Abstract Title: Music, Movement, and Mind: Use of Drumming to Improve Strength, Balance, Proprioception, Stamina, Coordination, and Emotional Status in a 12-Year-Old With Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum: A Case Study. Abstract Source: J Holist Nurs. 2019 Aug 31:898010119871380. Epub 2019 Aug 31. PMID: 31475604 Abstract Author(s): David Spak, Elizabeth Card Article Affiliation: David Spak Abstract: The purpose of this article is to report a case study of the effect of therapeutic drumming on motor, communication skills, and behavior of a preteen diagnosed with agenesis of the corpus callosum. This 12-year-old participated in 30- to 45-minute weekly sessions over a 12-month period in which rudimentary drumming exercises were used to analyze and then measure any changes in equilibrium reactions, postural transfers, and trunk control. Measurable documentation evidenced marked improvement in motor skills while suggesting communication and behavioral improvement. The findings support the theory that therapeutic drumming would benefit preteens with agenesis of the corpus callosum, which provides promising evidence to other neurologic developmental diagnoses and therefore indicates a need for further research. While the therapeutic nature of music is well documented, how the listener participates can influence the effect of the music. For example, passive music listening can improve pain or anxiety, however, active music listening with expected intentional action may improve physical, mental, behavioral, and spiritual healing. Active music listening could be a valuable holistic nursing intervention. Article Published Date : Aug 30, 2019

Abstract Title: Communication of emotion via drumming: dual-brain imaging with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Abstract Source: Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2018 Oct 25 ;13(10):1047-1057. PMID: 30215809 Abstract Author(s): Rahil Rojiani, Xian Zhang, Adam Noah, Joy Hirsch Article Affiliation: Rahil Rojiani Abstract: Nonverbal communication of emotion is essential to human interaction and relevant to many clinical applications, yet it is an understudied topic in social neuroscience. Drumming is an ancient nonverbal communication modality for expression of emotion that has not been previously investigated in this context. We investigate the neural response to live, natural communication of emotion via drumming using a novel dual-brain neuroimaging paradigm. Hemodynamic signals were acquired using whole-head functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Dyads of 36 subjects participated in two conditions, drumming and talking, alternating between 'sending' (drumming or talking to partner) and 'receiving' (listening to partner) in response to emotionally salient images from the International Affective Picture System. Increased frequency and amplitude of drum strikes was behaviorally correlated with higher arousal and lower valence measures and neurally correlated with temporoparietal junction (TPJ) activation in the listener. Contrast comparisons of drumming greater than talking also revealed neural activity in right TPJ. Together, findings suggest that emotional content communicated by drumming engages right TPJ mechanisms in an emotionally and behaviorally sensitive fashion. Drumming may provide novel, effective clinical approaches for treating social-emotional psychopathology. Article Published Date : Oct 24, 2018

Abstract Title: The effects of drumming on working memory in older adults. Abstract Source: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2018 May 4. Epub 2018 May 4. PMID: 29727035 Abstract Author(s): Franziska Degé, Katharina Kerkovius Article Affiliation: Franziska Degé Abstract: Our study investigated the effect of a music training program on working memory (verbal memory, visual memory, and as a part of central executive processing working memory) in older adults. The experimental group was musically trained (drumming and singing), whereas one control group received a literature training program and a second control group was untrained. We randomly assigned 24 participants (all females; M = 77 years and 3 months) to the music group, the literature group, and the untrained group. The training groups were trained for 15 weeks. The three groups did not differ significantly in age, socioeconomic status, music education, musical aptitude, cognitive abilities, or depressive symptoms.We did not find differences in the music group in central executive function. However, we found a potential effect of music training on verbal memory and an impact of music training on visual memory. Musically trained participants remembered more words from a word list than both control groups, andthey were able to remember more symbol sequences correctly than the control groups. Our findings show a possible effect of music training on verbal and visual memory in older people. Article Published Date : May 03, 2018

Abstract Title: The Immediate Effect of African Drumming on the Mental Well-Being of Adults With Mood Disorders: An Uncontrolled Pretest-Posttest Pilot Study. Abstract Source: Am J Occup Ther. 2018 Sep/Oct;72(5):7205345010p1-7205345010p6. PMID: 30157020 Abstract Author(s): Nicola Ann Plastow, Leani Joubert, Yushmika Chotoo, Amee Nowers, Megan Greeff, Tinka Strydom, Marisca Theron, Emmé van Niekerk Article Affiliation: Nicola Ann Plastow Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This pilot study is the first to examine the effects of an occupational therapist-led African drumming group on mental well-being among adult psychiatric inpatients with mood disorders. METHOD: We used a quasi-experimental, uncontrolled, one-group, pretest-posttest design. We collected data for six different drumming groups (N = 13) using the Stellenbosch Mood Scale, the Primary Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, and the Enjoyment of Interaction Scale. RESULTS: Participants significantly improved on all six domains of the Stellenbosch Mood Scale, with a large clinical effect. Participants with higher self-reported anxiety and depression benefited the most. According to the Enjoyment of Interaction Scale results, all the participants enjoyed the drumming"a great deal." CONCLUSION: Our positive findings suggest that drumming may be an effective intervention for adults with acute mood disorders. We recommend further research that uses a control intervention. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2017

