amudu

Monday, April 28, 2014

Manikkavasagar (மாணிக்கவாசகர்)

In Thiruvadavur, in the Pandya kingdom, there lived a pious Brahmin. He and his dutiful wife, due to merit earned in past lives, got a worthy son whom they named Vadavurar (vaatha-vUrar), after the native place.

As the child grew, his wisdom increased as well. Soon, Vadavurar had mastered all thescriptures. He also shone as the embodiment of all virtues and won the love and esteem of all. Even learned pundits and saints were attracted by his personality and wisdom. The king of Madurai, Arimardana Pandyan, heard of Vadavurar's qualities and discovered that Vadavurar was an all-rounder and was proficient in administration also. The king made Vadavurar his Prime Minister. Even as the role of the king's minister, Vadavurar shone with extraordinary brilliance and won the title of "Tennavan Paramarayar."

As days passed, however, dispassion grew in Vadavurar's heart. He had realised the unreality of the world. To him everything was painful — birth, disease, death, rebirth, etc. Vadavurar wanted to enjoy the eternal bliss of Sivanandam. Even while he was administering the affairs of the state, Vadavurar's mind was fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord. He would invite learned men and discuss with them the intricate points in the Vedas. Soon, Vadavurar realised that a Guru was necessary for real spiritual progress. Vadavurar longed to meet his real Guru. Whenever he went out on duty, Vadavurar also searched for his Guru.

One day, while the king was holding his court, the head of his cavalry entered and informed him that the cavalry needed immediate replenishment, as age, death and sickness had greatly depleted its strength. The king immediately ordered the purchase of good horses. The task of buying good horses from the right place was entrusted to Vadavurar. He was extremely happy as Vadavurar was sure that he would find his real Guru during that tour. It was a God-sent opportunity for him. Vadavurar offered sincere prayer to Lord Somasundarar (Siva) in the temple and, besmearing Siva's holy ash on his body and with Siva's name on his lips, Vadavurar started on the errand of buying horses, with enough money. He reached Thiru Perunturai.

Lord Siva, who is the Indweller of all hearts, knew Vadavurar's mental condition and had decided to take Vadavurar into the divine fold. So, in the guise of a Brahmin and with a copy of the book Siva Jnana Bodam in his hand, the Brahmin was seated under a Kurunta tree near the temple at Thiru Perunturai. He was surrounded by others (the celestial servants in disguise).

Vadavurar entered the temple and stood motionless before the Lord, in intense prayer. He shed tears of God-love. Then Vadavurar went round the temple. Near the tree he heard the holy vibrations of the Lord's name (Hara, Hara) which melted Vadavurar's heart.

Vadavurar glimpsed sight of the Brahmin, whose magnetic personality immediately attracted him. With overflowing love and devotion, Vadavurar ran to the Brahmin, as a calf to its mother after a long separation, and fell at the Brahmin's feet.

By Siva's grace, Vadavurar was able to recognise Siva as his real Guru. Holding Siva's feet with his hands Vadavurar prayed, "Oh Lord, kindly accept me as your slave and bless me."

The Lord was waiting for this! Siva cast a graceful glance on Vadavurar. This at once removed all Vadavurar's sins and purified his heart.

The Lord then initiated Vadavurar into the divine mysteries of Siva Jnana. This very initiation entranced Vadavurar. He tasted the divine bliss and was self-forgetfully absorbed in it. Then Vadavurar regained his consciousness and again fell at the Guru's feet and prayed, "Oh Lord, who has come to initiate me into the divine mysteries! Oh Lord, who has captivated me by a mere look! Oh Lord, who has melted my mind! Oh Lord, who has made me surrender all wealth, body, mind and soul! Oh my jewel! Oh wealth imperishable! Oh ocean of bliss! Oh nectar of immortality! Prostrations unto you!"

Singing Siva's glories, thus, Vadavurar removed all his belongings and offered all at the feet of the Guru. Vadavurar had become a Sannyasi. Smearing his body with sacred ashes, fixing his mind on the lotus feet of the Guru, Vadavurar plunged into deep meditation. When he awoke from this meditation, Vadavurar was filled with an eagerness to sing the glories of the Lord. With love as the string and his nectarine words as the gems, Vadavurar made a garland and offered it at his Guru's feet. The Lord was highly pleased with it, and called him "Manikkavasagar" since the hymns sung by Vadavurar were like gems in wisdom.

The Lord asked Manikkavasagar to remain at Thiru Perunturai and disappeared.

Separation from the Lord and Guru, made Manikkavasagar suffer intense pain and anguish. Soon, Manikkavasagar consoled himself and lived in the remembrance of the Lord and Guru.

The king's servants, who had accompanied Vadavurar thought that Vadavurar had forgotten the mission, and, so, after waiting for a few days, gently reminded him.

Maanikkavaasagar sent them back to the king with the message that the horses would reach Madurai within one month. When the king heard of what had happened to Vadavurar, the king was angry — but, waited patiently for a month.

At Thiru Perunturai, Manikkavasagar was devoted to the Lord, forgetting the king and the mission. Manikkavasagar had spent the money he had brought in the construction of a temple.

After waiting for a month, the king sent Manikkavasagar an angry note reminding him that one should be as alert in dealing with the king as one would be when dealing with a cobra, and asking Manikkavasagar to appear before the king at once.

Manikkavasagar was upset. He went to the temple and prayed for the Lord's protection. Moved by Manikkavasagar's sincere prayer, the Lord appeared in his dream that night in the same form of the Guru who initiated Manikkavasagar and said, "Oh noble soul, fear not. I, myself, will bring the best horses to Madurai. You can go in advance. Tell the king that the horses will arrive there on Avani Moolam."

The Lord disappeared after placing a very costly diamond in Manikkavasagar's hands.

The next morning, Manikkavasagar took leave of the Lord of Perunturai and, donning his ministerial robes, started for Madurai.

Manikkavasagar bowed before the king and gave him the diamond. Manikkavasagar explained, "Your majesty, I have already purchased the horses for the entire money I had taken. I was waiting for an auspicious day on which to bring the horses here. Avani Moolam is an auspicious day. In the meantime, as commanded by your majesty, I have returned. The horses will reach here on the auspicious day."

The king apologised to Manikkavasagar for the rash note he had sent earlier. Manikkavasagar built a big stable for the horses.

