A cochlear implant user with exceptional musical hearing ability

Abstract

Although the perception of music is generally poor in cochlear implant users, there are a few excellent performers. Objective: The aim of this study was the assessment of different aspects of music perception in one exceptional cochlear implant user. Design: The assessments included pitch direction discrimination, melody and timbre recognition, relative and absolute pitch judgment, and consonance rating of musical notes presented through the sound processor(s). Study sample: An adult cochlear implant user with musical background who lost her hearing postlingually, and five normally-hearing listeners with musical training participated in the study. Results: The CI user discriminated pitch direction for sounds differing by one semitone and recognized melody with nearly 100% accuracy. Her results in timbre recognition were better than average published data for cochlear implant users. Her consonance rating, and relative and absolute pitch perception were comparable to normally-hearing listeners with musical training. Conclusion: The results in this study showed that excellent performance is possible on musical perception tasks including pitch perception using present day cochlear implant technologies. Factors that may explain this user's exceptional performance are short duration of deafness, pre- and post-deafness musical training, and perfect pitch abilities before the onset of deafness.     

Hunger and the perception of the scent of petrol: A potential neurobiological basis for increased risk of petrol inhalation abuse

The deliberate inhalation of petrol as a means of intoxication used by underage and marginalized social groups is a growing international problem. This type of abuse has been identified as the cause of severe physical, cognitive, and psychological impairment. Both of these factors have heightened the need for identifying causes underlying why individuals begin abusing petrol. One hundred Australian male adults were surveyed while they were filling their cars with petrol. While the individuals were exposed to ambient petrol, they were asked to rate how pleasant and intense they found the smell of the petrol and the number of hours since they last ate a meal. Significant positive correlations between hunger and ratings of both pleasantness and intensity of petrol odor were identified. The results from this study suggest that hunger, and more specifically saturated fat consumption, may influence an individual's decision to abuse petrol. Suggestions for further research and related public health considerations are discussed.     

POSITIVE AFFECT MODULATES ACTIVITY IN THE VISUAL CORTEX TO IMAGES OF HIGH CALORIE FOODS

Activity within the visual cortex can be influenced by the emotional salience of a stimulus, but it is not clear whether such cortical activity is modulated by the affective status of the individual. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the relationship between affect ratings on the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and activity within the occipital cortex of 13 normal-weight women while viewing images of high calorie and low calorie foods. Regression analyses revealed that when participants viewed high calorie foods, Positive Affect correlated significantly with activity within the lingual gyrus and calcarine cortex, whereas Negative Affect was unrelated to visual cortex activity. In contrast, during presentations of low calorie foods, affect ratings, regardless of valence, were unrelated to occipital cortex activity. These findings suggest a mechanism whereby positive affective state may affect the early stages of sensory processing, possibly influencing subsequent perceptual experience of a stimulus.     

Children's Perception of Temporally Distorted Sentential Approximations of Varying Length

The purpose of this study was to investigate the abilities of second-grade and fourth-grade children to auditorially process three orders of three- and five-word sentential approximations, which had normal interstimulus intervals (ISI) and ISIs of 200 and 400 ms. Results showed that percent correct scores decreased as a function of increasing sentence length and ISI, and decreasing order of sentential approximation and grade level. The results are discussed relative to theoretical notions of short-term memory and auditory perceptual processing as well as potential clinical applications     

Discourses on the Toxic Effects of Internal Chemical Contamination in Catalonia,Spain

Human exposure to and contamination by environmental toxic compounds generates discourses and practices that merit greater attention. In this article, we assess internal chemical contamination and the risk of toxic effects as an experience related to the production of meaning in everyday life. Drawing on the analysis of semantic networks of narratives from semi-structured interviews conducted with 43 informants in Catalonia, Spain, we consider participants’ perceptions of the health risks of toxic compounds, including social discourses on exposure, toxicity, and internal chemical contamination, and on responsibilities, consequences, and proposed strategies for controlling toxic compounds. Informants’ narratives on the relationships between nature and nurture suggest that they no longer perceive rigid boundaries separating the human body from the external environment and its chemical pollutants.     

Dementia in the movies: the clinical picture

Objectives: Visual media influence the general public's perceptions and attitudes regarding people with mental conditions. This qualitative study investigates the depiction accuracy of dementia's clinical features in motion pictures.Method: Using the search terms ‘dementia’, ‘Alzheimer's disease’ and ‘senility’ movies with release dates between January 2000 and March 2012 were sought on the Internet Movie Database. Based on four selection criteria 23 movies were included. Independently, three researchers watched all movies, scored symptoms, capacities, and behaviors. Scores were discussed and refined during consensus meetings, resulting in a taxonomy of clinical features.Results: Various features are found, most often cognitive symptoms. Behavioral features are also shown – retiring behavior more than agitation – and various emotions, but physical symptoms are rarely depicted. Capacities are infrequently presented and are unrealistic in several of the movies.Conclusion: The clinical picture of dementia portrayed in fictional movies is mild and may be misleading.     

Happy heart,smiling eyes: A systematic review of positive mood effects on broadening of visuospatial attention

Positive mood contributes to mental and physical wellbeing. The broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 2001) proposed that the beneficial effects of positive mood on life quality result from attentional broadening. In this article, we systematically review (following PRISMA guidelines; Moher et al., 2009), a host of studies investigating the nature and extent of attentional changes triggered by the experience of positive mood, with a focus on vision. While several studies reported a broadening of attention, others found that positive mood led to a more diffuse information processing style. Positive mood appears to lessen attention selectivity in a way that is context-specific and bound to limitations. We propose a new framework in which we postulate that positive mood impacts the balance between internally and externally directed attention, through modulations of cognitive control processes, instead of broadening attention per se. This novel model is able to accommodate discrepant findings, seeks to translate the phenomenon of the so-called broadening of attention with positive mood into functional terms, and provides plausible neurobiological mechanisms underlying this effect, suggesting a crucial role of the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex in this interaction.     

Speech perception and auditory performance in Finnish adult cochlear implant users

Abstract

Objective This study aimed at investigating the association between speech perception and categories of auditory performance (mCAP) in everyday life for adult cochlear implant users.

Design A prospective repeated measures design over a two-year follow-up period was used.

Methods The speech perception and auditory performance of 19 Finnish-speaking adults were assessed before implantation and 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after switching on the implant. Spearman's rank order correlation coefficients (r_s) were calculated between mCAP and sentence, word, syllable, vowel and consonant recognition. Pearson's product moment correlation coefficients (r) were calculated among the speech perception results.

Results The correlation between mCAP and the speech perception results was high and statistically significant (r_s = 0.81?0.85, p 0.0001), as well as the correlation among the speech perception tests (r = 0.79?0.92, p 0.0001).

Conclusions The speech perception tests used may be considered as good describers of everyday performance of the subjects of this investigation.     

Women Like Me

Abstract

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) traditionally has been withheld from women with breast cancer to minimize their risk of recurrence. However, the benefits of HRT include relief from menopausal symptoms and protection against osteoporosis and possibly heart disease. Focus groups were conducted among women diagnosed with breast cancer to explore how the women approached health decisions, especially regarding HRT, and to identify factors that influenced their decision-making process. Factors identified included relief of symptoms, fear of cancer, side effects of treatment, attitudes toward risk, perception of risk and mastery, and physicians' recommendations. The article discusses these factors and provides suggestions, such as the following, to care providers who counsel women concerning menopause and HRT: Help patients understand areas in which the evidence is solid, address their possibly unrealistic expectations, and help them articulate their feelings and fears.