Abstract Title: Effect of Long-Term Music Training on Emotion Perception From Drumming Improvisation. Abstract Source: Front Psychol. 2018 ;9:2168. Epub 2018 Nov 9. PMID: 30473677 Abstract Author(s): Martina Di Mauro, Enrico Toffalini, Massimo Grassi, Karin Petrini Article Affiliation: Martina Di Mauro Abstract: Long-term music training has been shown to affect different cognitive and perceptual abilities. However, it is less well known whether it can also affect the perception of emotion from music, especially purely rhythmic music. Hence, we asked a group of 16 non-musicians, 16 musicians with no drumming experience, and 16 drummers to judge the level of expressiveness, the valence (positive and negative), and the category of emotion perceived from 96 drumming improvisation clips (audio-only, video-only, and audiovideo) that varied in several music features (e.g., musical genre, tempo, complexity, drummer's expressiveness, and drummer's style). Our results show that the level and type of music training influence the perceived expressiveness, valence, and emotion from solo drumming improvisation. Overall, non-musicians, non-drummer musicians, and drummers were affected differently by changes in some characteristics of the music performance, for example musicians (with and without drumming experience) gave a greater weight to the visual performance than non-musicians when giving their emotional judgments. These findings suggest that besides influencing several cognitive and perceptual abilities, music training also affects how we perceive emotion from music. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2017

Abstract Title: Salivary Oxytocin Concentration Changes during a Group Drumming Intervention for Maltreated School Children. Abstract Source: Brain Sci. 2017 Nov 16 ;7(11). Epub 2017 Nov 16. PMID: 29144396 Abstract Author(s): Teruko Yuhi, Hiroaki Kyuta, Hisa-Aki Mori, Chihiro Murakami, Kazumi Furuhara, Mari Okuno, Masaki Takahashi, Daikei Fuji, Haruhiro Higashida Article Affiliation: Teruko Yuhi Abstract: Many emotionally-disturbed children who have been maltreated and are legally separated from their parents or primary caregivers live in group homes and receive compulsory education. Such institutions provide various special intervention programs. Taiko-ensou, a Japanese style of group drumming, is one such program because playing drums in a group may improve children's emotional well-being. However, evidence for its efficacy has not been well established at the biological level. In this study, we measured salivary levels of oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide associated with social memory and communication, in three conditions (recital, practice, and free sessions) in four classes of school-aged children. Following the sessions, OT concentrations showed changes in various degrees and directions (no change, increases, or decreases). The mean OT concentration changes after each session increased, ranging from 112% to 165%. Plasma OT concentrations were equally sensitive to drum playing in school-aged boys and girls. However, the difference between practice and free play sessions was only significant among elementary school boys aged 8-12 years. The results suggest that younger boys are most responsive to this type of educational music intervention. Article Published Date : Nov 15, 2017

Abstract Title: DRUM-PD: The use of a drum circle to improve the symptoms and signs of Parkinson's disease (PD). Abstract Source: Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2016 May-Jun;3(3):243-249. Epub 2015 Dec 21. PMID: 27340683 Abstract Author(s): Alexander Pantelyat, Candace Syres, Suzanne Reichwein, Allison Willis Article Affiliation: Alexander Pantelyat Abstract: BACKGROUND: Physical therapy can improve motor function in patients with PD. Music performance may be used to improve motor skills by rhythmic entrainment. Drumming has long been a part of traditional healing rituals worldwide, and is increasingly being utilized as a therapeutic strategy. METHODS: This pilot controlled prospective cohort trial assessed feasibility and effects of twice-weekly group West African drum circle classes for 6 weeks on PD patients' quality of life, symptoms, motor findings, cognition, and mood. Ten patients with PD were recruited into the drum circle group. Ten patients with PD were matched pairwise to each of the drum circle participants, and enrolled in a no-intervention control group. Both groups completed the PD-specific Parkinson Disease Questionnaire (PDQ)-39 quality of life assessment and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and underwent motor and cognitive assessments by a rater blinded to group at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. RESULTS: Drummers had significantly improved PDQ-39 scores from baseline to 6 weeks (-5.8, p=0.042), whereas the control group's scores were unchanged. Walking performance was significantly faster at baseline for controls; after 6 weeks of drumming this difference was no longer significant, and remained non-significant at 12 weeks. The drummers trended (p=0.069) toward improvement in walking from baseline to 12 weeks. Other outcomes did not significantly change from baseline to 6 or 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Drum circle classes significantly and reversibly improved quality of life in patients with PD. This pilot trial's findings merit larger controlled investigations comparing drumming classes to established interventions in PD, such as physical therapy. Article Published Date : Apr 30, 2016

