[论文解读] Neural (EEG) Response during Creation and Appreciation: A Novel Study with Hindustani Raga Music

Archi Banerjee, Shankha Sanyal+6 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Apr 19, 2017

Neural dynamics and brain function参考文献 27被引用 3

一句话总结

本研究利用脑电图（EEG）分析在心理即兴创作（创作）与聆听（欣赏）拉加之拉加 Jay Jayanti 时的α和θ节律，探讨印度古典音乐家音乐创造力与欣赏的神经相关性。研究发现，创作过程中存在显著的枕叶及额-枕叶激活，而聆听时在额-颞叶与枕-颞叶区域表现出显著的保留性α/θ相关性，揭示了音乐认知中条件特异性的脑网络动态。

ABSTRACT

What happens inside the performers brain when he is performing and composing a particular raga. Are there some specific regions in brain which are activated when an artist is creating or imaging a raga in his brain. Do the regions remain the same when the artist is listening to the same raga sung by him. These are the questions that perplexed neuroscientists for a long time. In this study we strive to answer these questions by using latest state of the art techniques to assess brain response. An EEG experiment was conducted for two eminent performers of Indian classical music, when they mentally created the imagery of a raga Jay Jayanti in their mind, as well as when they listened to the same raga. The beauty of Hindustani music lies in the fact that the musician is himself the composer and recreates the imagery of the raga in his mind while performing, hence the scope of creative improvisations are immense. The alpha and theta frequency rhythms were segregated from each of the time series data and analyzed using robust non MFDXA technique to quantitatively assess the degree of cross-correlation of each EEG frequency rhythm in different combination of electrodes from frontal, occipital and temporal lobes. A strong response was found in the occipital and fronto occipital region during mental improvisation of the raga, which is an interesting revelation of this study. Strong retentive features were obtained in regard to both alpha and theta rhythms in musical listening in the fronto temporal and occipital temporal region while the features were almost absent in the thinking part. Further, other specific regions have been identified separately for the two separate conditions in which the correlations among the different lobes were the strongest.

研究动机与目标

• 探究印度古典音乐家音乐创作与欣赏的神经机制。
• 识别在心理即兴创作拉加过程中特定激活的脑区及频率节律（α、θ）。
• 比较音乐家在心理创作同一拉加与聆听自己演奏的录音时的神经反应差异。
• 利用先进的信号分析技术量化不同脑区（额叶、枕叶、颞叶）之间的互相关性。

提出的方法

• 从两位著名的印度古典音乐家在两种条件下采集EEG数据：心理即兴创作拉加 Jay Jayanti 与聆听同一拉加的录音。
• 通过带通滤波从EEG时间序列中分离出α和θ频带。
• 应用稳健的非马尔可夫功能依赖性分析（非MFDXA）技术，量化不同脑区电极对之间的互相关性。
• 从额叶、枕叶和颞叶选取电极对，以评估脑区间的功能连接性。
• 统计分析聚焦于识别两种条件下相关性强度与空间分布的显著差异。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 在心理即兴创作印度古典拉加时，哪些脑区表现出增强的神经活动？
• RQ2 音乐家在创作（即兴）与欣赏（聆听）状态下，α与θ节律的相关性有何不同？
• RQ3 是否存在在拉加创作与欣赏过程中更为活跃的特定脑区间神经网络？
• RQ4 同一脑区在两种认知状态下是否表现出一致的激活，还是存在显著差异？

主要发现

• 在心理即兴创作拉加 Jay Jayanti 时，观察到枕叶及额-枕叶区域存在显著的神经激活，表明视觉处理与整合加工在音乐创作中起着关键作用。
• 在聆听过程中，额-颞叶与枕-颞叶区域的α与θ节律表现出显著的保留性特征，提示听觉处理与记忆相关神经活动的持续参与。
• 在聆听过程中，脑区间互相关性最强的区域位于枕叶与颞叶；而在即兴创作中，最强的相关性则集中于额-枕叶网络。
• 识别出每种条件下特有的神经网络：创作时以额-枕叶网络占主导，而聆听时则以额-颞叶与枕-颞叶网络占主导。