Music can act as a mnemonic device that can elicit multiple memories. How musical and non-musical information integrate into complex cross-modal memory representations has however rarely been investigated. Here, we studied the ability of human subjects to associate visual objects with melodies. Musical laypersons and professional musicians performed an associative inference task that tested the ability to form and memorize paired associations between objects and melodies ("direct trials") and to integrate these pairs into more complex representations where melodies are linked with two objects across trials ("indirect trials"). We further investigated whether and how musical expertise modulates these two processes. We analyzed accuracy and reaction times (RTs) of direct and indirect trials in both groups. We reasoned that the musical and cross-modal memory demands of musicianship might modulate performance in the task and might thus reveal mechanisms that underlie the association and integration of visual information with musical information. Although musicians showed a higher overall memory accuracy, non-musicians' accuracy was well above chance level in both trial types, thus indicating a significant ability to associate and integrate musical with visual information even in musically untrained subjects. However, non-musicians showed shorter RTs in indirect compared to direct trials, whereas the reverse pattern was found in musicians. Moreover, accuracy of direct and indirect trials correlated significantly in musicians but not in non-musicians. Consistent with previous accounts of visual associative memory, we interpret these findings as suggestive of at least two complimentary mechanisms that contribute to visual-melodic memory integration. (I) A default mechanism that mainly operates at encoding of complex visual-melodic associations and that works with surprising efficacy even in musically untrained subjects. (II) A retrieval-based mechanism that critically depends on an expert ability to maintain and discriminate visual-melodic associations across extended memory delays. Future studies may investigate how these mechanisms contribute to the everyday experience of music-evoked memories.

The temporal discrimination threshold (TDT) has been established as a biomarker of impaired temporal processing and endophenotype in various forms of focal dystonia patients, such as cervical dystonia, writer’s cramp or blepharospasm. The role of TDT in musician’s dystonia (MD) in contrast is less clear with preceding studies reporting inconclusive results. We therefore compared TDT between MD patients, healthy musicians and non-musician controls using a previously described visual, tactile, and visual-tactile paradigm. Additionally, we compared TDT of the dystonic and non-dystonic hand and fingers in MD patients and further characterized the biomarker regarding its potential influencing factors, i.e. musical activity, disease variables, and personality profiles. Repeated measures ANOVA and additional Bayesian analyses revealed lower TDT in healthy musicians compared to non-musicians. However, TDTs in MD patients did not differ from both healthy musicians and non-musicians, although pairwise Bayesian t-tests indicated weak evidence for group differences in both comparisons. Analyses of dystonic and non-dystonic hands and fingers revealed no differences. While in healthy musicians, age of first instrumental practice negatively correlated with visual-tactile TDTs, TDTs in MD patients did not correlate with measures of musical activity, disease variables or personality profiles. In conclusion, TDTs in MD patients cannot reliably be distinguished from healthy musicians and non-musicians and are neither influenced by dystonic manifestation, musical activity, disease variables nor personality profiles. Unlike other isolated focal dystonias, TDT seems not to be a reliable biomarker in MD.

AbstractMusic can act as a powerful mnemonic device that can elicit vivid episodic memories. However, how musical information is integrated with non-musical information is largely unknown. Here, we investigated whether and how musical expertise modulates binding of melodies and visual information into integrated memory representations. We reasoned that the significant mnemonic demands of musicianship might alter the underlying integration process and reveal mechanisms by which music promotes retrieval of non-musical memories. Professional musicians and musical laypersons learned overlapping pairs of everyday objects and melodies (AB- and BC-pairs, object-melody and melody-object pairs). Participants were then tested for memory of studied pairs (direct trials) and for inferential AC-decisions (indirect trials). Although musicians showed a higher overall performance than non-musicians, both groups performed well above chance level in both trial types. Non-musicians reacted faster in indirect compared to direct trials, whereas the reverse pattern was found in musicians. Differential correlations of trial type performance between groups further suggested that non-musicians efficiently formed integrated ABC-triplets already during the encoding phase of the task, while musicians separately memorized AB- and BC-pairs and recombined them at retrieval for AC-decisions. Our results suggest that integrative encoding is a default mechanism for integration of musical and non-musical stimuli that works with great efficacy even in musically untrained subjects and may contribute to the everyday experience of music-evoked episodic memories. By contrast, recombination at retrieval seems to be an advanced strategy for memory integration that critically depends on an expert ability to maintain and discriminate musical stimuli across extended memory delays.

Background and Aim: Patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain diseases (CMPDs) often use osteopathic medicine (OM), although the changes in patients with pain diseases are still insufficiently investigated. This study aimed to observe changes along and after OM in addition to routine care on pain, functioning, and quality of life in patients with four CMPDs. Methods: In this observational trial with follow-up, patients suffering from chronic neck pain (CNP, n = 10), chronic low back pain (CLBP, n = 10), chronic shoulder pain (CSP, n = 10), or chronic knee pain (CKP, n = 10) received up to six OM sessions in addition to routine care. Results: A total of 40 patients (73% female, mean age 47.7 ± 8.3 years, mean pain intensity 59.4 ± 12.5 mm, measured by a visual analog scale [VAS] 0–100 mm) were included. After 26 weeks, there was an improvement in the VAS pain score in the whole population (mean difference to baseline –33.1 mm [95% CI –40.5 to –25.7]), as well in the patients with the four diseases: CNP (–33.7 mm [–54.7 to –12.6]), CLBP (–28.2 mm [–47.9 to –8.4]), CSP (–32.4 [–46.8 to –18.0]), and CKP (–38.1 mm [–49.1 to –27.0]). Regarding disease-specific outcomes, we found improvements in CNP, as measured by the neck disability index (scale 0–50; mean difference –3.6 [–9.0 to 1.9]), CLBP, as measured by the low back pain rating scale (scale 0–60; –3.4 [–12.5 to 5.7]), CSP, as measured by the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand score (scale 0–100; –13.4 [–23.1 to –3.7]), and CKP, as measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (scale 0–96; –13.0 [–23.5 to –2.5]). These improvements persisted through week 52. No adverse events were observed. Conclusion: The study observed beneficial changes along and after the OM treatment in addition to routine care in patients with four different CMPDs. High-quality, multicenter randomized controlled trials are strongly needed to compare the effectiveness of OM and standard care interventions in treating CMPDs in the future. We have provided sufficient data for sample size calculations for these trials.