Abstract Title: Making music for mental health: how group drumming mediates recovery. Abstract Source: Psychol Well Being. 2016 ;6(1):11. Epub 2016 Nov 29. PMID: 28003957 Abstract Author(s): Rosie Perkins, Sara Ascenso, Louise Atkins, Daisy Fancourt, Aaron Williamon Article Affiliation: Rosie Perkins Abstract: BACKGROUND: While music-making interventions are increasingly recognised as enhancing mental health, little is known of why music may engender such benefit. The objective of this article is to elucidate the features of a programme of group drumming known to enable mental health recovery. METHODS: Qualitative research was conducted with 39 mental health patients and carers who had demonstrated recovery following engagement with a programme of group djembe drumming in the UK. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and focus group interviews designed to understand the connection between drumming and recovery and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). RESULTS: Results revealed three overarching features of the drumming intervention: (1) the specific features of drumming, including drumming as a form of non-verbal communication, as a connection with life through rhythm, and as a grounding experience that both generates and liberates energy; (2) the specific features of the group, including the group as a space of connection in and through the rhythmic features of the drumming, as well as facilitating feelings of belonging, acceptance, safety and care, and new social interactions; (3) the specific features of the learning, including learning as an inclusive activity in which the concept of mistakes is dissolved and in which there is musical freedom, supported by an embodied learning process expedited by the musical facilitator. CONCLUSION: The findings provide support for the conceptual notion of 'creative practice as mutual recovery', demonstrating that group drumming provides a creative and mutual learning space in which mental health recovery can take place. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2015

Abstract Title: Four principles of bio-musicology. Abstract Source: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2015 Mar 19 ;370(1664):20140091. PMID: 25646514 Abstract Author(s): W Tecumseh Fitch Article Affiliation: W Tecumseh Fitch Abstract: As a species-typical trait of Homo sapiens, musicality represents a cognitively complex and biologically grounded capacity worthy of intensive empirical investigation. Four principles are suggested here as prerequisites for a successful future discipline of bio-musicology. These involve adopting: (i) a multicomponent approach which recognizes that musicality is built upon a suite of interconnected capacities, of which none is primary; (ii) a pluralistic Tinbergian perspective that addresses and places equal weight on questions of mechanism, ontogeny, phylogeny and function; (iii) a comparative approach, which seeks and investigates animal homologues or analogues of specific components of musicality, wherever they can be found; and (iv) an ecologically motivated perspective, which recognizes the need to study widespread musical behaviours across a range of human cultures (and not focus solely on Western art music or skilled musicians). Given their pervasiveness, dance and music created for dancing should be considered central subcomponents of music, as should folk tunes, work songs, lullabies and children's songs. Although the precise breakdown of capacities required by the multicomponent approach remains open to debate, and different breakdowns may be appropriate to different purposes, I highlight four core components of human musicality--song, drumming, social synchronization and dance--as widespread and pervasive human abilities spanning across cultures, ages and levels of expertise. Each of these has interesting parallels in the animal kingdom (often analogies but in some cases apparent homologies also). Finally, I suggest that the search for universal capacities underlying human musicality, neglected for many years, should be renewed. The broad framework presented here illustrates the potential for a future discipline of bio-musicology as a rich field for interdisciplinary and comparative research. Article Published Date : Mar 18, 2015

Abstract Title: Development of Interpersonal Coordination Between Peers During a Drumming Task. Abstract Source: Dev Psychol. 2015 Mar 16. Epub 2015 Mar 16. PMID: 25775110 Abstract Author(s): Hinke M Endedijk, Veronica C O Ramenzoni, Ralf F A Cox, Antonius H N Cillessen, Harold Bekkering, Sabine Hunnius Article Affiliation: Hinke M Endedijk Abstract: During social interaction, the behavior of interacting partners becomes coordinated. Although interpersonal coordination is well-studied in adults, relatively little is known about its development. In this project we explored how 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old children spontaneously coordinated their drumming with a peer. Results showed that all children adapted their drumming to their partner's drumming by starting and stopping their drumming in a coordinated fashion, but only 4-year-olds adapted the rhythmic structure of their drumming to their partner's drumming. In all age groups, children showed similarly stable drumming. Typically, it was 1 of the 2 children who initiated drumming throughout the session. The results of this study offer new insights into the development of interpersonal coordination abilities in early childhood. (PsycINFO Database Record Article Published Date : Mar 15, 2015

Abstract Title: Chimpanzee drumming: a spontaneous performance with characteristics of human musical drumming. Abstract Source: Sci Rep. 2015 ;5:11320. Epub 2015 Jun 17. PMID: 26080900 Abstract Author(s): Valérie Dufour, Nicolas Poulin, Charlotte Curé, Elisabeth H M Sterck Article Affiliation: Valérie Dufour Abstract: Despite the quintessential role that music plays in human societies by enabling us to release and share emotions with others, traces of its evolutionary origins in other species remain scarce. Drumming like humans whilst producing music is practically unheard of in our most closely related species, the great apes. Although beating on tree roots and body parts does occur in these species, it has, musically speaking, little in common with human drumming. Researchers suggest that for manual beating in great apes to be compared to human drumming, it should at least be structurally even, a necessary quality to elicit entrainment (beat induction in others). Here we report an episode of spontaneous drumming by a captive chimpanzee that approaches the structural and contextual characteristics usually found in musical drumming. This drumming differs from most beating episodes reported in this species by its unusual duration, the lack of any obvious context, and rhythmical properties that include long-lasting and dynamically changing rhythms, but also evenness and leisureliness. This performance is probably the first evidence that our capacity to drum is shared with our closest relatives. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2014

