BRAIN BLUES: schizophrenia brain images as music

Functional brain scan images are converted into musical sound, synchronized to visualizations of brain activity. The data are analyzed with Independent Component Analysis, in effect reducing the brain images to 20 components. Each component is represented by a line on a musical "score" and each is assigned a tone from a blues scale. The line gets brighter and the tone louder according to the intensity of activity in the corresponding brain region. For more examples and discussion, see the other videos at this site, but especially "Schizophrenia as Sound."
NOTE: Since this video was first posted, the brainmusic project has attracted the interest of the independent documentary film maker Elisa da Prato. To check the status of the feature-length film (and to support the project), see http://musicofthehemispheres.com/
The "mind as music" hypothesis finds empirical support in this open source paper:
http://www.frontiersin.org/theoretical_and_philosophical_psychology/10.3389/f...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• schizophrenia
• music
• brain
• brainmusic
• fMRI
• data
• sonification
• neuroscience
• electronica
• blues
• experimental
• dan lloyd

[dlloyd1984]

Schizophrenia is a devastating illness that afflicts 1% of humanity. Those who suffer from schizophrenia and those who know and love them are aware of its complexity and the extreme difficulty of coping with the illness. This video has been posted for educational purposes. Informally and non-scientifically, it confirms the idea that schizophrenia is a global dysfunction of the brain.

[dlloyd1984]

That is, it affects many regions of the brain and for that reason one can hear subtle differences between sonifications of healthy subjects and patients. It is possible, though a stretch, that sonification could become a diagnostic tool, perhaps a way of bringing forward interactions among brain areas that might not be obvious through other measures.

[dlloyd1984]

But I think it is also important to hear that the differences between the brains of healthy people and individuals with schizophrenia are subtle. Like all the brainmusic tracks, these sound out the richness common to all of us, a symphony which is normally neither seen nor heard. People with schizophrenia and healthy individuals differ very little with respect to the continual underlying music of mind.

[TheScreamingRetard]

is there one for depressionn?

[dlloyd1984]

There are many brain imaging studies of depression, but as it happens I don't have data from any examples. Perhaps in the future...

[WiStockton]

This just made my day. What a coincidence that I happened to be taking a break from reading Nietzsche's "The Birth of Tragedy," talking about how life can only be truly appreciated in aesthetic terms. I love being a philosophy major. Thanks for sharing this!

[sabxruth]

brilliant attempt ,a great way to enable us to differenciate between a normal and schizophrenic brain.

[tallyhoman911]

this is so freaking awsome!

[AssistingHealth]

@dlloyd1984 quite a few years ago, atheism was considered "devastating" yet if it weren't for a handfull of atheists, most of the electronics you use (including the ones we use right now) wouldn't exist!

PROTIP: don't overstep your intelligence and try to judge a type of person before you know very much about them. It's been bad in the past EVERY SINGLE TIME. learn from history. it's good for you.

[AssistingHealth]

@dlloyd1984 devastating for whom? the people that tell them that "something is wrong with you" et al? or devastating BY NATURE to the schizophrenic themselves?

This sounds like beautiful music. Seems to me like the schizophrenic mind is even more organized than average and that they are likely a HIGHER-FUNCTIONING being... just not within the english common law and capitalist system. Is the person the problem, or the system that they are in?

[drknsqueen]

@tomasjbro I agree with you!

[camelot886]

I think both tracks sound good.

[gunblade64]

@TheScreamingRetard I think not, because it wouldn't give much to look at.

In state of depression one is often without much thought at all. Or at least it will be slow.

[bernieowen2]

I would stand their and sing and dance for free as if it makes them feel half of what I have fealt it holds more value than imaginable Thanks

[sabxruth]

great job!i really like this video showing how a patient's brain work. will you please explain how did you get the function of a patient brain and then how did you showed in audio? I am working on painting (on schizophrenia) and I believe what you showed here will truly help me a lot ... i just need a bit of explanation. thanks