Aging effects on neural entrainment to a musical beat

Abstract

When listening to music, the brain entrains to the musical rhythm and produces neural activity at the beat frequency. Younger (<35) and older (>60) adults listened to slow (1.25 Hz) and fast (2.5 Hz) syncopated and non-syncopated rhythms while intermittently performing a tapping task. EEG was recorded and frequency tagging was employed to analyze meter-related and meter-unrelated frequencies elicited by the rhythms. The meter-related frequencies included the beat frequency (BF), its first three harmonics (H1-H3) and the frequency of the whole pattern, or cycle rate (CR) while the meter-unrelated frequencies included the remaining harmonics of the CR up to the eleventh harmonic. Age effects were observed at the BF, where younger adults had larger amplitudes than older adults and at the CR. At the fast tempo, older adults did not differentiate between the CR, the BF and H3. Together, these results suggest older adults experience a breakdown of selective encoding at the fast tempo and reliance on high-level information, exhibiting aspects of both the inhibition and compensation theories of aging.

Neural Entrainment to Musical Pulse In Naturalistic Music Is Preserved In Aging: Implications for Music-Based Interventions

“…Such variability in the efficacy of music-based interventions may arise, in part, from the diversity of protocols that underlie MBIs (e.g., self-selected vs. clinician-selected music), the heterogeneity of clinical populations that are targeted by MBIs, and individual differences in the sensitivity to musical features that constitute the intervention (e.g., rhythm, melody, motor-movement, and social interactions during musical experiences) (Loui, 2020; Sousa et al, 2020; Vink & Hanser, 2018). While research has identified key neural networks that contribute to music processing (Koelsch, 2014; Loui & Przysinda, 2017), little is known about the underlying neurobiological mechanisms that are specifically engaged by MBIs (Quinci et al, (2022); Wang et al, (2020)) and how aging affects neural responses to musical structure (e.g., rhythm, melody, harmony) (Sauvé et al, 2019; Sutcliffe et al, 2020). Yet, understanding how MBIs engage the nervous system and the impact of aging on the neural processing of music has important implications for designing and implementing MBIs; understanding naturalistic music-listening and -making on brain function, cognitive health, and well-being; and explaining individual outcomes following the intervention (Ferreri et al, 2019; Sutcliffe et al, 2020; Tichko et al, 2020).…”

“…While music has been shown to entrain neural activity, impairments in neural en-trainment to musical features are associated with aging (Alain et al, 2014; Bones & Plack, 2015; Henry et al, 2017; Sauvé et al, 2019; Sutcliffe et al, 2020; Zendel & Alain, 2014). Relatedly, several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease, are associated with disrupted neural activity across the same frequency bands that are driven by music (e.g., delta, theta) (Goodman et al, 2018; Güntekin & Başar, 2016; Hata et al, 2016; Koenig et al, 2005).…”

“…Secondly, we predicted that neural responses to the pulse would be relatively stronger at fronto-central electrodes, reflecting synchronized neural activity to music arising from the auditory system (Fiveash et al, 2020;Vanden Bosch der Nederlanden et al, 2020;Woods et al, 2021). Finally, we expected younger adults to exhibit stronger neural entrainment to musical pulse, compared to older adults, given that degraded neural responses to sound are often associated with aging (Henry et al, 2017;Sauvé et al, 2019). and Neural Dynamics (MIND) Lab at Northeastern University.…”