoring of basic device function. More recently developed remote monitoring technology leverages expanded device capabilities, augmenting traditional transtelephonic monitoring to evaluate patients via full device interrogation. The time to first diagnosis of a clinically actionable event was compared in patients who were followed by remote interrogation (Remote) and those who were followed per standard of care with office visits augmented by transtelephonic monitoring (Control). Patients were randomized 2:1. Remote arm patients transmitted pacemaker information at 3-month intervals. Control arm patients with a single-chamber pacemaker transmitted at 2-month intervals. Control arm patients with dual-chamber devices transmitted at 2-month intervals with an office visit at 6 months. All patients were seen in office at 12 months. The mean time to first diagnosis of clinically actionable events was earlier in the Remote arm (5.7 months) than in the Control arm (7.7 months). Three (2%) of the 190 events in the Control arm and 446 (66%) of 676 events in the Remote arm were identified remotely. The strategic use of remote pacemaker interrogation follow-up detects actionable events that are potentially important more quickly and more frequently than transtelephonic rhythm strip recordings. The use of transtelephonic rhythm strips for pacemaker follow-up is of little value except for battery status determinations. (PREFER [Pacemaker Remote Follow-up Evaluation and Review]; NCT00294645).

Keeping the right time in space: importance of circadian clock and sleep for physiology and performance of astronauts.

PubMed

Guo, Jin-Hu; Qu, Wei-Min; Chen, Shan-Guang; Chen, Xiao-Ping; Lv, Ke; Huang, Zhi-Li; Wu, Yi-Lan

2014-01-01

The circadian clock and sleep are essential for human physiology and behavior; deregulation of circadian rhythms impairs health and performance. Circadian clocks and sleep evolved to adapt to Earth's environment, which is characterized by a 24-hour light-dark cycle. Changes in gravity load, lighting and work schedules during spaceflight missions can impact circadian clocks and disrupt sleep, in turn jeopardizing the mood, cognition and performance of orbiting astronauts. In this review, we summarize our understanding of both the influence of the space environment on the circadian timing system and sleep and the impact of these changes on astronaut physiology and performance.

PubMed

Remmert, Hermann

1969-08-01

Synchrony of diurnal activity patterns seems to have evolved entirely between groups of species. No well established case of synchrony is known which involves only two species. The interdependence of activity patterns based on diurnal rhythms is a phenomenon well known in autecology, e.g. between flowers and their pollinators, parasites and their hosts, predators and their prey.At different daytimes there are completely different food chains in one and the same biotope.The few existing quantitative investigations reveal that 1. strong selective pressure can limit the diurnal activity of a species; 2. the productivity in a biotope may reach a maximum when the daily feeding time of its predators is restricted. This seems to hold, e.g., for the marine plancton.

Speech and language therapy in Sure Start Local Programmes: a survey-based analysis of practice and innovation.

PubMed

Fuller, Alison

2010-01-01

Sure Start has been a flagship policy for the UK Labour Government since 1998. Its aim was to improve the life chances of children under five years of age who live in areas of socio-economic disadvantage by means of multi-agency, multidisciplinary Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs). Speech and language therapists have played a key part in many SSLPs, and have had the opportunity to extend their roles. Despite the scrutiny paid to Sure Start, there has been no comprehensive analysis of speech and language therapists' contribution to date. Studies have focused on individual programmes or small samples: there has been no attempt to collate the full range of practice. As Sure Start evolved and Children's Centres emerged, it became vital to learn from the Sure Start experience and inform the mainstreaming of practice, before the window of opportunity closed. The survey aims were, firstly, to identify the range of practice amongst speech and language therapists working in SSLPs, highlighting new practice, and, secondly, to categorize the practices according to the tiered model of UK health and social services of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT 2006). An online mixed-method, semi-structured survey was designed to elicit primarily quantitative and categorical data. A total of 501 Sure Start Local Programmes were invited to take part. A total of 128 speech and language therapists responded, giving a response rate of 26%. A descriptive analysis of the response data was undertaken. A total of 103 respondents (80%) reported maintaining a clinical role as well as extending their roles to include preventative services. Of those 103 respondents, 69% were able to see referred children at a younger average age and 80% saw them more quickly than before Sure Start. A wide variety of preventative practice was identified. A widening of access to speech and language therapist was reported in terms of venues used and hours offered. Respondents reported on their use of evaluation or outcome measures, which was at a higher rate for new practice than for established practice. A total of 121 respondents (95%) reported at least one example of new practice; 103 (80%) reported at least one use of evaluation or outcome measures. The tiered model of UK health and social services provided an effective way of categorizing practice. A categorized record of Sure Start speech and language therapist is presented that may contribute to establishing a broad curriculum of practice for speech and language therapist in the early years. The effectiveness of the practices is not investigated: suggestions are made for further research to develop the evidence base. 2010 Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists.

Timing of host feeding drives rhythms in parasite replication

PubMed Central

Cumnock, Katherine; Schneider, David; Subudhi, Amit; Savill, Nicholas J.

2018-01-01

Circadian rhythms enable organisms to synchronise the processes underpinning survival and reproduction to anticipate daily changes in the external environment. Recent work shows that daily (circadian) rhythms also enable parasites to maximise fitness in the context of ecological interactions with their hosts. Because parasite rhythms matter for their fitness, understanding how they are regulated could lead to innovative ways to reduce the severity and spread of diseases. Here, we examine how host circadian rhythms influence rhythms in the asexual replication of malaria parasites. Asexual replication is responsible for the severity of malaria and fuels transmission of the disease, yet, how parasite rhythms are driven remains a mystery. We perturbed feeding rhythms of hosts by 12 hours (i.e. diurnal feeding in nocturnal mice) to desynchronise the host’s peripheral oscillators from the central, light-entrained oscillator in the brain and their rhythmic outputs. We demonstrate that the rhythms of rodent malaria parasites in day-fed hosts become inverted relative to the rhythms of parasites in night-fed hosts. Our results reveal that the host’s peripheral rhythms (associated with the timing of feeding and metabolism), but not rhythms driven by the central, light-entrained circadian oscillator in the brain, determine the timing (phase) of parasite rhythms. Further investigation reveals that parasite rhythms correlate closely with blood glucose rhythms. In addition, we show that parasite rhythms resynchronise to the altered host feeding rhythms when food availability is shifted, which is not mediated through rhythms in the host immune system. Our observations suggest that parasites actively control their developmental rhythms. Finally, counter to expectation, the severity of disease symptoms expressed by hosts was not affected by desynchronisation of their central and peripheral rhythms. Our study at the intersection of disease ecology and chronobiology opens up a new arena for studying host-parasite-vector coevolution and has broad implications for applied bioscience. PMID:29481559

Communication and the primate brain: insights from neuroimaging studies in humans, chimpanzees and macaques.

PubMed

Wilson, Benjamin; Petkov, Christopher I

2011-04-01

Considerable knowledge is available on the neural substrates for speech and language from brain-imaging studies in humans, but until recently there was a lack of data for comparison from other animal species on the evolutionarily conserved brain regions that process species-specific communication signals. To obtain new insights into the relationship of the substrates for communication in primates, we compared the results from several neuroimaging studies in humans with those that have recently been obtained from macaque monkeys and chimpanzees. The recent work in humans challenges the longstanding notion of highly localized speech areas. As a result, the brain regions that have been identified in humans for speech and nonlinguistic voice processing show a striking general correspondence to how the brains of other primates analyze species-specific vocalizations or information in the voice, such as voice identity. The comparative neuroimaging work has begun to clarify evolutionary relationships in brain function, supporting the notion that the brain regions that process communication signals in the human brain arose from a precursor network of regions that is present in nonhuman primates and is used for processing species-specific vocalizations. We conclude by considering how the stage now seems to be set for comparative neurobiology to characterize the ancestral state of the network that evolved in humans to support language.

The role of feeding rhythm, adrenal hormones and neuronal inputs in synchronizing daily clock gene rhythms in the liver.

PubMed

Su, Yan; Cailotto, Cathy; Foppen, Ewout; Jansen, Remi; Zhang, Zhi; Buijs, Ruud; Fliers, Eric; Kalsbeek, Andries

2016-02-15

The master clock in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is assumed to distribute rhythmic information to the periphery via neural, humoral and/or behavioral connections. Until now, feeding, corticosterone and neural inputs are considered important signals for synchronizing daily rhythms in the liver. In this study, we investigated the necessity of neural inputs as well as of the feeding and adrenal hormone rhythms for maintaining daily hepatic clock gene rhythms. Clock genes kept their daily rhythm when only one of these three signals was disrupted, or when we disrupted hepatic neuronal inputs together with the adrenal hormone rhythm or with the daily feeding rhythm. However, all clock genes studied lost their daily expression rhythm after simultaneous disruption of the feeding and adrenal hormone rhythm. These data indicate that either a daily rhythm of feeding or adrenal hormones should be present to synchronize clock gene rhythms in the liver with the SCN. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

ECG Sensor Card with Evolving RBP Algorithms for Human Verification.

PubMed

Tseng, Kuo-Kun; Huang, Huang-Nan; Zeng, Fufu; Tu, Shu-Yi

2015-08-21

It is known that cardiac and respiratory rhythms in electrocardiograms (ECGs) are highly nonlinear and non-stationary. As a result, most traditional time-domain algorithms are inadequate for characterizing the complex dynamics of the ECG. This paper proposes a new ECG sensor card and a statistical-based ECG algorithm, with the aid of a reduced binary pattern (RBP), with the aim of achieving faster ECG human identity recognition with high accuracy. The proposed algorithm has one advantage that previous ECG algorithms lack-the waveform complex information and de-noising preprocessing can be bypassed; therefore, it is more suitable for non-stationary ECG signals. Experimental results tested on two public ECG databases (MIT-BIH) from MIT University confirm that the proposed scheme is feasible with excellent accuracy, low complexity, and speedy processing. To be more specific, the advanced RBP algorithm achieves high accuracy in human identity recognition and is executed at least nine times faster than previous algorithms. Moreover, based on the test results from a long-term ECG database, the evolving RBP algorithm also demonstrates superior capability in handling long-term and non-stationary ECG signals.

The role of the daily feeding rhythm in the regulation of the day/night rhythm in triglyceride secretion in rats.

PubMed

Su, Yan; Foppen, Ewout; Mansur Machado, Frederico Sander; Fliers, Eric; Kalsbeek, Andries

2018-02-15

Plasma triglyceride (TG) levels show a clear daily rhythm, however, thus far it is still unknown whether this rhythm results from a daily rhythm in TG production, TG uptake or both. Previous studies have shown that feeding activity affects plasma TG concentrations, but it is not clear how the daily rhythm in feeding activity affects plasma TG concentrations. In the present study, we measured plasma TG concentrations and TG secretion rates in rats at 6 Zeitgeber times to investigate whether plasma TG concentrations and TG secretion show a daily rhythm. We found that plasma TG concentrations and TG secretion show a significant day/night rhythm. Next, we removed the daily rhythm in feeding behavior by introducing a 6-meals-a-day (6M) feeding schedule to investigate whether the daily rhythm in feeding behavior is necessary to maintain the daily rhythm in TG secretion. We found that the day/night rhythm in TG secretion was abolished under 6M feeding conditions. Hepatic apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and microsomal TG transfer protein (Mttp), which are both involved in TG secretion, also lost their daily rhythmicity under 6M feeding conditions. Together, these results indicate that: (1) the daily rhythm in TG secretion contributes to the formation of a day/night rhythm in plasma TG levels and (2) a daily feeding rhythm is essential for maintaining the daily rhythm in TG secretion.

Serial binary interval ratios improve rhythm reproduction.

PubMed

Wu, Xiang; Westanmo, Anders; Zhou, Liang; Pan, Junhao

2013-01-01

Musical rhythm perception is a natural human ability that involves complex cognitive processes. Rhythm refers to the organization of events in time, and musical rhythms have an underlying hierarchical metrical structure. The metrical structure induces the feeling of a beat and the extent to which a rhythm induces the feeling of a beat is referred to as its metrical strength. Binary ratios are the most frequent interval ratio in musical rhythms. Rhythms with hierarchical binary ratios are better discriminated and reproduced than rhythms with hierarchical non-binary ratios. However, it remains unclear whether a superiority of serial binary over non-binary ratios in rhythm perception and reproduction exists. In addition, how different types of serial ratios influence the metrical strength of rhythms remains to be elucidated. The present study investigated serial binary vs. non-binary ratios in a reproduction task. Rhythms formed with exclusively binary (1:2:4:8), non-binary integer (1:3:5:6), and non-integer (1:2.3:5.3:6.4) ratios were examined within a constant meter. The results showed that the 1:2:4:8 rhythm type was more accurately reproduced than the 1:3:5:6 and 1:2.3:5.3:6.4 rhythm types, and the 1:2.3:5.3:6.4 rhythm type was more accurately reproduced than the 1:3:5:6 rhythm type. Further analyses showed that reproduction performance was better predicted by the distribution pattern of event occurrences within an inter-beat interval, than by the coincidence of events with beats, or the magnitude and complexity of interval ratios. Whereas rhythm theories and empirical data emphasize the role of the coincidence of events with beats in determining metrical strength and predicting rhythm performance, the present results suggest that rhythm processing may be better understood when the distribution pattern of event occurrences is taken into account. These results provide new insights into the mechanisms underlining musical rhythm perception.

Serial binary interval ratios improve rhythm reproduction

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiang; Westanmo, Anders; Zhou, Liang; Pan, Junhao

2013-01-01

Musical rhythm perception is a natural human ability that involves complex cognitive processes. Rhythm refers to the organization of events in time, and musical rhythms have an underlying hierarchical metrical structure. The metrical structure induces the feeling of a beat and the extent to which a rhythm induces the feeling of a beat is referred to as its metrical strength. Binary ratios are the most frequent interval ratio in musical rhythms. Rhythms with hierarchical binary ratios are better discriminated and reproduced than rhythms with hierarchical non-binary ratios. However, it remains unclear whether a superiority of serial binary over non-binary ratios in rhythm perception and reproduction exists. In addition, how different types of serial ratios influence the metrical strength of rhythms remains to be elucidated. The present study investigated serial binary vs. non-binary ratios in a reproduction task. Rhythms formed with exclusively binary (1:2:4:8), non-binary integer (1:3:5:6), and non-integer (1:2.3:5.3:6.4) ratios were examined within a constant meter. The results showed that the 1:2:4:8 rhythm type was more accurately reproduced than the 1:3:5:6 and 1:2.3:5.3:6.4 rhythm types, and the 1:2.3:5.3:6.4 rhythm type was more accurately reproduced than the 1:3:5:6 rhythm type. Further analyses showed that reproduction performance was better predicted by the distribution pattern of event occurrences within an inter-beat interval, than by the coincidence of events with beats, or the magnitude and complexity of interval ratios. Whereas rhythm theories and empirical data emphasize the role of the coincidence of events with beats in determining metrical strength and predicting rhythm performance, the present results suggest that rhythm processing may be better understood when the distribution pattern of event occurrences is taken into account. These results provide new insights into the mechanisms underlining musical rhythm perception. PMID:23964258

Music perception by cochlear implant and normal hearing listeners as measured by the Montreal Battery for Evaluation of Amusia.

PubMed

Cooper, William B; Tobey, Emily; Loizou, Philipos C

2008-08-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the utility/possibility of using the Montreal Battery for Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA) test (Peretz, et al., Ann N Y Acad Sci, 999, 58-75) to assess the music perception abilities of cochlear implant (CI) users. The MBEA was used to measure six different aspects of music perception (Scale, Contour, Interval, Rhythm, Meter, and Melody Memory) by CI users and normal-hearing (NH) listeners presented with stimuli processed via CI simulations. The spectral resolution (number of channels) was varied in the CI simulations to determine: (a) the number of channels (4, 6, 8, 12, and 16) needed to achieve the highest levels of music perception and (b) the number of channels needed to produce levels of music perception performance comparable with that of CI users. CI users and NH listeners performed higher on temporal-based tests (Rhythm and Meter) than on pitch-based tests (Scale, Contour, and Interval)--a finding that is consistent with previous research studies. The CI users' scores on pitch-based tests were near chance. The CI users' (but not NH listeners') scores for the Memory test, a test that incorporates an integration of both temporal-based and pitch-based aspects of music, were significantly higher than the scores obtained for the pitch-based Scale test and significantly lower than the temporal-based Rhythm and Meter tests. The data from NH listeners indicated that 16 channels of stimulation did not provide the highest music perception scores and performance was as good as that obtained with 12 channels. This outcome is consistent with other studies showing that NH listeners listening to vocoded speech are not able to use effectively F0 cues present in the envelopes, even when the stimuli are processed with a large number (16) of channels. The CI user data seem to most closely match with the 4- and 6-channel NH listener conditions for the pitch-based tasks. Consistent with previous studies, both CI users and NH listeners showed the typical pattern of music perception in which scores are higher on tests measuring the perception of temporal aspects of music (Rhythm and Meter) than spectral (pitch) aspects of music (Scale, Contour, and Interval). On that regard, the pattern of results from this study indicates that the MBEA is a suitable test for measuring various aspects of music perception by CI users.

Use of rhythm in acquisition of a computer-generated tracking task.

PubMed

Fulop, A C; Kirby, R H; Coates, G D

1992-08-01

This research assessed whether rhythm aids acquisition of motor skills by providing cues for the timing of those skills. Rhythms were presented to participants visually or visually with auditory cues. It was hypothesized that the auditory cues would facilitate recognition and learning of the rhythms. The three timing principles of rhythms were also explored. It was hypothesized that rhythms that satisfied all three timing principles would be more beneficial in learning a skill than rhythms that did not satisfy the principles. Three groups learned three different rhythms by practicing a tracking task. After training, participants attempted to reproduce the tracks from memory. Results suggest that rhythms do help in learning motor skills but different sets of timing principles explain perception of rhythm in different modalities.

A cardiac electrical activity model based on a cellular automata system in comparison with neural network model.

PubMed

Khan, Muhammad Sadiq Ali; Yousuf, Sidrah

2016-03-01

Cardiac Electrical Activity is commonly distributed into three dimensions of Cardiac Tissue (Myocardium) and evolves with duration of time. The indicator of heart diseases can occur randomly at any time of a day. Heart rate, conduction and each electrical activity during cardiac cycle should be monitor non-invasively for the assessment of "Action Potential" (regular) and "Arrhythmia" (irregular) rhythms. Many heart diseases can easily be examined through Automata model like Cellular Automata concepts. This paper deals with the different states of cardiac rhythms using cellular automata with the comparison of neural network also provides fast and highly effective stimulation for the contraction of cardiac muscles on the Atria in the result of genesis of electrical spark or wave. The specific formulated model named as "States of automaton Proposed Model for CEA (Cardiac Electrical Activity)" by using Cellular Automata Methodology is commonly shows the three states of cardiac tissues conduction phenomena (i) Resting (Relax and Excitable state), (ii) ARP (Excited but Absolutely refractory Phase i.e. Excited but not able to excite neighboring cells) (iii) RRP (Excited but Relatively Refractory Phase i.e. Excited and able to excite neighboring cells). The result indicates most efficient modeling with few burden of computation and it is Action Potential during the pumping of blood in cardiac cycle.

Genetic basis of allochronic differentiation in the fall armyworm.

PubMed

Hänniger, Sabine; Dumas, Pascaline; Schöfl, Gerhard; Gebauer-Jung, Steffi; Vogel, Heiko; Unbehend, Melanie; Heckel, David G; Groot, Astrid T

2017-03-06

Very little is known on how changes in circadian rhythms evolve. The noctuid moth Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) consists of two strains that exhibit allochronic differentiation in their mating time, which acts as a premating isolation barrier between the strains. We investigated the genetic basis of the strain-specific timing differences to identify the molecular mechanisms of differentiation in circadian rhythms. Through QTL analyses we identified one major Quantitative trait chromosome (QTC) underlying differentiation in circadian timing of mating activity. Using RADtags, we identified this QTC to be homologous to Bombyx mori C27, on which the clock gene vrille is located, which thus became the major candidate gene. In S. frugiperda, vrille showed strain-specific polymorphisms. Also, vrille expression differed significantly between the strains, with the rice-strain showing higher expression levels than the corn-strain. In addition, RT-qPCR experiments with the other main clock genes showed that pdp1, antagonist of vrille in the modulatory feedback loop of the circadian clock, showed higher expression levels in the rice-strain than in the corn-strain. Together, our results indicate that the allochronic differentiation in the two strains of S. frugiperda is associated with differential transcription of vrille or a cis-acting gene close to vrille, which contributes to the evolution of prezygotic isolation in S. frugiperda.

The Antarctic Krill Euphausia superba Shows Diurnal Cycles of Transcription under Natural Conditions

PubMed Central

Albiero, Alessandro; Sales, Gabriele; Millino, Caterina; Mazzotta, Gabriella M.; Bertolucci, Cristiano; Costa, Rodolfo

2013-01-01

Background Polar environments are characterized by extreme seasonal changes in day length, light intensity and spectrum, the extent of sea ice during the winter, and food availability. A key species of the Southern Ocean ecosystem, the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) has evolved rhythmic physiological and behavioral mechanisms to adapt to daily and seasonal changes. The molecular organization of the clockwork underlying these biological rhythms is, nevertheless, still only partially understood. Methodology/Principal Findings The genome sequence of the Antarctic krill is not yet available. A normalized cDNA library was produced and pyrosequenced in the attempt to identify large numbers of transcripts. All available E. superba sequences were then assembled to create the most complete existing oligonucleotide microarray platform with a total of 32,217 probes. Gene expression signatures of specimens collected in the Ross Sea at five different time points over a 24-hour cycle were defined, and 1,308 genes differentially expressed were identified. Of the corresponding transcripts, 609 showed a significant sinusoidal expression pattern; about 40% of these exibithed a 24-hour periodicity while the other 60% was characterized by a shorter (about 12-hour) rhythm. We assigned the differentially expressed genes to functional categories and noticed that those concerning translation, proteolysis, energy and metabolic process, redox regulation, visual transduction and stress response, which are most likely related to daily environmental changes, were significantly enriched. Two transcripts of peroxiredoxin, thought to represent the ancestral timekeeping system that evolved about 2.5 billion years ago, were also identified as were two isoforms of the EsRh1 opsin and two novel arrestin1 sequences involved in the visual transduction cascade. Conclusions Our work represents the first characterization of the krill diurnal transcriptome under natural conditions and provides a first insight into the genetic regulation of physiological changes, which occur around the clock during an Antarctic summer day. PMID:23874706

Elizabeth Usher Memorial Lecture: How do we change our profession? Using the lens of behavioural economics to improve evidence-based practice in speech-language pathology.

PubMed

McCabe, Patricia J

2018-06-01

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a well-accepted theoretical framework around which speech-language pathologists strive to build their clinical decisions. The profession's conceptualisation of EBP has been evolving over the last 20 years with the practice of EBP now needing to balance research evidence, clinical data and informed patient choices. However, although EBP is not a new concept, as a profession, we seem to be no closer to closing the gap between research evidence and practice than we were at the start of the movement toward EBP in the late 1990s. This paper examines why speech-language pathologists find it difficult to change our own practice when we are experts in changing the behaviour of others. Using the lens of behavioural economics to examine the heuristics and cognitive processes which facilitate and inhibit change, the paper explores research showing how inconsistency of belief and action, or cognitive dissonance, is inevitable unless we act reflectively instead of automatically. The paper argues that heuristics that prevent us changing our practice toward EBP include the sunk cost fallacy, loss aversion, social desirability bias, choice overload and inertia. These automatic cognitive processes work to inhibit change and may partially account for the slow translation of research into practice. Fortunately, understanding and using other heuristics such as the framing effect, reciprocity, social proof, consistency and commitment may help us to understand our own behaviour as speech-language pathologists and help the profession, and those we work with, move towards EBP.

Synchronous circadian voltage rhythms with asynchronous calcium rhythms in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

PubMed Central

Enoki, Ryosuke; Oda, Yoshiaki; Mieda, Michihiro; Ono, Daisuke; Honma, Sato; Honma, Ken-ichi

2017-01-01

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master circadian clock, contains a network composed of multiple types of neurons which are thought to form a hierarchical and multioscillator system. The molecular clock machinery in SCN neurons drives membrane excitability and sends time cue signals to various brain regions and peripheral organs. However, how and at what time of the day these neurons transmit output signals remain largely unknown. Here, we successfully visualized circadian voltage rhythms optically for many days using a genetically encoded voltage sensor, ArcLightD. Unexpectedly, the voltage rhythms are synchronized across the entire SCN network of cultured slices, whereas simultaneously recorded Ca2+ rhythms are topologically specific to the dorsal and ventral regions. We further found that the temporal order of these two rhythms is cell-type specific: The Ca2+ rhythms phase-lead the voltage rhythms in AVP neurons but Ca2+ and voltage rhythms are nearly in phase in VIP neurons. We confirmed that circadian firing rhythms are also synchronous and are coupled with the voltage rhythms. These results indicate that SCN networks with asynchronous Ca2+ rhythms produce coherent voltage rhythms. PMID:28270612

The hearing-impaired child in the hearing society.

PubMed

Burton, M H

1983-11-01

This paper sets out to describe a method of educating the hearing-impaired which has been operating successfully for the past 18 years. The underlying tenet of our approach is that considerable communicative skills can be developed with children who have marked hearing loss. Even if the child is profoundly deaf he or she has some sensory input which can be used as the basis for training in language development. The attempt to make the most of the minimal hearing of the hearing-impaired child has proved to be successful in the vast majority of cases. The profoundly hearing-impaired child can learn to listen and to produce the spoken word. This is demonstrated by use of video-tape. The interaction of teacher with child is heard and the regional accent can be identified. The prosodic features of the speech are retained although articulation may be incomplete. Intelligibility of utterance is shown to be a combination of rhythm stress and intonation based on previously heard patterns rather than on perfectly articulated sounds. The social consequence of this approach is that child is not relegated to a minority subculture where only the deaf can communicate with the deaf but is allowed to enter into the world of normal relationships and expectations. Deaf children can be taught to listen and to use imperfectly heard patterns in order to interpret the meaning of language. This input of speech follows the natural language normally used by the child who is not deaf.

