Music Perception and Movement in Huntington's Disease
Author Information
Author(s): Christian Beste, Anne Schüttke, Bettina Saft, Carsten Saft
Primary Institution: Ruhr-University Bochum
Hypothesis
Patients with Huntington's disease will show altered processing of music that depends on disease stages, and there should be a relation between areas associated with musical rhythms and measures of movement deterioration.
Conclusion
The results suggest modulation of auditory music processing in a movement disorder, which seems to relate to severity of movement deterioration.
Supporting Evidence
- Altered activation patterns were observed in manifest HD compared to premanifest mutation carriers and controls.
- Increased cerebellar activation during music processing was related to more severe movement dysfunction.
- No correlations were found between motor abilities and activity of the cerebellum during syllable perception.
Takeaway
People with Huntington's disease have trouble processing music, and this is connected to how well they can move.
Methodology
Participants underwent auditory fMRI while listening to music and syllables, and their motor performance was assessed.
Limitations
The study may not generalize to all stages of Huntington's disease or to other movement disorders.
Participant Demographics
15 manifest HD patients, 16 premanifest HD patients, and 15 age and gender matched controls.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < .001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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