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Low intensity white noise improves performance in auditory working memory task: An fMRI study

Research suggests that white noise may facilitate auditory working memory performance via stochastic resonance. Stochastic resonance is quantified by plotting cognitive performance as a function of noise intensity. The plot would appear as an inverted U-curve, that is, a moderate noise is beneficial...

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Autores principales: Othman, Elza, Yusoff, Ahmad Nazlim, Mohamad, Mazlyfarina, Abdul Manan, Hanani, Giampietro, Vincent, Abd Hamid, Aini Ismafairus, Dzulkifli, Mariam Adawiah, Osman, Syazarina Sharis, Wan Burhanuddin, Wan Ilma Dewiputri
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Elsevier 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6819787/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31687551
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02444
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author Othman, Elza
Yusoff, Ahmad Nazlim
Mohamad, Mazlyfarina
Abdul Manan, Hanani
Giampietro, Vincent
Abd Hamid, Aini Ismafairus
Dzulkifli, Mariam Adawiah
Osman, Syazarina Sharis
Wan Burhanuddin, Wan Ilma Dewiputri
author_facet Othman, Elza
Yusoff, Ahmad Nazlim
Mohamad, Mazlyfarina
Abdul Manan, Hanani
Giampietro, Vincent
Abd Hamid, Aini Ismafairus
Dzulkifli, Mariam Adawiah
Osman, Syazarina Sharis
Wan Burhanuddin, Wan Ilma Dewiputri
author_sort Othman, Elza
collection PubMed
description Research suggests that white noise may facilitate auditory working memory performance via stochastic resonance. Stochastic resonance is quantified by plotting cognitive performance as a function of noise intensity. The plot would appear as an inverted U-curve, that is, a moderate noise is beneficial for performance whereas too low and too much noise attenuates performance. However, knowledge about the optimal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) needed for stochastic resonance to occur in the brain, particularly in the neural network of auditory working memory, is limited and demand further investigation. In the present study, we extended previous works on the impact of white noise on auditory working memory performance by including multiple background noise levels to map out the inverted U-curve for the stochastic resonance. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), twenty healthy young adults performed a word-based backward recall span task under four signal-to-noise ratio conditions: 15, 10, 5, and 0-dB SNR. Group results show significant behavioral improvement and increased activation in frontal cortices, primary auditory cortices, and anterior cingulate cortex in all noise conditions, except at 0-dB SNR, which decreases activation and performance. When plotted as a function of signal-to-noise ratio, behavioral and fMRI data exhibited a noise-benefit inverted U-shaped curve. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was found between the activity of the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and performance in 5-dB SNR. The predicted phenomenon of SR on auditory working memory performance is confirmed. Findings from this study suggest that the optimal signal-to-noise ratio to enhance auditory working memory performance is within 10 to 5-dB SNR and that the right SFG may be a strategic structure involved in enhancement of auditory working memory performance.
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spelling pubmed-68197872019-11-04 Low intensity white noise improves performance in auditory working memory task: An fMRI study Othman, Elza Yusoff, Ahmad Nazlim Mohamad, Mazlyfarina Abdul Manan, Hanani Giampietro, Vincent Abd Hamid, Aini Ismafairus Dzulkifli, Mariam Adawiah Osman, Syazarina Sharis Wan Burhanuddin, Wan Ilma Dewiputri Heliyon Article Research suggests that white noise may facilitate auditory working memory performance via stochastic resonance. Stochastic resonance is quantified by plotting cognitive performance as a function of noise intensity. The plot would appear as an inverted U-curve, that is, a moderate noise is beneficial for performance whereas too low and too much noise attenuates performance. However, knowledge about the optimal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) needed for stochastic resonance to occur in the brain, particularly in the neural network of auditory working memory, is limited and demand further investigation. In the present study, we extended previous works on the impact of white noise on auditory working memory performance by including multiple background noise levels to map out the inverted U-curve for the stochastic resonance. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), twenty healthy young adults performed a word-based backward recall span task under four signal-to-noise ratio conditions: 15, 10, 5, and 0-dB SNR. Group results show significant behavioral improvement and increased activation in frontal cortices, primary auditory cortices, and anterior cingulate cortex in all noise conditions, except at 0-dB SNR, which decreases activation and performance. When plotted as a function of signal-to-noise ratio, behavioral and fMRI data exhibited a noise-benefit inverted U-shaped curve. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was found between the activity of the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and performance in 5-dB SNR. The predicted phenomenon of SR on auditory working memory performance is confirmed. Findings from this study suggest that the optimal signal-to-noise ratio to enhance auditory working memory performance is within 10 to 5-dB SNR and that the right SFG may be a strategic structure involved in enhancement of auditory working memory performance. Elsevier 2019-09-13 /pmc/articles/PMC6819787/ /pubmed/31687551 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02444 Text en © 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
Othman, Elza
Yusoff, Ahmad Nazlim
Mohamad, Mazlyfarina
Abdul Manan, Hanani
Giampietro, Vincent
Abd Hamid, Aini Ismafairus
Dzulkifli, Mariam Adawiah
Osman, Syazarina Sharis
Wan Burhanuddin, Wan Ilma Dewiputri
Low intensity white noise improves performance in auditory working memory task: An fMRI study
title Low intensity white noise improves performance in auditory working memory task: An fMRI study
title_full Low intensity white noise improves performance in auditory working memory task: An fMRI study
title_fullStr Low intensity white noise improves performance in auditory working memory task: An fMRI study
title_full_unstemmed Low intensity white noise improves performance in auditory working memory task: An fMRI study
title_short Low intensity white noise improves performance in auditory working memory task: An fMRI study
title_sort low intensity white noise improves performance in auditory working memory task: an fmri study
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6819787/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31687551
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02444
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