Implementation of High-resolution Manometry in the Clinical Practice of Speech Language Pathology

PubMed Central

Thibeault, Susan; McCulloch, Timothy M.

2014-01-01

Visual imaging modalities, videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallow, for assessment of oropharyngeal dysphagia have been part of the speech language pathologist’s (SLPs) armamentarium for the diagnosis and treatment of dysphagia for decades. Recently, the addition of high-resolution manometry (HRM) has enabled the SLP to evaluate pharyngeal pressures and upper esophageal sphincter relaxation. Taken together, the use of visual imaging modalities with HRM can improve interpretation of swallowing physiology and facilitate more effective treatment planning. The goal of this article is to describe a clinical paradigm using HRM as an adjunct to VFSS, by the SLP, in the assessment of complex dysphagia. Moreover, in three cases described, the value of manometric measurements in elucidating swallowing imaging studies and documenting physiologic change in response to treatment is highlighted. As technology in this area is evolving, so will the clinical use of HRM by the SLP. Limitations of current HRM systems and applications are discussed. PMID:24233810

Laryngeal Electromyography Techniques and Clinical Use.

PubMed

Kimaid, Paulo Andre Teixeira; Crespo, Agrício Nubiato; Moreira, Ana Lucila; Wolf, Aline Epiphanio; França, Marcondes Cavalcante

2015-08-01

Laryngeal electromyography is considered a valuable diagnostic tool for voice disorders. The technique, described almost 70 years ago, evolved 3 decades later, mainly because of the growing interest of laryngologists and speech pathologists. In the authors' opinion, the reduced number of neurophysiologists involved in laryngeal electromyography groups is, at some instance, related to the difficulty to start the learning process and the multidisciplinary approach the field requires. This review highlights the anatomy and physiology needed to perform laryngeal electromyography and its clinical usefulness in the new field known as neurolaryngology.

Biochronometry; Proceedings of the Symposium, Friday Harbor, Wash., September 4-6, 1969.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menaker, M.

1971-01-01

Topics discussed include circadian activity rhythms in birds and man, variation of circadian rhythms in monkeys, resetting of circadian eclosion rhythm in fruitflies, the effectiveness of mathematical models of circadian rhythms, the influence of ac electric fields on circadian rhythms in man, the relation between changes in the metabolic rate and circadian periodicity of the resistance of pocket mice to ionizing radiation, the relation between circadian organization and the photoperiodic time measurement in moths, the circadian rhythm of optic nerve potentials in the isolated eye of the sea hare, phasing of circadian temperature rhythms in the pocket mouse by specific spectral regions, the phase-shifting effect of light on circadian rhymicity in the fruifly, hormonal control of circadian rhythms in the fruitfly, metabolically controlled temperature compensation in the circadian rhythm of algae, and circadian rhythms in the chloroplasts of algae. Individual items are abstracted in this issue.

Circadian melatonin concentration rhythm is lost in pregnant women with altered blood pressure rhythm.

PubMed

Tranquilli, A L; Turi, A; Giannubilo, S R; Garbati, E

2004-03-01

We assessed the correlation between the rhythm of melatonin concentration and circadian blood pressure patterns in normal and hypertensive pregnancy. Ambulatory 24-h blood pressure and blood samples every 4 h were monitored in 16 primigravidae who had shown an abnormal circadian blood pressure pattern (eight pre-eclamptic and eight normotensive) in pregnancy and 6-12 months after pregnancy. The circadian rhythm was analyzed by chronobiological measures. Eight normotensive women with maintained blood pressure rhythm served as controls. During pregnancy, melatonin concentration was significantly higher in pre-eclamptic than in normotensive women (pre-eclampsia, 29.4 +/- 1.9 pg/ml, normotensin, altered rhythm, 15.6 +/- 2.1; controls, 22.7 +/- 1.8; p < 0.001). This difference faded after pregnancy, owing to the fall observed in pre-eclampsia (11.8 +/- 3.2 pg/ml, 9.8 +/- 2.1, and 11.1 +/- 2.0, respectively; NS). The rhythm of melatonin concentration was lost in all pregnant women with loss of blood pressure rhythm. After pregnancy, normotensive women showed a reappearance of both melatonin and blood pressure rhythm, whereas pre-eclamptic women showed a reappearance of blood pressure but not melatonin rhythm. The loss of blood pressure rhythm in pregnancy is consistent with the loss of melatonin concentration rhythm. In pre-eclamptic women, the normalization of blood pressure rhythm, while melatonin rhythm remained altered, suggests a temporal or causal priority of circadian concentration of melatonin in the determination of blood pressure trend.

Endocrine and metabolic changes in payload specialist (L-1)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matsui, Nobuo

1993-01-01

The endocrine system plays an important role in the adaptation to unusual environments by secreting hormones to control metabolism. Since human beings have long evolved on the surface of the Earth under a gravity environment, the weightless environment must be quite unusual for them. The purpose of this experiment is to study the mechanisms of human adaptation to a weightless environment from endocrine and metabolic changes. Our study plan is focused on four major physiological changes which were reported during past space flights or which may be expected to occur under that condition: (1) hormone and metabolic changes associated with fluid shift; (2) bone demineralization and muscle atrophy; (3) altered circadian rhythm; and (4) stress reaction during space flight.

Routine versus aggressive upstream rhythm control for prevention of early atrial fibrillation in heart failure: background, aims and design of the RACE 3 study.

PubMed

Alings, M; Smit, M D; Moes, M L; Crijns, H J G M; Tijssen, J G P; Brügemann, J; Hillege, H L; Lane, D A; Lip, G Y H; Smeets, J R L M; Tieleman, R G; Tukkie, R; Willems, F F; Vermond, R A; Van Veldhuisen, D J; Van Gelder, I C

2013-07-01

Rhythm control for atrial fibrillation (AF) is cumbersome because of its progressive nature caused by structural remodelling. Upstream therapy refers to therapeutic interventions aiming to modify the atrial substrate, leading to prevention of AF. The Routine versus Aggressive upstream rhythm Control for prevention of Early AF in heart failure (RACE 3) study hypothesises that aggressive upstream rhythm control increases persistence of sinus rhythm compared with conventional rhythm control in patients with early AF and mild-to-moderate early systolic or diastolic heart failure undergoing electrical cardioversion. RACE 3 is a prospective, randomised, open, multinational, multicenter trial. Upstream rhythm control consists of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and/or angiotensin receptor blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, statins, cardiac rehabilitation therapy, and intensive counselling on dietary restrictions, exercise maintenance, and drug adherence. Conventional rhythm control consists of routine rhythm control therapy without cardiac rehabilitation therapy and intensive counselling. In both arms, every effort is made to keep patients in the rhythm control strategy, and ion channel antiarrhythmic drugs or pulmonary vein ablation may be instituted if AF relapses. Total inclusion will be 250 patients. If upstream therapy proves to be effective in improving maintenance of sinus rhythm, it could become a new approach to rhythm control supporting conventional pharmacological and non-pharmacological rhythm control.

Circadian rhythms of gastrointestinal function are regulated by both central and peripheral oscillators

PubMed Central

Malloy, Jaclyn N.; Paulose, Jiffin K.; Li, Ye

2012-01-01

Circadian clocks are responsible for daily rhythms in a wide array of processes, including gastrointestinal (GI) function. These are vital for normal digestive rhythms and overall health. Previous studies demonstrated circadian clocks within the cells of GI tissue. The present study examines the roles played by the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), master circadian pacemaker for overt circadian rhythms, and the sympathetic nervous system in regulation of circadian GI rhythms in the mouse Mus musculus. Surgical ablation of the SCN abolishes circadian locomotor, feeding, and stool output rhythms when animals are presented with food ad libitum, while restricted feeding reestablishes these rhythms temporarily. In intact mice, chemical sympathectomy with 6-hydroxydopamine has no effect on feeding and locomotor rhythmicity in light-dark cycles or constant darkness but attenuates stool weight and stool number rhythms. Again, however, restricted feeding reestablishes rhythms in locomotor activity, feeding, and stool output rhythms. Ex vivo, intestinal tissue from PER2::LUC transgenic mice expresses circadian rhythms of luciferase bioluminescence. Chemical sympathectomy has little effect on these rhythms, but timed administration of the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol causes a phase-dependent shift in PERIOD2 expression rhythms. Collectively, the data suggest that the SCN are required to maintain feeding, locomotor, and stool output rhythms during ad libitum conditions, acting at least in part through daily activation of sympathetic activity. Even so, this input is not necessary for entrainment to timed feeding, which may be the province of oscillators within the intestines themselves or other components of the GI system. PMID:22723262

Differential short-term memorisation for vocal and instrumental rhythms.

PubMed

Klyn, Niall A M; Will, Udo; Cheong, Yong-Jeon; Allen, Erin T

2016-07-01

This study explores differential processing of vocal and instrumental rhythms in short-term memory with three decision (same/different judgments) and one reproduction experiment. In the first experiment, memory performance declined for delayed versus immediate recall, with accuracy for the two rhythms being affected differently: Musicians performed better than non-musicians on clapstick but not on vocal rhythms, and musicians were better on vocal rhythms in the same than in the different condition. Results for the second experiment showed that concurrent sub-vocal articulation and finger-tapping differentially affected the two rhythms and same/different decisions, but produced no evidence for articulatory loop involvement in delayed decision tasks. In a third experiment, which tested rhythm reproduction, concurrent sub-vocal articulation decreased memory performance, with a stronger deleterious effect on the reproduction of vocal than of clapstick rhythms. This suggests that the articulatory loop may only be involved in delayed reproduction not in decision tasks. The fourth experiment tested whether differences between filled and empty rhythms (continuous vs. discontinuous sounds) can explain the different memorisation of vocal and clapstick rhythms. Though significant differences were found for empty and filled instrumental rhythms, the differences between vocal and clapstick can only be explained by considering additional voice specific features.

Disinhibition of the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase restores the amplification of circadian rhythms by lithium in cells from bipolar disorder patients.

PubMed

McCarthy, Michael J; Wei, Heather; Landgraf, Dominic; Le Roux, Melissa J; Welsh, David K

2016-08-01

Bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by depression, mania, and circadian rhythm abnormalities. Lithium, a treatment for BD stabilizes mood and increases circadian rhythm amplitude. However, in fibroblasts grown from BD patients, lithium has weak effects on rhythm amplitude compared to healthy controls. To understand the mechanism by which lithium differentially affects rhythm amplitude in BD cells, we investigated the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and related signaling molecules linked to BD and circadian rhythms. In fibroblasts from BD patients, controls and mice, we assessed the contribution of the ERK pathway to lithium-induced circadian rhythm amplification. Protein analyses revealed low phospho-ERK1/2 (p-ERK) content in fibroblasts from BD patients vs. Pharmacological inhibition of ERK1/2 by PD98059 attenuated the rhythm amplification effect of lithium, while inhibition of two related kinases, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and P38 did not. Knockdown of the transcription factors CREB and EGR-1, downstream effectors of ERK1/2, reduced baseline rhythm amplitude, but did not alter rhythm amplification by lithium. In contrast, ELK-1 knockdown amplified rhythms, an effect that was not increased further by the addition of lithium, suggesting this transcription factor may regulate the effect of lithium on amplitude. Augmentation of ERK1/2 signaling through DUSP6 knockdown sensitized NIH3T3 cells to rhythm amplification by lithium. In BD fibroblasts, DUSP6 knockdown reversed the BD rhythm phenotype, restoring the ability of lithium to increase amplitude in these cells. We conclude that the inability of lithium to regulate circadian rhythms in BD may reflect reduced ERK activity, and signaling through ELK-1. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A dynamical systems approach for estimating phase interactions between rhythms of different frequencies from experimental data.

PubMed

Onojima, Takayuki; Goto, Takahiro; Mizuhara, Hiroaki; Aoyagi, Toshio

2018-01-01

Synchronization of neural oscillations as a mechanism of brain function is attracting increasing attention. Neural oscillation is a rhythmic neural activity that can be easily observed by noninvasive electroencephalography (EEG). Neural oscillations show the same frequency and cross-frequency synchronization for various cognitive and perceptual functions. However, it is unclear how this neural synchronization is achieved by a dynamical system. If neural oscillations are weakly coupled oscillators, the dynamics of neural synchronization can be described theoretically using a phase oscillator model. We propose an estimation method to identify the phase oscillator model from real data of cross-frequency synchronized activities. The proposed method can estimate the coupling function governing the properties of synchronization. Furthermore, we examine the reliability of the proposed method using time-series data obtained from numerical simulation and an electronic circuit experiment, and show that our method can estimate the coupling function correctly. Finally, we estimate the coupling function between EEG oscillation and the speech sound envelope, and discuss the validity of these results.

The Artistic Infant Directed Performance: A Mycroanalysis of the Adult's Movements and Sounds.

PubMed

Español, Silvia; Shifres, Favio

2015-09-01

Intersubjectivity experiences established between adults and infants are partially determined by the particular ways in which adults are active in front of babies. An important amount of research focuses on the "musicality" of infant-directed speech (defined melodic contours, tonal and rhythm variations, etc.) and its role in linguistic enculturation. However, researchers have recently suggested that adults also bring a multimodal performance to infants. According to this, some scholars seem to find indicators of the genesis of the performing arts (mainly music and dance) in such a multimodal stimulation. We analyze the adult performance using analytical categories and methodologies of analysis broadly validated in the fields of music performance and movement analysis in contemporary dance. We present microanalyses of an adult-7 month old infant interaction scene that evidenced structural aspects of infant directed multimodal performance compatible with music and dance structures, and suggest functions of adult performance similar to performing arts functions or related to them.

Another place, another timer: Marine species and the rhythms of life

PubMed Central

Tessmar-Raible, Kristin; Raible, Florian; Arboleda, Enrique

2011-01-01

The marine ecosystem is governed by a multitude of environmental cycles, all of which are linked to the periodical recurrence of the sun or the moon. In accordance with these cycles, marine species exhibit a variety of biological rhythms, ranging from circadian and circatidal rhythms to circalunar and seasonal rhythms. However, our current molecular understanding of biological rhythms and clocks is largely restricted to solar-controlled circadian and seasonal rhythms in land model species. Here, we discuss the first molecular data emerging for circalunar and circatidal rhythms and present selected species suitable for further molecular analyses. We argue that a re-focus on marine species will be crucial to understand the principles, interactions and evolution of rhythms that govern a broad range of eukaryotes, including ourselves. PMID:21254149

The circatidal rhythm persists without the optic lobe in the mangrove cricket Apteronemobius asahinai.

PubMed

Takekata, Hiroki; Numata, Hideharu; Shiga, Sakiko

2014-02-01

Whether the circatidal rhythm is generated by a machinery common to the circadian clock is one of the important and interesting questions in chronobiology. The mangrove cricket Apteronemobius asahinai shows a circatidal rhythm generating active and inactive phases and a circadian rhythm modifying the circatidal rhythm by inhibiting activity during the subjective day simultaneously. In the previous study, RNA interference of the circadian clock gene period disrupted the circadian rhythm but not the circatidal rhythm, suggesting a difference in molecular mechanisms between the circatidal and circadian rhythms. In the present study, to compare the neural mechanisms of these 2 rhythms, we observed locomotor activity in the mangrove cricket after surgical removal of the optic lobe, which has been shown to be the locus of the circadian clock in other crickets. We also noted the pigment-dispersing factor immunoreactive neurons (PDF-IRNs) in the optic lobe, because PDF is a key output molecule in the circadian clock system in some insects. The results showed that the circadian modulation was disrupted after the removal of the optic lobes but that the circatidal rhythm was maintained with no remarkable changes in its free-running period. Even in crickets in which some PDF-immunoreactive somata remained after removal of the optic lobe, the circadian rhythm was completely disrupted. The remnants of PDF-IRNs were not correlated to the occurrence and free-running period of the circatidal rhythm. These results indicate that the principal circatidal clock is located in a region(s) different from the optic lobe, whereas the circadian clock is located in the optic lobe, as in other crickets, and PDF-IRNs are not important for circatidal rhythm. Therefore, it is suggested that the circatidal rhythm of A. asahinai is driven by a neural basis different from that driving the circadian rhythm.

Circadian locomotor rhythms in the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus. I. Localization of the pacemaker and the photoreceptor.

PubMed

Abe, Y; Ushirogawa, H; Tomioka, K

1997-10-01

Circadian locomotor rhythm and its underlying mechanism were investigated in the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus. Adult male crickets showed a nocturnal locomotor rhythm peaking early in the dark phase of a light to dark cycle. This rhythm persisted under constant darkness (DD) with a free-running period averaging 23.1 +/- 0.3 hr. Although constant bright light made most animals arrhythmic, about 40% of the animals showed free-running rhythms with a period longer than 24 hr under constant dim light condition. On transfer to DD, all arrhythmic animals restored the locomotor rhythm. Bilateral optic nerve severance resulted in free-running of the rhythm even under light-dark cycles. The free-running period of the optic nerve severed animals was significantly longer than sham operated crickets in DD, suggesting that the compound eye plays some role in determining the free-running period. Removal of bilateral lamina-medulla portion of the optic lobe abolished the rhythm under DD. These results demonstrate that the photoreceptor for entrainment is the compound eye and the optic lobe is indispensable for persistence of the rhythm. However, 75% and 54% of the optic lobeless animals showed aberrant rhythms with a period very close to 24 hr under light and temperature cycles, respectively, suggesting that there are neural and/or humoral mechanisms for the aberrant rhythms outside of the optic lobe. Since ocelli removal did not affect the photoperiodically induced rhythm, it is likely that the photoreception for the rhythm is performed through an extraretinal photoreceptor.

Light and maternal influence in the entrainment of activity circadian rhythm in infants 4-12 weeks of age.

PubMed

Thomas, Karen A; Burr, Robert L; Spieker, Susan

2016-07-01

The influence of light and maternal activity on early infant activity rhythm were studied in 43 healthy, maternal-infant pairs. Aims included description of infant and maternal circadian rhythm of environmental light, assessing relations among of activity and light circadian rhythm parameters, and exploring the influence of light on infant activity independent of maternal activity. Three-day light and activity records were obtained using actigraphy monitors at infant ages 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Circadian rhythm timing, amplitude, 24-hour fit, rhythm center, and regularity were determined using cosinor and nonparametric circadian rhythm analyses (NPCRA). All maternal and infant circadian parameters for light were highly correlated. When maternal activity was controlled, the partial correlations between infant activity and light rhythm timing, amplitude, 24-hour fit, and rhythm center demonstrated significant relation (r = .338 to .662) at infant age 12 weeks, suggesting entrainment. In contrast, when maternal light was controlled there was significant relation between maternal and infant activity rhythm (r = 0.470, 0.500, and 0.638 at 4, 8 and 12 weeks, respectively) suggesting the influence of maternal-infant interaction independent of photo entrainment of cycle timing over the first 12 weeks of life. Both light and maternal activity may offer avenues for shaping infant activity rhythm during early infancy.

Comparison of synchronization of primate circadian rhythms by light and food

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sulzman, F. M.; Fuller, C. A.; Moore-Ede, M. C.

1978-01-01

It is a well-documented fact that cycles of light and dark (LD) are the major entraining agent or 'zeitgeber' for circadian rhythms and that cycles of eating and fasting (EF) are capable of synchronizing a few circadian rhythms in the squirrel monkey. In this paper, by contrasting how these rhythms are timed by LD and EF cycles, the differential coupling to the oscillating system within adult male squirrel monkeys is examined. The variables measured are the rhythms of drinking, colonic temperature, and urinary potassium and water excretion. Attention is given to a comparison of the reproducibility of the averaged waveforms of the rhythms, the stability of the timing of a phase reference point, and the rate of resynchronization of these rhythms following an abrupt 8-hr phase delay in the zeitgeber. It is shown that the colonic temperature rhythm is more tightly controlled by LD than EF cycles, and that the drinking and urinary rhythms are more tightly coupled to EF than LD cycles.

A rhythm-based authentication scheme for smart media devices.

PubMed

Lee, Jae Dong; Jeong, Young-Sik; Park, Jong Hyuk

2014-01-01

In recent years, ubiquitous computing has been rapidly emerged in our lives and extensive studies have been conducted in a variety of areas related to smart devices, such as tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, smart refrigerators, and smart media devices, as a measure for realizing the ubiquitous computing. In particular, smartphones have significantly evolved from the traditional feature phones. Increasingly higher-end smartphone models that can perform a range of functions are now available. Smart devices have become widely popular since they provide high efficiency and great convenience for not only private daily activities but also business endeavors. Rapid advancements have been achieved in smart device technologies to improve the end users' convenience. Consequently, many people increasingly rely on smart devices to store their valuable and important data. With this increasing dependence, an important aspect that must be addressed is security issues. Leaking of private information or sensitive business data due to loss or theft of smart devices could result in exorbitant damage. To mitigate these security threats, basic embedded locking features are provided in smart devices. However, these locking features are vulnerable. In this paper, an original security-locking scheme using a rhythm-based locking system (RLS) is proposed to overcome the existing security problems of smart devices. RLS is a user-authenticated system that addresses vulnerability issues in the existing locking features and provides secure confidentiality in addition to convenience.

A Rhythm-Based Authentication Scheme for Smart Media Devices

PubMed Central

Lee, Jae Dong; Park, Jong Hyuk

2014-01-01

In recent years, ubiquitous computing has been rapidly emerged in our lives and extensive studies have been conducted in a variety of areas related to smart devices, such as tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, smart refrigerators, and smart media devices, as a measure for realizing the ubiquitous computing. In particular, smartphones have significantly evolved from the traditional feature phones. Increasingly higher-end smartphone models that can perform a range of functions are now available. Smart devices have become widely popular since they provide high efficiency and great convenience for not only private daily activities but also business endeavors. Rapid advancements have been achieved in smart device technologies to improve the end users' convenience. Consequently, many people increasingly rely on smart devices to store their valuable and important data. With this increasing dependence, an important aspect that must be addressed is security issues. Leaking of private information or sensitive business data due to loss or theft of smart devices could result in exorbitant damage. To mitigate these security threats, basic embedded locking features are provided in smart devices. However, these locking features are vulnerable. In this paper, an original security-locking scheme using a rhythm-based locking system (RLS) is proposed to overcome the existing security problems of smart devices. RLS is a user-authenticated system that addresses vulnerability issues in the existing locking features and provides secure confidentiality in addition to convenience. PMID:25110743

An implementation of a reference symbol approach to generic modulation in fading channels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, R. J.; Lodge, J. H.; Pacola, L. C.

1990-01-01

As mobile satellite communications systems evolve over the next decade, they will have to adapt to a changing tradeoff between bandwidth and power. This paper presents a flexible approach to digital modulation and coding that will accommodate both wideband and narrowband schemes. This architecture could be the basis for a family of modems, each satisfying a specific power and bandwidth constraint, yet all having a large number of common signal processing blocks. The implementation of this generic approach, with general purpose digital processors for transmission of 4.8 kilobits per sec. digitally encoded speech, is described.

Toward an integrative approach of cognitive neuroscientific and evolutionary psychological studies of art.

PubMed

De Smedt, Johan; De Cruz, Helen

2010-11-28

This paper examines explanations for human artistic behavior in two reductionist research programs, cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary psychology. Despite their different methodological outlooks, both approaches converge on an explanation of art production and appreciation as byproducts of normal perceptual and motivational cognitive skills that evolved in response to problems originally not related to art, such as the discrimination of salient visual stimuli and speech sounds. The explanatory power of this reductionist framework does not obviate the need for higher-level accounts of art from the humanities, such as aesthetics, art history or anthropology of art.

The Validity and Reliability of Rhythm Measurements in Automatically Scoring the English Rhythm Proficiency of Chinese EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Jin; Lin, Jianghao; Li, Xinguang

2015-01-01

This article aims to find out the validity of rhythm measurements to capture the rhythmic features of Chinese English. Besides, the reliability of the valid rhythm measurements applied in automatically scoring the English rhythm proficiency of Chinese EFL learners is also explored. Thus, two experiments were carried out. First, thirty students of…

A Neural Network Underlying Circadian Entrainment and Photoperiodic Adjustment of Sleep and Activity in Drosophila.

PubMed

Schlichting, Matthias; Menegazzi, Pamela; Lelito, Katharine R; Yao, Zepeng; Buhl, Edgar; Dalla Benetta, Elena; Bahle, Andrew; Denike, Jennifer; Hodge, James John; Helfrich-Förster, Charlotte; Shafer, Orie Thomas

2016-08-31

A sensitivity of the circadian clock to light/dark cycles ensures that biological rhythms maintain optimal phase relationships with the external day. In animals, the circadian clock neuron network (CCNN) driving sleep/activity rhythms receives light input from multiple photoreceptors, but how these photoreceptors modulate CCNN components is not well understood. Here we show that the Hofbauer-Buchner eyelets differentially modulate two classes of ventral lateral neurons (LNvs) within the Drosophila CCNN. The eyelets antagonize Cryptochrome (CRY)- and compound-eye-based photoreception in the large LNvs while synergizing CRY-mediated photoreception in the small LNvs. Furthermore, we show that the large LNvs interact with subsets of "evening cells" to adjust the timing of the evening peak of activity in a day length-dependent manner. Our work identifies a peptidergic connection between the large LNvs and a group of evening cells that is critical for the seasonal adjustment of circadian rhythms. In animals, circadian clocks have evolved to orchestrate the timing of behavior and metabolism. Consistent timing requires the entrainment these clocks to the solar day, a process that is critical for an organism's health. Light cycles are the most important external cue for the entrainment of circadian clocks, and the circadian system uses multiple photoreceptors to link timekeeping to the light/dark cycle. How light information from these photorecptors is integrated into the circadian clock neuron network to support entrainment is not understood. Our results establish that input from the HB eyelets differentially impacts the physiology of neuronal subgroups. This input pathway, together with input from the compound eyes, precisely times the activity of flies under long summer days. Our results provide a mechanistic model of light transduction and integration into the circadian system, identifying new and unexpected network motifs within the circadian clock neuron network. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/369084-13$15.00/0.