Abstract Title: Social, contextual, and individual factors affecting the occurrence and acoustic structure of drumming bouts in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Abstract Source: Am J Phys Anthropol. 2015 Jan ;156(1):125-34. Epub 2014 Oct 18. PMID: 25327570 Abstract Author(s): Magdalena Babiszewska, Anne Marijke Schel, Claudia Wilke, Katie E Slocombe Article Affiliation: Magdalena Babiszewska Abstract: The production of structured and repetitive sounds by striking objects is a behavior found not only in humans, but also in a variety of animal species, including chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). In this study we examined individual and social factors that may influence the frequency with which individuals engage in drumming behavior when producing long distance pant hoot vocalizations, and analyzed the temporal structure of those drumming bouts. Male chimpanzees from Budongo Forest, Uganda, drummed significantly more frequently during travel than feeding or resting and older individuals were significantly more likely to produce drumming bouts than younger ones. In contrast, we found no evidence that the presence of estrus females, high ranking males and preferred social partners in the caller's vicinty had an effect on the frequency with which an individual accompanied their pant hoot vocalization with drumming. Through acoustic analyses, we demonstrated that drumming sequences produced with pant hoots may have contained information on individual identity and that qualitatively, there was individual variation in the complexity of the temporal patterns produced. We conclude that drumming patterns may act as individually distinctive long-distance signals that, together with pant hoot vocalizations, function to coordinate the movement and spacing of dispersed individuals within a community, rather than as signals to group members in the immediate audience. Am J Phys Anthropol 156:125-134, 2015© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2014

Abstract Title: Directional vibration sensing in the termite Macrotermes natalensis. Abstract Source: J Exp Biol. 2014 Jul 15 ;217(Pt 14):2526-30. PMID: 25031457 Abstract Author(s): Felix A Hager, Wolfgang H Kirchner Article Affiliation: Felix A Hager Abstract: Although several behavioural studies demonstrate the ability of insects to localise the source of vibrations, it is still unclear how insects are able to perceive directional information from vibratory signals on solid substrates, because time-of-arrival and amplitude difference between receptory structures are thought to be too small to be processed by insect nervous systems. The termite Macrotermes natalensis communicates using vibrational drumming signals transmitted along subterranean galleries. When soldiers are attacked by predators, they tend to drum with their heads against the substrate and create a pulsed vibration. Workers respond by a fast retreat into the nest. Soldiers in the vicinity start to drum themselves, leading to an amplification and propagation of the signal. Here we show that M. natalensis makes use of a directional vibration sensing in the context of colony defence. In the field, soldiers are recruited towards the source of the signal. In arena experiments on natural nest material, soldiers are able to localise the source of vibration. Using two movable platforms allowing us to vibrate the legs of the left and right sides of the body with a time delay, we show that the difference in time-of-arrival is the directional cue used for orientation. Delays as short as 0.2 ms are sufficient to be detected. Soldiers show a significant positive tropotaxis to the platform stimulated earlier, demonstrating for the first time perception of time-of-arrival delays and vibrotropotaxis on solid substrates in insects. Article Published Date : Jul 14, 2014

Abstract Title: African drumming: a holistic approach to reducing stress and improving health? Abstract Source: J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown). 2014 Jun ;15(6):441-6. PMID: 24983262 Abstract Author(s): Carine Smith, Jeandre T Viljoen, Lauren McGeachie Article Affiliation: Carine Smith Abstract: AIMS: Very little data are available on the physical requirements for drumming and the potential health benefits of particularly djembe drumming. We hypothesized that djembe drumming constitutes low-to-moderate intensity exercise, and that drumming would simultaneously reduce stress and anxiety levels and benefit cardiovascular health. METHODS: Two study populations, middle-aged experienced drummers and a younger novice group participated in 40-min djembe drumming sessions. Measurements of blood pressure, blood lactate and stress and anxiety levels were taken before and after sessions. Also, heart rate was monitored at 5-s intervals throughout each session. RESULTS: Participation in drumming significantly decreased the Stress Anxiety Index scores acutely, both in a middle-aged (P < 0.01) and younger population (P < 0.001). SBP was significantly decreased in the older population postdrumming (141 ± 24 vs. 153 ± 26  mmHg; P < 0.01). Blood lactate levels remained below 4  mmol/l in all individuals and together with heart rate suggest that drumming may be categorized as low-to-moderate intensity exercise. CONCLUSION: Djembe drumming may improve cardiovascular health, without the cardiovascular risks to unhealthy or older populations that are associated with higher intensity exercise, and at the same time may decrease stress and anxiety levels. Furthermore, participation in drumming did not result in acute hypotension in normotensive individuals. Article Published Date : May 31, 2014