His relatives, apprehensive of the real state of Manikkavasagar's mind, appealed to him to look after them and not to renounce the world. Manikkavasagar laughed and said, "Oh friends, the day the Lord initiated me, I have offered everything at His Feet. I have now no relatives except the Lord and His devotees. I have no connection with this body, even. My only attachment is with the Lord, who is the remover of all our sins and bestower of immortal bliss. Birth is painful. Death is painful. Everything that is not connected with the Lord is painful. I do not worry about anything in the world now. I will beg happily with my palm as my begging bowl and appease my hunger with the food that is received by chance. When the earth is ready to give me shelter, why should I resort to a special dwelling place? The perfume I smear my body with is the sacred ash. My only belonging is the garland of rudraksha, which destroys the sins of many births. Oh friends, when I am under Siva's protection, why should I fear anybody?"

With his thoughts fixed on the Lord, Manikkavasagar was expecting the forthcoming auspicious day.

In the meantime, one of the ministers had told the king that in truth Manikkavasagar had spent all the money in the construction of temples and that Manikkavasagar's statement was false.

The king's suspicion increased. He sent some messengers to Perunturai to see whether the horses were really there. They returned with a negative reply. Only two days remained now. The king did not get any information about the horses. So, the king ordered his soldiers to torture Manikkavasagar and get the money back. They informed Manikkavasagar of all that had happened in the court.

Manikkavasagar kept quiet. They tormented him, according to the king's orders. Manikkavasagar bore everything, fixing his mind on the Lord. The Lord, Himself, bore all the torture, and the bhakta was relieved. The soldiers could not understand the secret of Manikkavasagar endurance. They tortured Manikkavasagar further!

Manikkavasagar prayed to the Lord. The Lord heard His bhakta's prayer and wanted to play His leela. So, Siva willed that all the jackals of the place should assume the form of horses. Siva also sent His celestial servants to act as horsemen. Siva, Himself, assumed the form of a trader in horses and reached Madurai. The dust raised by the gallopping horses filled the sky. The people were wonderstruck to see the fine horses. That day was Avani Moolam. The thought that he had unnecessarily tortured Manikkavasagar pained the king's heart. He at once released Manikkavasagar and apologised to him. Both of them went to the place where the horses had been stationed.

The king was happy to see the good quality of the horses. The merchant was also very handsome. Manikkavasagar knew that it was the Lord Himself and so mentally prostrated to the merchant. The king's servants led the horses to the stable.

Day passed into night. In accordance with the Lord's will, the horses assumed their original form of jackals, broke the reins and fled from the stable, howling. Some of them injured even the real horses. A few old jackals remained in the stable.

The next morning, the horsemen did not find any of the horses and there were only a few old jackals in the stable. They immediately reported the matter to the king. The king got terribly angry with Manikkavasagar who, the king thought, had deceived him by magic.

The king's soldiers again began to torture Manikkavasagar by making him stand barefeet in the hot sand during the warm Avani season.

Manikkavasagar prayed to the Lord for help. Unable to bear the suffering of His devotee, at once, the Lord caused a heavy flood in the river Vaigai. There was panic everywhere in the town. The people could not understand the cause of this untimely flood. The soldiers who were guarding Manikkavasagar also fled.

Manikkavasagar went to the temple and worshipped Lord Somasundarar and was completely absorbed in meditation.

The king was puzzled. He wanted to save the city from destruction. So, he ordered everyone in the city to bring one basketful of mud and throw it on the bank of the river to stem the flood. Everyone, except an old woman by name Vandi (vaNthi), did so. She sold Pittu (a South Indian delicacy eaten by Tamils) and eked out her livelihood. She was so much devoted to Lord Somasundarar that she would daily offer it to Him first and then sell it. She was in distress.

She prayed to the Lord for help. Lord Siva, out of His compassion, appeared as a young labourer before the old woman and offered his services in return for a handful of pittu.

With a dirty cloth around his waist and a basket on his head, he would sing and dance and then put the mud on the bank of the river. He ate Vandi's kind offering and threw the mud with such force that it caused new breaches! For some time, he would sit idle and again sing and dance.

The king's servants found the breach not closed where the Lord (in disguise) was working and reported the matter to the king.

The king who personally supervised the work, noticed the idleness of the labourer, and hit him with a stick. The Lord threw the mud on the breach and it was closed. The blow, however, was felt by all beings in the whole universe (including the king) — since Siva is in all.

The king at once understood that it was all the Lord's leela and he also recognised the greatness of Manikkavasagar. At that time, the king heard an invisible voice, "Oh king, your entire wealth was spent on me and my bhaktas. By this act Manikkavasagar earned for you great merit. Instead of being grateful to him, you have tortured him. The jackals turning into horses, and this sudden flood, were all leelas performed by me for the sake of My devotee. At least now, open your eyes and learn a lesson for your future."

In the meantime, Manikkavasagar had reached the temple and was absorbed in meditation. Manikkavasagar, too, felt the blow that the king gave the Lord. He got up from meditation.

The king was in search of Manikkavasagar. On the way, the king learnt that the old woman had been taken to the Lord's abode in a celestial car. When the king came to the temple in Thiru Alavai, he prostrated before Manikkavasagar. He requested Manikkavasagar to accept the rulership of the kingdom. The saint refused this offer but asked to be permitted to go to Perunturai. Both of them came to Madurai and worshipped the Lord. Manikkavasagar then left for Perunturai. The king also renounced everything soon after this and reached the Lord's abode.

At Perunturai, Manikkavasagar sang highly inspiring songs and prayed that he should see the Lord in the form of the Guru, as Siva appeared at first. The Lord fulfilled Manikkavasagar's wish. Siva then asked Manikkavasagar to go to Chidambaram.

On the way to Chidambaram, Manikkavasagar visited many shrines. In every shrine, unless the Lord appeared in the original form of the Guru, he would not be satisfied. At Thiru Uttarakosha Mangai, Manikkavasagar wept bitterly when he did not see Siva as the Guru. The Lord had to accede to Manikkavasagar's wish! By stages, Manikkavasagar reached Chidambaram and rolled on the holy ground. He stayed in a garden near the temple and sang the famous Thiruvachagam. The people of Thillai heard the songs and enjoyed its bliss.

In Ela Nadu (Ceylon), there was an ascetic who was constantly repeating, "Long live Ponnambalam."

The king of the place could not understand this, as he was a Buddhist, and had called the ascetic to him. The ascetic went to the palace and sat down in front of the king with the same words!

Upon being asked by the king to explain the meaning, the ascetic said, "Oh king, Ponnambalam is a sacred place in the Chola kingdom. This place is also called Chidambaram. Here the formless God takes a form, of Nataraja, the divine dancer, for the welfare of the world. The object of His dance is to free the souls from the fetters of Maya. Inside the temple there is a tank called Siva Jnana Ganga tank. In this tank Hiranyavarman, the son of Manu, took his bath and got his leprosy cured. Those who take a bath in this sacred tank and then worship Lord Nataraja are purified of all sins. For them there will be no more birth. They will attain eternal bliss."