A Circadian Clock in Antarctic Krill: An Endogenous Timing System Governs Metabolic Output Rhythms in the Euphausid Species Euphausia superba

PubMed Central

Teschke, Mathias; Wendt, Sabrina; Kawaguchi, So; Kramer, Achim; Meyer, Bettina

2011-01-01

Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, shapes the structure of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Its central position in the food web, the ongoing environmental changes due to climatic warming, and increasing commercial interest on this species emphasize the urgency of understanding the adaptability of krill to its environment. Krill has evolved rhythmic physiological and behavioral functions which are synchronized with the daily and seasonal cycles of the complex Southern Ocean ecosystem. The mechanisms, however, leading to these rhythms are essentially unknown. Here, we show that krill possesses an endogenous circadian clock that governs metabolic and physiological output rhythms. We found that expression of the canonical clock gene cry2 was highly rhythmic both in a light-dark cycle and in constant darkness. We detected a remarkable short circadian period, which we interpret as a special feature of the krill's circadian clock that helps to entrain the circadian system to the extreme range of photoperiods krill is exposed to throughout the year. Furthermore, we found that important key metabolic enzymes of krill showed bimodal circadian oscillations (∼9–12 h period) in transcript abundance and enzymatic activity. Oxygen consumption of krill showed ∼9–12 h oscillations that correlated with the temporal activity profile of key enzymes of aerobic energy metabolism. Our results demonstrate the first report of an endogenous circadian timing system in Antarctic krill and its likely link to metabolic key processes. Krill's circadian clock may not only be critical for synchronization to the solar day but also for the control of seasonal events. This study provides a powerful basis for the investigation into the mechanisms of temporal synchronization in this marine key species and will also lead to the first comprehensive analyses of the circadian clock of a polar marine organism through the entire photoperiodic cycle. PMID:22022521

A circadian clock in Antarctic krill: an endogenous timing system governs metabolic output rhythms in the euphausid species Euphausia superba.

PubMed

Teschke, Mathias; Wendt, Sabrina; Kawaguchi, So; Kramer, Achim; Meyer, Bettina

2011-01-01

Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, shapes the structure of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Its central position in the food web, the ongoing environmental changes due to climatic warming, and increasing commercial interest on this species emphasize the urgency of understanding the adaptability of krill to its environment. Krill has evolved rhythmic physiological and behavioral functions which are synchronized with the daily and seasonal cycles of the complex Southern Ocean ecosystem. The mechanisms, however, leading to these rhythms are essentially unknown. Here, we show that krill possesses an endogenous circadian clock that governs metabolic and physiological output rhythms. We found that expression of the canonical clock gene cry2 was highly rhythmic both in a light-dark cycle and in constant darkness. We detected a remarkable short circadian period, which we interpret as a special feature of the krill's circadian clock that helps to entrain the circadian system to the extreme range of photoperiods krill is exposed to throughout the year. Furthermore, we found that important key metabolic enzymes of krill showed bimodal circadian oscillations (∼9-12 h period) in transcript abundance and enzymatic activity. Oxygen consumption of krill showed ∼9-12 h oscillations that correlated with the temporal activity profile of key enzymes of aerobic energy metabolism. Our results demonstrate the first report of an endogenous circadian timing system in Antarctic krill and its likely link to metabolic key processes. Krill's circadian clock may not only be critical for synchronization to the solar day but also for the control of seasonal events. This study provides a powerful basis for the investigation into the mechanisms of temporal synchronization in this marine key species and will also lead to the first comprehensive analyses of the circadian clock of a polar marine organism through the entire photoperiodic cycle.

Interventions for childhood apraxia of speech.

PubMed

Morgan, Angela T; Murray, Elizabeth; Liégeois, Frederique J

2018-05-30

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) affects a child's ability to produce sounds and syllables precisely and consistently, and to produce words and sentences with accuracy and correct speech rhythm. It is a rare condition, affecting only 0.1% of the general population. Consensus has been reached that three core features have diagnostic validity: (1) inconsistent error production on both consonants and vowels across repeated productions of syllables or words; (2) lengthened and impaired coarticulatory transitions between sounds and syllables; and (3) inappropriate prosody (ASHA 2007). A deficit in motor programming or planning is thought to underlie the condition. This means that children know what they would like to say but there is a breakdown in the ability to programme or plan the fine and rapid movements required to accurately produce speech. Children with CAS may also have impairments in one or more of the following areas: non-speech oral motor function, dysarthria, language, phonological production impairment, phonemic awareness or metalinguistic skills and literacy, or combinations of these. High-quality evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is lacking on interventions for CAS. To assess the efficacy of interventions targeting speech and language in children and adolescents with CAS as delivered by speech and language pathologists/therapists. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, eight other databases and seven trial registers up to April 2017. We searched the reference lists of included reports and requested information on unpublished trials from authors of published studies and other experts as well as information groups in the areas of speech and language therapy/pathology and linguistics. RCTs and quasi-RCTs of children aged 3 to 16 years with CAS diagnosed by a speech and language pathologist/therapist, grouped by treatment types. Two review authors (FL, AM) independently assessed titles and abstracts identified from the searches and obtained full-text reports of all potentially relevant articles and assessed these for eligibility. The same two authors extracted data and conducted the 'Risk of bias' and GRADE assessments. One review author (EM) tabulated findings from excluded observational studies (Table 1). This review includes only one RCT, funded by the Australian Research Council; the University of Sydney International Development Fund; Douglas and Lola Douglas Scholarship on Child and Adolescent Health; Nadia Verrall Memorial Scholarship; and a James Kentley Memorial Fellowship. This study recruited 26 children aged 4 to 12 years, with mild to moderate CAS of unknown cause, and compared two interventions: the Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme-3 (NDP-3); and the Rapid Syllable Transitions Treatment (ReST). Children were allocated randomly to one of the two treatments. Treatments were delivered intensively in one-hour sessions, four days a week for three weeks, in a university clinic in Australia. Speech pathology students delivered the treatments in the English language. Outcomes were assessed before therapy, immediately after therapy, at one month and four months post-therapy. Our review looked at one-month post-therapy outcomes only.We judged all core outcome domains to be low risk of bias. We downgraded the quality of the evidence by one level to moderate due to imprecision, given that only one RCT was identified. Both the NDP-3 and ReST therapies demonstrated improvement at one month post-treatment. A number of cases in each cohort had recommenced usual treatment by their speech and language pathologist between one month and four months post-treatment (NDP-3: 9/13 participants; ReST: 9/13 participants). Hence, maintenance of treatment effects to four months post-treatment could not be analysed without significant potential bias, and thus this time point was not included for further analysis in this review.There is limited evidence that, when delivered intensively, both the NDP-3 and ReST may effect improvement in word accuracy in 4- to 12-year-old children with CAS, measured by the accuracy of production on treated and non-treated words, speech production consistency and the accuracy of connected speech. The study did not measure functional communication. There is limited evidence that, when delivered intensively, both the NDP-3 and ReST may effect improvement in word accuracy in 4- to 12-year-old children with CAS, measured by the accuracy of production on treated and non-treated words, speech production consistency and the accuracy of connected speech. The study did not measure functional communication. No formal analyses were conducted to compare NDP-3 and ReST by the original study authors, hence one treatment cannot be reliably advocated over the other. We are also unable to say whether either treatment is better than no treatment or treatment as usual. No evidence currently exists to support the effectiveness of other treatments for children aged 4 to 12 years with idiopathic CAS without other comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders. Further RCTs replicating this study would strengthen the evidence base. Similarly, further RCTs are needed of other interventions, in other age ranges and populations with CAS and with co-occurring disorders.

EEG Correlates of Song Prosody: A New Look at the Relationship between Linguistic and Musical Rhythm

PubMed Central

Gordon, Reyna L.; Magne, Cyrille L.; Large, Edward W.

2011-01-01

Song composers incorporate linguistic prosody into their music when setting words to melody, a process called “textsetting.” Composers tend to align the expected stress of the lyrics with strong metrical positions in the music. The present study was designed to explore the idea that temporal alignment helps listeners to better understand song lyrics by directing listeners’ attention to instances where strong syllables occur on strong beats. Three types of textsettings were created by aligning metronome clicks with all, some or none of the strong syllables in sung sentences. Electroencephalographic recordings were taken while participants listened to the sung sentences (primes) and performed a lexical decision task on subsequent words and pseudowords (targets, presented visually). Comparison of misaligned and well-aligned sentences showed that temporal alignment between strong/weak syllables and strong/weak musical beats were associated with modulations of induced beta and evoked gamma power, which have been shown to fluctuate with rhythmic expectancies. Furthermore, targets that followed well-aligned primes elicited greater induced alpha and beta activity, and better lexical decision task performance, compared with targets that followed misaligned and varied sentences. Overall, these findings suggest that alignment of linguistic stress and musical meter in song enhances musical beat tracking and comprehension of lyrics by synchronizing neural activity with strong syllables. This approach may begin to explain the mechanisms underlying the relationship between linguistic and musical rhythm in songs, and how rhythmic attending facilitates learning and recall of song lyrics. Moreover, the observations reported here coincide with a growing number of studies reporting interactions between the linguistic and musical dimensions of song, which likely stem from shared neural resources for processing music and speech. PMID:22144972

Spectral summation and facilitation in on- and off-responses for optimized representation of communication calls in mouse inferior colliculus.

PubMed

Akimov, Alexander G; Egorova, Marina A; Ehret, Günter

2017-02-01

Selectivity for processing of species-specific vocalizations and communication sounds has often been associated with the auditory cortex. The midbrain inferior colliculus, however, is the first center in the auditory pathways of mammals integrating acoustic information processed in separate nuclei and channels in the brainstem and, therefore, could significantly contribute to enhance the perception of species' communication sounds. Here, we used natural wriggling calls of mouse pups, which communicate need for maternal care to adult females, and further 15 synthesized sounds to test the hypothesis that neurons in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus of adult females optimize their response rates for reproduction of the three main harmonics (formants) of wriggling calls. The results confirmed the hypothesis showing that average response rates, as recorded extracellularly from single units, were highest and spectral facilitation most effective for both onset and offset responses to the call and call models with three resolved frequencies according to critical bands in perception. In addition, the general on- and/or off-response enhancement in almost half the investigated 122 neurons favors not only perception of single calls but also of vocalization rhythm. In summary, our study provides strong evidence that critical-band resolved frequency components within a communication sound increase the probability of its perception by boosting the signal-to-noise ratio of neural response rates within the inferior colliculus for at least 20% (our criterion for facilitation). These mechanisms, including enhancement of rhythm coding, are generally favorable to processing of other animal and human vocalizations, including formants of speech sounds. © 2016 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Musical rhythm spectra from Bach to Joplin obey a 1/f power law.

PubMed

Levitin, Daniel J; Chordia, Parag; Menon, Vinod

2012-03-06

Much of our enjoyment of music comes from its balance of predictability and surprise. Musical pitch fluctuations follow a 1/f power law that precisely achieves this balance. Musical rhythms, especially those of Western classical music, are considered highly regular and predictable, and this predictability has been hypothesized to underlie rhythm's contribution to our enjoyment of music. Are musical rhythms indeed entirely predictable and how do they vary with genre and composer? To answer this question, we analyzed the rhythm spectra of 1,788 movements from 558 compositions of Western classical music. We found that an overwhelming majority of rhythms obeyed a 1/f(β) power law across 16 subgenres and 40 composers, with β ranging from ∼0.5-1. Notably, classical composers, whose compositions are known to exhibit nearly identical 1/f pitch spectra, demonstrated distinctive 1/f rhythm spectra: Beethoven's rhythms were among the most predictable, and Mozart's among the least. Our finding of the ubiquity of 1/f rhythm spectra in compositions spanning nearly four centuries demonstrates that, as with musical pitch, musical rhythms also exhibit a balance of predictability and surprise that could contribute in a fundamental way to our aesthetic experience of music. Although music compositions are intended to be performed, the fact that the notated rhythms follow a 1/f spectrum indicates that such structure is no mere artifact of performance or perception, but rather, exists within the written composition before the music is performed. Furthermore, composers systematically manipulate (consciously or otherwise) the predictability in 1/f rhythms to give their compositions unique identities.

From the Cover: Musical rhythm spectra from Bach to Joplin obey a 1/f power law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levitin, Daniel J.; Chordia, Parag; Menon, Vinod

2012-03-01

Much of our enjoyment of music comes from its balance of predictability and surprise. Musical pitch fluctuations follow a 1/f power law that precisely achieves this balance. Musical rhythms, especially those of Western classical music, are considered highly regular and predictable, and this predictability has been hypothesized to underlie rhythm's contribution to our enjoyment of music. Are musical rhythms indeed entirely predictable and how do they vary with genre and composer? To answer this question, we analyzed the rhythm spectra of 1,788 movements from 558 compositions of Western classical music. We found that an overwhelming majority of rhythms obeyed a 1/fβ power law across 16 subgenres and 40 composers, with β ranging from ∼0.5-1. Notably, classical composers, whose compositions are known to exhibit nearly identical 1/f pitch spectra, demonstrated distinctive 1/f rhythm spectra: Beethoven's rhythms were among the most predictable, and Mozart's among the least. Our finding of the ubiquity of 1/f rhythm spectra in compositions spanning nearly four centuries demonstrates that, as with musical pitch, musical rhythms also exhibit a balance of predictability and surprise that could contribute in a fundamental way to our aesthetic experience of music. Although music compositions are intended to be performed, the fact that the notated rhythms follow a 1/f spectrum indicates that such structure is no mere artifact of performance or perception, but rather, exists within the written composition before the music is performed. Furthermore, composers systematically manipulate (consciously or otherwise) the predictability in 1/f rhythms to give their compositions unique identities.

Information services for comparative analysis of biorhythm research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

References and full text documents are presented in support of continuing research and research planning for the NASA behavioral physiology program. Areas covered include: (1) desynchronosis and performance; (2) effects of alcohol, common colds, drugs, and toxic hazards on performance; (3) effects of stress on rhythm of plasma steroids; (4) data processing of biological rhythms; (5) pharmacology and biological rhythms; (6) mechanisms of biological rhythms; and (7) development of biological rhythms.

Autism as a disorder of biological and behavioral rhythms: toward new therapeutic perspectives.

PubMed

Tordjman, Sylvie; Davlantis, Katherine S; Georgieff, Nicolas; Geoffray, Marie-Maude; Speranza, Mario; Anderson, George M; Xavier, Jean; Botbol, Michel; Oriol, Cécile; Bellissant, Eric; Vernay-Leconte, Julie; Fougerou, Claire; Hespel, Anne; Tavenard, Aude; Cohen, David; Kermarrec, Solenn; Coulon, Nathalie; Bonnot, Olivier; Dawson, Geraldine

2015-01-01

There is a growing interest in the role of biological and behavioral rhythms in typical and atypical development. Recent studies in cognitive and developmental psychology have highlighted the importance of rhythmicity and synchrony of motor, emotional, and interpersonal rhythms in early development of social communication. The synchronization of rhythms allows tuning and adaptation to the external environment. The role of melatonin in the ontogenetic establishment of circadian rhythms and the synchronization of the circadian clocks network suggests that this hormone might be also involved in the synchrony of motor, emotional, and interpersonal rhythms. Autism provides a challenging model of physiological and behavioral rhythm disturbances and their possible effects on the development of social communication impairments and repetitive behaviors and interests. This article situates autism as a disorder of biological and behavioral rhythms and reviews the recent literature on the role of rhythmicity and synchrony of rhythms in child development. Finally, the hypothesis is developed that an integrated approach focusing on biological, motor, emotional, and interpersonal rhythms may open interesting therapeutic perspectives for children with autism. More specifically, promising avenues are discussed for potential therapeutic benefits in autism spectrum disorder of melatonin combined with developmental behavioral interventions that emphasize synchrony, such as the Early Start Denver Model.

Temporal and Motor Representation of Rhythm in Fronto-Parietal Cortical Areas: An fMRI Study

PubMed Central

Konoike, Naho; Kotozaki, Yuka; Jeong, Hyeonjeong; Miyazaki, Atsuko; Sakaki, Kohei; Shinada, Takamitsu; Sugiura, Motoaki; Kawashima, Ryuta; Nakamura, Katsuki

2015-01-01

When sounds occur with temporally structured patterns, we can feel a rhythm. To memorize a rhythm, perception of its temporal patterns and organization of them into a hierarchically structured sequence are necessary. On the other hand, rhythm perception can often cause unintentional body movements. Thus, we hypothesized that rhythm information can be manifested in two different ways; temporal and motor representations. The motor representation depends on effectors, such as the finger or foot, whereas the temporal representation is effector-independent. We tested our hypothesis with a working memory paradigm to elucidate neuronal correlates of temporal or motor representation of rhythm and to reveal the neural networks associated with these representations. We measured brain activity by fMRI while participants memorized rhythms and reproduced them by tapping with the right finger, left finger, or foot, or by articulation. The right inferior frontal gyrus and the inferior parietal lobule exhibited significant effector-independent activations during encoding and retrieval of rhythm information, whereas the left inferior parietal lobule and supplementary motor area (SMA) showed effector-dependent activations during retrieval. These results suggest that temporal sequences of rhythm are probably represented in the right fronto-parietal network, whereas motor sequences of rhythm can be represented in the SMA-parietal network. PMID:26076024

Melatonin and circadian rhythms in autism: Case report.

PubMed

Zuculo, Gabriela Melloni; Gonçalves, Bruno S B; Brittes, Clay; Menna-Barreto, Luiz; Pinato, Luciana

2017-01-01

Among the most co-occurring conditions in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), there are sleep disorders which may exacerbate associated behavioral disorders and lead to intensification of existing autistic symptoms. Several studies investigating the use of melatonin in the treatment of sleep disorders in ASD have shown comparative efficiency in sleep with little or no side effects. Here we report a case of ASD with non-24-hour rhythm and the effect of melatonin in circadian parameters by actigraphy. Visual analysis of the first 10 days recorded and the periodogram suggest that this patient showed a non-24-hour rhythm. This ASD subject showed before melatonin administration an activity/rest rhythm lower than 24 hours. The results show that melatonin increased approximately 4.7 times the regularity of circadian activity rhythm and resting staying on average between 00:00 and 06:00 and showed positive effects in improving the quality of sleep and behavior. So, the actigraphy showed an ASD subject with a non-24-hour activity/rest rhythm which changed this rhythm to a 24-hour rhythm after melatonin administration. This result reinforces the prospect of therapy with melatonin for synchronization (increased regularity) of endogenous rhythms and improve sleep quality and hence behavior and indicates the actigraphy as a choice tool to characterize several parameters of the activity/rest rhythm of ASD individuals.

Distractor Effect of Auditory Rhythms on Self-Paced Tapping in Chimpanzees and Humans

PubMed Central

Hattori, Yuko; Tomonaga, Masaki; Matsuzawa, Tetsuro

2015-01-01

Humans tend to spontaneously align their movements in response to visual (e.g., swinging pendulum) and auditory rhythms (e.g., hearing music while walking). Particularly in the case of the response to auditory rhythms, neuroscientific research has indicated that motor resources are also recruited while perceiving an auditory rhythm (or regular pulse), suggesting a tight link between the auditory and motor systems in the human brain. However, the evolutionary origin of spontaneous responses to auditory rhythms is unclear. Here, we report that chimpanzees and humans show a similar distractor effect in perceiving isochronous rhythms during rhythmic movement. We used isochronous auditory rhythms as distractor stimuli during self-paced alternate tapping of two keys of an electronic keyboard by humans and chimpanzees. When the tempo was similar to their spontaneous motor tempo, tapping onset was influenced by intermittent entrainment to auditory rhythms. Although this effect itself is not an advanced rhythmic ability such as dancing or singing, our results suggest that, to some extent, the biological foundation for spontaneous responses to auditory rhythms was already deeply rooted in the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans, 6 million years ago. This also suggests the possibility of a common attentional mechanism, as proposed by the dynamic attending theory, underlying the effect of perceiving external rhythms on motor movement. PMID:26132703

Vitamin B12 treatment for sleep-wake rhythm disorders.

PubMed

Okawa, M; Mishima, K; Nanami, T; Shimizu, T; Iijima, S; Hishikawa, Y; Takahashi, K

1990-02-01

Vitamin B12 (VB12) was administered to two patients suffering for many years from different sleep-wake rhythm disorders. One patient was a 15-year-old blind girl suffering from a free-running sleep-wake rhythm (hypernychthemeral syndrome) with a period of about 25 h. In spite of repeated trials to entrain her sleep-wake cycle to the environmental 24-h rhythm, her free-running rhythm persisted for about 13 years. When she was 14 years old, administration of VB12 per os was started at the daily dose of 1.5 mg t.i.d. Shortly thereafter, her sleep-wake rhythm was entrained to the environmental 24-h rhythm, and her 24-h sleep-wake rhythm was maintained while she was on the medication. Within 2 months of the withholding of VB12, her free-running sleep-wake rhythm reappeared. The VB12 level in the serum was within the normal range both before and after treatment. The other patient was a 55-year-old man suffering from delayed sleep phase syndrome since 18 years of age. After administration of VB12 at the daily doses of 1.5 mg, his sleep-wake rhythm disorder was improved. The good therapeutic effect lasted for more than 6 months while he was on the medication.

Autism as a Disorder of Biological and Behavioral Rhythms: Toward New Therapeutic Perspectives

PubMed Central

Tordjman, Sylvie; Davlantis, Katherine S.; Georgieff, Nicolas; Geoffray, Marie-Maude; Speranza, Mario; Anderson, George M.; Xavier, Jean; Botbol, Michel; Oriol, Cécile; Bellissant, Eric; Vernay-Leconte, Julie; Fougerou, Claire; Hespel, Anne; Tavenard, Aude; Cohen, David; Kermarrec, Solenn; Coulon, Nathalie; Bonnot, Olivier; Dawson, Geraldine

2015-01-01

There is a growing interest in the role of biological and behavioral rhythms in typical and atypical development. Recent studies in cognitive and developmental psychology have highlighted the importance of rhythmicity and synchrony of motor, emotional, and interpersonal rhythms in early development of social communication. The synchronization of rhythms allows tuning and adaptation to the external environment. The role of melatonin in the ontogenetic establishment of circadian rhythms and the synchronization of the circadian clocks network suggests that this hormone might be also involved in the synchrony of motor, emotional, and interpersonal rhythms. Autism provides a challenging model of physiological and behavioral rhythm disturbances and their possible effects on the development of social communication impairments and repetitive behaviors and interests. This article situates autism as a disorder of biological and behavioral rhythms and reviews the recent literature on the role of rhythmicity and synchrony of rhythms in child development. Finally, the hypothesis is developed that an integrated approach focusing on biological, motor, emotional, and interpersonal rhythms may open interesting therapeutic perspectives for children with autism. More specifically, promising avenues are discussed for potential therapeutic benefits in autism spectrum disorder of melatonin combined with developmental behavioral interventions that emphasize synchrony, such as the Early Start Denver Model. PMID:25756039

Communication acoustics in Bell Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flanagan, J. L.

2004-05-01

Communication aoustics has been a central theme in Bell Labs research since its inception. Telecommunication serves human information exchange. And, humans favor spoken language as a principal mode. The atmospheric medium typically provides the link between articulation and hearing. Creation, control and detection of sound, and the human's facility for generation and perception are basic ingredients of telecommunication. Electronics technology of the 1920s ushered in great advances in communication at a distance, a strong economical impetus being to overcome bandwidth limitations of wireline and cable. Early research established criteria for speech transmission with high quality and intelligibility. These insights supported exploration of means for efficient transmission-obtaining the greatest amount of speech information over a given bandwidth. Transoceanic communication was initiated by undersea cables for telegraphy. But these long cables exhibited very limited bandwidth (order of few hundred Hz). The challenge of sending voice across the oceans spawned perhaps the best known speech compression technique of history-the Vocoder, which parametrized the signal for transmission in about 300 Hz bandwidth, one-tenth that required for the typical waveform channel. Quality and intelligibility were grave issues (and they still are). At the same time parametric representation offered possibilities for encryption and privacy inside a traditional voice bandwidth. Confidential conversations between Roosevelt and Churchill during World War II were carried over high-frequency radio by an encrypted vocoder system known as Sigsaly. Major engineering advances in the late 1940s and early 1950s moved telecommunications into a new regime-digital technology. These key advances were at least three: (i) new understanding of time-discrete (sampled) representation of signals, (ii) digital computation (especially binary based), and (iii) evolving capabilities in microelectronics that ultimately provided circuits of enormous complexity with low cost and power. Digital transmission (as exemplified in pulse code modulation-PCM, and its many derivatives) became a telecommunication mainstay, along with switches to control and route information in digital form. Concomitantly, storage means for digital information advanced, providing another impetus for speech compression. More and more, humans saw the need to exchange speech information with machines, as well as with other humans. Human-machine speech communication came to full stride in the early 1990s, and now has expanded to multimodal domains that begin to support enhanced naturalness, using contemporaneous sight, sound and touch signaling. Packet transmission is supplanting circuit switching, and voice and video are commonly being carried by Internet protocol.

Treatment Failure With Rhythm and Rate Control Strategies in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Congestive Heart Failure: An AF-CHF Substudy.

