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Real-time MRI comparisons of brass players: A methodological pilot study
Peter W Iltis1, Erwin Schoonderwaldt2, Shuo Zhang3
1Department of Kinesiology, Gordon College, Wenham, MA, USA; Institut für Musikphysiologie und Musikermedizin, Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien, Hannover, Germany.
Human Movement Science
|June 1, 2015
Summary
Real-time MRI reveals distinct changes in brass musicians' oropharyngeal cavity and tongue movements. These findings offer new insights into the complex motor functions involved in playing the trumpet, horn, trombone, and tuba.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics of musical performance
- Medical imaging and analysis
- Human motor control
Background:
- Understanding the intricate motor control of wind instrument players is crucial for performance optimization and injury prevention.
- Previous studies have primarily relied on indirect methods to infer oropharyngeal dynamics during playing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamic changes in the oropharyngeal cavity and tongue movements of brass musicians using real-time MRI.
- To develop and apply novel quantitative analysis methods for assessing kinematic data during musical performance.
Main Methods:
- Real-time MRI at 30 frames/s was employed to capture oropharyngeal movements during note sequences on a practice device (B.E.R.P.).
- Image J and MB-Ruler Pro software were used for analyzing motion snapshots, while a novel dynamic quantitative analysis method in Matlab was developed for kinematic data acquisition.
- Analysis focused on oropharyngeal area, tongue conformation, spatial gradients (position changes), and temporal gradients (articulatory movements).
Main Results:
- Significant inter-instrument differences were observed in oropharyngeal cavity size and tongue posture across different notes.
- Tuba and trombone players showed decreased oropharyngeal area with upward/forward tongue displacement, while trumpet players exhibited increased oropharyngeal area.
- Spatial gradient analysis indicated progressive tongue raising in trumpet players, and temporal gradient analysis revealed consistent double-tonguing dynamics across instruments.
Conclusions:
- Real-time MRI provides valuable insights into the biomechanics of brass playing, highlighting instrument-specific adaptations in oropharyngeal motor control.
- The developed dynamic quantitative analysis method offers a robust approach for studying complex articulatory movements.
- These findings have potential applications in understanding and potentially treating conditions like musician's dystonia.
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