Abstract Title: Improved Executive Function and Callosal White Matter Microstructure after Rhythm Exercise in Huntington's Disease. Abstract Source: J Huntingtons Dis. 2014 ;3(3):273-83. PMID: 25300331 Abstract Author(s): Claudia Metzler-Baddeley, Jaime Cantera, Elizabeth Coulthard, Anne Rosser, Derek K Jones, Roland J Baddeley Article Affiliation: Claudia Metzler-Baddeley Abstract: BACKGROUND: Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosominal dominant neurodegenerative condition that leads to progressive loss of motor and cognitive functions. Early symptoms in HD include subtle executive dysfunction related to white and grey matter loss in cortico-striatal-thalamic loops. There is no cure for HD and hence a significant need for early intervention with the potential to delay the clinical onset of the disease. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present pilot study was to devise a novel behavioural intervention involving drumming and rhythm exercises that targets early dysexecutive problems, such as difficulties in sequence and reversal learning, response speed, timing, and dual tasking. METHOD: One preclinical person and nine people with early to advanced stages of HD were recruited of whom five completed the two months intervention. The effects of rhythm exercise on executive function, basal ganglia volume, and white matter microstructure in the anterior corpus callosum, the anterior thalamic radiation, and the cortico-spinal tract were assessed post- relative to pre-training. RESULTS: After two months training, improvements in executive function and changes in white matter microstructure, notably in the genu of the corpus callosum that connects prefrontal cortices of both hemispheres, were observed. No changes in basal ganglia volume were present. CONCLUSION: This pilot study provides novel preliminary evidence that carefully targeted behavioural stimulation in HD can result in cognitive enhancement and improvements in callosal white matter microstructure. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2013

Abstract Title: Development of the ultrastructure of sonic muscles: a kind of neoteny? Abstract Source: BMC Evol Biol. 2014 ;14:24. Epub 2014 Feb 7. PMID: 24507247 Abstract Author(s): Sandie Millot, Eric Parmentier Article Affiliation: Sandie Millot Abstract: BACKGROUND: Drumming muscles of some sound-producing fish are 'champions' of contraction speed, their rate setting the fundamental frequency. In the piranha, contraction of these muscles at 150 Hz drives a sound at the same frequency. Drumming muscles of different not closely related species show evolutionary convergences. Interestingly, some characters of sonic muscles can also be found in the trunk muscles of newly hatched larvae that are able to maintain tail beat frequencies up to 100 Hz. The aim of this work was to study the development of sound production and sonic and epaxial muscles simultaneously in the red bellied piranhas (Pygocentrus nattereri) to seek for possible common characteristics. RESULTS: Call, pulse and period durations increased significantly with the fish size, but the call dominant frequencies decreased, and the number of pulses and the call amplitude formed a bell curve. In epaxial muscles, the fibre diameters of younger fish are first positioned in the graphical slope corresponding to sonic muscles, before diverging. The fibre diameter of older fish trunk muscles was bigger, and the area of the myofibrils was larger than in sonic muscles. Moreover, in two of the biggest fish, the sonic muscles were invaded by fat cells and the sonic muscle ultrastructure was similar to the epaxial one. These two fish were also unable to produce any sound, meaning they lost their ability to contract quickly. CONCLUSIONS: The volume occupied by myofibrils determines the force of contraction, the volume of sarcoplasmic reticulum sets the contraction frequency, and the volume of mitochondria sets the level of sustained performance. The functional outcomes in muscles are all attributable to shifts in the proportions of those structures. A single delay in the development restricts the quantity of myofibrils, maintains a high proportion of space in the sarcoplasm and develops sarcoplasmic reticulum. High-speed sonic muscles could thus be skeletal muscles with delayed development. This hypothesis has the advantage that it could easily explain why high-speed sonic muscles have evolved so many times in different lineages. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2013

Abstract Title: Exploring shamanic journeying: repetitive drumming with shamanic instructions induces specific subjective experiences but no larger cortisol decrease than instrumental meditation music. Abstract Source: PLoS One. 2014 ;9(7):e102103. Epub 2014 Jul 7. PMID: 24999623 Abstract Author(s): Bruno Gingras, Gerald Pohler, W Tecumseh Fitch Article Affiliation: Bruno Gingras Abstract: Exposure to repetitive drumming combined with instructions for shamanic journeying has been associated with physiological and therapeutic effects, such as an increase in salivary immunoglobulin A. In order to assess whether the combination of repetitive drumming and shamanic instructions is specifically associated with these effects, we compared the effect of listening to either repetitive drumming or instrumental meditation music for 15 minutes on salivary cortisol concentration and on self-reported physiological and psychological states. For each musical style, two groups of participants were exposed to two conditions: instructions for shamanic journeying or relaxation instructions. A total of 39 participants (24 females) inexperienced in shamanic journeying completed the experiment. Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured before and after exposure to music. In addition, participants filled out a mood questionnaire before and after the experiment and completed a post experiment questionnaire on their experiences. A significant decrease in the concentration in salivary cortisol was observed across all musical styles and instructions, indicating that exposure to 15 minutes of either repetitive drumming or instrumental meditation music, while lying down, was sufficient to induce a decrease in cortisol levels. However, no differences were observed across conditions. Significant differences in reported emotional states and subjective experiences were observed between the groups. Notably, participants exposed to repetitive drumming combined with shamanic instructions reported experiencing heaviness, decreased heart rate, and dreamlike experiences significantly more often than participants exposed to repetitive drumming combined with relaxation instructions. Our findings suggest that the subjective effects specifically attributed to repetitive drumming and shamanic journeying may not be reflected in differential endocrine responses. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2013

