Browsing by Author "Guedes, Ana Gabriela"
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- Decoding Musical Valence and Arousal: Exploring the Neural Correlates of Music-Evoked Emotions and the Role of Expressivity FeaturesPublication . Sayal, Alexandre; Guedes, Ana Gabriela; Almeida, Inês A. T.; Jardim Pereira, Daniela; Lima, César F.; Panda, Renato; Paiva, Rui Pedro; Sousa, Teresa; Castelo-Branco, Miguel; Bernardino, Inês; Direito, BrunoMusic conveys both basic emotions, like joy and sadness, and complex ones, such as tenderness and nostalgia. Its effects on emotion regulation and reward have attracted much research attention, as the neural correlates of music-evoked emotions may inform neurorehabilitation interventions. Here, we used fMRI to decode and examine the neural correlates of perceived valence and arousal in music excerpts. Twenty participants were scanned while listening to 96 music excerpts, classified beforehand into four categories varying in valence and arousal. Music modulated activity in cortical regions, most noticeably in music-specific subregions of the auditory cortex, thalamus, and regions of the reward network such as the amygdala. Using multivoxel pattern analysis, we created a computational model to decode the perceived valence and arousal of the music excerpts with above-chance accuracy. We further explored associations between musical features and brain activity in valence-, arousal-, reward-, and auditory-related networks. The results emphasize the involvement of distinct musical features, notably expressive features such as vibrato and tonal and spectral dissonance in valence, arousal, and reward brain networks. Using ecologically valid music stimuli, we contribute to delineating the neural correlates of music-evoked emotions with potential implications in the development of novel music-based neurorehabilitation strategies.
- A Pattern Recognition Framework to Investigate the Neural Correlates of MusicPublication . Guedes, Ana Gabriela; Sayal, Alexandre; Panda, Renato; Paiva, Rui Pedro; Direito, BrunoMusic can convey fundamental emotions like happiness and sadness and more intricate feelings such as tenderness or grief. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying music-induced emotions holds promise for innovative, personalised neurorehabilitation therapies using music. Our study investigates the link between perceived emotions in music and their corresponding neural responses, measured using fMRI. Fifteen participants underwent fMRI scans while listening to 96 musical excerpts categorised into quadrants based on Russell’s valence-arousal model. Neural correlates of valence and arousal were identified in neocortical regions, especially within music-specific sub-regions of the auditory cortex. Through multivariate pattern analysis, distinct emotional quadrants were decoded with an average accuracy of 62% ±15%, surpassing the chance level of 25%. This capacity to discern music’s emotional qualities has implications for psychological interventions and mood modulation, enhancing music-based treatments and neurofeedback learning.