Latest news with #executivefunction
Medscape
06-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Music Strikes a Chord for Brain Health
Music's influence on the brain is documented in conditions ranging from dementia, to epilepsy. Both music participation and appreciation are tied to improvements in executive function and memory so how close are we to harnessing music as a targeted therapeutic tool. One researcher at the forefront of this work is Edward Large, PhD, a professor at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut, and director of its Music Dynamics Laboratory. He told Medscape Medical News that he is optimistic about research suggesting that music can help, 'not just with depression and anxiety but with more profound neurological and psychological disorders.' However, he added that music's benefits aren't yet fully understood. Robert Zatorre, PhD, founding co-director of the International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, cautions against overstating its therapeutic power. 'Music is not a magic pill; it's not a panacea; it doesn't cure everything,' said Zatorre who is also a professor at the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Instead, it's important to define under what circumstances music could be beneficial and in what ways. 'And that's where the research is right now' he said. Robert Zatorre, PhD One challenge is music's deeply personal nature — what resonates with one person may leave another unmoved. Variables such as culture, age, personal history, social context, and even the nature of the neurological condition can influence how someone will respond to music-based interventions, said Zatorre. Brain Rhythms and Memory Large, a former president of the Society for Music Perception and Cognition and a musician himself, believes that one of the most important messages from research is the effect that music has on the rhythm of the brain. Brain rhythms or waves, also known as neural oscillations, are patterns of brain activity associated with various cognitive processes and behaviors. In healthy brains, slow theta waves (4-8 Hz) and fast gamma waves (30-100 Hz) work together (coupling) to encode and retrieve new memories. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by disruptions in gamma waves and atypical cross-frequency coupling. Edward Large, PhD 'Music is really the most powerful stimulus we have for synchronizing brain rhythms,' said Large. His group is testing whether stimulating synchrony in the gamma frequency can help treat AD. 'That's the frequency at which neurons in the hippocampus synchronize when they're retrieving a memory', he said. Noninvasive, gamma-frequency, auditory-visual stimulation has been shown to improve AD-related biomarkers and memory in animal models. Large is CEO of Oscillo Biosciences which is developing music based interventions for humans. He explained how such interventions might work: The individual listens to self-selected music and watches a rhythmic light stimulus that is synchronized to the music as their brain waves are monitored via electroencephalography. The light show works in concert with the music to stimulate theta and gamma neural rhythms and phase-amplitude coupling (See photo). It takes both the music and the synchronized light to have a similar effect to that seen for transcranial alternating-current stimulation, he said. An early test of Oscillo Biosciences' music-based intervention for AD Parkinson's Disease (PD) In addition to its potential memory boosting, music can help improve motor control. A music app was shown to improve gait and mood in patients with PD. Daniel J. Levitin, PhD, a neuroscientist and professor emeritus of psychology at McGill University noted in a recent interview with CBC Radio, that music's steady beat can act as 'an external timekeeper' for patients with PD, helping them to walk better because of the auditory stimulation. For multiple sclerosis (MS), Levitin said that music can activate non-demyelinated circuits in order to help with motor control. He echoed Zatorre's view that while the idea of a music prescription is appealing, what works best for a patient seems to be highly individualized. 'It's not like there is a single healing song or a list of healing songs,' he said in the interview. Instead, brain scans show that different types of songs can produce 'almost identical' brain activity in the limbic system, which is closely involved in experiencing pleasure, Levitin added. The Pleasure Principle The pleasure that music brings may be the source of its positive effects. 'I'm convinced that a lot of the benefits of these musical interventions act via the reward system,' said Zatorre who has conducted several related studies and authored a chapter on ' Musical Enjoyment and the Reward Circuits of the Brain ' for a book on Music and Mind edited by opera singer Renée Fleming. By engaging the reward system 'it has knock-on effects on a lot of behaviors and cognitions, including social cognition and memory and language,' he said. Zatorre theorized that music heard by a patient with a memory disorder will activate the reward pathway and simultaneously enhance the retrieval of certain memories. 'That's something that has been observed anecdotally in many patients with neurodegenerative disorders,' he said. There is evidence that the connectivity of the auditory and reward systems is preserved in people with mild cognitive impairment and early AD opening up a potential pathway for early treatment. 'I'm not sure we're there yet. But it's something that people are excited about,' said Zatorre. Familiar music tends to elicit a greater neural response, especially in older people, because once we reach a certain age, we know what we like and sticking to that brings enjoyment, which is linked to dopamine, explained Zatorre. The reward system is highly reactive in younger people. 