Abstract Title: The Role of Rhythm in Speech and Language Rehabilitation: The SEP Hypothesis. Abstract Source: Front Hum Neurosci. 2014 ;8:777. Epub 2014 Oct 13. PMID: 25352796 Abstract Author(s): Shinya Fujii, Catherine Y Wan Article Affiliation: Shinya Fujii Abstract: For thousands of years, human beings have engaged in rhythmic activities such as drumming, dancing, and singing. Rhythm can be a powerful medium to stimulate communication and social interactions, due to the strong sensorimotor coupling. For example, the mere presence of an underlying beat or pulse can result in spontaneous motor responses such as hand clapping, foot stepping, and rhythmic vocalizations. Examining the relationship between rhythm and speech is fundamental not only to our understanding of the origins of human communication but also in the treatment of neurological disorders. In this paper, we explore whether rhythm has therapeutic potential for promoting recovery from speech and language dysfunctions. Although clinical studies are limited to date, existing experimental evidence demonstrates rich rhythmic organization in both music and language, as well as overlapping brain networks that are crucial in the design of rehabilitation approaches. Here, we propose the"SEP"hypothesis, which postulates that (1)"sound envelope processing"and (2)"synchronization and entrainment to pulse"may help stimulate brain networks that underlie human communication. Ultimately, we hope that the SEP hypothesis will provide a useful framework for facilitating rhythm-based research in various patient populations. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2013

Abstract Title: Performance of music elevates pain threshold and positive affect: implications for the evolutionary function of music. Abstract Source: Evol Psychol. 2012 ;10(4):688-702. Epub 2012 Oct 22. PMID: 23089077 Abstract Author(s): R I M Dunbar, Kostas Kaskatis, Ian MacDonald, Vinnie Barra Article Affiliation: R I M Dunbar Abstract: It is well known that music arouses emotional responses. In addition, it has long been thought to play an important role in creating a sense of community, especially in small scale societies. One mechanism by which it might do this is through the endorphin system, and there is evidence to support this claim. Using pain threshold as an assay for CNS endorphin release, we ask whether it is the auditory perception of music that triggers this effect or the active performance of music. We show that singing, dancing and drumming all trigger endorphin release (indexed by an increase in post-activity pain tolerance) in contexts where merely listening to music and low energy musical activities do not. We also confirm that music performance results in elevated positive (but not negative) affect. We conclude that it is the active performance of music that generates the endorphin high, not the music itself. We discuss the implications of this in the context of community bonding mechanisms that commonly involve dance and music-making. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2011

Abstract Title: A mechanical signal biases caste development in wasps. Abstract Source: Curr Biol. 2011 Feb 8 ;21(3):231-5. Epub 2011 Jan 20. PMID: 21256023 Abstract Author(s): Sainath Suryanarayanan, John C Hermanson, Robert L Jeanne Article Affiliation: Department of Entomology, 1630 Linden Drive, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53706, USA. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Abstract: Understanding the proximate mechanisms of caste development in eusocial taxa can reveal how social species evolved from solitary ancestors. In Polistes wasps, the current paradigm holds that differential amounts of nutrition during the larval stage cause the divergence of worker and gyne (potential queen) castes. But nutrition level alone cannot explain how the first few females to be produced in a colony develop rapidly yet have small body sizes and worker phenotypes. Here, we provide evidence that a mechanical signal biases caste toward a worker phenotype. In Polistes fuscatus, the signal takes the form of antennal drumming (AD), wherein a female trills her antennae synchronously on the rims of nest cells while feeding prey-liquid to larvae. The frequency of AD occurrence is high early in the colony cycle, when larvae destined to become workers are being reared, and low late in the cycle, when gynes are being reared. Subjecting gyne-destined brood to simulated AD-frequency vibrations caused them to emerge as adults with reduced fat stores, a worker trait. This suggests that AD influences the larval developmental trajectory by inhibiting a physiological element that is necessary to trigger diapause, a gyne trait. Article Published Date : Feb 08, 2011

Abstract Title: The impact of group drumming on social-emotional behavior in low-income children. Abstract Source: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011 ;2011:250708. Epub 2011 Feb 13. PMID: 21660091 Abstract Author(s): Ping Ho, Jennie C I Tsao, Lian Bloch, Lonnie K Zeltzer Article Affiliation: Pediatric Pain Program, Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. Abstract: Low-income youth experience social-emotional problems linked to chronic stress that are exacerbated by lack of access to care. Drumming is a non-verbal, universal activity that builds upon a collectivistic aspect of diverse cultures and does not bear the stigma of therapy. A pretest-post-test non-equivalent control group design was used to assess the effects of 12 weeks of school counselor-led drumming on social-emotional behavior in two fifth-grade intervention classrooms versus two standard education control classrooms. The weekly intervention integrated rhythmic and group counseling activities to build skills, such as emotion management, focus and listening. The Teacher's Report Form was used to assess each of 101 participants (n = 54 experimental, n = 47 control, 90% Latino, 53.5% female, mean age 10.5 years, range 10-12 years). There was 100% retention. ANOVA testing showed that intervention classrooms improved significantly compared to the control group in broad-band scales (total problems (P<.01), internalizing problems (P<.02)), narrow-band syndrome scales (withdrawn/depression (P<.02), attention problems (P<.01), inattention subscale (P<.001)), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-oriented scales (anxiety problems (P<.01), attention deficit/hyperactivity problems (P<.01), inattention subscale (P<.001), oppositional defiant problems (P<.03)), and other scales (post-traumatic stress problems (P<.01), sluggish cognitive tempo (P<.001)). Participation in group drumming led to significant improvements in multiple domains of social-emotional behavior. This sustainable intervention can foster positive youth development and increase student-counselor interaction. These findings underscore the potential value of the arts as a therapeutic tool. Article Published Date : Jan 01, 2011