PubMed

Dyrda, Katia; Roy, Denis; Leduc, Hugues; Talajic, Mario; Stevenson, Lynne Warner; Guerra, Peter G; Andrade, Jason; Dubuc, Marc; Macle, Laurent; Thibault, Bernard; Rivard, Lena; Khairy, Paul

2015-12-01

Rate and rhythm control strategies for atrial fibrillation (AF) are not always effective or well tolerated in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). We assessed reasons for treatment failure, associated characteristics, and effects on survival. A total of 1,376 patients enrolled in the AF-CHF trial were followed for 37  ±  19 months, 206 (15.0%) of whom failed initial therapy leading to crossover. Rhythm control was abandoned more frequently than rate control (21.0% vs. 9.1%, P < 0.0001). Crossovers from rhythm to rate control were driven by inefficacy, whereas worsening heart failure was the most common reason to crossover from rate to rhythm control. In multivariate analyses, failure of rhythm control was associated with female sex, higher serum creatinine, functional class III or IV symptoms, lack of digoxin, and oral anticoagulation. Factors independently associated with failure of rate control were paroxysmal (vs. persistent) AF, statin therapy, and presence of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Crossovers were not associated with cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.11 from rhythm to rate control; 95% confidence interval [95% CI, 0.73-1.73]; P = 0.6069; HR 1.29 from rate to rhythm control; 95% CI, 0.73-2.25; P = 0.3793) or all-cause mortality (HR 1.16 from rhythm to rate control, 95% CI [0.79-1.72], P = 0.4444; HR 1.15 from rate to rhythm control, 95% [0.69, 1.91], P = 0.5873). Rhythm control is abandoned more frequently than rate control in patients with AF and CHF. The most common reasons for treatment failure are inefficacy for rhythm control and worsening heart failure for rate control. Changing strategies does not impact survival. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social learning of vocal structure in a nonhuman primate?

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Non-human primate communication is thought to be fundamentally different from human speech, mainly due to vast differences in vocal control. The lack of these abilities in non-human primates is especially striking if compared to some marine mammals and bird species, which has generated somewhat of an evolutionary conundrum. What are the biological roots and underlying evolutionary pressures of the human ability to voluntarily control sound production and learn the vocal utterances of others? One hypothesis is that this capacity has evolved gradually in humans from an ancestral stage that resembled the vocal behavior of modern primates. Support for this has come from studies that have documented limited vocal flexibility and convergence in different primate species, typically in calls used during social interactions. The mechanisms underlying these patterns, however, are currently unknown. Specifically, it has been difficult to rule out explanations based on genetic relatedness, suggesting that such vocal flexibility may not be the result of social learning. Results To address this point, we compared the degree of acoustic similarity of contact calls in free-ranging Campbell's monkeys as a function of their social bonds and genetic relatedness. We calculated three different indices to compare the similarities between the calls' frequency contours, the duration of grooming interactions and the microsatellite-based genetic relatedness between partners. We found a significantly positive relation between bond strength and acoustic similarity that was independent of genetic relatedness. Conclusion Genetic factors determine the general species-specific call repertoire of a primate species, while social factors can influence the fine structure of some the call types. The finding is in line with the more general hypothesis that human speech has evolved gradually from earlier primate-like vocal communication. PMID:22177339

Maternal and infant activity: Analytic approaches for the study of circadian rhythm.

PubMed

Thomas, Karen A; Burr, Robert L; Spieker, Susan

2015-11-01

The study of infant and mother circadian rhythm entails choice of instruments appropriate for use in the home environment as well as selection of analytic approach that characterizes circadian rhythm. While actigraphy monitoring suits the needs of home study, limited studies have examined mother and infant rhythm derived from actigraphy. Among this existing research a variety of analyses have been employed to characterize 24-h rhythm, reducing ability to evaluate and synthesize findings. Few studies have examined the correspondence of mother and infant circadian parameters for the most frequently cited approaches: cosinor, non-parametric circadian rhythm analysis (NPCRA), and autocorrelation function (ACF). The purpose of this research was to examine analytic approaches in the study of mother and infant circadian activity rhythm. Forty-three healthy mother and infant pairs were studied in the home environment over a 72h period at infant age 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Activity was recorded continuously using actigraphy monitors and mothers completed a diary. Parameters of circadian rhythm were generated from cosinor analysis, NPCRA, and ACF. The correlation among measures of rhythm center (cosinor mesor, NPCRA mid level), strength or fit of 24-h period (cosinor magnitude and R(2), NPCRA amplitude and relative amplitude (RA)), phase (cosinor acrophase, NPCRA M10 and L5 midpoint), and rhythm stability and variability (NPCRA interdaily stability (IS) and intradaily variability (IV), ACF) was assessed, and additionally the effect size (eta(2)) for change over time evaluated. Results suggest that cosinor analysis, NPCRA, and autocorrelation provide several comparable parameters of infant and maternal circadian rhythm center, fit, and phase. IS and IV were strongly correlated with the 24-h cycle fit. The circadian parameters analyzed offer separate insight into rhythm and differing effect size for the detection of change over time. Findings inform selection of analysis and circadian parameters in the study of maternal and infant activity rhythm. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On-line telemetry: prospective assessment of accuracy in an all-volunteer emergency medical service system.

PubMed

Hollander, J E; Delagi, R; Sciammarella, J; Viccellio, P; Ortiz, J; Henry, M C

1995-04-01

To evaluate the need for on-line telemetry control in an all-volunteer, predominantly advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT) ambulance system. Emergency medical service (EMS) advanced life support (ALS) providers were asked to transmit the ECG rhythms of monitored patients over a six-month period in 1993. The ECG rhythm interpretations of volunteer EMS personnel were compared with those of the on-line medical control physician. All discordant readings were reviewed by a panel of physicians to decide whether the misdiagnosis would have resulted in treatment aberrations had transmission been unavailable. Patients were monitored and rhythms were transmitted in 1,825 cases. 1,642 of 1,825 rhythms were correctly interpreted by the EMS providers (90%; 95% CI 89-91%). The accuracy of the EMS providers was dependent on the patient's rhythm (chi-square, p < 0.00001), the chief complaint (chi-square, p = 0.0001), and the provider's level of training (chi-square, p = 0.02). Correct ECG rhythm interpretations were more common when the out-of-hospital interpretation was sinus rhythm (95%), ventricular fibrillation (87%), paced rhythm (94%), or agonal rhythm (96%). The EMS providers were frequently incorrect when the out-of-hospital rhythm interpretation was atrial fibrillation/flutter (71%), supraventricular tachycardia (46%), ventricular tachycardia (59%), or atrioventricular block (50%). Of the 183 discordant cases, 124 (68%) involved missing a diagnosis of, or incorrectly diagnosing, atrial fibrillation/flutter. Review of the discordant readings identified 11 cases that could have resulted in treatment errors had the rhythms not been transmitted, one of which might have resulted in an adverse outcome. In this all-volunteer, predominantly A-EMT ALS system, patients with a field interpretation of a sinus rhythm do not require ECG rhythm transmission. Field interpretations of atrial fibrillation/flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, and atrioventricular blocks are frequently incorrect and should continue to be transmitted.

Maternal and infant activity: Analytic approaches for the study of circadian rhythm

PubMed Central

Thomas, Karen A.; Burr, Robert L.; Spieker, Susan

2015-01-01

The study of infant and mother circadian rhythm entails choice of instruments appropriate for use in the home environment as well as selection of analytic approach that characterizes circadian rhythm. While actigraphy monitoring suits the needs of home study, limited studies have examined mother and infant rhythm derived from actigraphy. Among this existing research a variety of analyses have been employed to characterize 24-h rhythm, reducing ability to evaluate and synthesize findings. Few studies have examined the correspondence of mother and infant circadian parameters for the most frequently cited approaches: cosinor, non-parametric circadian rhythm analysis (NPCRA), and autocorrelation function (ACF). The purpose of this research was to examine analytic approaches in the study of mother and infant circadian activity rhythm. Forty-three healthy mother and infant pairs were studied in the home environment over a 72 h period at infant age 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Activity was recorded continuously using actigraphy monitors and mothers completed a diary. Parameters of circadian rhythm were generated from cosinor analysis, NPCRA, and ACF. The correlation among measures of rhythm center (cosinor mesor, NPCRA mid level), strength or fit of 24-h period (cosinor magnitude and R2, NPCRA amplitude and relative amplitude (RA)), phase (cosinor acrophase, NPCRA M10 and L5 midpoint), and rhythm stability and variability (NPCRA interdaily stability (IS) and intradaily variability (IV), ACF) was assessed, and additionally the effect size (eta2) for change over time evaluated. Results suggest that cosinor analysis, NPCRA, and autocorrelation provide several comparable parameters of infant and maternal circadian rhythm center, fit, and phase. IS and IV were strongly correlated with the 24-h cycle fit. The circadian parameters analyzed offer separate insight into rhythm and differing effect size for the detection of change over time. Findings inform selection of analysis and circadian parameters in the study of maternal and infant activity rhythm. PMID:26360916

Toward the Language-Ready Brain: Biological Evolution and Primate Comparisons.

PubMed

Arbib, Michael A

2017-02-01

The approach to language evolution suggested here focuses on three questions: How did the human brain evolve so that humans can develop, use, and acquire languages? How can the evolutionary quest be informed by studying brain, behavior, and social interaction in monkeys, apes, and humans? How can computational modeling advance these studies? I hypothesize that the brain is language ready in that the earliest humans had protolanguages but not languages (i.e., communication systems endowed with rich and open-ended lexicons and grammars supporting a compositional semantics), and that it took cultural evolution to yield societies (a cultural constructed niche) in which language-ready brains could become language-using brains. The mirror system hypothesis is a well-developed example of this approach, but I offer it here not as a closed theory but as an evolving framework for the development and analysis of conflicting subhypotheses in the hope of their eventual integration. I also stress that computational modeling helps us understand the evolving role of mirror neurons, not in and of themselves, but only in their interaction with systems "beyond the mirror." Because a theory of evolution needs a clear characterization of what it is that evolved, I also outline ideas for research in neurolinguistics to complement studies of the evolution of the language-ready brain. A clear challenge is to go beyond models of speech comprehension to include sign language and models of production, and to link language to visuomotor interaction with the physical and social world.

Rhythm in language acquisition.

PubMed

Langus, Alan; Mehler, Jacques; Nespor, Marina

2017-10-01

Spoken language is governed by rhythm. Linguistic rhythm is hierarchical and the rhythmic hierarchy partially mimics the prosodic as well as the morpho-syntactic hierarchy of spoken language. It can thus provide learners with cues about the structure of the language they are acquiring. We identify three universal levels of linguistic rhythm - the segmental level, the level of the metrical feet and the phonological phrase level - and discuss why primary lexical stress is not rhythmic. We survey experimental evidence on rhythm perception in young infants and native speakers of various languages to determine the properties of linguistic rhythm that are present at birth, those that mature during the first year of life and those that are shaped by the linguistic environment of language learners. We conclude with a discussion of the major gaps in current knowledge on linguistic rhythm and highlight areas of interest for future research that are most likely to yield significant insights into the nature, the perception, and the usefulness of linguistic rhythm. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Endogenous thermoregulatory rhythms of squirrel monkeys in thermoneutrality and cold

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, E. L.; Fuller, C. A.

1999-01-01

Whole body heat production (HP) and heat loss (HL) were examined to determine if the free-running circadian rhythm in body temperature (Tb) results from coordinated changes in HP and HL rhythms in thermoneutrality (27 degrees C) as well as mild cold (17 degrees C). Squirrel monkey metabolism (n = 6) was monitored by both indirect and direct calorimetry, with telemetered measurement of Tb and activity. Feeding was also measured. Rhythms of HP, HL, and conductance were tightly coupled with the circadian Tb rhythm at both ambient temperatures (TA). At 17 degrees C, increased HP compensated for higher HL at all phases of the Tb rhythm, resulting in only minor changes to Tb. Parallel compensatory changes of HP and HL were seen at all rhythm phases at both TA. Similar time courses of Tb, HP, and HL in their respective rhythms and the relative stability of Tb during both active and rest periods suggest action of the circadian timing system on Tb set point.

Circadian Rhythm in Bipolar Disorder: A review of the literature.

PubMed

Takaesu, Yoshikazu

2018-06-05

Sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm dysfunction have been widely demonstrated in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Irregularity of the sleep-wake rhythm, eveningness chronotype, abnormality of melatonin secretion, vulnerability of clock genes, and the irregularity of social time cues have also been well-documented in BD. Circadian rhythm dysfunction is prominent in BD compared with that in major depressive disorders, implying that circadian rhythm dysfunction is a trait marker of BD. In the clinical course of BD, the circadian rhythm dysfunctions may act as predictors for the first onset of BD and the relapse of mood episodes. Treatments focusing on sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm dysfunction in combination with pharmacological, psychosocial, and chronobiological treatments are believed to be useful for relapse prevention. Further studies are therefore warranted to clarify the relationship between circadian rhythm dysfunction and the pathophysiology of BD to develop treatment strategies for achieving recovery in BD patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

[Research advances in circadian rhythm of epileptic seizures].

PubMed

Yang, Wen-Qi; Li, Hong

2017-01-01

The time phase of epileptic seizures has attracted more and more attention. Epileptic seizures have their own circadian rhythm. The same type of epilepsy has different seizure frequencies in different time periods and states (such as sleeping/awakening state and natural day/night cycle). The circadian rhythm of epileptic seizures has complex molecular and endocrine mechanisms, and currently there are several hypotheses. Clarification of the circadian rhythm of epileptic seizures and prevention and administration according to such circadian rhythm can effectively control seizures and reduce the adverse effects of drugs. The research on the circadian rhythm of epileptic seizures provides a new idea for the treatment of epilepsy.

Epigenetic alterations in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and hippocampus contribute to age-related cognitive decline

PubMed Central

Deibel, Scott H.; Zelinski, Erin L.; Keeley, Robin J.; Kovalchuk, Olga; McDonald, Robert J.

2015-01-01

Circadian rhythm dysfunction and cognitive decline, specifically memory loss, frequently accompany natural aging. Circadian rhythms and memory are intertwined, as circadian rhythms influence memory formation and recall in young and old rodents. Although, the precise relationship between circadian rhythms and memory is still largely unknown, it is hypothesized that circadian rhythm disruption, which occurs during aging, contributes to age-associated cognitive decline, specifically memory loss. While there are a variety of mechanisms that could mediate this effect, changes in the epigenome that occur during aging has been proposed as a potential candidate. Interestingly, epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation and sirtuin1 (SIRT1) are necessary for both circadian rhythms and memory. During aging, similar alterations of epigenetic mechanisms occur in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and hippocampus, which are necessary for circadian rhythm generation and memory, respectively. Recently, circadian rhythms have been linked to epigenetic function in the hippocampus, as some of these epigenetic mechanisms oscillate in the hippocampus and are disrupted by clock gene deletion. The current paper will review how circadian rhythms and memory change with age, and will suggest how epigenetic changes in these processes might contribute to age-related cognitive decline. PMID:26252151

Perspectives on the rhythm-grammar link and its implications for typical and atypical language development.

PubMed

Gordon, Reyna L; Jacobs, Magdalene S; Schuele, C Melanie; McAuley, J Devin

2015-03-01

This paper reviews the mounting evidence for shared cognitive mechanisms and neural resources for rhythm and grammar. Evidence for a role of rhythm skills in language development and language comprehension is reviewed here in three lines of research: (1) behavioral and brain data from adults and children, showing that prosody and other aspects of timing of sentences influence online morpho-syntactic processing; (2) comorbidity of impaired rhythm with grammatical deficits in children with language impairment; and (3) our recent work showing a strong positive association between rhythm perception skills and expressive grammatical skills in young school-age children with typical development. Our preliminary follow-up study presented here revealed that musical rhythm perception predicted variance in 6-year-old children's production of complex syntax, as well as online reorganization of grammatical information (transformation); these data provide an additional perspective on the hierarchical relations potentially shared by rhythm and grammar. A theoretical framework for shared cognitive resources for the role of rhythm in perceiving and learning grammatical structure is elaborated on in light of potential implications for using rhythm-emphasized musical training to improve language skills in children. © 2015 New York Academy of Sciences.

Individual variation in circadian rhythms of sleep, EEG, temperature, and activity among monkeys - Implications for regulatory mechanisms.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crowley, T. J.; Halberg, F.; Kripke, D. F.; Pegram, G. V.

1971-01-01

Investigation of circadian rhythms in a number of variables related to sleep, EEG, temperature, and motor activity in rhesus monkeys on an LD 12:12 schedule. Circadian rhythms were found to appear in each of 15 variables investigated. Statistical procedures assessed the variables for evidence of common regulation in these aspects of their circadian rhythms: acrophase (timing), amplitude (extent of change), and level (24-hr mean value). Patterns appearing in the data suggested that the circadian rhythms of certain variables are regulated in common. The circadian modulation of activity in the beta and sigma frequency bands of the EEG was correlated with statistical significance in acrophase, level, and amplitude. The delta frequency band appeared to be under circadian rhythm regulation distinct from that of the other bands. The circadian rhythm of REM stage sleep was like that of beta activity in level and amplitude. The data indicate that REM stage may share some common regulation of circadian timing with both stage 3-4 sleep and with temperature. Generally, however, the circadian rhythm of temperature appeared to bear little relation to the circadian rhythms of motor activity, EEG, or sleep.

Rhythm Pattern of Sole through Electrification of the Human Body When Walking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takiguchi, Kiyoaki; Wada, Takayuki; Tohyama, Shigeki

The rhythm of automatic cyclic movements such as walking is known to be generated by a rhythm generator called CPG in the spinal cord. The measurement of rhythm characteristics in walking is considered to be important for analyzing human bipedal walking and adaptive walking on irregular terrain. In particular, the soles that contact the terrain surface perform flexible movements similar to the movement of the fins of a lungfish, which is considered to be the predecessor of land animals. The sole movements are believed to be a basic movement acquired during prehistoric times. The detailed rhythm pattern of sole motion is considered to be important. We developed a method for measuring electrification without installing device on a subject's body and footwear for stabilizing the electrification of the human body. We measured the rhythm pattern of 20 subjects including 4 infants when walking by using this system and the corresponding equipment. Therefore, we confirmed the commonality of the correlative rhythm patterns of 20 subjects. Further, with regard to an individual subject, the reproducibility of a rhythm pattern with strong correlation coefficient > 0.93 ± 0.5 (mean ± SD) concerning rhythms of trials that are differently conducted on adult subjects could be confirmed.

Ultradian activity rhythms in large groups of newly hatched chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus).

PubMed

Nielsen, B L; Erhard, H W; Friggens, N C; McLeod, J E

2008-07-01

A clutch of young chicks housed with a mother hen exhibit ultradian (within day) rhythms of activity corresponding to the brooding cycle of the hen. In the present study clear evidence was found of ultradian activity rhythms in newly hatched domestic chicks housed in groups larger than natural clutch size without a mother hen or any other obvious external time-keeper. No consistent synchrony was found between groups housed in different pens within the same room. The ultradian rhythms disappeared with time and little evidence of group rhythmicity remained by the third night. This disappearance over time suggests that the presence of a mother hen may be pivotal for the long-term maintenance of these rhythms. The ultradian rhythm of the chicks may also play an important role in the initiation of brooding cycles during the behavioural transition of the mother hen from incubation to brooding. Computer simulations of individual activity rhythms were found to reproduce the observations made on a group basis. This was achievable even when individual chick rhythms were modelled as independent of each other, thus no assumptions of social facilitation are necessary to obtain ultradian activity rhythms on a group level.

An intelligent listening framework for capturing encounter notes from a doctor-patient dialog

PubMed Central

Klann, Jeffrey G; Szolovits, Peter

2009-01-01

Background Capturing accurate and machine-interpretable primary data from clinical encounters is a challenging task, yet critical to the integrity of the practice of medicine. We explore the intriguing possibility that technology can help accurately capture structured data from the clinical encounter using a combination of automated speech recognition (ASR) systems and tools for extraction of clinical meaning from narrative medical text. Our goal is to produce a displayed evolving encounter note, visible and editable (using speech) during the encounter. Results This is very ambitious, and so far we have taken only the most preliminary steps. We report a simple proof-of-concept system and the design of the more comprehensive one we are building, discussing both the engineering design and challenges encountered. Without a formal evaluation, we were encouraged by our initial results. The proof-of-concept, despite a few false positives, correctly recognized the proper category of single-and multi-word phrases in uncorrected ASR output. The more comprehensive system captures and transcribes speech and stores alternative phrase interpretations in an XML-based format used by a text-engineering framework. It does not yet use the framework to perform the language processing present in the proof-of-concept. Conclusion The work here encouraged us that the goal is reachable, so we conclude with proposed next steps. Some challenging steps include acquiring a corpus of doctor-patient conversations, exploring a workable microphone setup, performing user interface research, and developing a multi-speaker version of our tools. PMID:19891797

Frequency of word-use predicts rates of lexical evolution throughout Indo-European history.

PubMed

Pagel, Mark; Atkinson, Quentin D; Meade, Andrew

2007-10-11

Greek speakers say "omicronupsilonrho", Germans "schwanz" and the French "queue" to describe what English speakers call a 'tail', but all of these languages use a related form of 'two' to describe the number after one. Among more than 100 Indo-European languages and dialects, the words for some meanings (such as 'tail') evolve rapidly, being expressed across languages by dozens of unrelated words, while others evolve much more slowly--such as the number 'two', for which all Indo-European language speakers use the same related word-form. No general linguistic mechanism has been advanced to explain this striking variation in rates of lexical replacement among meanings. Here we use four large and divergent language corpora (English, Spanish, Russian and Greek) and a comparative database of 200 fundamental vocabulary meanings in 87 Indo-European languages to show that the frequency with which these words are used in modern language predicts their rate of replacement over thousands of years of Indo-European language evolution. Across all 200 meanings, frequently used words evolve at slower rates and infrequently used words evolve more rapidly. This relationship holds separately and identically across parts of speech for each of the four language corpora, and accounts for approximately 50% of the variation in historical rates of lexical replacement. We propose that the frequency with which specific words are used in everyday language exerts a general and law-like influence on their rates of evolution. Our findings are consistent with social models of word change that emphasize the role of selection, and suggest that owing to the ways that humans use language, some words will evolve slowly and others rapidly across all languages.

24-HOUR ACTIVITY RHYTHM AND SLEEP DISTURBANCES IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY: A POPULATION-BASED STUDY OF MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER PERSONS.

PubMed

Luik, Annemarie I; Zuurbier, Lisette A; Direk, Neşe; Hofman, Albert; Van Someren, Eus J W; Tiemeier, Henning

2015-09-01

Disturbed circadian rhythms have been associated with depression and anxiety, but it is unclear if disturbances in the 24-hr activity rhythm and sleep are independently and specifically related to these disorders. In 1,714 middle-aged and elderly participants of the Rotterdam Study, we collected actigraphy recordings of at least 96 hr (138 ± 14 hr, mean ± standard deviation). Activity rhythms were quantified calculating the fragmentation of the rhythm, stability of the rhythm over days, and timing of the rhythm. Total sleep time, sleep onset latency, and wake after sleep onset were also estimated with actigraphy. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, persons with clinically relevant depressive symptoms were interviewed to diagnose DSM-IV-depressive disorder. Anxiety disorders were determined with the Munich version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. More fragmented rhythms were associated with clinically relevant depressive symptoms (odds ratio (OR): 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04;1.54) and anxiety disorders (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.14;1.70) after covariate adjustment. Less stable rhythms, longer sleep onset latency, and more wake after sleep onset were related to clinically relevant depressive symptoms or anxiety disorders only if not adjusted for covariates and other activity rhythm and sleep indicators. Our study in middle-aged and elderly persons suggests that fragmentation of the 24-hr activity rhythm is associated with depression and anxiety. Moreover, this association also largely accounts for the effect of disturbed sleep on these psychiatric disorders. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chronic stress induces brain region specific alterations of molecular rhythms in mice that correlate with depression-like behavior

PubMed Central

Logan, Ryan W.; Edgar, Nicole; Gillman, Andrea G.; Hoffman, Daniel; Zhu, Xiyu; McClung, Colleen A.

2015-01-01

Background Emerging evidence implicates circadian abnormalities as a component of the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus coordinates rhythms throughout the brain and body. On a cellular level, rhythms are generated by transcriptional, translational, and post-translational feedback loops of core circadian genes and proteins. In patients with MDD, recent evidence suggests reduced amplitude of molecular rhythms in extra-SCN brain regions. We investigated whether unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS), an animal model that induces a depression-like physiological and behavioral phenotype, induces circadian disruptions similar to those seen with MDD. Methods Activity and temperature rhythms were recorded in C57BL/6J mice before, during, and after exposure to UCMS, and brain tissue explants were collected from Period2 luciferase (Per2::luc) mice following UCMS to assess cellular rhythmicity. Results UCMS significantly decreased circadian amplitude of activity and body temperature in mice, similar to findings in MDD patients and these changes directly correlate with depression-related behavior. While amplitude of molecular rhythms in the SCN was decreased following UCMS, surprisingly, rhythms in the nucleus accumbens were amplified with no changes seen in the prefrontal cortex or amygdala. These molecular rhythm changes in the SCN and the nucleus accumbens (NAc) also directly correlated with mood-related behavior. Conclusions These studies find that circadian rhythm abnormalities directly correlate with depression-related behavior following UCMS and suggest a desynchronization of rhythms in the brain with an independent enhancement of rhythms in the NAc. PMID:25771506

Does Melody Assist in the Reproduction of Novel Rhythm Patterns?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinney, Daryl W.; Forsythe, Jere L.