The Buddhist Guru (in the king's palace) who heard all this questioned, "Oh king, how can there be a God other than Lord Buddha? I will myself go to Chidambaram and defeat the Saivite in argument and convert the temple into a Buddhist shrine." So saying, the buddhist king left for Thillai.

The king, with his dumb daughter, accompanied the Buddhist guru.

The Saivites sent a message to the Chola king asking him to arrange a debate with the Buddhists when the latter had arrived at Chidambaram. The day prior to the appointed day, the Brahmins prayed to Lord Nataraja for success in the debate. That night the Lord appeared in their dream and said, "Approach Vadavurar and request him to oppose the Buddhist guru in argument."

The next morning, the Brahmins approached Vadavurar who readily agreed. Manikkavasagar went to the temple, worshipped the Lord, and entered the hall of the debate. He did not like to see the face of the Buddhists, so, Manikkavasagar sat behind a curtain.

The Buddhists opened the debate. Manikkavasagar explained the principles of Saivism. The Buddhists could not offer counter-arguments. They went on repeating their arguments! Manikkavasagar prayed to the Lord for help. At Siva's instance, Devi Sarasvathi withdrew Her grace from the Buddhists, and they became dumb. The Buddhists were defeated in argument.

The Buddhist king understood Manikkavasagar's greatness and said, "You have made my teacher and all his disciples dumb. If you can make my dumb daughter speak, I and my subjects will embrace Saivism."

Manikkavasagar asked the Buddhist king him to bring his daughter.

Manikkavasagar prayed to the Lord for help and then asked the girl to give proper answer to the questions put by the Buddhist Guru on Lord Siva. The dumb daughter not only began to speak but gave fitting answers to those questions. They were all wonder-struck at this miracle. The king and the Buddhists recognised the superiority of Saivism and embraced it. Manikkavasagar restored speech to the Buddhists also.

One day Lord Siva desired to hear Thiruvachagam from the lips of Manikkavasagar and bestow moksham on him. So, Siva went to Manikkavasagar in the disguise of a Brahmin.

Manikkavasagar welcomed the guest with respect and enquired of his needs. Lord Siva told Manikkavasagar, "I want to hear Thiruvachagam from your own holy lips. I shall write it down, so that I can learn it and with its help free myself from the shackles of Samsara."

Manikkavasagar recited the Thiruvachagam and the Brahmin (Lord Siva) wrote it down on palm leaves. Then the Brahmin suddenly disappeared!

At once, Manikkavasagar knew that the Brahmin was the Lord Himself. Manikkavasagar felt terrible anguish for not having recognised the Lord.

The Lord wanted to immortalise Manikkavasagar and to spread his glory.

So, Siva kept these songs (which He had written on the palm leaves) on the step of Panchakshara of the Chit Sabha.

The Brahmins of Thillai were surprised to see the palm leaves lying there. They opened the leaves and read the contents. In the end it was written, "Manikkavasagar repeated this, Thiru Chitrambalam wrote this."

The Brahmins wanted to know the meaning of these verses, so they showed this to Manikkavasagar

Manikkavasagar took the palm leaves to the temple, and, pointing out to the image of Lord Siva, said, "This Thillai Nataraja is the purport of these stanzas."

Manikkavasagar at once merged himself at the Feet of Lord Nataraja.

உங்கள் லக்னத்திற்குரிய தெய்வம் தெரியுமா?

ஒருவரது ஜாதகத்தில் 12 கட்டங்கள் இருக்கும். அதில் ல/ என்று குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கும் ராசிக்கட்டம் தான் லக்னம். உதாரணத்துக்கு இந்த படத்தைப் பாருங்கள். ல/ என்று குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ள கட்டத்தில் புதன் இருக்கிறது. அதாவது, கன்னியில் புதன் உள்ளது. இவர் கன்னி லக்னக்காரர். இவருக்குரிய தெய்வங்கள் பெருமாள், ராமன், கிருஷ்ணர். லக்னத்தில் சூரியன் இருந்தால், சூரிய நாராயணர், சந்திரன் அல்லது சுக்கிரன் இருந்தால் மகாலட்சுமி, பாலா, திரிபுரசுந்தரி உள்ளிட்ட அம்பிகையர், செவ்வாய் இருந்தால் முருகன், லட்சுமி நரசிம்மர், துர்க்கை, குரு இருந்தால் சிவன், தட்சிணாமூர்த்தி, பெருமாள், சனி இருந்தால் வெங்கடாஜலபதி, சாஸ்தா (ஐயப்பன்), யோக நரசிம்மர், ஆஞ்சநேயர், கேது இருந்தால் விநாயகர் அல்லது ராமானுஜர் போன்ற ஆச்சாரியர்களைத் தரிசிக்க வேண்டும். இந்த தெய்வங்களுக்குரிய மந்திரங்களைத் தினமும் ஜபிப்பது பலனை அதிகரிக்கும்.

தரிசனத்திற்கு கூட தகுதியற்றவனா நான்..!

நீ எனக்கு
மனைவி ஆக வேண்டாம்..!
காதலி ஆக வேண்டாம்..!
தோழியாக வேண்டாம்..!

வழக்கம் போல்
கொஞ்சம்
முகம் காட்டிவிட்டு
மறைந்து போயேன்..!

தரிசனத்திற்கு கூட
தகுதியற்றவனா நான்..!

‘உன் அருகில்
நான் வேண்டும்’
என்பதிலிருந்துதானே
தொடங்குகிறது
அத்தனை உறவுகளையும்
துவக்கி வைக்கும் புள்ளி..!

தாயாக..
சகோதரியாக..
மகளாக..
எப்படி வேண்டுமானாலும்
நான் உன்னை ஏற்பேன்..!
நான் தேடுவது
உன் அருகாமையை
உன் அருகாமை
அள்ளிக்கொடுக்கும் உனதன்பை..!

என் பேராசை
ஒருபோதும் விரக்தியடையாது..!

ஒரு தராசின்
இரண்டு தட்டுகளைப் போல
நடக்கும் என்றால் பேராசையும்
நடக்காது என்றால்
ஆசையாகவும் மட்டுமே
அதனை அடக்க முடியும்..!

சரி இது கேள்..!
உன் அருகில்
நான் இருக்கும் உறவினையா..?
என் அருகில்
நீ இருக்கும் உறவினையா..?
எதனை எனக்கு நீ
தரப்போகிறாய்..?

எதனையும் இல்லையா..?

எதனையும் இல்லையென்று
உன் விழிகள் சொல்வதாய்
என்னால் நம்ப முடியவில்லையே
என்ன செய்ய..?

