The Musicality, Hearing and Genetics ("MyHearingG") Project: Experimental, epidemiological, and genomics techniques to explore the role of musicality in hearing health

项目摘要/摘要 虽然有大量证据表明某些音乐行为(例如，经常听吵闹的音乐)是有风险的 年龄相关性听力损失(ARHL)的因素，人类的音乐性也有可能支持听力健康 在整个生命周期内。例如，对年轻人的小样本研究表明，个体差异在 音乐天赋与听力成绩呈正相关，如在嘈杂环境中的语音识别 与非音乐家相比，音乐家表现出更好的听力结果和听觉处理能力 音乐家。此外，音乐性遗传学的进展表明，与耳蜗性发育有关的基因 与音乐天赋的表型变异有关。初步研究也显示出积极的 音乐参与频率与听觉敏感度的关系。鉴于这一证据，可能会更高 音乐性的程度--无论是对音乐的天赋还是对音乐的投入--是对听力的保护因素 随着年龄的增长而失去？该项目使用实验、流行病学、 和基因组方法。目标1使用稳健的实验方法来表征 老年人的音乐天赋和听力结果，超过音乐投入(例如，练习， 正规训练、听力)和神经认知技能(例如执行功能)。目标2使用流行病学 描述音乐参与频率和听力结果之间关系的方法 一群中老年人。AIM 3使用计算基因组学方法研究 在大量中老年人群中，人类音乐性和ARHL之间的共同遗传结构 已知健康、表型和基因类型信息的成年人。支持和反对的证据 我们的假设将使我们能够解开关于人类音乐性之间联系的三个相互竞争的理论 和听力健康，即这种联系要么是由(A)共同的遗传和神经结构驱动的 这两个特征，(B)听觉神经认知能力和偏好塑造音乐性，(C)或“磨损” 由于长期暴露在嘈杂的音乐中，感觉神经听觉生物学的改变。综上所述，这一发现 该项目将帮助评估音乐性作为防止我们年龄增长时听力损失的保护因素，并为 了解音乐参与和听力之间的纵向和因果关系的基础 健康。此外，这些发现将为检查特定的生物功能(例如，表达 和调节)连接音乐性、感觉神经听觉机制和听力结果的基因。这 Work解决了一个关键的健康需求：在美国，每三个70岁或以上的成年人中就有一个患有 听力损失，其连锁后果是社交孤立、抑郁和认知能力下降 痴呆症。迫切需要在个性化预防和护理方面进行创新。此外，这项工作是及时和 利用计算基因组学和健康生物库方法的最新进展，以及 人类的音乐性特征。

Project Summary/Abstract While there is abundant evidence that certain musical behaviors (e.g., regularly listening to loud music) are risk factors for age-related hearing loss (ARHL), human musicality also has the potential to support hearing health across the lifespan. For example, studies in small samples of younger adults show that individual differences in musical aptitude are positively associated with hearing outcomes such as speech recognition in noisy conditions, and that musicians show enhanced hearing outcomes and auditory processing compared to non- musicians. Further, advances in the genetics of musicality show that genes involved in cochlear development are associated with phenotypic variation in musical aptitude. Preliminary studies also show a positive association between music engagement frequency and hearing sensitivity. Given this evidence, could higher degrees of musicality – both aptitude for and engagement with music – be a protective factor against hearing loss as we age? This project systematically tests this novel hypothesis using experimental, epidemiological, and genomic approaches. Aim 1 uses robust experimental approaches to characterize associations between musical aptitude and hearing outcomes in older adults, over and above music engagement (e.g. practice, formal training, listening) and neurocognitive skills (e.g. executive function). Aim 2 uses epidemiological approaches to characterize associations between music engagement frequency and hearing outcomes in large cohorts of middle-aged and older adults. Aim 3 uses computational genomics approaches to investigate shared genetic architecture between human musicality and ARHL, in large cohorts of middle-aged and older adults for whom available health, phenotypic, and genotypic information is known. Evidence for and against our hypotheses will allow us to disentangle three competing theories about the links between human musicality and hearing health, namely that links are either driven by (a) shared genetic and neural architecture underlying both traits, (b) auditory neurocognitive affordances and preferences shaping musicality, (c) or “wear and tear” of sensorineural auditory biology due to cumulative loud music exposure. Taken together, findings from this project will help evaluate musicality as a protective factor against hearing loss as we age, and lay the groundwork for understanding longitudinal and causal relationships between music engagement and hearing health. Further, findings will lay the groundwork for examining specific biological functions (e.g., expression and regulation) of genes linking musicality, sensorineural auditory mechanisms, and hearing outcomes. This work addresses a critical health need: one in three adults aged 70 or older in the United States suffers from hearing loss, with cascading consequences on social isolation, depression, and cognitive decline and dementia. Innovations in personalized prevention and care are sorely needed. Further the work is timely and leverages recent advances in computational genomics and health biobank approaches, and in the genetics of human musicality traits.