We investigated age-related differences in neural activation associated with recognition of familiar melodies, a process that requires retrieval from musical semantic memory and leads to a feeling of familiarity. We used sparse sampling fMRI to determine the neural correlates of melody processing and familiarity by comparing activation when listening to melodies versus signal-correlated noise, and to familiar versus unfamiliar melodies, respectively. Overall, activity in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus correlated well with melody processing. Familiarity was associated with several frontal regions (bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and precentral gyrus; left insular cortex), right superior temporal gyrus; left supramarginal gyrus and cingulate gyrus; bilateral putamen and thalamus; cerebellum and brainstem. No significant differences were found between younger and older adults for either melody processing or familiarity based activation. Assessment of familiarity-related group differences using less stringent criteria identified plausible areas; greater activation was seen bilaterally in the superior temporal gyrus in younger adults and in some left parietal regions in older adults. This study adds to the knowledge of musical semantic memory with results based on a large sample (N = 40) that includes older adults. Our findings for activation associated with melody processing and familiarity support some, but not all, previous results of related studies. We were unable to find conclusive evidence of age-related differences in neural correlates of musical semantic memory, while also being the first study (to the best of our knowledge) to search for these differences. / Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-09-16 12:38:10.757

We investigated age-related differences in neural activation associated with recognition of familiar melodies, a process that requires retrieval from musical semantic memory and leads to a feeling of familiarity. We used sparse sampling fMRI to determine the neural correlates of melody processing and familiarity by comparing activation when listening to melodies versus signal-correlated noise, and to familiar versus unfamiliar melodies, respectively. Overall, activity in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus correlated well with melody processing. Familiarity was associated with several frontal regions (bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and precentral gyrus; left insular cortex), right superior temporal gyrus; left supramarginal gyrus and cingulate gyrus; bilateral putamen and thalamus; cerebellum and brainstem. No significant differences were found between younger and older adults for either melody processing or familiarity based activation. Assessment of familiarity-related group differences using less stringent criteria identified plausible areas; greater activation was seen bilaterally in the superior temporal gyrus in younger adults and in some left parietal regions in older adults. This study adds to the knowledge of musical semantic memory with results based on a large sample (N = 40) that includes older adults. Our findings for activation associated with melody processing and familiarity support some, but not all, previous results of related studies. We were unable to find conclusive evidence of age-related differences in neural correlates of musical semantic memory, while also being the first study (to the best of our knowledge) to search for these differences. / Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-09-16 12:38:10.757

Partendo da un punto di vista lessicale, la ricerca si ripropone di investigare la presenza di elementi musicali all’interno della produzione epigrammatica del periodo ellenistico, con riferimenti, talora, anche ad autori più tardi. Sono stati analizzati due tipi di fonti: epigrammi di tradizione letteraria (che includono componimenti dall’Anthologia Palatina, dal Nuovo Posidippo, e dal materiale raccolto da Gow e Page) ed epigrafi (che comprendono iscrizioni dagli Steinepigramme aus dem Griechischen Osten e dalle Inscriptions métriques de l’Égypte greco-romain), in modo tale da poter agire su un campo di indagine coerente e bilanciato. Il materiale è stato articolato in due sezioni principali, “Mousikà stoikheia” e “Organikè mousa”, rispettivamente dedicate alle categorie musicali e agli strumenti musicali. L’analisi, partendo dalla ricostruzione della potenzialità semantica di ogni termine, basata sull’origine etimologica e sullo sviluppo letterario e teorico, e procedendo attraverso l’interpretazione delle occorrenze più significative all’interno dei testi epigrammatici, evidenzia una particolare sensibilità verso la componente musicale, richiamando sia la terminologia specifica musicale sia, più spesso, il tradizionale trattamento di alcuni temi appartenenti alla tradizione letteraria. Il presente lavoro include anche una Appendice finale, nella quale sono indicizzati i termini emersi durante l’indagine testuale. / Starting from a lexical point of view, this research aims at investigating the presence of musical elements within the epigrammatic production of the Hellenistic period, with references also to later authors. Two kinds of sources have been analysed: literary epigrams (including poems from the Greek Anthology, the New Posidippus, and the material collected by Gow-Page) and epigraphic epigrams (including inscriptions from Steinepigramme aus dem Griechischen Osten and Inscriptions métriques de l’Égypte greco-romain), in order to have a coherent and balanced field of investigation. The material has been divided into two main parts, “Mousikà stoikheia” and “Organikè mousa”, referred to musical categories and musical instruments. The analysis, starting from the reconstruction of the potential musical meaning of each term, based on etymology and literary and theoretical development, and going on through the interpretation of the most relevant occurrences of the term in epigrammatic texts, shows a particular sensibility towards the musical element, recalling both the terminology of musical theory and, more often, the traditional treatment of some themes belonging to the literary tradition. A final Appendix provides an index with the terms found during the textual investigation.