'We not only fall in love with people [more easily] at that age, we fall in love with all sorts of things and places and movies and music. And that tends to stay with us,' Zatorre said. Large is currently conducting a functional MRI study in patients with AD that compares music that is self-selected and 'meaningful' to the participants with music that is merely familiar. The meaningful music activates important parts of the brain such as the auditory cortex, hippocampus, and reward centers more than the familiar music, he reported. 'So if you're trying to have an impact on your brain, I think you should listen to the music that you love.' Sing Like There's Nobody Listening? A number of recent studies have suggested that physically participating in music may be even better for the brain than passively listening (Figure). In a large nested study published last year, playing a musical instrument was linked to better executive function in older adults, with stronger links for woodwind instruments. Keyboard playing was associated with better working memory compared to not playing any instrument. This study did not show any significant associations between listening to music and cognitive performance but singing was associated with better executive function. Group singing may be particularly beneficial. A Finnish study tied singing in a choir to enhanced brain-structure connectivity across the lifespan of participants with no neurologic diagnoses at baseline. Another recent study in 50 patients with chronic aphasia after stroke found that those assigned to participate in weekly sessions of group singing had improved communication and responsive speech production 5 months later compared to those who received standard of care. 'It has to do with the vocal motor control, the ability to control your larynx and your breathing and your articulators, as well as the vocalization that singing requires as opposed to speaking,' said Zatorre, who was not involved with the research. He added that the social aspect of the intervention is also important, especially the 'singing together with other people who are suffering the same difficulties as you.' Hope for the Tone Deaf But what about people with congenital amusia ie, the tone deaf? Zatorre noted that about 50% of people who are tone deaf have perfect rhythm. 'They may not have the pitch correct, but they still are on time. So they can clap, or tap, or march, or dance, along to the beat,' he said. While many may think they are tone deaf, it's estimated that only 1.5%of the general population have true congenital amusia and even fewer also have no rhythm. 'They may not enjoy the music itself but could enjoy the more social aspects of it. It's enjoying bonding with others, even if you're singing off-key,' said Zatorre. He pointed out that patients with aphasia usually don't sing very well, 'but that's not the point.' Instead, the goal is improved outcome, he added. As the saying goes 'sing like there's nobody listening.' Music As Preventive Medicine? Could music be used as a preventive intervention to stave off, say, dementia in younger at-risk individuals? 'I think the answer is [that] we don't really know,' Large said. Although there are still questions about whether amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques are a cause or a symptom of AD, it's been shown that there is a desynchrony of rhythms in the gamma frequency band before a buildup of Aβ plaques occurs, he explained. 'I think that offers some hope that these rhythm-based therapies might have a preventive impact,' said Large. Zatorre acknowledged that research on music as a preventive intervention is 'quite scarce,' but noted that adding music can still improve quality of life. 'Music is an important art form that almost all people are sensitive to. If you're having a better quality of life, that will enhance everything. Even if it doesn't prevent the formation of plaques in your brain, you will still have a happier existence. And then if you do develop any type of degenerative disorder, you'll have more tools in your toolbox to help you cope,' he said. However, Zatorre noted that the same could be said for cooking or exercise or anything else that gives pleasure to an individual. 'I worry that music may have been a bit oversold to people, especially from those who are promoting a website or some type of self-help product. So I think caution is in order,' he said.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists discover overworking can cause brain damage
A new study suggests that working 52 hours or more each week harms people's memory, problem solving skills and disrupts their emotions. Experts found that being 'overworked' alters the structure of the brain in areas linked to thinking, social skills, and mental health. The group looked at the impact of overworking on specific brain regions in health workers who regularly clocked up a 52-hour week or more. The researchers drew on data from a long-term study looking at worker health and used MRI scans to examine brain structure. Around 110 workers, mostly clinicians, were included in the final analysis which was published in the journal Occupational And Environmental Medicine. Of these, 32 worked excessive weekly hours, while 78 worked standard hours. Those putting in long working hours every week were significantly younger, had spent less time in work and were more highly educated than those clocking up standard hours. The researchers said: 'Overworked individuals exhibited significant changes in brain regions associated with executive function and emotional regulation.' Analysis showed a 19 per cent increase in left caudal middle frontal gyrus volume in the overworked group compared with the non-overworked group. This part of the brain plays a major role in several cognitive functions, particularly those occurring in the frontal lobe. The area of the brain is involved in attention, working memory, and language-related processing. Other areas involved in attention, planning and decision-making were also changed in those working more hours according to the scans, plus regions involved in emotional processing, self-awareness, and understanding social context. The team concluded: 'This study provides preliminary evidence that overwork is associated with structural brain changes, particularly in regions linked to cognition and emotion. 