AUTHOR=Honda Shiori , Noda Yoshihiro , Matsushita Karin , Tarumi Ryosuke , Nomiyama Natsumi , Tsugawa Sakiko , Tobari Yui , Hondo Nobuaki , Saito Keisuke , Mimura Masaru , Fujii Shinya , Nakajima Shinichiro 

TITLE=Glutamatergic neurometabolite levels in the caudate are associated with the ability of rhythm production

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=17

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1196805

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2023.1196805

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Glutamatergic neurometabolites play important roles in the basal ganglia, a hub of the brain networks involved in musical rhythm processing. We aimed to investigate the relationship between rhythm processing abilities and glutamatergic neurometabolites in the caudate.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>We aquired Glutamatergic function in healthy individuals employing proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We targeted the right caudate and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) as a control region. Rhythm processing ability was assessed by the Harvard Beat Assessment Test (H-BAT).</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>We found negative correlations between the production part of the Beat Saliency Test in the H-BAT and glutamate and glutamine levels in the caudate (<italic>r</italic> = −0.693, <italic>p</italic> = 0.002) whereas there was no such association in the dACC.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>These results suggest that higher glutamatergic neurometabolite levels in the caudate may contribute to rhythm processing, especially the ability to produce meter in music precisely.</p></sec>