Assessing Music Perception in Young Children: Evidence for and Psychometric Features of the M-Factor

Given the relationship between language acquisition and music processing, musical perception (MP) skills have been proposed as a tool for early diagnosis of speech and language difficulties; therefore, a psychometric instrument is needed to assess music perception in children under 10 years of age, a crucial period in neurodevelopment. We created a set of 80 musical stimuli encompassing seven domains of music perception to inform perception of tonal, atonal, and modal stimuli, in a random sample of 1006 children, 6–13 years of age, equally distributed from first to fifth grades, from 14 schools (38% private schools) in So Paulo State. The underlying model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. A model encompassing seven orthogonal specific domains (contour, loudness, scale, timbre, duration, pitch, and meter) and one general music perception factor, the “m-factor,” showed excellent fit indices. The m-factor, previously hypothesized in the literature but never formally tested, explains 93% of the reliable variance in measurement, while only 3.9% of the reliable variance could be attributed to the multidimensionality caused by the specific domains. The 80 items showed no differential item functioning based on sex, age, or enrolment in public vs. private school, demonstrating the important psychometric feature of invariance. Like Charles Spearman's g-factor of intelligence, the m-factor is robust and reliable. It provides a convenient measure of auditory stimulus apprehension that does not rely on verbal information, offering a new opportunity to probe biological and psychological relationships with music perception phenomena and the etiologies of speech and language disorders

Altered amygdala activation during face processing in Iraqi and Afghanistani war veterans

Abstract Background Exposure to combat can have a significant impact across a wide array of domains, and may manifest as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a debilitating mental illness that is associated with neural and affective sequelae. This study tested the hypothesis that combat-exposed individuals with and without PTSD, relative to healthy control subjects with no history of PTSD or combat exposure, would show amygdala hyperactivity during performance of a well-validated face processing task. We further hypothesized that differences in the prefrontal cortex would best differentiate the combat-exposed groups with and without PTSD. Methods Twelve men with PTSD related to combat in Operations Enduring Freedom and/or Iraqi Freedom, 12 male combat-exposed control patients with a history of Operations Enduring Freedom and/or Iraqi Freedom combat exposure but no history of PTSD, and 12 healthy control male patients with no history of combat exposure or PTSD completed a face-matching task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results The PTSD group showed greater amygdala activation to fearful versus happy faces than both the combat-exposed control and healthy control groups. Both the PTSD and the combat-exposed control groups showed greater amygdala activation to all faces versus shapes relative to the healthy control group. However, the combat-exposed control group relative to the PTSD group showed greater prefrontal/parietal connectivity with the amygdala, while the PTSD group showed greater connectivity with the subgenual cingulate. The strength of connectivity in the PTSD group was inversely related to avoidance scores. Conclusions These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that PTSD is associated with a deficiency in top-down modulation of amygdala activation by the prefrontal cortex and shows specific sensitivity to fearful faces

Abstract 397: Correlation Between the Whole Blood Omega-Score and Red Blood Cell Membrane Omega-3 Index in a Patient Population with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Treated With a Unique Omega-3 Formulation

Background: Growing evidence supports the value of maintaining a diet rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to achieve longevity of cardiovascular health, and prevent sudden death. Omega-3 deficiency (OM3D) is highly prevalent in the US and contributes to 84,000 deaths/year. To identify patients at risk with OM3D, two laboratory tests are available, including the Omega-Score (OS - whole blood), as well as the Omega-3 Index (OI - red blood cell membrane), that measure omega-3 blood levels. Omega-Score or OI levels &lt;6.1% suggest OM3D. Here we report on the dietary omega-3 status of Canadians, including those with CVD risk factors, through a comparative analysis of the OS vs. OI both pre- and post-treatment with a unique omega-3 formulation. Methods: Open label study of 143 study subjects enrolled for baseline omega-3 deficiency assessment, of which 63 subjects were scheduled to receive a 4 g/day regimen of a highly purified (&gt;90%) omega-3 formulation (2720 mg/day of EPA + 440 mg/day of DHA), a ratio of 6:1 EPA:DHA (6:1 OM-3) for two weeks, and 31 subjects received 6:1 OM-3 for six weeks. Diagnostic evaluation of the OS, and OI was carried out at baseline, and every two weeks until the study completion. Results: The majority (84.5%) of subjects tested at baseline had OS levels &lt;6.1%. The baseline, mean OS and OI levels were 3.4% and 4.4% respectively (N=143). After six weeks of treatment, a significant improvement in the OS (120.6% increase, p&lt;0.0001), and OI (72.7% increase, p&lt;0.0001) was observed (N=31). Comparative analysis of the OS vs. the OI resulted in comparable values, with a greater baseline OI, but with near-identical resultant OS an OI levels after six weeks of treatment (7.5%, vs. 7.6% respectively). Conclusions: This study shows that both the OS and OI provide highly correlative results in the assessment of nutritional omega-3 deficiency, and response to treatment with 6:1 OM-3. </jats:p