Background: Although complementary medicine is frequently used in Germany, there is almost no information about complementary medicine use in competitive sports. The aim was to assess the use of complementary medicine among elite athletes in Germany. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study among athletes was performed between March 2012 and September 2013. Athletes of both sexes who visited a sports medical outpatient clinic in Munich, Bavaria were included. Data about the use of complementary medicine were collected by means of a standardized measurement instrument, the German version of the international complementary and alternative medicine questionnaire. Results: Of the 334 athletes (female 25%, mean age 20.2 ± 6.6 years) who completed all 4 sections of the questionnaire, 69% reported the use of at least one type of complementary medicine within the last 12 months. 505 athletes (female 26%, mean age 20.5 ± 7.0 years) completed at least one section of the questionnaire entirely. Within 12 months, the osteopath (11%), herbal medicine (17%), vitamins/minerals (32%), and relaxation techniques (15%) were the most frequently visited/used in relation to the respective sections of the questionnaire. Conclusion: Complementary medicine is frequently used by athletes in Germany. The efficacy, safety, and costs of complementary medicine should be investigated in clinical trials among athletes in the future.

Bei dem Versuch, aus der Perspektive der stakeholder das Beziehungsproblem zwischen Forschung und Praxis in der Kulturellen Bildung einzukreisen, sollen die Uberlegungen Hinweise zu den Grunden geben und zu mehr Verstandnis beitragen. Bei naherer Betrachtung von Aspekten wie Wertesystemen, Freiheit von Kunst und Wissenschaften, politischen Projektionen und institutionellen Machtstrukturen, wird deutlich, dass es neben vielen Verbindungen und Gemeinsamkeiten eine Andersartigkeit gibt, die es wert ist, zu bewahren. Und mehr noch: Kulturelle Bildung ist in sich selbst diskursiv, different und divers und muss es auch bleiben. In Anerkennung dessen mussen neue Raume geschaffen werden, in der die Machtstrukturen und die Autoritat bisheriger Bewertungsraster und Zuordnungen nicht mehr greifen. Ein Third Space, in dem sich Praxis und Forschung neu und konstruktiv begegnen konnen, gemeinsam denken und lernen konnen, ohne permanenten Legitimierungsdruck. Ein Raum, in dem Forschung agil in multiperspektivischen Teams gemeinsam mit der Praxis betrieben und deren Ergebnisse ohne Umwege in die Praxis eingebracht werden konnen: Erkenntnisse und Methoden konnen immer wieder in der Praxis getestet, uberpruft und verbessert werden. Kulturelle Bildung als angewandte hybride Wissenschaft, als Teil eines wissenschaftlichen Clusters ohne Anspruch auf die alleinige Deutungshoheit. Forschung und Praxis wurden in einem agilen, dynamischen, multiperspektivischen Prozess in einem gemeinsamen Lernlabor – einem neuen lernenden System in interdisziplinaren Projekten mit Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern mit Praktikern und Praktikerinnen unterschiedlicher Fachrichtungen zusammen arbeiten. Ein sicherer und gleichzeitig offener Raum – Third Space, in dem respektvolles Zuhoren praktiziert wird und gemeinsames Entwerfen, Entwickeln, Experimentieren, Testen, Scheitern, Verwerfen, Nachsteuern und Neudenken von Forschung in der Praxis moglich ist.

PurposeMusicians’ practice and performance routines reportedly lead to musculoskeletal complaints and disorders (MCD) that impact their wellbeing and performance abilities. This systematic review aims to assess the prevalence, risk factors, prevention and effectiveness of treatments for MCD in professional musicians and consider the methodological quality of the included studies.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed in December 2017 using electronic databases and supplemented by a hand search. Case–control studies, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, interventional studies and case reports investigating the prevalence, risk factors, prevention or treatment effects of MCD in professional musicians or music students (age ≥ 16 years) were included. Quality assessments of the included studies were performed using an adapted version of the “Study Quality Assessment Tools” from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.ResultsOne case–control study, 6 cohort studies, 62 cross-sectional studies, 12 interventional studies and 28 case reports were included and assessed for methodological quality. The study designs, terminology, and outcomes were heterogeneous, as the analyses mostly did not control for major confounders, and the definition of exposure was often vague. Therefore, evidence that being a professional musician is a risk factor for MCD as well as the causal relationship between these factors remains low despite the fact that a large number of studies have been performed.ConclusionsStudies with high internal and external validity regarding the prevalence, risk factors and effectiveness of the prevention or treatment of MCD in professional musicians are still missing. Further high-quality observational and interventional studies are required.