Migraine with visual aura appears to disrupt the excitation-inhibition coupling in the occipital cortex.

BackgroundSlow Wave Activity (SWA), the low frequency (<4 Hz) oscillations that characterize Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) are thought to relate causally to declarative memory consolidation during nocturnal sleep. Evidence is conflicting relating SWA to memory consolidation during nap however.Objective/hypothesisWe applied transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) – which, with a cross-hemispheric electrode montage (F3 and F4 – International 10:20 EEG system), is able to disrupt brain oscillations–to determine if disruption of low frequency oscillation generation during afternoon nap is causally related to disruption in declarative memory consolidation.MethodsEight human subjects each participated in stimulation and sham nap sessions. A verbal paired associate learning (PAL) task measured memory changes. During each nap period, five 5-min stimulation (0.75 Hz cross-hemispheric frontal tACS) or sham intervals were applied with 1-min post-stimulation intervals (PSI's). Spectral EEG power for Slow (0.7–0.8 Hz), Delta (1.0–4.0 Hz), Theta (4.0–8.0 Hz), Alpha (8.0–12.0 Hz), and Spindle-range (12.0–14.0) frequencies was analyzed during the 1-min preceding the onset of stimulation and the 1-min PSI's.ResultsAs hypothesized, power reduction due to stimulation positively correlated with reduction in word-pair recall post-nap specifically for Slow (P < 0.0022) and Delta (P < 0.037) frequency bands.ConclusionsThese results provide preliminary evidence suggesting a causal and specific role of SWA in declarative memory consolidation during nap.

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Background This study aimed to assess the impact of a group music intervention on anxiety and depression of elderly male veterans with dementia. Material/Methods In total, 50 elderly men with Alzheimer disease were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Patients in the intervention group attended a 60-minute group music session that used percussion instruments with familiar music in the morning once a week for 12 weeks, whereas those in the control group received a rest and reading session at the same intervals and under the same conditions. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Geriatric Depression Scale were used to assess anxiety and depression at baseline, week 6, and week 12. The Primary Measures of Music Audiation (PMMA) was used to assess musical aptitude at the baseline. Results A significant reduction in the anxiety level following the 12-week music sessions was observed in the intervention group ( P <.001), but there was no significant change in the control group. However, the change in depressive symptoms between the 2 groups was nonsignificant. In the intervention group, when stratifying patients based on music aptitude determined through PMMA assessment, patients with high PMMA scores had significantly reduced anxiety symptoms over time compared with those with low scores. Conclusions For elderly male veterans with dementia, participating in a group music intervention reduced anxiety symptoms. In patients with high musical aptitude, the treatment effects on anxiety reduction were satisfactory. Measures of music aptitude may provide valuable information regarding patients’ response to music intervention.