Abstract Title: Synchronized drumming enhances activity in the caudate and facilitates prosocial commitment--if the rhythm comes easily. Abstract Source: PLoS One. 2011 ;6(11):e27272. Epub 2011 Nov 16. PMID: 22110623 Abstract Author(s): Idil Kokal, Annerose Engel, Sebastian Kirschner, Christian Keysers Article Affiliation: Idil Kokal Abstract: Why does chanting, drumming or dancing together make people feel united? Here we investigate the neural mechanisms underlying interpersonal synchrony and its subsequent effects on prosocial behavior among synchronized individuals. We hypothesized that areas of the brain associated with the processing of reward would be active when individuals experience synchrony during drumming, and that these reward signals would increase prosocial behavior toward this synchronous drum partner. 18 female non-musicians were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they drummed a rhythm, in alternating blocks, with two different experimenters: one drumming in-synchrony and the other out-of-synchrony relative to the participant. In the last scanning part, which served as the experimental manipulation for the following prosocial behavioral test, one of the experimenters drummed with one half of the participants in-synchrony and with the other out-of-synchrony. After scanning, this experimenter"accidentally"dropped eight pencils, and the number of pencils collected by the participants was used as a measure of prosocial commitment. Results revealed that participants who mastered the novel rhythm easily before scanning showed increased activity in the caudate during synchronous drumming. The same area also responded to monetary reward in a localizer task with the same participants. The activity in the caudate during experiencing synchronous drumming also predicted the number of pencils the participants later collected to help the synchronous experimenter of the manipulation run. In addition, participants collected more pencils to help the experimenter when she had drummed in-synchrony than out-of-synchrony during the manipulation run. By showing an overlap in activated areas during synchronized drumming and monetary reward, our findings suggest that interpersonal synchrony is related to the brain's reward system. Article Published Date : Dec 31, 2010

Abstract Title: Monkey drumming reveals common networks for perceiving vocal and nonvocal communication sounds. Abstract Source: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Oct 20;106(42):18010-5. Epub 2009 Oct 1. PMID: 19805199 Abstract Author(s): Ryan Remedios, Nikos K Logothetis, Christoph Kayser Abstract: Salient sounds such as those created by drumming can serve as means of nonvocal acoustic communication in addition to vocal sounds. Despite the ubiquity of drumming across human cultures, its origins and the brain regions specialized in processing such signals remain unexplored. Here, we report that an important animal model for vocal communication, the macaque monkey, also displays drumming behavior, and we exploit this finding to show that vocal and nonvocal communication sounds are represented by overlapping networks in the brain's temporal lobe. Observing social macaque groups, we found that these animals use artificial objects to produce salient periodic sounds, similar to acoustic gestures. Behavioral tests confirmed that these drumming sounds attract the attention of listening monkeys similarly as conspecific vocalizations. Furthermore, in a preferential looking experiment, drumming sounds influenced the way monkeys viewed their conspecifics, suggesting that drumming serves as a multimodal signal of social dominance. Finally, by using high-resolution functional imaging we identified those brain regions preferentially activated by drumming sounds or by vocalizations and found that the representations of both these communication sounds overlap in caudal auditory cortex and the amygdala. The similar behavioral responses to drumming and vocal sounds, and their shared neural representation, suggest a common origin of primate vocal and nonvocal communication systems and support the notion of a gestural origin of speech and music. Article Published Date : Oct 20, 2009

Abstract Title: Joint drumming: social context facilitates synchronization in preschool children. Abstract Source: J Exp Child Psychol. 2009 Mar;102(3):299-314. Epub 2008 Sep 12. PMID: 18789454 Abstract Author(s): Sebastian Kirschner, Michael Tomasello Abstract: The human capacity to synchronize body movements to an external acoustic beat enables uniquely human behaviors such as music making and dancing. By hypothesis, these first evolved in human cultures as fundamentally social activities. We therefore hypothesized that children would spontaneously synchronize their body movements to an external beat at earlier ages and with higher accuracy if the stimulus was presented in a social context. A total of 36 children in three age groups (2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 years) were invited to drum along with either a human partner, a drumming machine, or a drum sound coming from a speaker. When drumming with a social partner, children as young as 2.5 years adjusted their drumming tempo to a beat outside the range of their spontaneous motor tempo. Moreover, children of all ages synchronized their drumming with higher accuracy in the social condition. We argue that drumming together with a social partner creates a shared representation of the joint action task and/or elicits a specific human motivation to synchronize movements during joint rhythmic activity. Article Published Date : Mar 01, 2009

