Müzik performansının bilişsel işlevlere etkisi ve BDNF Val66Met ile COMT Val158Met polimorfizmleriyle ilişkisi

---

Thesis Type: Postgraduate

Institution Of The Thesis: Ankara University, Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, FİZYOLOJİ ANABİLİM DALI, Turkey

Approval Date: 2019

Thesis Language: Turkish

Student: ŞAYESTE ÇAĞIL İNAL

Supervisor: EMEL GÜNEŞ

Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection

Abstract:

Due to the structural and functional differences caused by music performance, musician's brain is considered as a convenient model for brain plasticity studies. The differences in the brain caused by music performance also effect the cognitive functions. Even though the cognitive differences of musicians have been studied extensively in the last years, the genetic mechanisms that might cause these differences are still in the dark. Cognition is extremely complex and is under the influence of many genes. Thus, the differences in these genes would also effect cognition. Two polymorphisms, BDNF val66met and COMT val158met are thought to effect cognition and studied frequently. In this study, the cognitive differences between musicians and non-musicians were evaluated by using Corsi Block Tapping Test, Mental Rotation Test, Trail Making Test and Verbal Fluency Test, while the test results were compared in regards with BDNF val66met and COMT val158met polymorphisms, which were determined by using tetra primer ARMS PCR method. Results showed that musicians have better working memory and executive inhibition ability than non-musicians. This was interpreted as that musical trainin and practice improves these cognitive elements. In addition, independent of music performance, BDNF val66met and COMT val158met polymorphism genotypes were found to effect working memory, cognitive flexibility, motor speed and sequencing. For BDNF val66met polymorphism, met/met genotype decreases the working memory and visuospatial abilities. On the other hand, met/met genotype of COMT val158met polymorphism was found better at working memory, cognitive flexibility, motor speed and sequencing than val/met and val/val genotypes. These two conditions were interpreted as that the activity of BDNF and COMT proteins on the studied cognitive functions are effected by these genotypes. No relationship between BDNF val66met and COMT val158met polymorphism genotypes were found in between musician and control groups. This result is thought to be because the effect music performance may create might not be effected by these polymorphisms. However the sample size must be increased in order to support these results.