Piccirilli Massimo, Palermo Maria Teresa, Germani Alessandro, Bertoli Maria Laura, Ancarani Viola, Buratta Livia, Dioguardi Maria Stefania, Scarponi Laura, D'Alessandro Patrizia
School of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Music Therapist, Palliative Care, Antea Hospice, Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital, Roma, Italy.
J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2021 Mar;27(3):282-292. doi: 10.1017/S1355617720000946. Epub 2020 Sep 24.
Numerous investigations have documented that age-related changes in the integrity of the corpus callosum are associated with age-related decline in the interhemispheric transfer of information. Conversely, there is accumulating evidence for more efficient white matter organization of the corpus callosum in individuals with extensive musical training. However, the relationship between making music and accuracy in interhemispheric transfer remains poorly explored.
To test the hypothesis that musicians show enhanced functional connectivity between the two hemispheres, 65 professional musicians (aged 56-90 years) and 65 age- and sex-matched non-musicians performed the fingertip cross-localization test. In this task, subjects must respond to a tactile stimulus presented to one hand using the ipsilateral (intra-hemispheric test) or contralateral (inter-hemispheric test) hand. Because the transfer of information from one hemisphere to another may imply a loss of accuracy, the value of the difference between the intrahemispheric and interhemispheric tests can be utilized as a reliable measure of the effectiveness of hemispheric interactions.
Older professional musicians show significantly greater accuracy in tactile interhemispheric transfer than non-musicians who suffer from age-related decline.
Musicians have more efficient interhemispheric communication than age-matched non-musicians. This finding is in keeping with studies showing that individuals with extensive musical training have a larger corpus callosum. The results are discussed in relation to relevant data suggesting that music positively influences aging brain plasticity.
大量研究表明，胼胝体完整性的年龄相关性变化与半球间信息传递的年龄相关性下降有关。相反，越来越多的证据表明，接受过广泛音乐训练的个体，其胼胝体的白质组织更高效。然而，音乐演奏与半球间信息传递准确性之间的关系仍未得到充分探索。
为了验证音乐家在两个半球之间表现出增强的功能连接这一假设，65名职业音乐家（年龄在56 - 90岁之间）和65名年龄及性别匹配的非音乐家进行了指尖交叉定位测试。在这项任务中，受试者必须使用同侧手（半球内测试）或对侧手（半球间测试）对呈现给一只手的触觉刺激做出反应。由于信息从一个半球传递到另一个半球可能意味着准确性的下降，因此半球内测试和半球间测试之间差异的值可以用作半球间相互作用有效性的可靠指标。
年长的职业音乐家在触觉半球间传递方面的准确性明显高于患有与年龄相关衰退的非音乐家。
音乐家的半球间交流比年龄匹配的非音乐家更高效。这一发现与表明接受过广泛音乐训练的个体胼胝体更大的研究结果一致。我们结合相关数据对结果进行了讨论，这些数据表明音乐对衰老大脑的可塑性有积极影响。