2013-01-01

We examined music education majors' ability to reproduce rhythmic stimuli presented in melody and rhythm only conditions. Participants reproduced rhythms of two-measure music examples by immediately echo-performing through a method of their choosing (e.g., clapping, tapping, vocalizing). Forty examples were presented in melody and rhythm only…

Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (1st) Held on May 11-14, 1988 in Charleston, South Carolina

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-10

and applied research in all aspects of biological 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., May 12-14 and from 4:30 - 6 :30 rhythms , to disseminate important research...NUCLEUS (SCN) NEU- RONS IN VITRO WITHOUT ALTERING THE GLUCOSE Workshop 6 : UTILIZATION RHYTHM OR PHASE OF THE RHYTHM Involvement of Protein Synthesis in...Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu- city, Shiga, Japan. Circadian Rhythms 74 RUNNING WHEEL AVAILABILITY ENTRAINS SLEEP- 65 PHASE RESPONSE CURVES AS

Activity in the ferret: oestradiol effects and circadian rhythms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stockman, E. R.; Albers, H. E.; Baum, M. J.; Wurtman, R. J. (Principal Investigator)

1985-01-01

The present study was conducted to determine whether oestradiol increases activity in the European ferret (Mustela furo), whether this effect is sexually dimorphic, and whether a 24-h rhythm is present in the ferret's daily activity. The activity of male and female adult, postpubertally gonadectomized ferrets was monitored while they were maintained singly on a 13:11 light-dark cycle, before and after implantation with oestradiol-17 beta. Gonadectomized male and female ferrets exhibited equal levels of activity, and neither sex exhibited a significant change in activity following oestradiol implantation. None of the ferrets exhibited a strong circadian rhythm, although weak 24-h rhythms and shorter harmonic rhythms were present. Golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), monitored in an identical manner, exhibited strong circadian rhythms. It was concluded that oestradiol administration may not cause an increase in activity in the ferret, and that this species lacks a strong circadian activity rhythm.

Rhythms that Speed You Up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanabria, Daniel; Capizzi, Mariagrazia; Correa, Angel

2011-01-01

This study investigates whether a rhythm can orient attention to specific moments enhancing people's reaction times (RT). We used a modified version of the temporal orienting paradigm in which an auditory isochronous rhythm was presented prior to an auditory single target. The rhythm could have a fast pace (450 ms Inter-Onset-Interval or IOI) or a…

The Effect of Pitch and Rhythm Difficulty on Vocal Sight-Reading Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Michele L.

2011-01-01

Singing music at sight is a complex skill, requiring the singer to perform pitch and rhythm simultaneously. Previous research has identified difficulty levels for pitch and rhythm skills individually but not in combination. In this study, the author sought to determine the relationship between pitch and rhythm tasks occurring concurrently. High…

Entrainment to an auditory signal: Is attention involved?

PubMed

Kunert, Richard; Jongman, Suzanne R

2017-01-01

Many natural auditory signals, including music and language, change periodically. The effect of such auditory rhythms on the brain is unclear however. One widely held view, dynamic attending theory, proposes that the attentional system entrains to the rhythm and increases attention at moments of rhythmic salience. In support, 2 experiments reported here show reduced response times to visual letter strings shown at auditory rhythm peaks, compared with rhythm troughs. However, we argue that an account invoking the entrainment of general attention should further predict rhythm entrainment to also influence memory for visual stimuli. In 2 pseudoword memory experiments we find evidence against this prediction. Whether a pseudoword is shown during an auditory rhythm peak or not is irrelevant for its later recognition memory in silence. Other attention manipulations, dividing attention and focusing attention, did result in a memory effect. This raises doubts about the suggested attentional nature of rhythm entrainment. We interpret our findings as support for auditory rhythm perception being based on auditory-motor entrainment, not general attention entrainment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

UVA-induced reset of hydroxyl radical ultradian rhythm improves temporal lipid production in Chlorella vulgaris.

PubMed

Balan, Ranjini; Suraishkumar, G K

2014-01-01

We report for the first time that the endogenous, pseudo-steady-state, specific intracellular levels of the hydroxyl radical (si-OH) oscillate in an ultradian fashion (model system: the microalga, Chlorella vulgaris), and also characterize the various rhythm parameters. The ultradian rhythm in the endogenous levels of the si-OH occurred with an approximately 6 h period in the daily cycle of light and darkness. Further, we expected that the rhythm reset to a shorter period could rapidly switch the cellular redox states that could favor lipid accumulation. We reset the endogenous rhythm through entrainment with UVA radiation, and generated two new ultradian rhythms with periods of approximately 2.97 h and 3.8 h in the light phase and dark phase, respectively. The reset increased the window of maximum lipid accumulation from 6 h to 12 h concomitant with the onset of the ultradian rhythms. Further, the saturated fatty acid content increased approximately to 80% of total lipid content, corresponding to the peak maxima of the hydroxyl radical levels in the reset rhythm. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Evaluation of regression-based 3-D shoulder rhythms.

PubMed

Xu, Xu; Dickerson, Clark R; Lin, Jia-Hua; McGorry, Raymond W

2016-08-01

The movements of the humerus, the clavicle, and the scapula are not completely independent. The coupled pattern of movement of these bones is called the shoulder rhythm. To date, multiple studies have focused on providing regression-based 3-D shoulder rhythms, in which the orientations of the clavicle and the scapula are estimated by the orientation of the humerus. In this study, six existing regression-based shoulder rhythms were evaluated by an independent dataset in terms of their predictability. The datasets include the measured orientations of the humerus, the clavicle, and the scapula of 14 participants over 118 different upper arm postures. The predicted orientations of the clavicle and the scapula were derived from applying those regression-based shoulder rhythms to the humerus orientation. The results indicated that none of those regression-based shoulder rhythms provides consistently more accurate results than the others. For all the joint angles and all the shoulder rhythms, the RMSE are all greater than 5°. Among those shoulder rhythms, the scapula lateral/medial rotation has the strongest correlation between the predicted and the measured angles, while the other thoracoclavicular and thoracoscapular bone orientation angles only showed a weak to moderate correlation. Since the regression-based shoulder rhythm has been adopted for shoulder biomechanical models to estimate shoulder muscle activities and structure loads, there needs to be further investigation on how the predicted error from the shoulder rhythm affects the output of the biomechanical model. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Maternal exercise, season and sex modify the daily fetal heart rate rhythm.

PubMed

Sletten, J; Cornelissen, G; Assmus, J; Kiserud, T; Albrechtsen, S; Kessler, J

2018-05-13

The knowledge on biological rhythms is rapidly expanding. We aimed to define the longitudinal development of the daily (24-hour) fetal heart rate rhythm in an unrestricted, out-of-hospital setting and to examine the effects of maternal physical activity, season and fetal sex. We recruited 48 women with low-risk singleton pregnancies. Using a portable monitor for continuous fetal electrocardiography, fetal heart rate recordings were obtained around gestational weeks 24, 28, 32 and 36. Daily rhythms in fetal heart rate and fetal heart rate variation were detected by cosinor analysis; developmental trends were calculated by population-mean cosinor and multilevel analysis. For the fetal heart rate and fetal heart rate variation, a significant daily rhythm was present in 122/123 (99.2%) and 116/121 (95.9%) of the individual recordings respectively. The rhythms were best described by combining cosine waves with periods of 24 and 8 hours. With increasing gestational age, the magnitude of the fetal heart rate rhythm increased, and the peak of the fetal heart rate variation rhythm shifted from a mean of 14:25 (24 weeks) to 20:52 (36 weeks). With advancing gestation, the rhythm-adjusted mean value of the fetal heart rate decreased linearly in females (P < .001) and nonlinearly in males (quadratic function, P = .001). At 32 and 36 weeks, interindividual rhythm diversity was found in male fetuses during higher maternal physical activity and during the summer season. The dynamic development of the daily fetal heart rate rhythm during the second half of pregnancy is modified by fetal sex, maternal physical activity and season. © 2018 Scandinavian Physiological Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

24-h activity rhythm and sleep in depressed outpatients.

PubMed

Hori, Hiroaki; Koga, Norie; Hidese, Shinsuke; Nagashima, Anna; Kim, Yoshiharu; Higuchi, Teruhiko; Kunugi, Hiroshi

2016-06-01

Disturbances in sleep and circadian rest-activity rhythms are key features of depression. Actigraphy, a non-invasive method for monitoring motor activity, can be used to objectively assess circadian rest-activity rhythms and sleep patterns. While recent studies have measured sleep and daytime activity of depressed patients using wrist-worn actigraphy, the actigraphic 24-h rest-activity rhythm in depression has not been well documented. We aimed to examine actigraphically measured sleep and circadian rest-activity rhythms in depressed outpatients. Twenty patients with DSM-IV major depressive episode and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls participated in this study. Participants completed 7 consecutive days of all-day actigraphic activity monitoring while engaging in usual activities. For sleep parameters, total sleep time, wake after sleep onset, and sleep fragmentation index were determined. Circadian rhythms were estimated by fitting individual actigraphy data to a cosine curve of a 24-h activity rhythm using the cosinor method, which generated three circadian activity rhythm parameters, i.e., MESOR (rhythm-adjusted mean), amplitude, and acrophase. Subjective sleep was also assessed using a sleep diary and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Patients showed significantly lower MESOR and more dampened amplitude along with significant sleep disturbances. Logistic regression analysis revealed that lower MESOR and more fragmented sleep emerged as the significant predictors of depression. Correlations between subjectively and actigraphically measured parameters demonstrated the validity of actigraphic measurements. These results indicate marked disturbances in sleep and circadian rest-activity rhythms of depression. By simultaneously measuring sleep and rest-activity rhythm parameters, actigraphy might serve as an objective diagnostic aid for depression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dissociation of Per1 and Bmal1 circadian rhythms in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in parallel with behavioral outputs

PubMed Central

Ono, Daisuke; Honma, Sato; Nakajima, Yoshihiro; Kuroda, Shigeru; Enoki, Ryosuke; Honma, Ken-ichi

2017-01-01

The temporal order of physiology and behavior in mammals is primarily regulated by the circadian pacemaker located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Taking advantage of bioluminescence reporters, we monitored the circadian rhythms of the expression of clock genes Per1 and Bmal1 in the SCN of freely moving mice and found that the rate of phase shifts induced by a single light pulse was different in the two rhythms. The Per1-luc rhythm was phase-delayed instantaneously by the light presented at the subjective evening in parallel with the activity onset of behavioral rhythm, whereas the Bmal1-ELuc rhythm was phase-delayed gradually, similar to the activity offset. The dissociation was confirmed in cultured SCN slices of mice carrying both Per1-luc and Bmal1-ELuc reporters. The two rhythms in a single SCN slice showed significantly different periods in a long-term (3 wk) culture and were internally desynchronized. Regional specificity in the SCN was not detected for the period of Per1-luc and Bmal1-ELuc rhythms. Furthermore, neither is synchronized with circadian intracellular Ca2+ rhythms monitored by a calcium indicator, GCaMP6s, or with firing rhythms monitored on a multielectrode array dish, although the coupling between the circadian firing and Ca2+ rhythms persisted during culture. These findings indicate that the expressions of two key clock genes, Per1 and Bmal1, in the SCN are regulated in such a way that they may adopt different phases and free-running periods relative to each other and are respectively associated with the expression of activity onset and offset. PMID:28416676

Dopamine-dependent non-linear correlation between subthalamic rhythms in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Marceglia, S; Foffani, G; Bianchi, A M; Baselli, G; Tamma, F; Egidi, M; Priori, A

2006-03-15

The basic information architecture in the basal ganglia circuit is under debate. Whereas anatomical studies quantify extensive convergence/divergence patterns in the circuit, suggesting an information sharing scheme, neurophysiological studies report an absence of linear correlation between single neurones in normal animals, suggesting a segregated parallel processing scheme. In 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated monkeys and in parkinsonian patients single neurones become linearly correlated, thus leading to a loss of segregation between neurones. Here we propose a possible integrative solution to this debate, by extending the concept of functional segregation from the cellular level to the network level. To this end, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) from electrodes implanted for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of parkinsonian patients. By applying bispectral analysis, we found that in the absence of dopamine stimulation STN LFP rhythms became non-linearly correlated, thus leading to a loss of segregation between rhythms. Non-linear correlation was particularly consistent between the low-beta rhythm (13-20 Hz) and the high-beta rhythm (20-35 Hz). Levodopa administration significantly decreased these non-linear correlations, therefore increasing segregation between rhythms. These results suggest that the extensive convergence/divergence in the basal ganglia circuit is physiologically necessary to sustain LFP rhythms distributed in large ensembles of neurones, but is not sufficient to induce correlated firing between neurone pairs. Conversely, loss of dopamine generates pathological linear correlation between neurone pairs, alters the patterns within LFP rhythms, and induces non-linear correlation between LFP rhythms operating at different frequencies. The pathophysiology of information processing in the human basal ganglia therefore involves not only activities of individual rhythms, but also interactions between rhythms.

Dopamine-dependent non-linear correlation between subthalamic rhythms in Parkinson's disease

PubMed Central

Marceglia, S; Foffani, G; Bianchi, A M; Baselli, G; Tamma, F; Egidi, M; Priori, A

2006-01-01

The basic information architecture in the basal ganglia circuit is under debate. Whereas anatomical studies quantify extensive convergence/divergence patterns in the circuit, suggesting an information sharing scheme, neurophysiological studies report an absence of linear correlation between single neurones in normal animals, suggesting a segregated parallel processing scheme. In 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated monkeys and in parkinsonian patients single neurones become linearly correlated, thus leading to a loss of segregation between neurones. Here we propose a possible integrative solution to this debate, by extending the concept of functional segregation from the cellular level to the network level. To this end, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) from electrodes implanted for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of parkinsonian patients. By applying bispectral analysis, we found that in the absence of dopamine stimulation STN LFP rhythms became non-linearly correlated, thus leading to a loss of segregation between rhythms. Non-linear correlation was particularly consistent between the low-beta rhythm (13–20 Hz) and the high-beta rhythm (20–35 Hz). Levodopa administration significantly decreased these non-linear correlations, therefore increasing segregation between rhythms. These results suggest that the extensive convergence/divergence in the basal ganglia circuit is physiologically necessary to sustain LFP rhythms distributed in large ensembles of neurones, but is not sufficient to induce correlated firing between neurone pairs. Conversely, loss of dopamine generates pathological linear correlation between neurone pairs, alters the patterns within LFP rhythms, and induces non-linear correlation between LFP rhythms operating at different frequencies. The pathophysiology of information processing in the human basal ganglia therefore involves not only activities of individual rhythms, but also interactions between rhythms. PMID:16410285

Rate versus rhythm control and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease: data from the GUSTO-III Trial.

PubMed

Williams, Eric S; Thompson, Vivian P; Chiswell, Karen E; Alexander, John H; White, Harvey D; Ohman, E Magnus; Al-Khatib, Sana M

2013-01-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have both been shown to portend worse outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (MI); however, the benefit of a rhythm control strategy in patients with CKD post-MI is unclear. We prospectively studied 985 patients with new-onset AF post-MI in the GUSTO-III trial, of whom 413 (42%) had CKD (creatinine clearance < 60 mL/min). A rhythm control strategy, defined as the use of an antiarrhythmic medication and/or electrical cardioversion, was used in 346 (35%) of patients. A rhythm control strategy was used in 34% of patients with CKD and 36% of patients with no CKD. At hospital discharge, sinus rhythm was present in 487 (76%) of patients treated with a rate control strategy, vs. 276 (80%) in those treated with rhythm control (p = 0.20). CKD was associated with a lower odds of sinus rhythm at discharge (unadjusted OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.38-0.84, p < 0.001). However, in multivariable analyses, treatment with a rhythm control strategy was not associated with discharge rhythm (HR 1.068, 95% CI 0.69-1.66, p = 0.77), 30-day mortality (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.54-1.12, p = 0.18) or mortality from day 30 to 1 year (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.59-1.69, p = 0.99). CKD status did not significantly impact the relationship between rhythm control and outcomes. Treatment with a rhythm or rate control strategy does not signifi cantly impact short-term or long-term mortality in patients with post-MI AF, regardless of kidney disease status. Future studies to investigate the optimal management of AF in CKD patients are needed.

Evidence for Time-of-Day Dependent Effect of Neurotoxic Dorsomedial Hypothalamic Lesions on Food Anticipatory Circadian Rhythms in Rats

PubMed Central

Landry, Glenn J.; Kent, Brianne A.; Patton, Danica F.; Jaholkowski, Mark; Marchant, Elliott G.; Mistlberger, Ralph E.

2011-01-01

The dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) is a site of circadian clock gene and immediate early gene expression inducible by daytime restricted feeding schedules that entrain food anticipatory circadian rhythms in rats and mice. The role of the DMH in the expression of anticipatory rhythms has been evaluated using different lesion methods. Partial lesions created with the neurotoxin ibotenic acid (IBO) have been reported to attenuate food anticipatory rhythms, while complete lesions made with radiofrequency current leave anticipatory rhythms largely intact. We tested a hypothesis that the DMH and fibers of passage spared by IBO lesions play a time-of-day dependent role in the expression of food anticipatory rhythms. Rats received intra-DMH microinjections of IBO and activity and body temperature (T b) rhythms were recorded by telemetry during ad-lib food access, total food deprivation and scheduled feeding, with food provided for 4-h/day for 20 days in the middle of the light period and then for 20 days late in the dark period. During ad-lib food access, rats with DMH lesions exhibited a lower amplitude and mean level of light-dark entrained activity and T b rhythms. During the daytime feeding schedule, all rats exhibited food anticipatory activity and T b rhythms that persisted during 2 days without food in constant dark. In some rats with partial or total DMH ablation, the magnitude of the anticipatory rhythm was weak relative to most intact rats. When mealtime was shifted to the late night, the magnitude of the food anticipatory activity rhythms in these cases was restored to levels characteristic of intact rats. These results confirm that rats can anticipate scheduled daytime or nighttime meals without the DMH. Improved anticipation at night suggests a modulatory role for the DMH in the expression of food anticipatory activity rhythms during the daily light period, when nocturnal rodents normally sleep. PMID:21912674

The bright-nights and dim-days of the urban photoperiod: implications for circadian rhythmicity, metabolism and obesity.

PubMed

Wyse, Cathy A; Biello, Stephany M; Gill, Jason M R

2014-08-01

Artificial light decreases the amplitude of daily rhythms in human lifestyle principally by permitting activity and food intake to occur during hours of darkness, and allowing day-time activity to occur in dim light, indoors. Endogenous circadian timing mechanisms that oscillate with a period of 24 h have evolved to ensure physiology is synchronized with the daily variations in light, food, and social cues of the environment. Artificial light affects the synchronization between these oscillators, and metabolic disruption may be one consequence of this. By dampening the amplitude of environmental timing cues and disrupting circadian rhythmicity, artificial lighting might initiate metabolic disruption and contribute to the association between global urbanization and obesity. The aim of this review is to explore the historical, physiological, and epidemiological relationships between artificial light and circadian and metabolic dysfunction.

Recommendations for the standardization and interpretation of the electrocardiogram. Part I: The electrocardiogram and its technology. A scientific statement from the American Heart Association Electrocardiography and Arrhythmias Committee, Council on Clinical Cardiology; the American College of Cardiology Foundation; and the Heart Rhythm Society.

PubMed

Kligfield, Paul; Gettes, Leonard S; Bailey, James J; Childers, Rory; Deal, Barbara J; Hancock, E William; van Herpen, Gerard; Kors, Jan A; Macfarlane, Peter; Mirvis, David M; Pahlm, Olle; Rautaharju, Pentti; Wagner, Galen S

2007-03-01

This statement examines the relation of the resting ECG to its technology. Its purpose is to foster understanding of how the modern ECG is derived and displayed and to establish standards that will improve the accuracy and usefulness of the ECG in practice. Derivation of representative waveforms and measurements based on global intervals are described. Special emphasis is placed on digital signal acquisition and computer-based signal processing, which provide automated measurements that lead to computer-generated diagnostic statements. Lead placement, recording methods, and waveform presentation are reviewed. Throughout the statement, recommendations for ECG standards are placed in context of the clinical implications of evolving ECG technology.

Circadian Sleep-Wake Rhythm of Older Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maaskant, Marijke; van de Wouw, Ellen; van Wijck, Ruud; Evenhuis, Heleen M.; Echteld, Michael A.

2013-01-01

The circadian sleep-wake rhythm changes with aging, resulting in a more fragmented sleep-wake pattern. In individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), brain structures regulating the sleep-wake rhythm might be affected. The aims of this study were to compare the sleep-wake rhythm of older adults with ID to that of older adults in the general…

Children's Aural and Kinesthetic Understanding of Rhythm: Developing an Instructional Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foley, Adam D.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of aural and kinesthetic rhythm skill development in elementary school-age children. In this study, I examined my curriculum model for rhythm understanding, which included creating and implementing assessments of movement skills in meter and rhythm. The research questions were: 1.…

A Qualitative Investigation of Early Childhood Teachers' Experiences of Rhythm as Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Douglas R; Ubbes, Valerie A; Freysinger, Valeria J

2016-01-01

Rhythm has been found to enhance not only biological functioning (e.g. balance, timing and coordination), but also to facilitate learning across sociocultural contexts. That is, rhythm may be a method of supporting child development and well-being. Hence, to the extent that children are not exposed to or engaged with rhythm, their development or…

The Features and Training of English Stress and Rhythm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cai, Cui-yun

2008-01-01

In second language learning, to possess a perfect pronunciation, the importance of stress and rhythm should not be ignored. This articles explores the nature of sentence and word stress as well as rhythm, thus putting forward some feasible ways of training and acquiring a good English stress and rhythm in EFLT (English as Foreign Language…

Melatonin, The Pineal Gland and Circadian Rhythms

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-04-30

physiological rhythms including locomotion, sleep/wake, thermoregulation , car- diovascular function and many endocrine processes. Among the rhythms under SCN...control of a wide array of behavioral and physiological rhythms including locomotion, sleep/wake, thermoregulation , cardiovascular function and many... reptiles and birds, overt rhythmicity results from the integration of multiple circadian oscillators within the pineal gland, eyes and the presumed

Adult Circadian Behavior in Drosophila Requires Developmental Expression of cycle, But Not period

PubMed Central

Kim, Min-Ho; Rao, Neethi Varadaraja; Bonilla, Gloribel; Wijnen, Herman

2011-01-01

Circadian clocks have evolved as internal time keeping mechanisms that allow anticipation of daily environmental changes and organization of a daily program of physiological and behavioral rhythms. To better examine the mechanisms underlying circadian clocks in animals and to ask whether clock gene expression and function during development affected subsequent daily time keeping in the adult, we used the genetic tools available in Drosophila to conditionally manipulate the function of the CYCLE component of the positive regulator CLOCK/CYCLE (CLK/CYC) or its negative feedback inhibitor PERIOD (PER). Differential manipulation of clock function during development and in adulthood indicated that there is no developmental requirement for either a running clock mechanism or expression of per. However, conditional suppression of CLK/CYC activity either via per over-expression or cyc depletion during metamorphosis resulted in persistent arrhythmic behavior in the adult. Two distinct mechanisms were identified that may contribute to this developmental function of CLK/CYC and both involve the ventral lateral clock neurons (LNvs) that are crucial to circadian control of locomotor behavior: (1) selective depletion of cyc expression in the LNvs resulted in abnormal peptidergic small-LNv dorsal projections, and (2) PER expression rhythms in the adult LNvs appeared to be affected by developmental inhibition of CLK/CYC activity. Given the conservation of clock genes and circuits among animals, this study provides a rationale for investigating a possible similar developmental role of the homologous mammalian CLOCK/BMAL1 complex. PMID:21750685

Internal Medicine Physicians’ Perceptions Regarding Rate versus Rhythm Control for Atrial Fibrillation

PubMed Central

McCabe, James M.; Johnson, Colleen J; Marcus, Gregory M

2011-01-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is often managed by general internal medicine physicians. Available data suggest that guidelines regarding AF management are often not followed, but the reasons for this remain unknown. We sought to assess the knowledge and beliefs of internists regarding strategies to treat AF. We conducted a national electronic survey of internal medicine physicians regarding their perceptions of optimal AF management, with an emphasis on the rationale for choosing a rhythm or rate control strategy. One hundred and forty-eight physicians from 36 different states responded (representing at least 19% of unique e-mails opened). Half of the respondents reported managing their AF patients independently without referral to a cardiologist. Seventy-three percent of participants believe a rhythm control strategy conveys a decreased stroke risk, 64% believe there is a mortality benefit to rhythm control, and 55% think that it would help avoid long term anticoagulation. Comparing those who prefer a rhythm control strategy to everyone else, those who favor rhythm control statistically significantly more often believe that rhythm control reduces the risk for stroke (96% versus 67%, p=0.009) and that rhythm control allows for the discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy (76% versus 49%, p=0.045). In conclusion, contrary to available data in clinical trials and recent guidelines regarding the rationale for choosing a rhythm control strategy in treating AF, the majority of study participants believe that rhythm control decreases stroke risk, decreases mortality, and allows for discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy. These prevalent misconceptions may substantially contribute to guideline non-adherence. PMID:19195516

Dissipative structures and biological rhythms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldbeter, Albert

2017-10-01

Sustained oscillations abound in biological systems. They occur at all levels of biological organization over a wide range of periods, from a fraction of a second to years, and with a variety of underlying mechanisms. They control major physiological functions, and their dysfunction is associated with a variety of physiological disorders. The goal of this review is (i) to give an overview of the main rhythms observed at the cellular and supracellular levels, (ii) to briefly describe how the study of biological rhythms unfolded in the course of time, in parallel with studies on chemical oscillations, (iii) to present the major roles of biological rhythms in the control of physiological functions, and (iv) the pathologies associated with the alteration, disappearance, or spurious occurrence of biological rhythms. Two tables present the main examples of cellular and supracellular rhythms ordered according to their period, and their role in physiology and pathophysiology. Among the rhythms discussed are neural and cardiac rhythms, metabolic oscillations such as those occurring in glycolysis in yeast, intracellular Ca++ oscillations, cyclic AMP oscillations in Dictyostelium amoebae, the segmentation clock that controls somitogenesis, pulsatile hormone secretion, circadian rhythms which occur in all eukaryotes and some bacteria with a period close to 24 h, the oscillatory dynamics of the enzymatic network driving the cell cycle, and oscillations in transcription factors such as NF-ΚB and tumor suppressors such as p53. Ilya Prigogine's concept of dissipative structures applies to temporal oscillations and allows us to unify within a common framework the various rhythms observed at different levels of biological organization, regardless of their period and underlying mechanism.