'These findings provide novel neurobiological evidence linking prolonged working hours to structural brain changes, emphasising the need for further research to understand the long-term cognitive and emotional implications of overwork. 'The results underscore the importance of addressing overwork as an occupational health concern and highlight the need for workplace policies that mitigate excessive working hours.' Ruth Wilkinson, head of policy and public affairs at the charity the Institution Of Occupational Safety And Health, said: 'Global analysis from the World Health Organisation and International Labour Organisation has found that working long hours is on the increase and is responsible for about one-third of the total estimated work-related burden of disease. 'We believe urgent action is needed to tackle an epidemic of long working hours. 'A long hours culture can be experienced in what we've identified as the 'small print' of working life today. 'This captures those hidden or unspoken expectations placed on top of workers' contracts. 'It includes always having to be available/on duty in this digital age, stripped of the right to disconnect from work outside of normal working hours…. 'Our YouGov survey, last year, showed that nearly a quarter of UK workers regularly work more than the legal maximum people should work in the UK (48 hours a week), while 44 per cent said working more than your contracted hours is part of the culture in their organisation. 'More than half said they regularly check work emails and messages outside of working hours. 'We want to see employers strip away the 'small print', identify and tackle psycho-social risks as part of risk assessment processes and become more transparent in how they treat their workers.'
CTV News
14-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Working long hours? It could be altering the structure of your brain, new study says
Working long hours is linked to changes in brain structure, according to a new study. Maskot/Getty Images via CNN Newsource Long working hours might not just be bad for you, they could also be altering the structure of your brain, a new study suggests. The research, published Tuesday, found 'significant changes' in the brains of people who were overworking, which is a combination of physical and emotional overexertion, as well as a lack of rest. The research was conducted by two scientists at South Korea's Chung-Ang University and Yonsei University, who followed 110 healthcare workers classified into 'overworked' and 'non-overworked' groups. In South Korea, where 52 hours of work per week is the legal upper limit, overworking has become a public health concern. The overworked group, clocking 52 hours or more each week, consisted of 32 people who were on average younger, in employment for less time and more highly educated in comparison to those working standard hours. By comparing data from a different study and MRI scans, the researchers were able to use a neuroimaging technique to analyze the workers' brain volume. The technique allowed them to identify and compare differences in levels of gray matter in different regions of the brain, while the application of atlas-based analysis meant they could identify and label structures in brain scans. 'People who worked 52 or more hours a week displayed significant changes in brain regions associated with executive function and emotional regulation, unlike participants who worked standard hours,' researchers said in a press release. Areas of the brain that showed an increase in volume include the middle frontal gyrus, which plays a major role in cognitive functions, attention, memory and language-related processes, as well as the insula, which is involved in emotional processing, self-awareness and understanding social context. Researchers believe their findings suggest a 'potential relationship' between having an increased workload and changes in these parts of the brain, providing a biological basis for the cognitive and emotional challenges reported by people who are overworked. Joon Yul Choi, coauthor of the study and an assistant professor at Yonsei University's Department of Biomedical Engineering, told CNN that these changes might be 'at least in part, reversible' if environmental stressors are reversed. Still, returning to your brain's baseline state could take much longer. 'Important new evidence' Previous research has also found evidence of the negative health impacts of long working hours. In 2021, joint research from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that overworking led to more than 745,000 deaths in a year. Long hours have also been found to raise the risk of diabetes in women and contribute to a decline in cognitive ability. While these behavioral and psychological consequences of overwork are well-known, the underlying neurological mechanisms and changes in anatomy are less understood, the study explained. Frank Pega, who led the WHO-ILO 2021 study, told CNN that these latest findings constitute 'important new evidence' that could help better understand how long working hours 'radically' impact the physical health of workers. Pega, a WHO technical officer who was not involved in this latest study, said the research supports WHO-ILO's findings that 'long working hours contribute the largest burden of disease of all occupational risk factors identified so far.' However, the study's small sample size and focus only on healthcare workers in South Korea makes it hard to generalize its results. 'More studies in different populations are needed,' said Pega. 'While the results should be interpreted cautiously due to the exploratory nature of this pilot study, they represent a meaningful first step in understanding the relationship between overwork and brain health,' said the researchers. As for anyone stuck working long hours? Now you might have a scientific basis to cut down on your time at work. 'Governments, employers, and workers can all take actions to protect workers' health from long working hours,' advised Pega, citing laws, regulations and policies that can ensure healthy work hours. 