Prevalence of Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Problems Among Professional Orchestra Musicians in South Africa: A Study Using the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians (MPIIQM).

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of playing-related musculoskeletal problems (PRMPs) in professional musicians is well documented in the literature, but few studies have been done on South African professional musicians. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of PRMPs, pain intensity, and pain interference among full-time and part-time orchestral musicians, using a validated self-report instrument specifically designed for musicians. METHODS: Seventy-nine full-time and part-time professional orchestral musicians took part in the study and completed the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for Musicians (MPIIQM). RESULTS: A lifetime prevalence of PRMPs was 76% and point prevalence 30%. Of the PRMP group, 30% experienced current pain that interfered with their ability to play. Upper strings players reported the most PRMPs. The most commonly reported pain locations were right and left upper limb, neck, fore¬arm, and elbow. The mean pain intensity score for the PRMP group was 16.3 (SD 6.62) (out of 40) and the mean pain interference score was 21.2 (9.98) (out of 50). Female musicians reported experiencing pain more frequently and intensely and also reported more pain sites than males. CONCLUSIONS: This study, the first to make use of a validated self-report instrument, shows that musculoskeletal problems are common among full-time and part-time professional orchestral musicians in South Africa.

The Contribution of Individual Differences in Memory Span and Language Ability to Spatial Release From Masking in Young Children.

Purpose Working memory capacity and language ability modulate speech reception; however, the respective roles of peripheral and cognitive processing are unclear. The contribution of individual differences in these abilities to utilization of spatial cues when separating speech from informational and energetic masking backgrounds in children has not yet been determined. Therefore, this study explored whether speech reception in children is modulated by environmental factors, such as the type of background noise and spatial configuration of target and noise sources, and individual differences in the cognitive and linguistic abilities of listeners. Method Speech reception thresholds were assessed in 39 children aged 5-7 years in simulated school listening environments. Speech reception thresholds of target sentences spoken by an adult male consisting of number and color combinations were measured using an adaptive procedure, with speech-shaped white noise and single-talker backgrounds that were either collocated (target and back-ground at 0°) or spatially separated (target at 0°, background noise at 90° to the right). Spatial release from masking was assessed alongside memory span and expressive language. Results and Conclusion Significant main effect results showed that speech reception thresholds were highest for informational maskers and collocated conditions. Significant interactions indicated that individual differences in memory span and language ability were related to spatial release from masking advantages. Specifically, individual differences in memory span and language were related to the utilization of spatial cues in separated conditions. Language differences were related to auditory stream segregation abilities in collocated conditions that lack helpful spatial cues, pointing to the utilization of language processes to make up for losses in spatial information.

Investigating the Effect of One Year of Learning to Play a Musical Instrument on Speech-in-Noise Perception and Phonological Short-Term Memory in 5-to-7-Year-Old Children.

The benefits in speech-in-noise perception, language and cognition brought about by extensive musical training in adults and children have been demonstrated in a number of cross-sectional studies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether one year of school-delivered musical training, consisting of individual and group instrumental classes, was capable of producing advantages for speech-in-noise perception and phonological short-term memory in children tested in a simulated classroom environment. Forty-one children aged 5-7 years at the first measurement point participated in the study and either went to a music-focused or a sport-focused private school with an otherwise equivalent school curriculum. The children's ability to detect number and color words in noise was measured under a number of conditions including different masker types (speech-shaped noise, single-talker background) and under varying spatial combinations of target and masker (spatially collocated, spatially separated). Additionally, a cognitive factor essential to speech perception, namely phonological short-term memory, was assessed. Findings were unable to confirm that musical training of the frequency and duration administered was associated with a musicians' advantage for either speech in noise, under any of the masker or spatial conditions tested, or phonological short-term memory.