மீண்டும் ஒருமுறை
இந்த ரோசக்காரனை
வார்த்தைகளால்
உன்னால் விளாச முடியும்
என்றால்
நான் அதனை
நம்ப வேண்டிய
கட்டாயம் நிகழ்ந்தே தீரும்..!

அப்படி நிகழ்ந்து விடக்கூடாது
என்பதற்காகவே
உன்னுடனான
என் இரண்டாவது
உரையாடலை,
குழம்புகிற மனநிலை
தரும் சந்தோசமாவது
மிச்சமிருக்கட்டுமே
என
முதல் உரையாடலுக்கு
முன்பிருந்த
ஆயிரம் தயக்கங்கள் போல
லட்சோப லட்சத்தோடு
தவிர்த்துக் கொண்டே போகிறேன்..!

என் கனவெல்லாம்
நீ வரும் என் கனவுகள்
பலிக்க வேண்டும்
என்பதை விட
நீ வரும் என் கனவுகளும்
பலியாகி விடக்கூடாதே
என்பதில்தான் இருக்கிறது..!
-யோவ்

எனக்கு ரொம்ப பிடித்த க. உதயகுமார் கவிதை

இதயத்தை தொட்ட வீடியோ விளம்பரம்.

இருத்திய காமம்

பழிபடர் உள்நோய் சிறப்ப
புதுமலர் பூத்து நிற்கும் என் நெஞ்சே கேளாய்
அங்கு ஆற்றியிருக்கும் அடர்சூல் மேகமழைத் தலைவன்
முந்தைய நள்ளென் யாமத்து அவன் வரவில்
கூந்தலில் திளைத்து மகிழ்ந்தனன் காண்
கானகத்தலைவி இவளை
நினைவில் இருத்திய காமம் மறந்து
அவன் உறைதல் கூடுமோ ?
Courtesy : Paintings -Jiaur Rahman

Sakthi Jothi

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT
1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute

3.. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:
1. High Blood Pressure (30 days)
2. Gastric (10 days)
3. Diabetes (30 days)
4. Constipation (10 days)
5. Cancer (180 days)
6. TB (90 days)
7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards – daily..

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.
It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life. Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.

This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain...

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.
It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.
Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks:

• Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting,
• Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
• You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack.
• Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.
• 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.
• Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive...
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to everyone they know, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.
Please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends you care about.

PLEASE DON'T IGNORE SHARE IT. THIS MIGHT SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE.

DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT
1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute

3.. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:
1. High Blood Pressure (30 days)
2. Gastric (10 days)
3. Diabetes (30 days)
4. Constipation (10 days)
5. Cancer (180 days)
6. TB (90 days)
7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards – daily..

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.
It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life. Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.

This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain...

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.
It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.
Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks:

• Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting,
• Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
• You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack.
• Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.
• 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.
• Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive...
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to everyone they know, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.
Please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends you care about.

PLEASE DON'T IGNORE SHARE IT. THIS MIGHT SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE.

ANCIENT KATARMALLA SUN TEMPLE OF ALMORA ...

The Katarmal Sun Temple, Almora, Uttarakhand , Katarmal Sun temple was built by Katarmalla, a Katyuri Raja, in the 9th century. In the early medieval period, Kumaon was ruled by the Katyuri dynasty.

The main deity of the Sun temple in Katarmal is called Burhadita or Vraddhaditya (the old Sun God). The idols of Shiva-Parvati and Lakshmi-Narayana are also found in this temple.

Katarmalla, a Katyuri king constructed this temple, which has 44 smaller temples around the main deity of Surya, which called as Burhadita or Vraddhaditya.Other deities like Shiva-Parvathi, Lakshmi-Narayana etc. are also established in this temple complex. The carved wooden doors and panels were transported to the National Museum, Delhi, after an idol from the 10th century was stolen.

The temple, which holds other carvings on walls and panels, was declared a monument of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958.

கண்களை பாதுகாக்க:-

1. உட‌ல் உறு‌ப்‌பி‌ல் ‌மிக மு‌க்‌கியமானது க‌ண். சாதாரணமாக நா‌ம் பா‌ர்‌‌ப்பதா‌ல் ‌க‌ண்களு‌‌க்கு எ‌ந்த பா‌தி‌ப்பு‌ம் ஏ‌ற்படுவ‌தி‌ல்லை. ஆனா‌ல், கண்களுக்கு மிக அருகில் அதிக ஒலியுடன் கூடிய கணினியை‌த் தொட‌ர்‌ந்து பல ம‌ணிநேர‌ங்க‌ள் பா‌ர்‌த்து‌க் கொ‌ண்டிரு‌ப்பதா‌ல் கண் பாதிக்கப்படுகிறது.

2. க‌ண்களு‌க்கு ஓ‌ய்‌வு எ‌ன்றா‌ல் கண்களுக்கு இருளைக் கொடுக்க வேண்டும். கண்களுக்கு இருளைக் கொடுப்பது மட்டுமல்லாமல், மனதின் சிந்தனையை வேறு இடத்திற்கு மாற்ற வேண்டும்.

3. கண்களுக்கு ஓய்வளிக்க பல ஆசனங்கள் உள்ளது. கண்களுக்கு அதிக ரத்த ஓட்டம் அளிக்க தலைகீழ் ஆசனம் உள்ளது. சிரசாசனம் செய்வதால் கண்களின் பார்வை அதிகரிக்கும்.

4. மேலும், கண்களுக்கு திராடகம் என்ற ஒரு பயிற்சி உள்ளது. அதாவது, ஒரு இருளான அறையில் மெழுகுவர்த்தி ஏற்றி வைத்து அதைப் பார்த்துக் கொண்டே இருந்தால் கண்களுக்கு அதிகமான சக்திக் கிடைக்கும்.

5. சூரியநமஸ்காரம் செய்வதாலும் கண் பார்வை அதிகரிக்கும்.

6. பொதுவாக சூரியநமஸ்காரத்தை அதிகாலையில் சூரியன் உதயத்திற்கு முன்பாக செய்ய வேண்டும். சூரிய நமஸ்காரத்தை வெவ்வேறு வேளைகளில் செய்வதால் வெவ்வேறு பலன்கள் கிட்டும்.

7. முக்கியமான விஷயம் என்னவென்றால், தினமும் 8 மணி நேரம் நிம்மதியாகத் தூங்க வேண்டும். அதுவும் மிகவும் இருளான ஒரு அறையில் தூங்குவதே கண்களுக்கு ஒரு நல்ல ஓ‌ய்வாக அமையு‌ம்.

8. பின் தூங்கி முன் எழுதல் மிகவும் நல்லது. அதாவது சீக்கிரமாகத் தூங்கி அதிகாலையில் எழுவது உடலுக்கும் புத்துணர்ச்சி கிட்டும்.