Entrainment to feeding but not to light: circadian phenotype of VPAC2 receptor-null mice.

PubMed

Sheward, W John; Maywood, Elizabeth S; French, Karen L; Horn, Jacqueline M; Hastings, Michael H; Seckl, Jonathan R; Holmes, Megan C; Harmar, Anthony J

2007-04-18

The master clock driving mammalian circadian rhythms is located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus and entrained by daily light/dark cycles. SCN lesions abolish circadian rhythms of behavior and result in a loss of synchronized circadian rhythms of clock gene expression in peripheral organs (e.g., the liver) and of hormone secretion (e.g., corticosterone). We examined rhythms of behavior, hepatic clock gene expression, and corticosterone secretion in VPAC2 receptor-null (Vipr2-/-) mice, which lack a functional SCN clock. Unexpectedly, although Vipr2-/- mice lacked robust circadian rhythms of wheel-running activity and corticosterone secretion, hepatic clock gene expression was strongly rhythmic, but advanced in phase compared with that in wild-type mice. The timing of food availability is thought to be an important entrainment signal for circadian clocks outside the SCN. Vipr2-/- mice consumed food significantly earlier in the 24 h cycle than wild-type mice, consistent with the observed timing of peripheral rhythms of circadian gene expression. When restricted to feeding only during the daytime (RF), mice develop rhythms of activity and of corticosterone secretion in anticipation of feeding time, thought to be driven by a food-entrainable circadian oscillator, located outside the SCN. Under RF, mice of both genotypes developed food-anticipatory rhythms of activity and corticosterone secretion, and hepatic gene expression rhythms also became synchronized to the RF stimulus. Thus, food intake is an effective zeitgeber capable of coordinating circadian rhythms of behavior, peripheral clock gene expression, and hormone secretion, even in the absence of a functional SCN clock.

Do changes in subjective sleep and biological rhythms predict worsening in postpartum depressive symptoms? A prospective study across the perinatal period.

PubMed

Krawczak, Elizabeth M; Minuzzi, Luciano; Hidalgo, Maria Paz; Frey, Benicio N

2016-08-01

Abnormalities of sleep and biological rhythms have been widely implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). However, less is known about the influence of biological rhythm disruptions across the perinatal period on postpartum depression (PPD). The objective of this study was to prospectively evaluate the relationship between subjective changes in both sleep and biological rhythms and worsening of depressive symptoms from pregnancy to the postpartum period in women with and without mood disorders. Eighty-three participants (38 euthymic women with a history of a mood disorder and 45 healthy controls) were studied. Participants completed subjective assessments of sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), biological rhythm disturbances (Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry), and depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) prospectively at two time points: third trimester of pregnancy and at 6-12 weeks postpartum. Multivariate regression analyses showed that changes in biological rhythms across the perinatal period predicted worsening of depressive symptoms in both groups. Moreover, women with a history of a mood disorder showed higher levels of sleep and biological rhythm disruption during both pregnancy and the postpartum period. These findings suggest that disruptions in biological rhythms during the perinatal period increase the risk for postpartum mood worsening in healthy pregnant as well as in pregnant women with a history of mood disorders.

The burden of proof: The current state of atrial fibrillation prevention and treatment trials

PubMed Central

Zakeri, Rosita; Van Wagoner, David R.; Calkins, Hugh; Wong, Tom; Ross, Heather M.; Heist, E. Kevin; Meyer, Timothy E.; Kowey, Peter R.; Mentz, Robert J.; Cleland, John G.; Pitt, Bertram; Zannad, Faiez; Linde, Cecilia

2017-01-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an age-related arrhythmia of enormous socioeconomic significance. In recent years, our understanding of the basic mechanisms that initiate and perpetuate AF has evolved rapidly, catheter ablation of AF has progressed from concept to reality, and recent studies suggest lifestyle modification may help prevent AF recurrence. Emerging developments in genetics, imaging, and informatics also present new opportunities for personalized care. However, considerable challenges remain. These include a paucity of studies examining AF prevention, modest efficacy of existing antiarrhythmic therapies, diverse ablation technologies and practice, and limited evidence to guide management of high-risk patients with multiple comorbidities. Studies examining the long-term effects of AF catheter ablation on morbidity and mortality outcomes are not yet completed. In many ways, further progress in the field is heavily contingent on the feasibility, capacity, and efficiency of clinical trials to incorporate the rapidly evolving knowledge base and to provide substantive evidence for novel AF therapeutic strategies. This review outlines the current state of AF prevention and treatment trials, including the foreseeable challenges, as discussed by a unique forum of clinical trialists, scientists, and regulatory representatives in a session endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society at the 12th Global CardioVascular Clinical Trialists Forum in Washington, DC, December 3–5, 2015. PMID:28161513

Heterogeneity induces rhythms of weakly coupled circadian neurons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Changgui; Liang, Xiaoming; Yang, Huijie; Rohling, Jos H. T.

2016-02-01

The main clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) regulates circadian rhythms in mammals. The SCN is composed of approximately twenty thousand heterogeneous self-oscillating neurons, that have intrinsic periods varying from 22 h to 28 h. They are coupled through neurotransmitters and neuropeptides to form a network and output a uniform periodic rhythm. Previous studies found that the heterogeneity of the neurons leads to attenuation of the circadian rhythm with strong cellular coupling. In the present study, we investigate the heterogeneity of the neurons and of the network in the condition of constant darkness. Interestingly, we found that the heterogeneity of weakly coupled neurons enables them to oscillate and strengthen the circadian rhythm. In addition, we found that the period of the SCN network increases with the increase of the degree of heterogeneity. As the network heterogeneity does not change the dynamics of the rhythm, our study shows that the heterogeneity of the neurons is vitally important for rhythm generation in weakly coupled systems, such as the SCN, and it provides a new method to strengthen the circadian rhythm, as well as an alternative explanation for differences in free running periods between species in the absence of the daily cycle.

Chronotype and circadian rhythm in bipolar disorder: A systematic review.

PubMed

Melo, Matias C A; Abreu, Rafael L C; Linhares Neto, Vicente B; de Bruin, Pedro F C; de Bruin, Veralice M S

2017-08-01

Despite a complex relationship between mood, sleep and rhythm, the impact of circadian disruptions on bipolar disorder (BD) has not been clarified. The purpose of this systematic review was to define current evidence regarding chronotype and circadian rhythm patterns in BD patients. 42 studies were included, involving 3432 BD patients. Disruption of the biological rhythm was identified, even in drug-naïve BD patients and independently of mood status. Daily profiles of melatonin levels and cortisol indicated a delayed phase. Depression was more frequently associated with circadian alterations than euthymia. Few studies evaluated mania, demonstrating irregular rhythms. Evening type was more common in BD adults. Studies about the influence of chronotype on depressive symptoms showed conflicting results. Only one investigation observed the influences of chronotype in mania, revealing no significant association. Effects of psychoeducation and lithium on rhythm in BD patients were poorly studied, demonstrating no improvement of rhythm parameters. Studies about genetics are incipient. In conclusion, disruption in circadian rhythm and eveningness are common in BD. Prospective research evaluating the impact of circadian disruption on mood symptoms, metabolism, seasonality, the influence of age and the effects of mood stabilizers are needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent advances in rhythm control for atrial fibrillation

PubMed Central

Bond, Richard; Olshansky, Brian; Kirchhof, Paulus

2017-01-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains a difficult management problem. The restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm—rhythm control therapy—can markedly improve symptoms and haemodynamics for patients who have paroxysmal or persistent AF, but some patients fare well with rate control alone. Sinus rhythm can be achieved with anti-arrhythmic drugs or electrical cardioversion, but the maintenance of sinus rhythm without recurrence is more challenging. Catheter ablation of the AF triggers is more effective than anti-arrhythmic drugs at maintaining sinus rhythm. Whilst pulmonary vein isolation is an effective strategy, other ablation targets are being evaluated to improve sinus rhythm maintenance, especially in patients with chronic forms of AF. Previously extensive ablation strategies have been used for patients with persistent AF, but a recent trial has shown that pulmonary vein isolation without additional ablation lesions is associated with outcomes similar to those of more extensive ablation. This has led to an increase in catheter-based technology to achieve durable pulmonary vein isolation. Furthermore, a combination of anti-arrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation seems useful to improve the effectiveness of rhythm control therapy. Two large ongoing trials evaluate whether a modern rhythm control therapy can improve prognosis in patients with AF. PMID:29043080

Statistical methods for detecting and comparing periodic data and their application to the nycthemeral rhythm of bodily harm: A population based study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Animals, including humans, exhibit a variety of biological rhythms. This article describes a method for the detection and simultaneous comparison of multiple nycthemeral rhythms. Methods A statistical method for detecting periodic patterns in time-related data via harmonic regression is described. The method is particularly capable of detecting nycthemeral rhythms in medical data. Additionally a method for simultaneously comparing two or more periodic patterns is described, which derives from the analysis of variance (ANOVA). This method statistically confirms or rejects equality of periodic patterns. Mathematical descriptions of the detecting method and the comparing method are displayed. Results Nycthemeral rhythms of incidents of bodily harm in Middle Franconia are analyzed in order to demonstrate both methods. Every day of the week showed a significant nycthemeral rhythm of bodily harm. These seven patterns of the week were compared to each other revealing only two different nycthemeral rhythms, one for Friday and Saturday and one for the other weekdays. PMID:21059197

Seasonal and daily plasma corticosterone rhythms in American toads, Bufo americanus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pancak, M.K.; Taylor, D.H.

1983-06-01

Concentrations of corticosterone were measured in the plasma of American toads, Bufo americanus, on a seasonal basis using a radioimmunoassay technique. Two populations of toads, maintained under different light conditions, were monitored to observe the effects of photoperiod on the seasonal rhythm of plasma corticosterone. Under a natural photoperiod toads demonstrated a rhythm consisting of a spring peak and a fall peak in corticosterone concentration. Toads maintained under a 12L:12D photoperiod all year round demonstrated a similar rhythm with peaks in the spring and fall. This suggests that an endogenous (circannual) rhythm of corticosterone may be playing an important rolemore » in the seasonal change of overt behavior and physiology of Bufo americanus. A daily rhythm of corticosterone was also detected in toads when blood samples were taken every 4 hr. When compared to a previously published circadian rhythm study of locomotor activity, the surge in corticosterone concentration for the day occurred at 1730 just prior to the peak in locomotor activity.« less

Cross-modal perception of rhythm in music and dance by cochlear implant users.

PubMed

Vongpaisal, Tara; Monaghan, Melanie

2014-05-01

Two studies examined adult cochlear implant (CI) users' ability to match auditory rhythms occurring in music to visual rhythms occurring in dance (Cha Cha, Slow Swing, Tango and Jive). In Experiment 1, adults CI users (n = 10) and hearing controls matched a music excerpt to choreographed dance sequences presented as silent videos. In Experiment 2, participants matched a silent video of a dance sequence to music excerpts. CI users were successful in detecting timing congruencies across music and dance at well above-chance levels suggesting that they were able to process distinctive auditory and visual rhythm patterns that characterized each style. However, they were better able to detect cross-modal timing congruencies when the reference was an auditory rhythm than when the reference was a visual rhythm. Learning strategies that encourage cross-modal learning of musical rhythms may have applications in developing novel rehabilitative strategies to enhance music perception and appreciation outcomes of child implant users.

Affective Disruption from Social Rhythm and Behavioral Approach System (BAS) Sensitivities: A Test of the Integration of the Social Zeitgeber and BAS Theories of Bipolar Disorder.

PubMed

Boland, Elaine M; Stange, Jonathan P; Labelle, Denise R; Shapero, Benjamin G; Weiss, Rachel B; Abramson, Lyn Y; Alloy, Lauren B

2016-05-01

The Behavioral Approach System (BAS)/Reward Hypersensitivity Theory and the Social Zeitgeber Theory are two biopsychosocial theories of bipolar spectrum disorders (BSD) that may work together to explain affective dysregulation. The present study examined whether BAS sensitivity is associated with affective symptoms via a) increased social rhythm disruption in response to BAS-relevant life events, or b) greater exposure to BAS events leading to social rhythm disruption and subsequent symptoms. Results indicated that high BAS individuals were more likely to experience social rhythm disruption following BAS-relevant events. Social rhythm disruption mediated the association between BAS-relevant events and symptoms (hypothesis a). High BAS individuals experienced significantly more BAS-relevant events, which predicted greater social rhythm disruption, which predicted greater levels of affective symptoms (hypothesis b). Individuals at risk for BSD may be sensitive to BAS-relevant stimuli, experience more BAS-relevant events, and experience affective dysregulation due to the interplay of the BAS and circadian rhythms.

Alpha-band rhythm suppression during memory recall reflecting memory performance.

PubMed

Yokosawa, Koichi; Kimura, Keisuke; Chitose, Ryota; Momiki, Takuya; Kuriki, Shinya

2016-08-01

Alpha-band rhythm is thought to be involved in memory processes, similarly to other spontaneous brain rhythms. Ten right-handed healthy volunteers participated in our proposed sequential short-term memory task that provides a serial position effect in accuracy rate. We recorded alpha-band rhythms by magnetoencephalography during performance of the task and observed that the amplitude of the rhythm was suppressed dramatically in the memory recall period. The suppressed region was estimated to be in the occipital lobe, suggesting that alpha-band rhythm is suppressed by activation of the occipital attentional network. Additionally, the alpha-band suppression reflected accuracy rate, that is, the amplitude was suppressed more when recalling items with higher accuracy rate. The sensors with a significant correlation between alpha-band amplitude and accuracy rate were located widely from the frontal to occipital regions mainly in the right hemisphere. The results suggests that alpha-band rhythm is involved in memory recall and can be index of memory performance.

Beyond Auditory Sensory Processing Deficits: Lexical Tone Perception Deficits in Chinese Children With Developmental Dyslexia.

PubMed

Tong, Xiuhong; Tong, Xiuli; King Yiu, Fung

Increasing evidence suggests that children with developmental dyslexia exhibit a deficit not only at the segmental level of phonological processing but also, by extension, at the suprasegmental level. However, it remains unclear whether such a suprasegmental phonological processing deficit is due to a difficulty in processing acoustic cues of speech rhythm, such as rise time and intensity. This study set out to investigate to what extent suprasegmental phonological processing (i.e., Cantonese lexical tone perception) and rise time sensitivity could distinguish Chinese children with dyslexia from typically developing children. Sixteen children with dyslexia and 44 age-matched controls were administered a Cantonese lexical tone perception task, psychoacoustic tasks, a nonverbal reasoning ability task, and word reading and dictation tasks. Children with dyslexia performed worse than controls on Cantonese lexical tone perception, rise time, and intensity. Furthermore, Cantonese lexical tone perception appeared to be a stable indicator that distinguishes children with dyslexia from controls, even after controlling for basic auditory processing skills. These findings suggest that suprasegmental phonological processing (i.e., lexical tone perception) is a potential factor that accounts for reading difficulty in Chinese.

A dynamical systems approach for estimating phase interactions between rhythms of different frequencies from experimental data

PubMed Central

Goto, Takahiro; Aoyagi, Toshio

2018-01-01

Synchronization of neural oscillations as a mechanism of brain function is attracting increasing attention. Neural oscillation is a rhythmic neural activity that can be easily observed by noninvasive electroencephalography (EEG). Neural oscillations show the same frequency and cross-frequency synchronization for various cognitive and perceptual functions. However, it is unclear how this neural synchronization is achieved by a dynamical system. If neural oscillations are weakly coupled oscillators, the dynamics of neural synchronization can be described theoretically using a phase oscillator model. We propose an estimation method to identify the phase oscillator model from real data of cross-frequency synchronized activities. The proposed method can estimate the coupling function governing the properties of synchronization. Furthermore, we examine the reliability of the proposed method using time-series data obtained from numerical simulation and an electronic circuit experiment, and show that our method can estimate the coupling function correctly. Finally, we estimate the coupling function between EEG oscillation and the speech sound envelope, and discuss the validity of these results. PMID:29337999

[Semi-automatic defibrillators does not always interpret heart rhythms correctly. Five patients were defibrillated despite non-shockable rhythms].

PubMed

Wangenheim, Burkard; Israelsson, Johan; Lindstaedt, Michael; Carlsson, Jörg

2015-08-04

Automated external defibrillators (AED) have become an important part of the »the chain of survival« in case of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), where early defibrillation is lifesaving. The American Heart Association demands that AEDs have a specificity of >99 % to recognize normal sinus rhythm and >95 % for the other non-shockable rhythms. Reports on their performance in the field are scarce. We present five cases in which AED recommended shock for apparently non-shockable rhythms. This indicates the necessity to systematically reevaluate AED performance.

Circadian rhythms in Macaca mulatta monkeys during Bion 11 flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alpatov, A. M.; Hoban-Higgins, T. M.; Klimovitsky, V. Y.; Tumurova, E. G.; Fuller, C. A.

2000-01-01

Circadian rhythms of primate brain temperature, head and ankle skin temperature, motor activity, and heart rate were studied during spaceflight and on the ground. In space, the circadian rhythms of all the parameters were synchronized with diurnal Zeitgebers. However, in space the brain temperature rhythm showed a significantly more delayed phase angle, which may be ascribed to an increase of the endogenous circadian period.

The parathyroid hormone circadian rhythm is truly endogenous--a general clinical research center study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

el-Hajj Fuleihan, G.; Klerman, E. B.; Brown, E. N.; Choe, Y.; Brown, E. M.; Czeisler, C. A.

1997-01-01

While circulating levels of PTH follow a diurnal pattern, it has been unclear whether these changes are truly endogenous or are dictated by external factors that themselves follow a diurnal pattern, such as sleep-wake cycles, light-dark cycles, meals, or posture. We evaluated the diurnal rhythm of PTH in 11 normal healthy male volunteers in our Intensive Physiologic Monitoring Unit. The first 36 h spent under baseline conditions were followed by 28-40 h of constant routine conditions (CR; enforced wakefulness in the strict semirecumbent position, with the consumption of hourly snacks). During baseline conditions, PTH levels followed a bimodal diurnal rhythm with an average amplitude of 4.2 pg/mL. A primary peak (t1max) occurred at 0314 h, and the secondary peak (t2max) occurred at 1726 h, whereas the primary and secondary nadirs (t1min and t2min) took place, on the average, at 1041 and 2103 h, respectively. This rhythm was preserved under CR conditions, albeit with different characteristics, thus confirming its endogenous nature. The serum ionized calcium (Cai) demonstrated a rhythm in 3 of the 5 subjects studied that varied widely between individuals and did not have any apparent relation to PTH. Urinary calcium/creatinine (UCa/Cr), phosphate/Cr (UPO4/Cr), and sodium/Cr (UNa/Cr) ratios all followed a diurnal rhythm during the baseline day. These rhythms persisted during the CR, although with different characteristics for the first two parameters, whereas that of UNa/Cr was unchanged. In general, the temporal pattern for the UCa/Cr curve was a mirror image of the PTH curve, whereas the UPO4/Cr pattern moved in parallel with the PTH curve. In conclusion, PTH levels exhibit a diurnal rhythm that persists during a CR, thereby confirming that a large component of this rhythm is an endogenous circadian rhythm. The clinical relevance of this rhythm is reflected in the associated rhythms of biological markers of PTH effect at the kidney, namely UCa/Cr and UPO4/Cr.

Impact of treatment crossovers on clinical outcomes in the rate and rhythm control strategies for atrial fibrillation: Insights from the AFFIRM (Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management) trial.

PubMed

Maan, Abhishek; Zhang, Zheng; Qin, Ziling; Wang, Yanbing; Dudley, Samuel; Dabhadakar, Kaustubh; Refaat, Marwan; Mansour, Moussa; Ruskin, Jeremy N; Heist, E Kevin

2017-07-01

We investigated the rates and reasons for crossover to alternative treatment strategies and its impact on mortality in patients who were enrolled in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) trial. Over a mean follow-up period of 3.5 years, 842 patients underwent crossover to the alternative treatment arms in AFFIRM. The rate of crossover from rhythm to rate control (594/2,033, 29.2%) was more frequent than the rate of crossover from rate to rhythm control (248/2,027, 12.2%, P < 0.0001). The leading reasons for crossover from rhythm to rate control were failure to achieve or maintain sinus rhythm (272/594, 45.8%) and intolerable adverse effects (122/594, 20.5%). In comparison, the major reasons for crossover from rate to rhythm control were failure to control atrial fibrillation symptoms (159/248, 64.1%) and intolerable adverse effects (9/248, 3.6%). This difference in crossover pattern was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). There was a significantly decreased risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.48-0.78, P < 0.0001) and cardiac mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43-0.88, P = 0.008) in the subgroup of patients who crossed over from rhythm to rate control as compared to those who continued in rhythm control. There was a nonsignificant trend toward decreased all-cause (adjusted HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.53-1.10, P = 0.14) and cardiac mortality (adjusted HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.42-1.18, P = 0.18) in patients who crossed over from rate to rhythm control as compared to those who continued rate control. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Wheel-running activity modulates circadian organization and the daily rhythm of eating behavior

PubMed Central

Pendergast, Julie S.; Branecky, Katrina L.; Huang, Roya; Niswender, Kevin D.; Yamazaki, Shin

2014-01-01

Consumption of high-fat diet acutely alters the daily rhythm of eating behavior and circadian organization (the phase relationship between oscillators in central and peripheral tissues) in mice. Voluntary wheel-running activity counteracts the obesogenic effects of high-fat diet and also modulates circadian rhythms in mice. In this study, we sought to determine whether voluntary wheel-running activity could prevent the proximate effects of high-fat diet consumption on circadian organization and behavioral rhythms in mice. Mice were housed with locked or freely rotating running wheels and fed chow or high-fat diet for 1 week and rhythms of locomotor activity, eating behavior, and molecular timekeeping (PERIOD2::LUCIFERASE luminescence rhythms) in ex vivo tissues were measured. Wheel-running activity delayed the phase of the liver rhythm by 4 h in both chow- and high-fat diet-fed mice. The delayed liver phase was specific to wheel-running activity since an enriched environment without the running wheel did not alter the phase of the liver rhythm. In addition, wheel-running activity modulated the effect of high-fat diet consumption on the daily rhythm of eating behavior. While high-fat diet consumption caused eating events to be more evenly dispersed across the 24 h-day in both locked-wheel and wheel-running mice, the effect of high-fat diet was much less pronounced in wheel-running mice. Together these data demonstrate that wheel-running activity is a salient factor that modulates liver phase and eating behavior rhythms in both chow- and high-fat-diet fed mice. Wheel-running activity in mice is both a source of exercise and a self-motivating, rewarding behavior. Understanding the putative reward-related mechanisms whereby wheel-running activity alters circadian rhythms could have implications for human obesity since palatable food and exercise may modulate similar reward circuits. PMID:24624109

Circadian changes in salivary constituents and conductivity in women and men.

PubMed

Atwood, C S; James, I R; Keil, U; Roberts, N K; Hartmann, P E

1991-01-01

Circadian rhythms in salivary [glucose], [Na+], [K+] and conductivity were measured in 2 age groups of men (men A, 20-45 years and men B, 46-60 years) and 8 different states of fertility in women (normally menstruating, taking oral contraceptives, pregnant, lactational amenorrhea, lactational amenorrhea and taking oral contraceptives, lactating and menstruating, menopausal, and post-menopausal). Unstimulated whole saliva (2-3 ml) was collected every 3 h over a 48 h span. Analysis of Spearman Rank Correlations indicated significant circadian rhythms (significant positive coefficients) for all groups of [Na+] (mean = 0.577 +/- 0.040) and conductivity (mean = 0.410 +/- 0.050). There was no evidence of differences in prominence of rhythm across groups for [Na+] and conductivity. [K+] showed less evidence of rhythms and much greater variability between groups (mean correlation coefficient = 0.198 +/- 0.055). Rhythms in [glucose] (mean correlation coefficient = 0.409 +/- 0.051) were evident in all groups except men B (0.016), menopausal women (0.151) and post-menopausal women (0.310). Model analysis of the data showed no discernible rhythmic trend with age for either conductivity, [Na+] or [K+], where any differences were explainable by the group characteristics. The rhythm in [glucose] showed a significant weakening with age over all groups (F-ratio = 7.46**), and was different between men A and men B (F-ratio = 6.95**). It was concluded that circadian rhythms were present in whole unstimulated saliva for conductivity and [Na+] and that these rhythms were independent of reproductive state, whereas circadian rhythms in [K+] were dependent on reproductive state. Circadian rhythms for [glucose] were dependent on age. The loss of a rhythm in [glucose] with age indicates that glucose, Na+ and K+ are not linked in their entry into saliva. The influence of entry and reabsorption on the final concentrations of glucose, Na+ and K+ in saliva is discussed.

Circadian rhythms in human performance and mood under constant conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monk, T. H.; Buysse, D. J.; Reynolds, C. F. 3rd; Berga, S. L.; Jarrett, D. B.; Begley, A. E.; Kupfer, D. J.

