This is ‘biomusic’, an interface that produces music from the physiological signals from our bodies. Biomusic is a premier example of how art and science can collaborate to create innovative technologies.

The idea of biomusic was originally conceptualized by Dr. Stefanie Blain-Moraes while she was volunteering at the Complex Continuing care unit for Disabled Children at the Bloorview Hospital in Toronto. Many of the children were completely reliant on technology including  respirators, and required 24-hour personal care. They had little to no ability to move or communicate voluntarily because, for many of them, their somatic nervous system had deteriorated due to either injury or neurodegenerative disease. It was tough for these pediatric patients to communicate their wants and needs, as even the simple motion of pushing a button or flipping a switch proved difficult.

However, Dr. Blain-Moraes wondered if one could understand these children through the activity of their autonomic nervous system, which regulates unconscious functions, such as heartbeat, breathing rate, and sweating. Even though these children could not voluntarily communicate, one might still gain insight into their emotional world through these physiological indicators. Stefanie was eventually able to show that children who didn’t communicate verbally felt stimulated from being in contact with other people through changes in breathing and heart rate. The challenge was in  translating the graphs and charts she used as evidence for this effect into a meaningful interpretation for caregivers and parents who were not scientifically trained. So, she sought a way to translate these physiological signals into a medium that was relatable. Given her background, which includes classical training as a pianist in addition to formal scientific training, Dr. Blain-Moraes wondered if this sort of scientific data could be communicated through an artistic medium instead. This was the start of the biomusic project.

How Biomusic Works

The biomusic interface considers four main bodily signals: heart rate, skin temperature, breathing rate, and electrodermal activity (sweating) – all of which can be detected by wearing a device on one’s finger. The device plays a default tone, which then fluctuates based on changes in one’s autonomic nervous system activity. For example, breathing and heart rate are usually correlated in a relaxed individual – when you inhale, your heart rate accelerates and when you exhale, your heart rate decelerates. However, when excited, the two signals start to de-sync, and the correlation is disrupted. This can be recognized by the interface, and is then reflected in an accelerando in the music. In its early stages, biomusic simply mapped changes in physiological signals to typical music tropes: heart rate controlled the tempo of the music, skin temperature affected the key, spikes in electrodermal activity created little embellishments in the melody.

The iteration of biomusic currently in development is more advanced. It is now customizable, allowing users to choose their own soundscapes rather than sticking with the default classical music one. Sounds of nature, Indian drums, or even a purring cat can be worked into the program’s musical output. Additionally, machine learning techniques are being integrated to enable the interface to recognize specific emotional states of an individual through their physiological signals and adjust the music accordingly.

Caption: A demonstration of biomusic at its early stages. Note the dramatic change in music (at 13:43) after the researcher asks the subject to think of something stressful! Source: TEDxMontreal (2010)

A Plethora of Applications with Biomusic

Biomusic was initially employed to interpret the emotional states of non-communicative children. The interface was linked to children in complex continuing care units during time with their caregivers. The use of biomusic drastically changed the interactions between caregivers and patients. Caregivers felt that even though the patients were technically non-communicative, and some even vegetative, the changes in their biomusic let the caregivers know that the children were in fact responding emotionally during the interactions. Biomusic became a tool to communicate these emotions.

One other application of biomusic is in individuals with autism-spectrum disorder as a way of regulating one’s emotional state. Dr Blain-Moraes teamed up with Spectrum Productions, a non-profit organization that does audiovisual design and exclusively employs individuals on the autism spectrum, to create workshops where autistic individuals could try Biomusic. In one workshop, participants went to art galleries while wearing their Biomusic interfaces. At one point during the visit, a participant noticed that their Biomusic became erratic, and wondered why. He realized that he was on the threshold between two different rooms, and that this abundance of sensory input made him feel overwhelmed. So, he stepped back into one room, and the music calmed down. Thus, Biomusic appeared to make it easier for individuals on the autism spectrum to self-regulate their emotions.

In addition to being a tool for therapeutic means, biomusic can also be used for other exciting avenues. For meditation purposes, an individual can listen to their biomusic as a means of monitoring their heart rate and breathing. Athletes can also use the interface to gauge their performance. Even musicians and composers can use biomusic by adding samples of their own biomusic to their compositions. One would not only be writing music, but could actually intrinsically create different types of music based on one’s emotional state.

Biomusic is a project born at the intersection of  science and art. While Dr. Stefanie Blain-Moraes was formally trained in science and engineering, her background in classical music lent her creative ideas to tackle problems in science. Biomusic has a promising future as both a therapeutic and creative device for patients and the general public.

Stefanie Blain-Moraes holds a B.A. Sc and PhD from the University of Toronto in biomedical engineering and rehabilitation sciences, and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University. She has also completed her ARCT diploma in classical piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Her favorite composer is Beethoven. You can follow more of her work here (https://www.mcgill.ca/spot/stefanie-blain-moraes, http://www.moraeslab.com/biapt/).

“The Black Box – Biomusic” could not be possible without the efforts of volunteers at Convergence Initiative (www.convergenceinitiative.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to science outreach and fostering collaboration between scientific and artistic disciplines.

The post Biomusic: Music that’s in Tune with Our Bodies appeared first on The McGill Daily.

