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

项目概要/摘要 虽然有大量的证据表明，某些音乐行为（例如，经常听大声的音乐）是风险 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 在整个生命周期中。例如，对年轻人的小样本研究表明， 音乐能力与听力结果（例如嘈杂环境中的语音识别）正相关 条件下，音乐家表现出增强的听力结果和听觉处理相比，非 音乐人此外，音乐性遗传学的进展表明，与耳蜗发育有关的基因 与音乐能力倾向的表型变异有关。初步研究还显示， 音乐参与频率与听力敏感度之间的关系。鉴于这一证据， 音乐性的程度--包括音乐的能力和对音乐的投入--是听力的保护因素 随着年龄的增长，？该项目系统地测试了这一新的假设使用实验，流行病学， 和基因组方法。目标1使用强大的实验方法来表征 老年人的音乐能力和听力结果，除了音乐参与（例如练习， 正式培训、倾听）和神经认知技能（例如执行功能）。目标2使用流行病学 方法来表征音乐参与频率和听力结果之间的关联， 中年和老年人的队列。AIM 3使用计算基因组学方法来研究 人类音乐性和ARHL之间共享的遗传结构，在中年和老年人的大队列中， 已知可用的健康、表型和基因型信息的成年人。赞成和反对的证据 我们的假设将使我们能够理清关于人类音乐性之间联系的三种相互竞争的理论 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， 这两种特质，（B）听觉神经认知的启示和偏好塑造音乐性，（c）或“磨损” 感觉神经听觉生物学的一种变化。综合来看， 该项目将有助于评估音乐性作为一个保护因素，防止听力损失，因为我们的年龄， 理解音乐参与和听觉之间的纵向和因果关系的基础 健康此外，这些发现将为研究特定的生物功能奠定基础（例如，表达 和调节）的基因连接的音乐性，感觉神经听觉机制，和听力的结果。这 工作解决了一个关键的健康需求：在美国，三分之一的70岁或以上的成年人患有 听力损失，对社交孤立、抑郁和认知能力下降产生连锁反应， 痴呆迫切需要个性化预防和护理方面的创新。此外，工作是及时的， 利用了计算基因组学和健康生物库方法的最新进展，以及遗传学方面的进展。 人类的乐感特征

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.