1997-01-01

This study explored the relationship between circadian performance rhythms and rhythms in rectal temperature, plasma cortisol, plasma melatonin, subjective alertness and well-being. Seventeen healthy young adults were studied under 36 h of 'unmasking' conditions (constant wakeful bedrest, temporal isolation, homogenized 'meals') during which rectal temperatures were measured every minute, and plasma cortisol and plasma melatonin measured every 20 min. Hourly subjective ratings of global vigour (alertness) and affect (well-being) were obtained followed by one of two performance batteries. On odd-numbered hours performance (speed and accuracy) of serial search, verbal reasoning and manual dexterity tasks was assessed. On even-numbered hours, performance (% hits, response speed) was measured at a 25-30 min visual vigilance task. Performance of all tasks (except search accuracy) showed a significant time of day variation usually with a nocturnal trough close to the trough in rectal temperature. Performance rhythms appeared not to reliably differ with working memory load. Within subjects, predominantly positive correlations emerged between good performance and higher temperatures and better subjective alertness; predominantly negative correlations between good performance and higher plasma levels of cortisol and melatonin. Temperature and cortisol rhythms correlated with slightly more performance measures (5/7) than did melatonin rhythms (4/7). Global vigour correlated about as well with performance (5/7) as did temperature, and considerably better than global affect (1/7). In conclusion: (1) between-task heterogeneity in circadian performance rhythms appeared to be absent when the sleep/wake cycle was suspended; (2) temperature (positively), cortisol and melatonin (negatively) appeared equally good as circadian correlates of performance, and (3) subjective alertness correlated with performance rhythms as well as (but not better than) body temperature, suggesting that performance rhythms were not directly mediated by rhythms in subjective alertness.

Circadian adaptations to meal timing: neuroendocrine mechanisms

PubMed Central

Patton, Danica F.; Mistlberger, Ralph E.

2013-01-01

Circadian rhythms of behavior and physiology are generated by central and peripheral circadian oscillators entrained by periodic environmental or physiological stimuli. A master circadian pacemaker in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is directly entrained by daily light-dark (LD) cycles, and coordinates the timing of other oscillators by direct and indirect neural, hormonal and behavioral outputs. The daily rhythm of food intake provides stimuli that entrain most peripheral and central oscillators, some of which can drive a daily rhythm of food anticipatory activity if food is restricted to one daily mealtime. The location of food-entrainable oscillators (FEOs) that drive food anticipatory rhythms, and the food-related stimuli that entrain these oscillators, remain to be clarified. Here, we critically examine the role of peripheral metabolic hormones as potential internal entrainment stimuli or outputs for FEOs controlling food anticipatory rhythms in rats and mice. Hormones for which data are available include corticosterone, ghrelin, leptin, insulin, glucagon, and glucagon-like peptide 1. All of these hormones exhibit daily rhythms of synthesis and secretion that are synchronized by meal timing. There is some evidence that ghrelin and leptin modulate the expression of food anticipatory rhythms, but none of the hormones examined so far are necessary for entrainment. Ghrelin and leptin likely modulate food-entrained rhythms by actions in hypothalamic circuits utilizing melanocortin and orexin signaling, although again food-entrained behavioral rhythms can persist in lesion and gene knockout models in which these systems are disabled. Actions of these hormones on circadian oscillators in central reward circuits remain to be evaluated. Food-entrained activity rhythms are likely mediated by a distributed system of circadian oscillators sensitive to multiple feeding related inputs. Metabolic hormones appear to play a modulatory role within this system. PMID:24133410

Neural underpinnings of music: the polyrhythmic brain.

PubMed

Vuust, Peter; Gebauer, Line K; Witek, Maria A G

2014-01-01

Musical rhythm, consisting of apparently abstract intervals of accented temporal events, has the remarkable ability to move our minds and bodies. Why do certain rhythms make us want to tap our feet, bop our heads or even get up and dance? And how does the brain process rhythmically complex rhythms during our experiences of music? In this chapter, we describe some common forms of rhythmic complexity in music and propose that the theory of predictive coding can explain how rhythm and rhythmic complexity are processed in the brain. We also consider how this theory may reveal why we feel so compelled by rhythmic tension in music. First, musical-theoretical and neuroscientific frameworks of rhythm are presented, in which rhythm perception is conceptualized as an interaction between what is heard ('rhythm') and the brain's anticipatory structuring of music ('the meter'). Second, three different examples of tension between rhythm and meter in music are described: syncopation, polyrhythm and groove. Third, we present the theory of predictive coding of music, which posits a hierarchical organization of brain responses reflecting fundamental, survival-related mechanisms associated with predicting future events. According to this theory, perception and learning is manifested through the brain's Bayesian minimization of the error between the input to the brain and the brain's prior expectations. Fourth, empirical studies of neural and behavioral effects of syncopation, polyrhythm and groove will be reported, and we propose how these studies can be seen as special cases of the predictive coding theory. Finally, we argue that musical rhythm exploits the brain's general principles of anticipation and propose that pleasure from musical rhythm may be a result of such anticipatory mechanisms.

MicroRNA-433 Dampens Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling, Impacting Circadian Rhythm and Osteoblastic Gene Expression.

PubMed

Smith, Spenser S; Dole, Neha S; Franceschetti, Tiziana; Hrdlicka, Henry C; Delany, Anne M

2016-10-07

Serum glucocorticoids play a critical role in synchronizing circadian rhythm in peripheral tissues, and multiple mechanisms regulate tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids. In the skeleton, circadian rhythm helps coordinate bone formation and resorption. Circadian rhythm is regulated through transcriptional and post-transcriptional feedback loops that include microRNAs. How microRNAs regulate circadian rhythm in bone is unexplored. We show that in mouse calvaria, miR-433 displays robust circadian rhythm, peaking just after dark. In C3H/10T1/2 cells synchronized with a pulse of dexamethasone, inhibition of miR-433 using a tough decoy altered the period and amplitude of Per2 gene expression, suggesting that miR-433 regulates rhythm. Although miR-433 does not directly target the Per2 3'-UTR, it does target two rhythmically expressed genes in calvaria, Igf1 and Hif1α. miR-433 can target the glucocorticoid receptor; however, glucocorticoid receptor protein abundance was unaffected in miR-433 decoy cells. Rather, miR-433 inhibition dramatically enhanced glucocorticoid signaling due to increased nuclear receptor translocation, activating glucocorticoid receptor transcriptional targets. Last, in calvaria of transgenic mice expressing a miR-433 decoy in osteoblastic cells (Col3.6 promoter), the amplitude of Per2 and Bmal1 mRNA rhythm was increased, confirming that miR-433 regulates circadian rhythm. miR-433 was previously shown to target Runx2, and mRNA for Runx2 and its downstream target, osteocalcin, were also increased in miR-433 decoy mouse calvaria. We hypothesize that miR-433 helps maintain circadian rhythm in osteoblasts by regulating sensitivity to glucocorticoid receptor signaling. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Adolescents at clinical-high risk for psychosis: Circadian rhythm disturbances predict worsened prognosis at 1-year follow-up.

PubMed

Lunsford-Avery, Jessica R; Gonçalves, Bruno da Silva Brandão; Brietzke, Elisa; Bressan, Rodrigo A; Gadelha, Ary; Auerbach, Randy P; Mittal, Vijay A

2017-11-01

Individuals with psychotic disorders experience disruptions to both the sleep and circadian components of the sleep/wake cycle. Recent evidence has supported a role of sleep disturbances in emerging psychosis. However, less is known about how circadian rhythm disruptions may relate to psychosis symptoms and prognosis for adolescents with clinical high-risk (CHR) syndromes. The present study examines circadian rest/activity rhythms in CHR and healthy control (HC) youth to clarify the relationships among circadian rhythm disturbance, psychosis symptoms, psychosocial functioning, and the longitudinal course of illness. Thirty-four CHR and 32 HC participants were administered a baseline evaluation, which included clinical interviews, 5days of actigraphy, and a sleep/activity diary. CHR (n=29) participants were re-administered clinical interviews at a 1-year follow-up assessment. Relative to HC, CHR youth exhibited more fragmented circadian rhythms and later onset of nocturnal rest. Circadian disturbances (fragmented rhythms, low daily activity) were associated with increased psychotic symptom severity among CHR participants at baseline. Circadian disruptions (lower daily activity, rhythms that were more fragmented and/or desynchronized with the light/dark cycle) also predicted severity of psychosis symptoms and psychosocial impairment at 1-year follow-up among CHR youth. Circadian rhythm disturbances may represent a potential vulnerability marker for emergence of psychosis, and thus, rest/activity rhythm stabilization has promise to inform early-identification and prevention/intervention strategies for CHR youth. Future studies with longer study designs are necessary to further examine circadian rhythms in the prodromal period and rates of conversion to psychosis among CHR teens. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Development of cortisol circadian rhythm in infancy.

PubMed

de Weerth, Carolina; Zijl, Robbert H; Buitelaar, Jan K

2003-08-01

Cortisol is the final product of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. It is secreted in a pulsatile fashion that displays a circadian rhythm. Infants are born without a circadian rhythm in cortisol and they acquire it during their first year of life. Studies do not agree on the age of appearance of the circadian rhythm (varying between 2 weeks till the age of 9 months) nor on whether it is related to the appearance of the sleep-wake circadian rhythm. The object of the present study was to find evidence of the age of appearance of the diurnal rhythm of cortisol and to compare the results obtained by several different analysis methods on a new data set. Cortisol was determined in salival samples of 14 normally developing infants who were followed monthly between the ages of 2 and 5 months. The data were analyzed with several previously published analysis methods as well as with Multilevel Analysis (Hierarchical Linear Modeling). The previously published analysis methods each produced different results when applied to the current data set. Moreover, our results indicate striking differences between young infants in both age of appearance and stability of the diurnal cortisol rhythm. Also, a link was found between the appearance of the sleep-wake circadian rhythm and the cortisol circadian rhythm. An important intraindividual variability in cortisol levels was found even after correcting for the different variables that affect cortisol (i.e. time of sampling, feeding, etc.). Although the choice of analysis method influences the age of appearance obtained, our use of HLM shows that the infants' own variability in onset and stability of the cortisol circadian rhythm greatly contributes to the different results.

Local tidal regime dictates plasticity of expression of locomotor activity rhythms of American horseshoe crabs, Limulus polyphemus

PubMed Central

Anderson, Rebecca L.; Watson, Winsor H.; Chabot, Christopher C.

2017-01-01

While horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus from regions with two daily tides express endogenous circatidal (~ 12.4 h) activity rhythms, much less is known about locomotor rhythm expression in horseshoe crabs from other tidal regimes. This study investigated whether horseshoe crabs (1) always express activity rhythms consistent with their natural tides, and (2) can alter activity rhythm expression in response to novel tide cycles. Activity rhythms of animals from environments with two daily tides (Gulf of Maine, 43°6′ N/70°52′ W, and Massachusetts, 41°32′ N/70°40′W), one dominant daily tide (Apalachee Bay, Florida, 29°58′ N/84°20′ W), and microtides (Indian River Lagoon, Florida, 28°5′ N/80°35′ W) were recorded in 2011–2013 during three artificial tide conditions: no tides, a 12.4 h tidal cycle, and a 24.8 h tidal cycle. Interestingly, L. polyphemus from the microtidal site (n = 7) appeared “plastic” in their responses; they were able to express both bimodal and unimodal rhythms in response to different tide cycles. In contrast, the other two populations exhibited more fixed responses: regardless of the tides they were exposed to, animals from areas with one dominant daily tide (n = 18) consistently expressed unimodal rhythms, while those from areas with two daily tides (n = 28) generally expressed bimodal rhythms. Rhythms expressed by L. polyphemus thus appear to be a function of endogenous clocks, the tidal cues to which animals are exposed, and tidal cues that animals experience throughout ontogeny. PMID:29051673

MicroRNA-433 Dampens Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling, Impacting Circadian Rhythm and Osteoblastic Gene Expression*

PubMed Central

Smith, Spenser S.; Dole, Neha S.; Franceschetti, Tiziana; Hrdlicka, Henry C.; Delany, Anne M.

2016-01-01

Serum glucocorticoids play a critical role in synchronizing circadian rhythm in peripheral tissues, and multiple mechanisms regulate tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids. In the skeleton, circadian rhythm helps coordinate bone formation and resorption. Circadian rhythm is regulated through transcriptional and post-transcriptional feedback loops that include microRNAs. How microRNAs regulate circadian rhythm in bone is unexplored. We show that in mouse calvaria, miR-433 displays robust circadian rhythm, peaking just after dark. In C3H/10T1/2 cells synchronized with a pulse of dexamethasone, inhibition of miR-433 using a tough decoy altered the period and amplitude of Per2 gene expression, suggesting that miR-433 regulates rhythm. Although miR-433 does not directly target the Per2 3′-UTR, it does target two rhythmically expressed genes in calvaria, Igf1 and Hif1α. miR-433 can target the glucocorticoid receptor; however, glucocorticoid receptor protein abundance was unaffected in miR-433 decoy cells. Rather, miR-433 inhibition dramatically enhanced glucocorticoid signaling due to increased nuclear receptor translocation, activating glucocorticoid receptor transcriptional targets. Last, in calvaria of transgenic mice expressing a miR-433 decoy in osteoblastic cells (Col3.6 promoter), the amplitude of Per2 and Bmal1 mRNA rhythm was increased, confirming that miR-433 regulates circadian rhythm. miR-433 was previously shown to target Runx2, and mRNA for Runx2 and its downstream target, osteocalcin, were also increased in miR-433 decoy mouse calvaria. We hypothesize that miR-433 helps maintain circadian rhythm in osteoblasts by regulating sensitivity to glucocorticoid receptor signaling. PMID:27551048

I got rhythm: Gershwin and birth control in the 1930s.

PubMed

Viterbo, Paula

2004-03-01

Gershwin's song 'I Got Rhythm' serves here as a backdrop representing the social context of the inter-war years. On center stage is a particular aspect of the history of birth control--the application of a new theory of ovulation to contraception. Starting in 1928, a series of experiments revealed a biochemical rhythm in the female reproductive cycle, which contradicted the widespread idea that ovulation and pregnancy could occur at any time. This discovery was applied to a new contraceptive method, the rhythm method, which enjoyed significant popularity during the 1930s, especially among Catholics. For a short period, women could join Ethel Merman in the refrain 'I got rhythm, I got my man, who could ask for anything more?' But the rhythm method has not lived to its promise, and the play goes on em leader

Daily Fasting Blood Glucose Rhythm in Male Mice: A Role of the Circadian Clock in the Liver.

PubMed

Ando, Hitoshi; Ushijima, Kentaro; Shimba, Shigeki; Fujimura, Akio

2016-02-01

Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and hepatic glucose production are regulated according to a circadian rhythm. An early morning increase in FBG levels, which is pronounced among diabetic patients, is known as the dawn phenomenon. Although the intracellular circadian clock generates various molecular rhythms, whether the hepatic clock is involved in FBG rhythm remains unclear. To address this issue, we investigated the effects of phase shift and disruption of the hepatic clock on the FBG rhythm. In both C57BL/6J and diabetic ob/ob mice, FBG exhibited significant daily rhythms with a peak at the beginning of the dark phase. Light-phase restricted feeding altered the phase of FBG rhythm mildly in C57BL/6J mice and greatly in ob/ob mice, in concert with the phase shifts of mRNA expression rhythms of the clock and glucose production-related genes in the liver. Moreover, the rhythmicity of FBG and Glut2 expression was not detected in liver-specific Bmal1-deficient mice. Furthermore, treatment with octreotide suppressed the plasma growth hormone concentration but did not affect the hepatic mRNA expression of the clock genes or the rise in FBG during the latter half of the resting phase in C57BL/6J mice. These results suggest that the hepatic circadian clock plays a critical role in regulating the daily FBG rhythm, including the dawn phenomenon.

Computer-based rhythm diagnosis and its possible influence on nonexpert electrocardiogram readers.

PubMed

Hakacova, Nina; Trägårdh-Johansson, Elin; Wagner, Galen S; Maynard, Charles; Pahlm, Olle

2012-01-01

Systems providing computer-based analysis of the resting electrocardiogram (ECG) seek to improve the quality of health care by providing accurate and timely automatic diagnosis of, for example, cardiac rhythm to clinicians. The accuracy of these diagnoses, however, remains questionable. We tested the hypothesis that (a) 2 independent automated ECG systems have better accuracy in rhythm diagnosis than nonexpert clinicians and (b) both systems provide correct diagnostic suggestions in a large percentage of cases where the diagnosis of nonexpert clinicians is incorrect. Five hundred ECGs were manually analyzed by 2 senior experts, 3 nonexpert clinicians, and automatically by 2 automated systems. The accuracy of the nonexpert rhythm statements was compared with the accuracy of each system statement. The proportion of rhythm statements when the clinician's diagnoses were incorrect and the systems instead provided correct diagnosis was assessed. A total of 420 sinus rhythms and 156 rhythm disturbances were recognized by expert reading. Significance of the difference in accuracy between nonexperts and systems was P = .45 for system A and P = .11 for system B. The percentage of correct automated diagnoses in cases when the clinician was incorrect was 28% ± 10% for system A and 25% ± 11% for system B (P = .09). The rhythm diagnoses of automated systems did not reach better average accuracy than those of nonexpert readings. The computer diagnosis of rhythm can be incorrect in cases where the clinicians fail in reaching the correct ECG diagnosis. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Visual Enhancement of Illusory Phenomenal Accents in Non-Isochronous Auditory Rhythms

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Musical rhythms encompass temporal patterns that often yield regular metrical accents (e.g., a beat). There have been mixed results regarding perception as a function of metrical saliency, namely, whether sensitivity to a deviant was greater in metrically stronger or weaker positions. Besides, effects of metrical position have not been examined in non-isochronous rhythms, or with respect to multisensory influences. This study was concerned with two main issues: (1) In non-isochronous auditory rhythms with clear metrical accents, how would sensitivity to a deviant be modulated by metrical positions? (2) Would the effects be enhanced by multisensory information? Participants listened to strongly metrical rhythms with or without watching a point-light figure dance to the rhythm in the same meter, and detected a slight loudness increment. Both conditions were presented with or without an auditory interference that served to impair auditory metrical perception. Sensitivity to a deviant was found greater in weak beat than in strong beat positions, consistent with the Predictive Coding hypothesis and the idea of metrically induced illusory phenomenal accents. The visual rhythm of dance hindered auditory detection, but more so when the latter was itself less impaired. This pattern suggested that the visual and auditory rhythms were perceptually integrated to reinforce metrical accentuation, yielding more illusory phenomenal accents and thus lower sensitivity to deviants, in a manner consistent with the principle of inverse effectiveness. Results were discussed in the predictive framework for multisensory rhythms involving observed movements and possible mediation of the motor system. PMID:27880850

Bilingualism: A Pearl to Overcome Certain Perils of Cochlear Implants

PubMed Central

Humphries, Tom; Kushalnagar, Poorna; Mathur, Gaurav; Napoli, Donna Jo; Padden, Carol; Rathmann, Christian; Smith, Scott

2014-01-01

Cochlear implants (CI) have demonstrated success in improving young deaf children’s speech and low-level speech awareness across a range of auditory functions, but this success is highly variable, and how this success correlates to high-level language development is even more variable. Prevalence on the success rate of CI as an outcome for language development is difficult to obtain because studies vary widely in methodology and variables of interest, and because not all cochlear implant technology (which continues to evolve) is the same. Still, even if the notion of treatment failure is limited narrowly to those who gain no auditory benefit from CI in that they cannot discriminate among ambient noises, the reported treatment failure rate is high enough to call into question the current lack of consideration of alternative approaches to ensure young deaf children’s language development. Recent research has highlighted the risks of delaying language input during critical periods of brain development with concomitant consequences for cognitive and social skills. As a result, we propose that before, during, and after implantation deaf children learn a sign language along with a spoken language to ensure their maximal language development and optimal long-term developmental outcomes. PMID:25419095

Sherlock Holmes and the strange case of the missing attribution: a historical note on "The Grandfather Passage".

PubMed

Reilly, Jamie; Fisher, Jamie L

2012-02-01

In 1963, Charles Van Riper published "My Grandfather," a short reading passage that has evolved into a ubiquitous metric of reading ability and speech intelligibility. In this historical note, we describe several heretofore unacknowledged similarities between "The Grandfather Passage" (Darley, Aronson, & Brown, 1975) and a portion of The Valley of Fear (Conan Doyle, 1915/2006), the final novel of the Sherlock Holmes series. We also describe overlap between "My Grandfather" and "The Grandfather Passage." We contrasted propositions within The Valley of Fear to "My Grandfather" and "The Grandfather Passage." We also compared the respective text strings using the Turnitin antiplagiarism software application (iParadigms, 2011). "My Grandfather" and "The Grandfather Passage" are nearly identical passages with 88% string overlap. In addition, both passages show similarities with text from The Valley of Fear. Darley et al. (1975) did not acknowledge Van Riper (1963) as the original author of "The Grandfather Passage." In addition to this citation oversight, neither Darley et al. nor Van Riper attributed Conan Doyle as original source material. We describe the colorful history of this passage that has seen a remarkable breadth of utility in speech and language sciences.

Consensus paper: Language and the cerebellum: an ongoing enigma.

PubMed

Mariën, Peter; Ackermann, Herman; Adamaszek, Michael; Barwood, Caroline H S; Beaton, Alan; Desmond, John; De Witte, Elke; Fawcett, Angela J; Hertrich, Ingo; Küper, Michael; Leggio, Maria; Marvel, Cherie; Molinari, Marco; Murdoch, Bruce E; Nicolson, Roderick I; Schmahmann, Jeremy D; Stoodley, Catherine J; Thürling, Markus; Timmann, Dagmar; Wouters, Ellen; Ziegler, Wolfram

2014-06-01

In less than three decades, the concept "cerebellar neurocognition" has evolved from a mere afterthought to an entirely new and multifaceted area of neuroscientific research. A close interplay between three main strands of contemporary neuroscience induced a substantial modification of the traditional view of the cerebellum as a mere coordinator of autonomic and somatic motor functions. Indeed, the wealth of current evidence derived from detailed neuroanatomical investigations, functional neuroimaging studies with healthy subjects and patients and in-depth neuropsychological assessment of patients with cerebellar disorders shows that the cerebellum has a cardinal role to play in affective regulation, cognitive processing, and linguistic function. Although considerable progress has been made in models of cerebellar function, controversy remains regarding the exact role of the "linguistic cerebellum" in a broad variety of nonmotor language processes. This consensus paper brings together a range of different viewpoints and opinions regarding the contribution of the cerebellum to language function. Recent developments and insights in the nonmotor modulatory role of the cerebellum in language and some related disorders will be discussed. The role of the cerebellum in speech and language perception, in motor speech planning including apraxia of speech, in verbal working memory, in phonological and semantic verbal fluency, in syntax processing, in the dynamics of language production, in reading and in writing will be addressed. In addition, the functional topography of the linguistic cerebellum and the contribution of the deep nuclei to linguistic function will be briefly discussed. As such, a framework for debate and discussion will be offered in this consensus paper.

Consensus Paper: Language and the Cerebellum: an Ongoing Enigma

PubMed Central

Mariën, Peter; Ackermann, Herman; Adamaszek, Michael; Barwood, Caroline H. S.; Beaton, Alan; Desmond, John; De Witte, Elke; Fawcett, Angela J.; Hertrich, Ingo; Küper, Michael; Leggio, Maria; Marvel, Cherie; Molinari, Marco; Murdoch, Bruce E.; Nicolson, Roderick I.; Schmahmann, Jeremy D.; Stoodley, Catherine J.; Thürling, Markus; Timmann, Dagmar; Wouters, Ellen; Ziegler, Wolfram

2014-01-01

In less than three decades, the concept “cerebellar neurocognition” has evolved from a mere afterthought to an entirely new and multifaceted area of neuroscientific research. A close interplay between three main strands of contemporary neuroscience induced a substantial modification of the traditional view of the cerebellum as a mere coordinator of autonomic and somatic motor functions. Indeed, the wealth of current evidence derived from detailed neuroanatomical investigations, functional neuroimaging studies with healthy subjects and patients and in-depth neuropsychological assessment of patients with cerebellar disorders shows that the cerebellum has a cardinal role to play in affective regulation, cognitive processing, and linguistic function. Although considerable progress has been made in models of cerebellar function, controversy remains regarding the exact role of the “linguistic cerebellum” in a broad variety of nonmotor language processes. This consensus paper brings together a range of different viewpoints and opinions regarding the contribution of the cerebellum to language function. Recent developments and insights in the nonmotor modulatory role of the cerebellum in language and some related disorders will be discussed. The role of the cerebellum in speech and language perception, in motor speech planning including apraxia of speech, in verbal working memory, in phonological and semantic verbal fluency, in syntax processing, in the dynamics of language production, in reading and in writing will be addressed. In addition, the functional topography of the linguistic cerebellum and the contribution of the deep nuclei to linguistic function will be briefly discussed. As such, a framework for debate and discussion will be offered in this consensus paper. PMID:24318484

From Biological Rhythms to Social Rhythms: Physiological Precursors of Mother-Infant Synchrony

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Ruth

2006-01-01

Links between neonatal biological rhythms and the emergence of interaction rhythms were examined in 3 groups (N=71): high-risk preterms (HR; birth weight less than 1,000 g), low-risk preterms (LR; birth weight=1,700-1,850 g), and full-term (FT) infants. Once a week for premature infants and on the 2nd day for FT infants, sleep-wake cyclicity was…

Sense of rhythm does not differentiate professional hurdlers from non-athletes.

PubMed

Skowronek, Tomasz; Słomka, Kajetan; Juras, Grzegorz; Szade, Bartlomiej

2013-08-01

The importance of rhythm and specific endurance capabilities were examined in the technical skill and performance of hurdle runners. Additionally, interaction effects among rhythm, anaerobic fitness, and body constitution were analyzed. Seven 18-year-old members of the Polish Junior National Team in 110 m hurdles and 8 age-matched controls who were non-athletes participated. Movement coordination tests (rhythm and differentiation tests) and an anaerobic fitness test were performed. There were no statistically significant differences between the athletes and the control group on the coordination or rhythm test variables. No support was found for the hypothesis that a hurdler's timing ability influences performance.

