• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.199-209
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• 2017

Purpose: Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychostimulant. It is often adopted as a tool to modulate brain activations in fMRI studies. However, its pharmaceutical effect on task-induced deactivation has not been fully examined in fMRI. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of caffeine on both activation and deactivation under sustained attention. Materials and Methods: Task fMRI was acquired from 26 caffeine naive healthy volunteers before and after taking caffeine pill (200 mg). Results: Statistical analysis showed an increase in cognition-load dependent task activation but a decrease in load dependent de-activation after caffeine ingestion. Increase of attention and memory task activation and its load-dependence suggest a beneficial effect of caffeine on the brain even though it has no overt behavior improvement. The reduction of deactivation by caffeine and its load-dependence indicate reduced facilitation from task-negative networks. Conclusion: Caffeine affects brain activity in a load-dependent manner accompanied by a disassociation between task-positive network and task-negative network.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: Music listening has a concomitant effect on structural and functional organization of the brain. It helps in relaxation, mind training and neural strengthening. In relation to it, the present study was aimed to find the effect of Carnatic music listening training (MLT) on speech in noise performance in adults. Subjects and Methods: A total of 28 participants (40-70 years) were recruited in the study. Based on randomized control trial, they were divided into intervention and control group. Intervention group underwent a short-term MLT. Quick Speech-in-Noise in Kannada was used as an outcome measure. Results: Results were analysed using mixed method analysis of variance (ANOVA) and repeated measures ANOVA. There was a significant difference between intervention and control group post MLT. The results of the second continuum revealed no statistically significant difference between post training and follow-up scores in both the groups. Conclusions: In conclusion short-term MLT resulted in betterment of speech in noise performance. MLT can be hence used as a viable tool in formal auditory training for better prognosis.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: Music listening has a concomitant effect on structural and functional organization of the brain. It helps in relaxation, mind training and neural strengthening. In relation to it, the present study was aimed to find the effect of Carnatic music listening training (MLT) on speech in noise performance in adults. Subjects and Methods: A total of 28 participants (40-70 years) were recruited in the study. Based on randomized control trial, they were divided into intervention and control group. Intervention group underwent a short-term MLT. Quick Speech-in-Noise in Kannada was used as an outcome measure. Results: Results were analysed using mixed method analysis of variance (ANOVA) and repeated measures ANOVA. There was a significant difference between intervention and control group post MLT. The results of the second continuum revealed no statistically significant difference between post training and follow-up scores in both the groups. Conclusions: In conclusion short-term MLT resulted in betterment of speech in noise performance. MLT can be hence used as a viable tool in formal auditory training for better prognosis.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.203-214
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate brain activation pattern and functional connectivity during convergence thinking based creative problem solving and chemistry problem solving to identify characteristic convergence thinking that is backbone of creative problem solving using functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI). A fMRI paradaigm inducing convergence thinking and chemistry problem solving was developed and adjusted on 17 highschool students, and brain activation image during task was analyzed. According to the results, superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, precuneus and caudate nucleus body in left hemisphere and cuneus and caudate nucleus body in right hemisphere were significantly activated during convergence thinking. The other hand, middle frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus and caudate nucleus in left hemisphere and middle frontal gyrus, lingual gyrus, caudate nucleus, thalamus and culmen of cerebellum in right hemisphere were significantly activated during chemistry problem solving. As results of analysis functional connectivity, all of areas activated during convergence thinking were functionaly connected, whereas scanty connectivity of chemistry problem solving between right middle frontal gyrus, bilateral nucleus caudate tail and culmen. The results show that logical thinking, working memory, planning, imaging, languge based thinking and learning motivation were induced during convergence thinking and these functions and regions were synchronized intimately. Whereas, logical thinking and inducing learning motivation functioning during chemistry problem solving were not synchronized. These results provide concrete information about convergence thinking.