Abstract 447: Treatment of Omega-3 Nutritional Deficiency Improves Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: Results of the Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled VASCAZEN-REVEAL Trial

Introduction Treatments with Omega-3 (OM3) formulations have been suggested to have cardio-protective effects. A strong association of high plasma OM3 levels has been correlated with reduced risk of sudden death and “risk quartiles” based upon OM3 levels, have been previously described. However, systematic studies describing the extent of OM3 deficiency, it’s correction by intervention, and improvement in CVD risk factors are lacking. Our study is the first to determine dietary levels of OM3 in plasma and in red blood cells using Omega-Score and Omega-3 Index diagnostics, improvement after treatment with a proprietary “&gt;90%-pure OM3 preparation with a 6:1 EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid): DHA (docosapentaenoic acid) ratio” (6:1-OM3), and the concomitant beneficial effects on CVD risk factors in patients with high triglycerides (TG 200-500mg/dL). Hypothesis CVD patients are nutritionally deficient in OM3 fatty acids, and through treatment with 6:1-OM3, such deficiency can be corrected, improving CVD risk factors. Methods A double blind, placebo-controlled study comprised of 110 subjects randomized and stratified by baseline TG levels (A: 90-199 mg/dL, and B: 200-500mg/dL). This report includes placebo (corn oil, n=54) and 6:1-OM3 treatment (&gt; 3g of EPA + DHA/day; n=56) groups at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment. The primary endpoints were the change in the Omega-Score (OS) and Omega-3-Index (OI), with secondary endpoints including the change in serum TG, lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL, LDL, HDL, ApoB, and subfractions), and hsCRP. Results 89% of screened CVD subjects (N=655) were nutritionally deficient in Omega-3. In group B subjects, a significant (p&lt;0.0001) increase in OS (121%) and OI (112%) was observed in treated subjects with a TG reduction of 48% (p=0.0005), VLDL-C reduction of 30% (p=0.0023) and HDL-C increase of 9% (p=0.0069) without significantly affecting LDL-C, ApoB or hsCRP levels. Conclusions This study confirms that omega-3 deficiency is prevalent with CVD, and that such a deficiency can be corrected with 6:1-OM3 resulting in a concomitant and significant placebo-corrected reduction in TG and VLDL, and increase in HDL-C in patients with high TG (200-500mg/dL), without adversely affecting LDL-C. </jats:sec

Abstract 20243: Differential Uptake of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Trial Subjects Could Explain Variability of the Trials’ Outcome

Background: A relationship of regular fish consumption with lowered incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been appreciated for decades. However, preparations from fish oils, showed mixed results in recent meta-analyses and have raised some doubts on the efficacy of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA) for management of CVD. Some of these reports suffer from inclusion of studies with ill-defined patient populations, varying PUFA doses, purity, and formulation, while others have patients on drug milieu or have employed placebo that could have undermine the trial outcome. Very few studies have determined ω-3 PUFA levels pre &amp; post treatment. In this report, we are the first to describe heterogeneity of Omega 3 uptake among trial subjects that could have contributed to the inconsistencies of results. Methods: In VASCAZEN-REVEAL trials, 54 subjects with normal to high blood triglycerides levels (TG 90-500mg/dl) and with ω-3 PUFA deficiency (Omega-Score™, OS, blood levels of eicosapentaenoic (EPA)+docosahexaenoic (DHA) +docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) of &lt;6.1% of total blood fatty acids) were provided 4g/day of 6:1 EPA/DHA formulation (&gt;90% purity) for 8 weeks. Changes in the OS levels pre-and post treatment along with individual fatty acids including arachidonic (AA) were determined and desaturation enzymes activities were calculated. Results: Based upon post-treatment increases in the blood levels of OS, weak (WR), intermediate (IR) and strong (SR) responders were identified. Conclusion: This is the first report to show differential effect of Omega-3 on trial subjects and warrants caution in the interpretation of trial data without identifying the responders. </jats:p