Alpha and beta cortical activity during guitar playing: task complexity and audiovisual stimulus analysis

José Artur Aragão Leite; Mateus Antônio Cândido Dos Santos; Rafael Mariano Camilo da Silva; Adriano de Oliveira Andrade; Gustavo Moreira da Silva; Rodrigo Bazan; Luciane Aparecida Pascucci Sande de Souza; Gustavo José Luvizutto

doi:10.1080/08990220.2020.1784130

Alpha and beta cortical activity during guitar playing: task complexity and audiovisual stimulus analysis

Somatosens Mot Res. 2020 Dec;37(4):245-251. doi: 10.1080/08990220.2020.1784130. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Authors

José Artur Aragão Leite¹, Mateus Antônio Cândido Dos Santos¹, Rafael Mariano Camilo da Silva², Adriano de Oliveira Andrade³, Gustavo Moreira da Silva³, Rodrigo Bazan⁴, Luciane Aparecida Pascucci Sande de Souza¹, Gustavo José Luvizutto¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
² Renato Frateschi State Conservatory of Music, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
³ Centre for Innovation and Technology Assessment in Health, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
⁴ Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.

PMID: 32597273
DOI: 10.1080/08990220.2020.1784130

Abstract

Purpose: Some studies have explored the relationship between music and cortical activities; however, there are just few studies investigating guitar performance associated with different sensory stimuli. Our aim was to evaluate alpha and beta activity during guitar playing.

Materials and method: Twenty healthy right-handed people participated in this study. Cortical activity was measured by electroencephalogram (EEG) during rest and 4 tasks (1: easy music with an auditory stimulus; 2: easy music with an audiovisual stimulus; 3: complex music with an auditory stimulus; 4: complex music with an audiovisual stimulus). The peak frequency (PF), median frequency (MF) and root mean square (RMS) of alpha and beta EEG signals were assessed.

Results: A higher alpha PF at the T3-P3 was observed, and this difference was higher between rest and task 3, rest and task 4, tasks 1 and 3, and tasks 1 and 4. For beta waves, a higher PF was observed at C4-P4 and a higher RMS at C3-C4 and O1-O2. At C4-P4, differences between rest and tasks 2 and 4 were observed. The RMS of beta waves at C3-C4 presented differences between rest and task 3 and at O1-O2 between rest and task 2 and 4.

Conclusion: The action observation of audiovisual stimuli while playing guitar can increase beta wave activity in the somatosensory and motor cortexes; and increase in the alpha activity in the somatosensory and auditory cortexes and increase in the beta activity in the bilateral visual cortexes during complex music execution, regardless of the stimulus type received. Abbreviations: bpm: beats per minute; C: central; EEG: electroencephalogram; F: frontal; Hz: hertz; LABCOM: Laboratory of Motor Control and Biomechanics; MD: mean difference; MF: median frequency; O: occipital; P: parietal; PF: peak frequency; R: rest; RMS: root mean square; T: temporal; T1: task 1; T2: task 2; T3: task 3; T4: task 4; UFTM: Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro.

Keywords: Guitar performance; alpha wave; audiovisual stimulus; beta wave; brain rhythms; electroencephalography; music.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Electroencephalography
Humans
Motor Cortex*
Music*
Rest