9. அலுவலகத்தில் பணியாற்றிக் கொண்டிருக்கும் போது இடையே உங்கள் கண்களுக்கு ஓய்வு தேவைப்படும்போது, உள்ளங்கைகள் இரண்டையும், நமது கண்களில் அழுத்தி சிறிது நேரம் வைத்திருந்து மூச்சை உள்ளிழுத்து வெளிவிட்டால் நல்ல பலன் கிடைக்கும்.

10. அ‌ப்படி செ‌ய்யு‌ம்போது உ‌ள்ள‌ங்கைகளை எடு‌த்து‌வி‌ட்டு ‌சி‌றிது நேர‌ம் க‌ழி‌த்து மெதுவாக க‌ண்களை‌த் ‌திற‌க்க வே‌ண்டு‌ம்.

11. மேலும், இதனை வேறு முறையிலும் செய்யலாம். அதற்கு அதிக பலன் கிட்டும். அதாவது, ஒரு ஈரத் துணியை நனைத்து பின்பக்க கழுத்தில் போட்டுவிட்டு சிறிது எண்ணெயை புருவங்களில் தடவிவிட்டு இரண்டு உள்ளங்கைகளையும் கண்களில் அழுத்தும்போது உங்களது கண்களுக்கு குளிர்ச்சியும், ஓய்வும் ஒரு சேர கிடைக்கும்.

12. புருவம் என்பது, கண்களுக்குத் தேவையான வெப்பத்தை சீராக வைத்திருக்க அமைக்கப்பட்ட ஒரு இயற்கை கொடையாகும். புருவங்களின் சூட்டினால்தான் கண்களின் குவியங்கள் எளிதாக சுருங்கி விரிகின்றன.

13. ஆனால், அதை விட அதிகமான வெப்பத்தை நம் கண்கள் கணினியில் இருந்து பெற்று வருகிறது. எனவே அந்த வெப்பத்தைக் குறைக்க புருவங்களில் எண்ணெய் வைப்பது கண்களுக்கு குளிர்ச்சியை அளிக்கும்.

14. பொதுவாக கண்களுக்கு ஓய்வு என்றால், எதையும் உற்று அல்லது கூர்ந்து பார்க்காமல் இருந்தாலேப் போதும். அதாவது சாதாரணமாக கண்களால் எந்தப் பொருளையும் பார்ப்பதால் கண்களுக்கு எந்த பாதிப்பும் ஏற்படாது.

15. ஆனால் எதையாவது உற்றுப் பார்க்கும் போதுதான் அதற்கு பாதிப்பு ஏற்படுகிறது. சிறிது நேரம் எந்தப் பொருளையும் உற்றுப் பார்காகமல், எதைப் பற்றியும் சிந்திக்காமல் இருப்பதும் நல்ல பயிற்சிதான்.

16. அதேப்போல மதியம் உணவு இடைவேளையின் போது சாப்பிட்டுவிட்டு உடனடியாக கணினி முன் அமர்வதைவிட, சாப்பிட்ட பின் ஒரு 15 நிமிடம் அமரும் நாற்காலியிலேயே தளர்வாக அமர்ந்தபடி கண் மூடி இருப்பது ஏன் 10 நிமிடம் தூங்குவது கூட மிகவும் நல்லது.

17. ஒரு நாளைக்குத் தேவையான சக்தியை இந்த 15 நிமிட தூக்கத்தில் உடல் பெற்று விடும். அதற்காக படுக்கையில் படுத்து தூங்கக் கூடாது.

18. அமர்ந்த படி தளர்வாக 15 நிமிடம் அமர்ந்திருந்தாலும் கூட நல்லது. இப்படி செய்வதால் மாலையிலும் நீங்கள் சுறுசுறுப்பாக இருக்க முடியும்

An awesome shot of real action in Africa by Tim Bagley!

Various types of Spring.

In their simplest form, mechanical springs such as coil springs, leaf springs, volute springs and compression springs are elastic devices that store mechanical potential energy when deformed by compression, extension or torsion. It is a device that changes shape when an external force is applied and returns to its original form when removed. The energy absorbed is stored in the spring and can be recovered if it returns to its original shape.

லத்தீன் அமெரிக்காவின் தனிமை

“லத்தீன் அமெரிக்காவின் யதார்த்தம் நீங்கள் கற்பனையில்கூடத் தரிசிக்க முடியாத குரூரங்களையும் விநோதங்களையும் கொண்டது. அந்த யதார்த்தங்களை விவரிக்க மரபுரீதியான உத்திகள்கூட இல்லையென்பதுதான் எங்கள் தனிமையின் சாரம்.” காப்ரியல் கார்சியா மார்க்வெஸின் நோபல் பரிசு ஏற்புரைக்குப் பின் வரும் இந்த வரிகளுக்குள் பொதிந்து கிடப்பது ஐந்து நூற்றாண்டுகளின் சோகமும் கோபமும். 'தனிமையின் நூறு ஆண்டுகள்' அந்த வரலாற்றின் ஒரு செதுக்கல்தான். அந்த வரலாற்றுச் சோகம் 1492-ம் ஆண்டில் கொலம்பஸ் என்ற ஸ்பானிய மாலுமியின் வருகையில் துவங்கியது.

பூர்வகுடிகளை அழித்த வரலாறு

ஸ்பானிய மன்னரின் ஆசி பெற்று, தங்கம் இருக்கும் இந்தியாவைத் தேடிப் புறப்பட்ட கொலம்பஸ், இந்தியா என்று நம்பி இறங்கியது, இப்போது கரீபியத் தீவுகள் என்றறியப்படும் நிலப் பகுதியில்தான். அங்கு வாழ்ந்த அரவாக் பூர்வ குடியினர் கொலம்பஸை எப்படி வரவேற்றனர்? “அரவாக்குகள் எங்களை நோக்கி உணவு, தண்ணீர் ஏந்தி ஓடிவந்தனர். கிளிகளையும் பஞ்சுப் பந்துகளையும் ஈட்டிகளையும் பரிசாகக் கொடுத்தார்கள். அவர்களின் கைகளில் ஆயுதங்கள் இல்லை. ஆயுதங்கள் என்றால் என்னவென்றே அவர்களுக்குத் தெரியவில்லை. அவர்களிடம் ஒரு வாளியைக் கொடுத்தேன். விவரமறியாத அவர்கள் அதன் கூரான ஒரு பகுதியைப் பிடித்ததால் காயமடைந்தனர். கட்டுமஸ்தான உடலமைப்பைக் கொண்ட அவர்கள் நல்ல வேலைக்காரர்களாக இருப்பார்கள் என்று நினைத்துக்கொண்டேன்.”