'The results underscore the importance of addressing overwork as an occupational health concern,' said the study's authors. Jonny Gifford, principal research fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies in Brighton, England, who was not involved in the study, told CNN that the research 'confirms some physiological reasons that working long hours affects our wellbeing.' 'The use of brain scanning equipment to give neurological explanations gives powerful new evidence linking overwork with structural changes in parts of the brain involved in executive function and emotional regulation,' he said. 'It's a small study of 110 healthcare workers in Korea, but because it is based on robust neurological measures and concerns fundamental mechanisms (overwork and fatigue) that can affect anyone, the central findings are widely relevant,' Gifford added. The study was published in the journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
CNN
13-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Working long hours? It could be altering the structure of your brain
Long working hours might not just be bad for you, they could also be altering the structure of your brain, a new study suggests. The research, published Tuesday, found 'significant changes' in the brains of people who were overworking, which is a combination of physical and emotional overexertion, as well as a lack of rest. The research was conducted by two scientists at South Korea's Chung-Ang University and Yonsei University, who followed 110 healthcare workers classified into 'overworked' and 'non-overworked' groups. In South Korea, where 52 hours of work per week is the legal upper limit, overworking has become a public health concern. The overworked group, clocking 52 hours or more each week, consisted of 32 people who were on average younger, in employment for less time and more highly educated in comparison to those working standard hours. By comparing data from a different study and MRI scans, the researchers were able to use a neuroimaging technique to analyse the workers' brain volume. The technique allowed them to identify and compare differences in levels of gray matter in different regions of the brain, while the application of atlas-based analysis meant they could identify and label structures in brain scans. 'People who worked 52 or more hours a week displayed significant changes in brain regions associated with executive function and emotional regulation, unlike participants who worked standard hours,' researchers said in a press release. Areas of the brain that showed an increase in volume include the middle frontal gyrus, which plays a major role in cognitive functions, attention, memory and language-related processes, as well as the insula, which is involved in emotional processing, self-awareness and understanding social context. Researchers believe their findings suggest a 'potential relationship' between having an increased workload and changes in these parts of the brain, providing a biological basis for the cognitive and emotional challenges reported by people who are overworked. Joon Yul Choi, coauthor of the study and an assistant professor at Yonsei University's Department of Biomedical Engineering, told CNN that these changes might be 'at least in part, reversible' if environmental stressors are reversed. Still, returning to your brain's baseline state could take much longer. Previous research has also found evidence of the negative health impacts of long working hours. In 2021, joint research from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that overworking led to more than 745,000 deaths in a year. Long hours have also been found to raise the risk of diabetes in women and contribute to a decline in cognitive ability. While these behavioral and psychological consequences of overwork are well-known, the underlying neurological mechanisms and changes in anatomy are less understood, the study explained. Frank Pega, who led the WHO-ILO 2021 study, told CNN that these latest findings constitute 'important new evidence' that could help better understand how long working hours 'radically' impact the physical health of workers. Pega, a WHO technical officer who was not involved in this latest study, said the research supports WHO-ILO's findings that 'long working hours contribute the largest burden of disease of all occupational risk factors identified so far.' However, the study's small sample size and focus only on healthcare workers in South Korea makes it hard to generalize its results. 'More studies in different populations are needed,' said Pega. 'While the results should be interpreted cautiously due to the exploratory nature of this pilot study, they represent a meaningful first step in understanding the relationship between overwork and brain health,' said the researchers. As for anyone stuck working long hours? Now you might have a scientific basis to cut down on your time at work. 'Governments, employers, and workers can all take actions to protect workers' health from long working hours,' advised Pega, citing laws, regulations and policies that can ensure healthy work hours. 'The results underscore the importance of addressing overwork as an occupational health concern,' said the study's authors. Jonny Gifford, principal research fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies in Brighton, England, who was not involved in the study, told CNN that the research 'confirms some physiological reasons that working long hours affects our wellbeing.' 'The use of brain scanning equipment to give neurological explanations gives powerful new evidence linking overwork with structural changes in parts of the brain involved in executive function and emotional regulation,' he said. 'It's a small study of 110 healthcare workers in Korea, but because it is based on robust neurological measures and concerns fundamental mechanisms (overwork and fatigue) that can affect anyone, the central findings are widely relevant,' Gifford added. The study was published in the journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. CNN's Jack Guy contributed to this report.