Neurospora circadian rhythms in space - A reexamination of the endogenous-exogenous question

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sulzman, F. M.; Ellman, D.; Wassmer, G.; Fuller, C. A.; Moore-Ede, M.

1984-01-01

To test the functioning of circadian rhythms removed from periodicities of the earth's 24-hour rotation, the conidiation rhythm of the fungus Neurospora crassa was monitored in constant darkness during spaceflight. The free-running period of the rhythm was the same in space as on the earth, but there was a marked reduction in the clarity of the rhythm, and apparent arrhythmicity in some tubes. At the current stage of analysis of the results there is insufficient evidence to determine whether the effect seen in space was related to removal from 24-hour periodicities and whether the circadian timekeeping mechanism, or merely its expression, was affected.

'In a dark place, we find ourselves': light intensity in critical care units.

PubMed

Durrington, Hannah J; Clark, Richard; Greer, Ruari; Martial, Franck P; Blaikley, John; Dark, Paul; Lucas, Robert J; Ray, David W

2017-12-01

Intensive care units provide specialised care for critically ill patients around the clock. However, intensive care unit patients have disrupted circadian rhythms. Furthermore, disrupted circadian rhythms are associated with worse outcome. As light is the most powerful 're-setter' of circadian rhythm, we measured light intensity on intensive care unit. Light intensity was low compared to daylight during the 'day'; frequent bright light interruptions occurred over 'night'. These findings are predicted to disrupt circadian rhythms and impair entrainment to external time. Bright lighting during daytime and black out masks at night might help maintain biological rhythms in critically ill patients and improve clinical outcomes.

Biological Clocks. Testing Our Internal Timing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, M. Gail

1991-01-01

Presented are seven investigations that examine circadian rhythms. Topics include attention span, body temperature, rhythms found in rodents and spiders, and possible genetic determination of circadian rhythms. Background information on plants and animals is given. (KR)

The Metronome of Symbiosis: Interactions Between Microbes and the Host Circadian Clock.

PubMed

Heath-Heckman, Elizabeth A C

2016-11-01

The entrainment of circadian rhythms, physiological cycles with a period of about 24 h, is regulated by a variety of mechanisms, including nonvisual photoreception. While circadian rhythms have been shown to be integral to many processes in multicellular organisms, including immune regulation, the effect of circadian rhythms on symbiosis, or host-microbe interactions, has only recently begun to be studied. This review summarizes recent work in the interactions of both pathogenic and mutualistic associations with host and symbiont circadian rhythms, focusing specifically on three mutualistic systems in which this phenomenon has been best studied. One important theme taken from these studies is the fact that mutualisms are profoundly affected by the circadian rhythms of the host, but that the microbial symbionts in these associations can, in turn, manipulate host rhythms. The interplay between circadian rhythms and symbiosis is a promising new field with effects that should be kept in mind when designing future studies across biology. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Clock, a New Circadian Rhythm Mutant in Drosophila Melanogaster

PubMed Central

Dushay, M. S.; Konopka, R. J.; Orr, D.; Greenacre, M. L.; Kyriacou, C. P.; Rosbash, M.; Hall, J. C.

1990-01-01

Clock is a semidominant X-linked mutation that results in shortening the period of Drosophila melanogaster's free-running locomotor activity rhythm from ca. 24.0 to ca. 22.5 hr. This mutation similarly shortened the phase response curve, determined by resetting activity rhythms with light pulses. Eclosion peaks for Clk cultures were separated by only 22.5 hr instead of the normal 24 hr. Clk was mapped close to, but separable from, another rhythm mutation--period(01)--by recombination. The estimated distance between these two mutations was short enough to suggest that Clk could be a per allele. If this is the case, the new mutant is unique in that it, unlike other per variants, is associated with essentially normal 1-min courtship song rhythms when Clk is expressed in males. Also, the new rhythm variant could not, in contrast to a short-period per mutation, have its effects on free-running activity rhythms uncovered by deletions. This result, and the lack of coverage of Clk's effects by duplications, suggest that it is not a simple hypomorphic or amorphic mutation. PMID:2116357

Rostral dorsolateral pontine neurons with sympathetic nerve-related activity.

PubMed

Barman, S M; Gebber, G L; Kitchens, H

1999-02-01

Spike-triggered averaging, arterial pulse-triggered analysis, and coherence analysis were used to classify rostral dorsolateral pontine (RDLP) neurons into groups whose naturally occurring discharges were correlated to only the 10-Hz rhythm (n = 29), to only the cardiac-related rhythm (n = 15), and to both rhythms (n = 15) in inferior cardiac sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) of urethan-anesthetized cats. Most of the neurons with activity correlated to only the cardiac-related rhythm were located medial to the other two groups of neurons. The firing rates of most RDLP neurons with activity correlated to only the 10-Hz rhythm (9 of 12) or both rhythms (7 of 8) were decreased during baroreceptor reflex-induced inhibition of SND produced by aortic obstruction; thus, they are presumed to be sympathoexcitatory. The firing rates of four of seven RDLP neurons with activity correlated to only the cardiac-related rhythm increased during baroreceptor reflex activation; thus, they may be sympathoinhibitory. We conclude that the RDLP contains a functionally heterogeneous population of neurons with sympathetic nerve-related activity. These neurons could not be antidromically activated by stimulation of the thoracic spinal cord.

Affective Disruption from Social Rhythm and Behavioral Approach System (BAS) Sensitivities: A Test of the Integration of the Social Zeitgeber and BAS Theories of Bipolar Disorder

PubMed Central

Boland, Elaine M.; Stange, Jonathan P.; Labelle, Denise R.; Shapero, Benjamin G.; Weiss, Rachel B.; Abramson, Lyn Y.; Alloy, Lauren B.

2015-01-01

The Behavioral Approach System (BAS)/Reward Hypersensitivity Theory and the Social Zeitgeber Theory are two biopsychosocial theories of bipolar spectrum disorders (BSD) that may work together to explain affective dysregulation. The present study examined whether BAS sensitivity is associated with affective symptoms via a) increased social rhythm disruption in response to BAS-relevant life events, or b) greater exposure to BAS events leading to social rhythm disruption and subsequent symptoms. Results indicated that high BAS individuals were more likely to experience social rhythm disruption following BAS-relevant events. Social rhythm disruption mediated the association between BAS-relevant events and symptoms (hypothesis a). High BAS individuals experienced significantly more BAS-relevant events, which predicted greater social rhythm disruption, which predicted greater levels of affective symptoms (hypothesis b). Individuals at risk for BSD may be sensitive to BAS-relevant stimuli, experience more BAS-relevant events, and experience affective dysregulation due to the interplay of the BAS and circadian rhythms. PMID:27429864

Addressing the controversy of rate-versus-rhythm control in atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Contractor, Tahmeed; Levin, Vadim; Desai, Ravi; Marchlinski, Francis E

2013-09-01

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and significantly increases patient risk of stroke, cardiomyopathy, and mortality. Rate versus rhythm control as the "best" treatment strategy remains an issue of considerable, ongoing debate. A multitude of clinical trials have compared the 2 strategies and have not shown any benefit of one approach over the other. However, the trials were conducted in specific subgroups of patients and demonstrated low success rates with antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy and a high incidence of adverse AAD effects. Sub-analyses of the trials have confirmed that successful rhythm control with sinus rhythm restoration is associated with a significant reduction in patient mortality. More recently, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has emerged as a relatively effective procedure for maintaining sinus rhythm compared with use of AADs. Prospective randomized studies have shown good treatment results after the use of RFA, with acceptable risk. Given the limitation of pharmacologic rate versus rhythm control studies, and the promise of RFA, rhythm control should again be reconsidered as the "best" approach for managing many subgroups of patients with atrial fibrillation.

Circadian rhythms and the effects of long-distance flights.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1968-01-01

Air travelers crossing four or more time zones experience significant desynchronization of certain daily biologic rhythms. Until rephasing of the rhythms occurs relative to the solar cycle at the destination, some subjective discomfort and disruption...

In the darkness of the polar night, scallops keep on a steady rhythm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Damien; Sow, Mohamedou; Camus, Lionel; Ciret, Pierre; Berge, Jorgen; Massabuau, Jean-Charles

2016-08-01

Although the prevailing paradigm has held that the polar night is a period of biological quiescence, recent studies have detected noticeable activity levels in marine organisms. In this study, we investigated the circadian rhythm of the scallop Chlamys islandica by continuously recording the animal’s behaviour over 3 years in the Arctic (Svalbard). Our results showed that a circadian rhythm persists throughout the polar night and lasts for at least 4 months. Based on observations across three polar nights, we showed that the robustness and synchronicity of the rhythm depends on the angle of the sun below the horizon. The weakest rhythm occurred at the onset of the polar night during the nautical twilight. Surprisingly, the circadian behaviour began to recover during the darkest part of the polar night. Because active rhythms optimize the fitness of an organism, our study brings out that the scallops C. islandica remain active even during the polar night.

Aging human circadian rhythms: conventional wisdom may not always be right

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monk, Timothy H.

2005-01-01

This review discusses the ways in which the circadian rhythms of older people are different from those of younger adults. After a brief discussion of clinical issues, the review describes the conventional wisdom regarding age-related changes in circadian rhythms. These can be summarized as four assertions regarding what happens to people as they get older: 1) the amplitude of their circadian rhythms reduces, 2) the phase of their circadian rhythms becomes earlier, 3) their natural free-running period (tau) shortens, and 4) their ability to tolerate abrupt phase shifts (e.g., from jet travel or night work) worsens. The review then discusses the empirical evidence for and against these assertions and discusses some alternative explanations. The conclusions are that although older people undoubtedly have earlier circadian phases than younger adults, and have more trouble coping with shift work and jet lag, evidence for the assertions about rhythm amplitude and tau are, at best, mixed.

Daily rhythmicity of glycemia in four species of domestic animals under various feeding regimes.

PubMed

Piccione, Giuseppe; Fazio, Francesco; Caola, Giovanni; Refinetti, Roberto

2008-08-01

Daily rhythmicity of physiological processes has been described for numerous variables in numerous species. A major source of this rhythmicity is a circadian pacemaker located in the mammalian hypothalamus, but very little is known about how the pacemaker generates the multiplicity of bodily rhythms. Research on rats has shown that the rhythm of blood glucose concentration is not a mere consequence of the rhythm of food ingestion, but is rather generated directly by the pacemaker. In this study, we investigated the rhythm of blood glucose concentration in four different species of domestic animals under four different feeding regimes. Our results suggest that, as in rats, the rhythm of blood glucose concentration is not a mere consequence of the rhythm of food ingestion in sheep and cattle. In dogs and horses, however, the rhythmicity of blood glucose concentration seems to be contingent on the presence of a feeding regime.

Renal electrolyte circadian rhythms - Independence from feeding and activity patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore-Ede, M. C.; Herd, J. A.

1977-01-01

Experiments were conducted on six unanesthetized chair-acclimatized adult male squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) weighing 600-900 g to determine whether internal synchronization is the result of simple passive dependence of renal excretory rhythms on endogenous rhythms of those variable that influence electrolyte excretion such as dietary intake and muscular activity. Independence of the urinary rhythms from diurnal variations in feeding, drinking, and activity was secured by depriving the animals of food, water, and training them to perform a two-hourly schedule of feeding, drinking, and activity throughout day and night. Results indicate that the internal synchronization which is normally observed between the behavioral and urinary rhythms cannot be explained by any direct dependence of renal function on behavioral patterns. The most probable mechanism for circadian internal synchronization is that the various behavioral and renal rhythms are controlled by potentially independent separate oscillators which are normally kept in synchrony with one another.

Interactions between thalamic and cortical rhythms during semantic memory recall in human

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slotnick, Scott D.; Moo, Lauren R.; Kraut, Michael A.; Lesser, Ronald P.; Hart, John, Jr.

2002-04-01

Human scalp electroencephalographic rhythms, indicative of cortical population synchrony, have long been posited to reflect cognitive processing. Although numerous studies employing simultaneous thalamic and cortical electrode recording in nonhuman animals have explored the role of the thalamus in the modulation of cortical rhythms, direct evidence for thalamocortical modulation in human has not, to our knowledge, been obtained. We simultaneously recorded from thalamic and scalp electrodes in one human during performance of a cognitive task and found a spatially widespread, phase-locked, low-frequency rhythm (7-8 Hz) power decrease at thalamus and scalp during semantic memory recall. This low-frequency rhythm power decrease was followed by a spatially specific, phase-locked, fast-rhythm (21-34 Hz) power increase at thalamus and occipital scalp. Such a pattern of thalamocortical activity reflects a plausible neural mechanism underlying semantic memory recall that may underlie other cognitive processes as well.

[Quantitative evaluation of inhibitory effects of epileptic spikes on theta rhythms in the network of hippocampal CA3 and entorhinal cortex in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy].

PubMed

Ge, Man-Ling; Guo, Jun-Dan; Chen, Sheng-Hua; Zhang, Ji-Chang; Fu, Xiao-Xuan; Chen, Yu-Min

2017-02-25

Epileptic spike is an indicator of hyper-excitability and hyper-synchrony in the neural networks. The inhibitory effects of spikes on theta rhythms (4-8 Hz) might be helpful to understand the mechanism of epileptic damage on the cognitive functions. To quantitatively evaluate the inhibitory effects of spikes on theta rhythms, intracerebral electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings with both sporadic spikes (SSs) and spike-free transient period between adjacent spikes were selected in 4 patients in the status of rapid eyes movement (REM) sleep with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) under the pre-surgical monitoring. The electrodes of hippocampal CA3 and entorhinal cortex (EC) were employed, since CA3 and EC built up one of key loops to investigate cognition and epilepsy. These SSs occurred only in CA3, only in EC, or in both CA3 and EC synchronously. Theta power was respectively estimated around SSs and during the spike-free transient period by Gabor wavelet transform and Hilbert transform. The intermittent extent was then estimated to represent for the loss of theta rhythms during the spike-free transient period. The following findings were obtained: (1) The prominent rhythms were in theta frequency band; (2) The spikes could transiently reduce theta power, and the inhibitory effect was severer around SSs in both CA3 and EC synchronously than that around either SSs only in EC or SSs only in CA3; (3) During the spike-free transient period, theta rhythms were interrupted with the intermittent theta rhythms left and theta power level continued dropping, implying the inhibitory effect was sustained. Additionally, the intermittent extent of theta rhythms was converged to the inhibitory extent around SSs; (4) The average theta power level during the spike-free transient period might not be in line with the inhibitory extent of theta rhythms around SSs. It was concluded that the SSs had negative effects on theta rhythms transiently and directly, the inhibitory effects aroused by SSs sustained during the spike-free transient period and were directly related to the intermittent extent. It was indicated that the loss of theta rhythms might qualify exactly the sustained inhibitory effects on theta rhythms aroused by spikes in EEG. The work provided an argumentation about the relationship between the transient negative impact of interictal spike and the loss of theta rhythms during spike-free activity for the first time, offered an intuitive methodology to estimate the inhibitory effect of spikes by EEG, and might be helpful to the analysis of EEG rhythms based on local field potentials (LFPs) in deep brain.

Development of Mu Rhythm in Infants and Preschool Children

PubMed Central

Berchicci, M.; Zhang, T.; Romero, L.; Peters, A.; Annett, R.; Teuscher, U.; Bertollo, M.; Okada, Y.; Stephen, J.; Comani, S.

2011-01-01

Mu rhythm is an idling rhythm that originates in the sensorimotor cortex during rest. The frequency of mu rhythm, which is well established in adults, is 8–12 Hz, whereas the limited results available from children suggest a frequency as low as 5.4 Hz at 6 months of age, which gradually increases to the adult value. Understanding the normal development of mu rhythm has important theoretical and clinical implications since we still know very little about this signal in infants and how it develops with age. We measured mu rhythm over the left hemisphere using a pediatric magnetoencephalography (MEG) system in 25 infants (11–47 weeks), 18 preschool children (2–5 years) and 6 adults (20–39 years) for two 5-min sessions during two intermixed conditions: a rest condition in which the hands were at rest, and a prehension condition in which the subject squeezed a pipette with his/her right hand. In all participants, mu rhythm was present over the frontoparietal area during the rest condition, but was clearly suppressed during the prehension condition. Mu rhythm peak frequency, determined from the amplitude spectra, increased rapidly as a function of age from 2.75 Hz at 11 weeks to 8.25 Hz at 47 weeks (r2 = 0.83). It increased very slowly during the preschool period (3.1 ± 0.9 years; 8.5 ± 0.54 Hz). The frequency in these children was, however, lower than in adults (10.3 ± 1.2 Hz). Our results show a rapid maturation in spontaneous mu rhythm during the first year of life. PMID:21778699

Circadian rhythm of urinary potassium excretion during treatment with an angiotensin receptor blocker.

PubMed

Ogiyama, Yoshiaki; Miura, Toshiyuki; Watanabe, Shuichi; Fuwa, Daisuke; Tomonari, Tatsuya; Ota, Keisuke; Kato, Yoko; Ichikawa, Tadashi; Shirasawa, Yuichi; Ito, Akinori; Yoshida, Atsuhiro; Fukuda, Michio; Kimura, Genjiro

2014-12-01

We have reported that the circadian rhythm of urinary potassium excretion (U(K)V) is determined by the rhythm of urinary sodium excretion (U(Na)V) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We also reported that treatment with an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) increased the U(Na)V during the daytime, and restored the non-dipper blood pressure (BP) rhythm into a dipper pattern. However, the circadian rhythm of U(K)V during ARB treatment has not been reported. Circadian rhythms of U(Na)V and U(K)V were examined in 44 patients with CKD undergoing treatment with ARB. Whole-day U(Na)V was not altered by ARB whereas whole-day U(K)V decreased. Even during the ARB treatment, the significant relationship persisted between the night/day ratios of U(Na)V and U(K)V (r=0.56, p<0.0001). Whole-day U(K)V/U(Na)V ratio (p=0.0007) and trans-tubular potassium concentration gradient (p=0.002) were attenuated but their night/day ratios remained unchanged. The change in the night/day U(K)V ratio correlated directly with the change in night/day U(Na)V ratio (F=20.4) rather than with the changes in aldosterone, BP or creatinine clearance. The circadian rhythm of U(K)V was determined by the rhythm of UNaV even during ARB treatment. Changes in the circadian U(K)V rhythm were not determined by aldosterone but by U(Na)V. © The Author(s) 2013.

Forecasting models for sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) pollen count showing an alternate dispersal rhythm.

PubMed

Ito, Yukiko; Hattori, Reiko; Mase, Hiroki; Watanabe, Masako; Shiotani, Itaru

2008-12-01

Pollen information is indispensable for allergic individuals and clinicians. This study aimed to develop forecasting models for the total annual count of airborne pollen grains based on data monitored over the last 20 years at the Mie Chuo Medical Center, Tsu, Mie, Japan. Airborne pollen grains were collected using a Durham sampler. Total annual pollen count and pollen count from October to December (OD pollen count) of the previous year were transformed to logarithms. Regression analysis of the total pollen count was performed using variables such as the OD pollen count and the maximum temperature for mid-July of the previous year. Time series analysis revealed an alternate rhythm of the series of total pollen count. The alternate rhythm consisted of a cyclic alternation of an "on" year (high pollen count) and an "off" year (low pollen count). This rhythm was used as a dummy variable in regression equations. Of the three models involving the OD pollen count, a multiple regression equation that included the alternate rhythm variable and the interaction of this rhythm with OD pollen count showed a high coefficient of determination (0.844). Of the three models involving the maximum temperature for mid-July, those including the alternate rhythm variable and the interaction of this rhythm with maximum temperature had the highest coefficient of determination (0.925). An alternate pollen dispersal rhythm represented by a dummy variable in the multiple regression analysis plays a key role in improving forecasting models for the total annual sugi pollen count.

Temporal coherence of phenological and climatic rhythmicity in Beijing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaoqiu; Zhang, Weiqi; Ren, Shilong; Lang, Weiguang; Liang, Boyi; Liu, Guohua

2017-10-01

Using woody plant phenological data in the Beijing Botanical Garden from 1979 to 2013, we revealed three levels of phenology rhythms and examined their coherence with temperature rhythms. First, the sequential and correlative rhythm shows that occurrence dates of various phenological events obey a certain time sequence within a year and synchronously advance or postpone among years. The positive correlation between spring phenophase dates is much stronger than that between autumn phenophase dates and attenuates as the time interval between two spring phenophases increases. This phenological rhythm can be explained by positive correlation between above 0 °C mean temperatures corresponding to different phenophase dates. Second, the circannual rhythm indicates that recurrence interval of a phenophase in the same species in two adjacent years is about 365 days, which can be explained by the 365-day recurrence interval in the first and last dates of threshold temperatures. Moreover, an earlier phenophase date in the current year may lead to a later phenophase date in the next year through extending recurrence interval. Thus, the plant phenology sequential and correlative rhythm and circannual rhythm are interacted, which mirrors the interaction between seasonal variation and annual periodicity of temperature. Finally, the multi-year rhythm implies that phenophase dates display quasi-periodicity more than 1 year. The same 12-year periodicity in phenophase and threshold temperature dates confirmed temperature controls of the phenology multi-year rhythm. Our findings provide new perspectives for examining phenological response to climate change and developing comprehensive phenology models considering temporal coherence of phenological and climatic rhythmicity.

Analysis of ultradian heat production and aortic core temperature rhythms in the rat.

PubMed

Gómez-Sierra, J M; Canela, E I; Esteve, M; Rafecas, I; Closa, D; Remesar, X; Alemany, M

1993-01-01

The rhythms of aortic core temperature and overall heat production in Wistar rats was analyzed by using long series of recordings of temperature obtained from implanted thermocouple probes and heat release values from a chamber calorimeter. There was a very high degree of repetitiveness in the presentation of actual heat rhythms, with high cross-correlation values ascertained wit paired periodograms. No differences were observed between heat production between male and female adult rats. The cross-correlation for temperature gave similar figures. The cross-correlation study between heat production and aortic core temperature in the same animals was significant and showed a displacement of about 30 minutes between heat release and aortic core temperature. The analysis of heat production showed a strong predominance of rhythms with periods of 24 hours (frequencies < 11.6 microHz) or more; other rhythms detected (of roughly the same relative importance) had periods of 8 or 2.2 hours (35 or 126 microHz, respectively). The analysis of aortic core temperature showed a smaller quantitative contribution of the 8 or 2.2 hours (35 or 126 microHz) rhythms, with other harmonic rhythms interspersed (5.1 and 4.0 hours, i.e. 54 and 69 microHz). The proportion of 'noise' or cycles lower than 30 minutes (< 550 microHz) was higher in internal temperature than in the actual release of heat. The results are in agreement with the existence of a basic period of about 130 minutes (126 microHz) of warming/cooling of the blood, with a number of other harmonic rhythms superimposed upon the basic circadian rhythm.

Molecular oscillation behind the clockface.

PubMed

Fukada, Yoshitaka

2003-12-01

The earth rotates on its own axis while orbiting around the sun. This regular movement of the solar system results in cyclic changes of the light condition of the earth with a period of 24 h, although the lengths of daytime and nighttime depend on the latitude. The organisms living on the earth have evolved an internal time-measuring system called the "circadian clock," which ticks with a period of approximately 24 h in order to adapt to the environment and to anticipate the next cycle. The fact that most of existing organisms retain the circadian clock suggests that the clock-ownership must have been advantageous over non-ownership during their evolution. Here I will introduce the background of the research field of circadian rhythm and present an outline of this Special Review series, which is composed of three articles that review recent research into the molecular mechanisms of the three types of circadian clock systems in vertebrates.

The spectrotemporal filter mechanism of auditory selective attention

PubMed Central

Lakatos, Peter; Musacchia, Gabriella; O’Connell, Monica N.; Falchier, Arnaud Y.; Javitt, Daniel C.; Schroeder, Charles E.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY While we have convincing evidence that attention to auditory stimuli modulates neuronal responses at or before the level of primary auditory cortex (A1), the underlying physiological mechanisms are unknown. We found that attending to rhythmic auditory streams resulted in the entrainment of ongoing oscillatory activity reflecting rhythmic excitability fluctuations in A1. Strikingly, while the rhythm of the entrained oscillations in A1 neuronal ensembles reflected the temporal structure of the attended stream, the phase depended on the attended frequency content. Counter-phase entrainment across differently tuned A1 regions resulted in both the amplification and sharpening of responses at attended time points, in essence acting as a spectrotemporal filter mechanism. Our data suggest that selective attention generates a dynamically evolving model of attended auditory stimulus streams in the form of modulatory subthreshold oscillations across tonotopically organized neuronal ensembles in A1 that enhances the representation of attended stimuli. PMID:23439126

Recommendations for the standardization and interpretation of the electrocardiogram: part I: the electrocardiogram and its technology a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Electrocardiography and Arrhythmias Committee, Council on Clinical Cardiology; the American College of Cardiology Foundation; and the Heart Rhythm Society endorsed by the International Society for Computerized Electrocardiology.

PubMed

Kligfield, Paul; Gettes, Leonard S; Bailey, James J; Childers, Rory; Deal, Barbara J; Hancock, E William; van Herpen, Gerard; Kors, Jan A; Macfarlane, Peter; Mirvis, David M; Pahlm, Olle; Rautaharju, Pentti; Wagner, Galen S; Josephson, Mark; Mason, Jay W; Okin, Peter; Surawicz, Borys; Wellens, Hein

2007-03-13

This statement examines the relation of the resting ECG to its technology. Its purpose is to foster understanding of how the modern ECG is derived and displayed and to establish standards that will improve the accuracy and usefulness of the ECG in practice. Derivation of representative waveforms and measurements based on global intervals are described. Special emphasis is placed on digital signal acquisition and computer-based signal processing, which provide automated measurements that lead to computer-generated diagnostic statements. Lead placement, recording methods, and waveform presentation are reviewed. Throughout the statement, recommendations for ECG standards are placed in context of the clinical implications of evolving ECG technology.