இப்படிக் குறிப்பெழுதிய கொலம்பஸ் அவர்களுக்கு ஓர் ஆணையிட்டார். 14 வயதுக்கு மேற்பட்ட ஒவ்வொரு அரவாக்கும் மூன்று மாதங்களுக்கு ஒரு முறை குறிப்பிட்ட அளவு தங்கம் கொண்டுவர வேண்டும். கொண்டுவருபவர்கள் கழுத்தில் தாமிரச் செப்புகள் மாட்டப்பட்டன. தாமிரச் செப்பு இல்லாதவர்களின் கைகள் வெட்டப்பட்டன. ஆயுதம் என்றால் என்னவென்று அறியாத அப்பாவிகளால் ஸ்பானியக் கொள்ளையரின் குதிரைகளையும் வாள்களையும் எதிர்த்து நிற்க முடியவில்லை. கசாவா எனும் விஷக் கிழங்குகளைத் தின்று கூட்டம் கூட்டமாகத் தற்கொலை செய்துகொண்டனர். பச்சிளங்குழந்தைகள் ஸ்பானியர் கைகளில் சிக்கிவிடக் கூடாது என்று பயந்து, அந்தக் குழந்தைகளை அவர்களே கொன்றுவிட்டனர். இரண்டே ஆண்டுகளில் இரண்டு லட்சத்துக்கும் அதிகமான அரவாக்குகள் கொல்லப்பட்டனர்; அல்லது தற்கொலை செய்துகொண்டனர். 1650-ம் ஆண்டு வெளிவந்த ஓர் அறிக்கை இப்போது ஹைட்டி என்றழைக்கப்படும் தீவில் அரவாக் இனமே அழிந்துவிட்டது என்று கூறுகிறது. கொலம்பஸுக்குப் பின் தென் அமெரிக்காவில் வந்திறங்கிய ஐரோப்பியர்கள் ஆஸ்டெக், இன்கா, ஹாட்டரர்ஸ், பெக்வெட் பூர்வகுடி இனங்களைக் கொன்றழித்தனர். இங்கிலாந்திலிருந்து சென்றவர்கள் ஆக்கிரமித்த வட அமெரிக்காவுக்கு ‘ஆங்கில அமெரிக்கா' என்றும் லத்தீன் மொழியை வேராகக் கொண்ட ஸ்பானிய, போர்த்துக்கீசிய மொழி பேசுபவர்கள் ஆக்கிரமித்த தென்பகுதி ‘லத்தீன் அமெரிக்கா' என்றும் பெயர்பெற்றது இப்படித்தான்.

ஸ்பெயின்: உலகின் முதல் வல்லரசு

ஐரோப்பிய முதலாளித்துவத்தின் மூலதனப் பசிக்கு அமெரிக்க பூர்வகுடியினரின் ரத்தம்தான் முதல் படையல்! 1,000-த்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட தானிய வகைகளைப் பயிர் செய்யவும், மச்சு பிச்சு என்ற அற்புதக் கட்டிடக் கலையின் சின்னத்தை உருவாக்கவும் திறன்பெற்ற பூர்வகுடிகளின் கலாச்சாரத்தின் கல்லறையின் மீதுதான் ஐரோப்பிய நாகரிகம் எழுப்பப்பட்டது.

தென் அமெரிக்காவில் கொலம்பஸ் புதிய உலகத்தைக் கண்டுபிடித்தவுடன் அதன்மீது ஸ்பெயினும் போர்ச்சுகலும் உரிமை கொண்டாடின; அன்றைய போப்பாண்டவர் ஸ்பெயின் தேசத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர். போர்த்துகீசிய நாட்டுக்கு ஆதரவாக அளிக்கப்பட்டிருந்த போப் ஆணைகள் ரத்துசெய்யப்பட்டு, தென் அமெரிக்காவைச் சூறையாடும் முழு உரிமை ஸ்பெயினுக்கு வழங்கப்பட்டது.

“கிறிஸ்டோபர் கொலம்பஸ் தெய்வீக அருளுடன் மிகவும் சிரமப்பட்டு ஒரு பெருங்கடலைக் கடந்து சில தீவுகளையும் சில பிரதான நிலப் பகுதிகளையும் கண்டுபிடித்துள்ளார். அந்தப் பகுதியில் வசிக்கும் மக்கள் அமைதியாக வாழ்ந்துவருகிறார்கள். அவர்கள் உடை அணிவதில்லையென்றும், மாமிசம் சாப்பிடுவதில்லை என்றும் கூறப்படுகிறது. அம்மக்கள் சொர்க்கத்தில் இருக்கும் ஒரு கடவுளின் மேல் நம்பிக்கை கொண்டவர்கள். கத்தோலிக்க மதத்தைத் தழுவி, நல்லொழுக்க நெறிகளில் பயிற்சி பெறத் தயாராக உள்ளனர். இத் தீவுகளில் தங்கம், நறுமணப் பொருள்கள் மற்றும் பல அரிய பொக்கிஷங்கள் நிறைந்துள்ளன. ஸ்பெயின் நாட்டு அரசக் குடியரான நீங்கள் உங்கள் மூதாதையரைப் போலவே அப்பிரதேசங்களையும் அங்கு வாழும் மக்களையும் உங்கள் அதிகாரத்தின் கீழ் கொண்டுவந்து அவர்களுக்கு கத்தோலிக்க நம்பிக்கை ஏற்படுத்த வேண்டுமென விரும்புகிறீர்கள்.” இப்படிக் கூறிய போப்பின் ஆணை ஆர்க்டிக் கடலிலிருந்து அண்டார்டிக் கடல் வரை ஓர் எல்லைக் கோட்டினை வரைந்து, அதற்கு உட்பட்ட பகுதிகள் ஸ்பெயின் நாட்டுக்குச் சொந்தம் என்று வரையறுத்தது.

கடவுளின் ஆசியுடன் பூர்வகுடி அமெரிக்கர்களிடமிருந்து திருடிய நிலப் பரப்புகளிலிருந்து கொள்ளையடிக்கப்பட்ட தங்கமும் வெள்ளியும்தான் ஸ்பெயினை 15, 16-ம் நூற்றாண்டுகளில் உலகின் முதல் வல்லரசாக மாற்றின. ஸ்பெயினுக்கு எதிராக லத்தீன் அமெரிக்க நாடுகளில் ஏற்பட்ட பல புரட்சிகளுக்கு எதிராக நடந்த பல மக்கள் எழுச்சிகளுக்குத் தலைமை தாங்கியவர்தான் சிமோன் பொலிவர்.

