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The Precuneus Contributes to Embodied Scene Construction for Singing in an Opera
Shoji Tanaka1, Eiji Kirino2,3
1Department of Information and Communication Sciences, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|November 1, 2021
Summary
The precuneus integrates multimodal information for opera singing by connecting with language, social cognition, and reward networks. This brain region is crucial for imagined singing and embodying operatic characters.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Arts and Humanities
Background:
- Opera performance integrates complex cognitive functions like mental imagery and theory of mind.
- The precuneus, a key part of the default mode network, is implicated in various cognitive tasks but its role in opera singing is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific contribution of the precuneus to opera singing.
- To test the hypothesis that the precuneus integrates multimodal information for opera performance.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to analyze the functional connectivity of the precuneus.
- 42 opera singers performed "imagined operatic singing" with their eyes closed during fMRI scans.
Main Results:
- During imagined singing, the precuneus exhibited increased functional connectivity with brain regions involved in language, mirror neuron systems, socio-cognitive/emotional processing, and reward.
- These findings suggest the precuneus integrates multimodal information for complex cognitive tasks.
Conclusions:
- The precuneus and its network facilitate embodiment and multimodal integration of mental scenes during imagined singing.
- This neural mechanism is essential for both imagined singing and the full performance of an opera, highlighting a novel role for the precuneus.
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