On October 19, Dr. Siddharth Ramakrishnan, a neuroscience professor at the University of Puget Sound in Washington, gave a seminar at Concordia University on how art can be used to convey ideas in the field of neuroethics. The talk was held in partnership with Convergence Initiative, an organization that promotes collaboration and exchange between the arts and sciences. Open to the general public, it was attended by a diverse group of over 90 individuals in various fields, such as neuroscience, fine arts, medicine, and philosophy. A “speed-dating” event was held after the talk, where attendees were randomly paired up to have 5-minute discussions on the lecture topics. Guests were encouraged to contribute their thoughts and ideas through either writing or drawing onto a communal sheet of paper.

Why Neuroethics?

Dr. Ramakrishnan asserted the importance of neuroethics in our everyday lives. As our technology evolves, new policies need to be developed to govern their use. Ramakrishnan gave the example of ethical issues pertaining to Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) – microchips that can be implanted in the brain for cognitive enhancement. BCIs are being developed to improve the quality of life for people living with paralysis or severe motor impairment. Other potential benefits of BCIs include  increased overall intelligence, enhanced memory, and the implementation of complex computerized functions such as GPS or calculators. Essentially, human brains could develop into supercomputers. But we have to ask: who would have access to BCIs? What about individuals who choose to not use BCIs, or can’t afford them?  Despite their potential for good, technologies like BCIs also carry potential to further increase social disparities, and deepen already existing divides.  If only those with capital to access the technology are able to benefit from cognitive enhancements, we can imagine that the benefits would disproportionately help groups which have traditionally benefitted from an unfair advantage. 

Public Inquiry is Important

Equality movements have made society more inclusive of groups that have historically been marginalized because of age, gender, sexual orientation, or ability. There are more stakeholders at the discussion table, though we still have work to do to get everyone there. “We are all stakeholders,” says Dr. Ramakrishnan. 

The “speed-dating” discussions echoed the imperative for the general public to be both well-informed and critical of science. One neuroscience student observed that a substantial  portion of the public denies scientific facts: the rise in prominence of anti-vaxxers, climate-change deniers, and flat-earth believers are all symptoms that allude to a growing ailment of scientific ignorance. 

Cristian Zaelzer, neuroscience Ph.D. and the founder of Convergence Initiative, gave his account on the rising prominence of anti-science movements. He explained that the brain is constantly bombarded with different information, and the process used by the prefrontal cortex of the brain to sort through all this data is exhausting. Thus, the mind often resorts to using heuristics – mental shortcuts that constrict attention to one particular aspect of a complex situation to conserve mental stamina. Dr. Zaelzer argues that through this explanation, we can understand how, for example, anti-vaxxers might choose to disregard the benefits of vaccine and focus instead on the myth that vaccines cause autism. He also believes that this type of heuristic explains how, because measles is largely under control (ironically, through vaccination),  anti-vaxxers often  conclude that vaccines are no longer necessary.

Art as an Essential Bridge

How can art explain neuroethics? A vital benefit of art lies in its accessibility to the general public.

“A lecture like this is probably not the best way to reach a large audience,” Dr. Ramakrishnan admits jokingly, continuing, “a better way would be to have an interactive art project to attract people, and we could have a dialogue about it.”  

Dr. Ramakrishnan presented an intriguing collection of interactive and visual works of art inspired by neuroscience and neuroethics. One noteworthy exhibit, “Mind Control,” effectively allowed one person to control another’s movements via a simple remote-control car device. The remote control was programmed to send signals into a pair of electrodes worn by a volunteer. The electrodes, when worn around the head, would then stimulate the vestibular system – the structure responsible for balance, causing the volunteer to lean left or right depending on the remote control command. If the volunteer is walking, the device could force them to walk in a direction of its choosing. A demonstration of this type of device can be seen here. People who encounter this exhibit are forced to reconcile the idea that mind-control, widely believed to be science fiction, is possible at some level. The exhibit immediately opens a discussion on the ethics of mind-control devices, and creates public awareness and inquiry into future developments of such neurotechnology.

Another thought-provoking exhibit, “Heirloom,” was created by artist Gina Czarnecki by carefully growing human cells on glass casts of a person’s face. The exhibit was created by culturing tissue samples of the artist’s daughters on glass casts of their faces. While the use of human tissue is heavily regulated in science, little consideration seems to have been made to their use in art. This exhibit raises questions about the ethical issues of using human tissue – in both science and art.

Bettina Forget, Ph.D. in art education, believes the importance of art lies in its ability to take otherwise unremarkable or confusing subjects and accentuate its significant features.  Art can dispel unproductive heuristics by creating compelling and interesting narratives to follow. Art can also act as a bridge for complex scientific topics, such as neuroethics, by capturing the interest and wonder of the general public. 

Collaboration 

The core message highlighted throughout the event was the importance of collaboration. Dr. Ramakrishnan emphasized the universal relevance of neuroethics and encouraged the use of art as a vehicle to carry out its understanding. The speed-dating discussions provided further proof: guests from a plethora of different backgrounds, whether experts or laypersons, came together to bring forth their unique perspectives on current  issues in neuroethics. Bridging various identities and disciplines, the event facilitated new connections to foster deep and critical understandings of neuroscience and a public awareness of neuroethics.

This seminar was the culmination of the tremendous efforts between Convergence Initiative, in partnership with the Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program (BRaIN) of McGill, the Faculty of Fine Arts of Concordia (FoFa), McGill Integrated Program in Neurosciences (IPN), and the Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN/CAN).

Instagram: @convergenceinitiative

Twitter: @InfoConvergence

Website: www.convergenceinitiative.com

The post Art: A Vehicle for Science appeared first on The McGill Daily.