அமெரிக்க வல்லரசு

இதே காலகட்டத்தில் வட அமெரிக்கப் பகுதியில் பூர்வகுடி இந்தியரின் அழிவின் மீது உருவாக்கப்பட்ட புகையிலைத் தோட்டங்களில் பணிபுரிய லட்சக் கணக்கான ஆப்பிரிக்கர்களை அடிமைகளாக இறக்குமதி செய்து, பொருளாதார வளர்ச்சியடைந்தது அமெரிக்கா.

லத்தீன் அமெரிக்காவில் ஐரோப்பிய சக்திகளின் ஆதிக்கத்தைத் தடுத்து நிறுத்துவதற்காக 1830-களில் மன்ரோ கொள்கையை அமெரிக்கா வெளியிட்டது. இந்த வல்லரசுப் போட்டியில் இறுதியாக 1898-ல் நடந்த போரில் அமெரிக்கா ஸ்பெயினை வெற்றிகொண்டது.

லத்தீன் அமெரிக்காவைத் தன் ஆதிக்கத்துக்குள் கொண்டுவந்த அமெரிக்கா, பாடிஸ்டா என்ற சர்வாதிகாரியின் ஆட்சியிலிருந்த கியூபாவில் தலையிடும் உரிமையை சட்டமாக்கியது; தன்னிடம் வாங்கிய கடனைத் திருப்பிச் செலுத்தத் தவறியதால், டொமினிகன் குடியரசின் வங்கிகள், நிதிநிறுவனங்களைக் கந்துவட்டிக்காரர்கள் போலக் கைப்பற்றியது; மெக்சிகோ நாட்டில் வேலைநிறுத்தம் செய்த தொழிலாளர்களை அடக்க, தன் ராணுவத்தை அனுப்பி, அந்நாட்டுச் சர்வாதிகாரி போர்ஃபிரியோ டையஸுக்கு ஆதரவாக ‘ஜனநாயகத்தை'க் காப்பாற்றியது; ஹோண்டுரோஸ் நாட்டுக்குள் நான்கு முறை ராணுவத்தை அனுப்பியது; பனாமா நாட்டிலிருந்து நிலப் பகுதியை அபகரித்து பனாமா கால்வாயை வெட்டி, கப்பல் போக்குவரத்தை அதிகரித்துத் தன் வர்த்தகத்தை வளப்படுத்தியது. அமெரிக்கத் தொழிலதிபர்களின் நலன்களைப் பாதுகாக்க அமெரிக்கா செய்த அட்டூழியங்களின் இந்தப் பட்டியல் அட்லாண்டிக் பெருங்கடலின் கரையை விட நீளமானது.

சர்வாதிகாரிகளின் ‘ஜனநாயகத்தை'ப் பாதுகாக்கவும், அமெரிக்கத் தொழிலதிபர்களின் சுரங்கங்கள், பழத் தோட்டங்களை நாட்டுடைமையாக்க நினைத்த சோஷலிஸ அரசாங்கங்களின் ‘கொடுங்கோன்மையை' ஒடுக்கவும் அமெரிக்கா எடுத்த முயற்சிகள், ஐரோப்பிய காலனி யாதிக்கங்கள் முன்பு செய்த அட்டூழியங்கள் ஏற்படுத்திய வடுக்களை மீண்டும் காயங்களாக்கின.

போரில் இழந்த வலது காலுக்கு ஒரு பிரம்மாண்டமான இறுதி நிகழ்ச்சி நடத்திய மெக்சிகோவின் சர்வாதிகாரி, ஈக்வடார் நாட்டின் சர்வாதிகாரி இறந்த பிறகு ஜனாதிபதியின் இருக்கையில் ராணுவ உடையுடனும் பதக்கங்களுடனும் அமர்த்தப்பட்ட அவருடைய பிணம், முப்பதாயிரம் விவசாயிகளைப் படுகொலை செய்த பக்தி நிறைந்த எல் சால்வடார் நாட்டு அதிபர், சிலி நாட்டின் சோஷலிச அதிபரைக் கொன்று பினோசெட் என்ற சர்வாதிகார பொம்மையை அமெரிக்கா ஆட்சியில் அமர்த்திய பிறகு, சிலி நாட்டிலிருந்து ஓடிப்போன, காணாமல் போன பத்து லட்சம் மக்கள் - இப்படி தன் நோபல் ஏற்புரையில் மார்க்வெஸ் பட்டியலிடும் விநோதங்களும் குரூரங்களும் எந்தக் கற்பனைப் படைப்பையும் விஞ்சும் யதார்த்தங்கள். இவை அவரின் மாய யதார்த்த எழுத்துக்களில் கனவுகளாகவும், நம்புதற்கரிய புனைவுகளாகவும் வெளிப் படுகின்றன. லத்தீன் அமெரிக்காவின் தனிமை நூறு ஆண்டுகளில் அல்ல, ஐநூறு ஆண்டுகளில் உருவானது.

ஆர். விஜயசங்கர், சமூக-அரசியல் விமர்சகர், ஃபிரண்ட்லைன் இதழின் ஆசிரியர்,
தொடர்புக்கு: vijay62@gmail.com thanks http://tamil.thehindu.com/

Music is beautiful...

Structural changes induced by daily music listening in the recovering brain after middle cerebral artery stroke: a voxel-based morphometry study

Teppo Särkämö^1,2*, Pablo Ripollés^3,4, Henna Vepsäläinen¹, Taina Autti⁵,Heli M. Silvennoinen⁵, Eero Salli⁵, Sari Laitinen⁶, Anita Forsblom⁷, Seppo Soinila⁸ and Antoni Rodríguez-Fornells^3,4,9

1Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Cognitive Science, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
2Finnish Centre of Interdisciplinary Music Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
3Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
4Department of Basic Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
5Department of Radiology, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
6Miina Sillanpää Foundation, Helsinki, Finland
7Department of Music, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
8Department of Neurology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
9Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain

Music is a highly complex and versatile stimulus for the brain that engages many temporal, frontal, parietal, cerebellar, and subcortical areas involved in auditory, cognitive, emotional, and motor processing. Regular musical activities have been shown to enhance the structure and function of many brain areas, making music a potential tool in neurological rehabilitation. In our previous randomised controlled study, we found that listening to music daily can improve cognitive recovery and improve mood after an acute middle cerebral artery stroke. Extending this study, a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis utilising cost function masking was performed on the acute and 6-month post-stroke stage structural magnetic resonance imaging data of the patients (n = 49) who either listened to their favourite music [music group (MG), n = 16] or verbal material [audio book group (ABG), n = 18] or did not receive any listening material [control group (CG), n = 15] during the 6-month recovery period. Although all groups showed significant grey matter volume (GMV) increases from the acute to the 6-month stage, there was a specific network of frontal areas [left and right superior frontal gyrus (SFG), right medial SFG] and the limbic regions [left ventral/subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (SACC) and right ventral striatum (VS)] in patients with left hemisphere damage in which the GMV increases were more significant in the MG than in the ABG and in the CG. Moreover, the GM reorganisation in the frontal areas correlated with enhanced recovery of verbal memory, focused attention, and language skills, whereas the GM reorganisation in the SACC correlated with reduced negative mood. This study adds to previous results, showing that music listening after stroke not only enhances behavioural recovery but also induces fine-grained neuroanatomical changes in the recovering brain.