Abstract Title: Rust urine after intense hand drumming is caused by extracorpuscular hemolysis. Abstract Source: Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008 Jul ;3(4):1022-7. Epub 2008 Apr 23. PMID: 18434617 Abstract Author(s): Diego Tobal, Alicia Olascoaga, Gabriela Moreira, Melania Kurdián, Fernanda Sanchez, Maria Roselló, Walter Alallón, Francisco Gonzalez Martinez, Oscar Noboa Article Affiliation: Diego Tobal Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: During Carnival, groups of>or =60 drummers go drumming with their hands and marching for periods of 2 to 4 h. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and type of urinary abnormalities after candombe drumming and to evaluate possible pathogenic mechanisms. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: For analysis of pathogenic mechanisms, a group of individuals were prospectively evaluated before and after candombe drumming. METHODS: Candombe drummers were recruited in January 2006, 1 wk before prolonged drumming. After clinical evaluation, urine and blood samples were obtained before and immediately after drumming. RESULTS: Forty-five healthy individuals (four women and 41 men), median age 31 yr (14 to 56), were evaluated. Predrumming urine and plasma samples were obtained for 30 individuals. Nineteen (42%) of 45 had a previous history of rust urine emission temporally related with candombe drumming. After drumming, 18 of 26 showed urine abnormalities; six of 26 showed rust urine, eight of 26 had microhematuria, and seven of 26 had proteinuria>1 g/L. The candombe drummers who showed rust urine after heavy drumming presented significantly higher levels of lactate dehydrogenase and total bilirubin when compared with those without urine abnormalities. Haptoglobin was significantly lower in the rust urine group. Fragmented red cells were observed in the blood smear of individuals with rust urine. Rust urine after drumming was associated with previous episodes of rust urine and glucosuria. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these data confirm that rust urine is caused by extracorpuscular hemolysis. Article Published Date : Jun 30, 2008

Abstract Title: Phenomenological experience in response to monotonous drumming and hypnotizability. Abstract Source: Mult Scler. 2004 Aug;10(4):417-24. PMID: 9385724 Abstract Author(s): R L Maurer, V K Kumar, L Woodside, R J Pekala Abstract: Participants (N = 206) experienced 15-min of monotonous drumming either before or after hypnosis (Harvard scale). Participants completed the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI) in reference to the last 4-min of drumming. Stimulus order did not affect the objective trance levels as measured by the Harvard scores. The subjective trance level as measured by hypnoidal scores (predicted Harvard scores from the PCI) was significantly higher when drumming preceded hypnosis. Participants' estimated average trance level achieved during drumming fell in the medium range of susceptibility (5-8) (Pekala, 1995). Participants who achieved higher hypnoidal and Harvard scores were more likely to report relaxed feelings and shamanic-type experiences in narratives about their subjective experiences during drumming. Article Published Date : Aug 01, 2004

Abstract Title: Composite effects of group drumming music therapy on modulation of neuroendocrine-immune parameters in normal subjects. Abstract Source: Altern Ther Health Med. 2001 Jan;7(1):38-47. PMID: 11191041 Abstract Author(s): B B Bittman, L S Berk, D L Felten, J Westengard, O C Simonton, J Pappas, M Ninehouser Abstract: CONTEXT: Drum circles have been part of healing rituals in many cultures throughout the world since antiquity. Although drum circles are gaining increased interest as a complementary therapeutic strategy in the traditional medical arena, limited scientific data documenting biological benefits associated with percussion activities exist. OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of group-drumming music therapy as a composite activity with potential for alteration of stress-related hormones and enhancement of specific immunologic measures associated with natural killer cell activity and cell-mediated immunity. DESIGN: A single trial experimental intervention with control groups. SETTING: The Mind-Body Wellness Center, an outpatient medical facility in Meadville, Pa. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 111 age- and sex-matched volunteer subjects (55 men and 56 women, with a mean age of 30.4 years) were recruited. INTERVENTION: Six preliminary supervised groups were studied using various control and experimental paradigms designed to separate drumming components for the ultimate determination of a single experimental model, including 2 control groups (resting and listening) as well as 4 group-drumming experimental models (basic, impact, shamanic, and composite). The composite drumming group using a music therapy protocol was selected based on preliminary statistical analysis, which demonstrated immune modulation in a direction opposite to that expected with the classical stress response. The final experimental design included the original composite drumming group plus 50 additional age- and sex-matched volunteer subjects who were randomly assigned to participate in group drumming or control sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pre- and postintervention measurements of plasma cortisol, plasma dehydroepiandrosterone, plasma dehydroepiandrosterone-to-cortisol ratio, natural killer cell activity, lymphokine-activated killer cell activity, plasma interleukin-2, plasma interferon-gamma, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory II. RESULTS: Group drumming resulted in increased dehydroepiandrosterone-to-cortisol ratios, increased natural killer cell activity, and increased lymphokine-activated killer cell activity without alteration in plasma interleukin 2 or interferon-gamma, or in the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory II. CONCLUSIONS: Drumming is a complex composite intervention with the potential to modulate specific neuroendocrine and neuroimmune parameters in a direction opposite to that expected with the classic stress response. Article Published Date : Jan 01, 2001