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Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Union College

2011

Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Neuroscience and Neurobiology

Hemispheric Specialization For Musical Structure Processing: A Dichotic Listening Study, Deirdre M. Finnegan Jun 2011

Hemispheric Specialization For Musical Structure Processing: A Dichotic Listening Study, Deirdre M. Finnegan

Honors Theses

In a dichotic listening study using a musical priming paradigm Hoch and Tillman (2010) found a left-ear advantage for the tonal function effect on spoken syllable identification, suggesting a right-hemispheric specialization for musical structure processing. A pilot study was performed using healthy right-handed non-musician participants to investigate the possible moderating effects of the Hoch and Tillman (2010) findings caused by alternating response hand as well as response key orientation. Several interactions were found which indicated that response hand and response key orientation moderated task performance. Modulations appeared to be due to a Coherence between response hand and response key orientation, …

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Investigation Of The Temporal Characteristics Of Absolute Pitch And Relative Pitch Using Eeg, Caitlin E. Miner Jun 2011

Investigation Of The Temporal Characteristics Of Absolute Pitch And Relative Pitch Using Eeg, Caitlin E. Miner

Honors Theses

Itoh, Suwazono, Arao, Miyazaki, and Nakada, (2005) compared relative pitch (RP), with absolute pitch (AP) and found a left posterior-temporal negative Event Related Potential (ERP) at 150ms for pitch listening and pitch naming in AP. The present study tested if AP is due to pitch expertise that is not present in RP by comparing pitch naming with instrument naming. Recordings were performed during instrument naming, instrument listening, pitch naming, and pitch listening tasks. At a negatively deflected ERP (156-228ms) a three-way interaction was found, such that voltage differed between instrument listening and instrument naming tasks, but not between pitch listening …

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Virtual And Live Social Facilitation While Exergaming: Competitiveness Moderates, Amanda L. Snyder Jun 2011

Virtual And Live Social Facilitation While Exergaming: Competitiveness Moderates, Amanda L. Snyder

Honors Theses

This study evaluated the effects of virtual and live social facilitation on exercise behavior using a cybercycle, a virtual reality-enhanced stationary bike, with 3D scenery and interactive races. Research has shown that social presence can enhance performance (Zajonc, 1965). Research with the cybercycle found that more competitive participants increased exercise intensity with the introduction of a virtual competitor (Snyder et al., 2010). The current study extended the prior experimental design by comparing virtual with live social presence. After training to ride the cybercycle, female college students rode in the presence of a virtual rider and live rider (randomly ordered); a …

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Neuropsychological And Neurophysiological Effects Of Low-Intensity Strengthening Exercise On Cognition, Vadim V. Yerokhin Jun 2011

Neuropsychological And Neurophysiological Effects Of Low-Intensity Strengthening Exercise On Cognition, Vadim V. Yerokhin

Honors Theses

With the growing aging population, it’s becoming increasingly important to find ways to either deter or prevent dementia. To date, most research has concentrated on the effects of aerobic exercise on cognition. Unfortunately, a large portion of older adults are often contraindicated to perform aerobic exercise due to different risk factors, which increase with age. Alas, alternate ways of exercise are necessary. Low-intensity strengthening exercise is a type of exercise aimed at improving balance and strengthening muscles without requiring one to overstrain. The current 11-week long exercise study test neuropsychological effects of exercise with a neuropsychological battery and neurophysiological effects …

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Electrophysiological Indices Of Aesthetically Stimulated Processes In Art-Experienced Individuals As Compared To Art-Naïve Individuals, Katharine E. Hartnack Jun 2011

Electrophysiological Indices Of Aesthetically Stimulated Processes In Art-Experienced Individuals As Compared To Art-Naïve Individuals, Katharine E. Hartnack

Honors Theses

Aesthetic judgment processes were investigated in art-experienced and art-naïve individuals. Previous electrophysiological data suggest that aesthetic judgment is a two-stage process (Hofel & Jacobson, 2007). The first stage of aesthetic judgment is impression formation which is not spontaneous, and is reflected by an early Event Related Potential (ERP) frontocentral deflection. The second stage reflected by a lateralized late ERP positivity, evaluative categorization is also not spontaneous. Participants in the current study were instructed to either simply view black and white geometric patterns or were instructed to contemplate the beauty of the patterns. Results suggest that aesthetically stimulated processes differ between …

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Discerning Prey From Predator In Dragonflies, Melanie Lolier Jun 2011

Discerning Prey From Predator In Dragonflies, Melanie Lolier

Honors Theses

The dragonfly is a visual predator that feeds on small flying insects. Because of their high rate of hunting success, dragonflies must have the ability to efficiently discern prey and predator from natural surroundings. In this study, we investigated the extent to which visual flight-control neurons in dragonflies are able to differentiate stimuli that simulate prey items from those that simulate predators. To do this, we presented fourteen sets of rectangular stimuli varying in height, width, speed, and moved in four directions while recording extracellular neuronal responses from the ventral nerve cord. Each of the rectangular stimulus patterns was moved …

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The Neuropsychological Effects Of Combined Physical And Mental Exercise In Schizophrenia, Maggie M. Manning Jun 2011

The Neuropsychological Effects Of Combined Physical And Mental Exercise In Schizophrenia, Maggie M. Manning

Honors Theses

People suffering from severe mental disorders encounter many debilitating side effects. Those diagnosed with schizophrenia face a large number of challenges each day. Not only must they endure symptoms, like hallucinations and delusions, commonly associated with the illness, but their higher-level cognitive functioning is further impaired in numerous ways. People with schizophrenia, suffering from thought disorder, battle with a pattern of disorganized thinking in which seemingly simple tasks, i.e attention and memory, are difficult. Negative symptoms include the inability to establish social relationships, and hinder their everyday experiences, including work. Their extremely sedentary lifestyle also negatively impacts engagement in other …

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