Introduction

During the past 10 years, advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis methods, such as voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), have provided novel information about the dynamics of the structural neuroplastic changes underlying spontaneous recovery and rehabilitation after stroke. Based on longitudinal VBM and DTI studies of stroke patients, the recovery of cognitive and motor deficits is associated with grey matter volume (GMV) changes in many frontal, temporal, cerebellar, and subcortical (e.g., hippocampus) areas (Grau-Olivares et al., 2010; Dang et al., 2013; Fan et al., 2013) as well as changes in the integrity of the white matter (WM) tracts connecting and projecting from these areas (Liang et al., 2008; van Meer et al., 2012; Thiebaut de Schotten et al., 2014). In longitudinal intervention studies, intensive motor rehabilitation using constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) has been shown to increase GMV in frontal and parietal sensory–motor areas and in the hippocampus (Gauthier et al., 2008) and intensive aphasia rehabilitation using constraint-induced language therapy (CILT) or melodic intonation therapy (MIT) has been observed to enhance the integrity of the WM tracks connecting frontal and temporal regions (arcuate fasciculus) in the left (Breier et al., 2011) and right (Schlaug et al., 2009) hemispheres, respectively. These findings suggest that both behavioural recovery and active rehabilitation after stroke are closely linked to fine-grained neuroanatomical changes in the recovering brain. However, very little is known about the broader potential effects of the recovery environment on structural brain plasticity after stroke in humans.

Converging evidence from both animal (Johansson, 2004; Nithianantharajah and Hannan, 2006) and human studies (Johansson, 2012; Janssen et al., 2014) indicates that an environmental enrichment (EE), which provides additional sensory, cognitive, motor, and/or social stimulation compared to a standard environment, plays a vital role in enhancing behavioural recovery after an acute stroke. In addition, evidence from animal studies suggests that post-stroke EE can induce several cellular and molecular neuroplastic effects in the brain, including an increase in dendritic complexity (Biernaskie and Corbett, 2001; Johansson and Belichenko, 2002), neural stem and progenitor cells (Komitova et al., 2005; Matsumori et al., 2006), and neurotrophic and neural growth factor levels (Gobbo and O’Mara, 2004; Söderström et al., 2009), and that these changes are associated with better cognitive or motor recovery. Interestingly, a multisensory EE, including auditory, visual, and olfactory stimuli, has been found to be effective in improving cognitive and motor recovery and reducing lesion volume (Maegele et al., 2005a,b). Also evidence from developmental animal studies shows that a purely auditory EE, which contains complex sounds or music, can enhance the structure and function of the auditory cortex (Engineer et al., 2004; Bose et al., 2010) as well as improve learning and memory and upregulate various neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine, glutamate) and neurotrophins associated with them (Sutoo and Akiyama, 2004; Angelucci et al., 2007; Nichols et al., 2007). Overall, these findings indicate that auditory enrichment can benefit the brain and suggest that it could contribute to better cognitive and neural recovery after stroke.

In the human brain, music and speech constitute the two most complex and versatile auditory stimuli in terms of their acoustic richness and the breadth of the neural networks involved in their perception and learning (Zatorre, 2013). Neuroimaging studies of healthy subjects have demonstrated that music processing engages a vast bilateral network of temporal, frontal, parietal, cerebellar, and limbic/paralimbic areas associated with the perception of complex acoustic features (e.g., melody, rhythm), syntactic and semantic processing, attention and working memory, episodic and semantic memory, motor and rhythm processing, and experiencing emotions and reward (Blood and Zatorre, 2001; Janata et al., 2002a,b; Platel et al., 2003; Koelsch et al., 2004, 2005, 2006; Menon and Levitin, 2005; Bengtsson et al., 2009; Salimpoor et al., 2011, 2013; Alluri et al., 2012;Herdene r et al., 2014; for recent reviews see, Koelsch, 2010, 2011; Zatorre, 2013). Evidence from VBM and DTI studies also indicates that frequent musical activities, such as playing an instrument or singing, can lead to long-term structural changes in the brain, especially in frontal, temporal, and parietal areas and in the WM pathways (e.g., corpus callosum, arcuate fasciculus) connecting them (Gaser and Schlaug, 2003; Hyde et al., 2009; Halwani et al., 2011; James et al., 2014). Improvements in attention and executive functioning have also been reported in healthy older adults after regular music-playing activities, such as piano playing (Bugos et al., 2007). One longitudinal study also highlighted the role of playing musical instruments and dancing as leisure activities associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia (Verghese et al., 2003). Regarding the potential rehabilitative use of music after a stroke, results from recent clinical studies suggest that active music-based interventions that utilise singing (MIT) or instrument playing (music-supported therapy, MST) can be effective in improving speech and motor recovery through enhancing the functioning and connectivity of temporal auditory and frontal motor areas (Schlaug et al., 2008,2009; Altenmüller et al., 2009; Rojo et al., 2011; Rodríguez-Fornells et al., 2012; Grau-Sánchez et al., 2013). Very little, however, is known about the potential neuroplastic changes induced by everyday musical activities, such as music listening, after a stroke.

Previously, we performed a randomised controlled trial (RCT) concerning the potential rehabilitative effects of an enriched sound environment on stroke recovery. Sixty patients with an acute left (n = 29) or right (n = 31) hemisphere middle cerebral artery (MCA) brain infarction were randomised to a music group (MG) (daily listening to self-selected music), an audiobook group (ABG) (daily listening to self-selected audiobooks), and a control group (CG) (standard care only) and their recovery was followed for 6 months using behavioral measures (neuropsychological tests and questionnaires on mood), an auditory magnetoencephalography (MEG) measurement, and structural MRI. Fifty-four patients completed the whole 6-month follow-up. Behavioural results showed that verbal memory and focused attention improved more in the MG than in the ABG or CG after the intervention period at the 3-month follow-up and also remained better at the longitudinal 6-month follow-up (Särkämö et al., 2008), suggesting that regular music listening enhanced cognitive recovery. Compared to the CG, the MG also experienced less depressed and confused mood at the 3-month follow-up (Särkämö et al., 2008). MEG results showed that the mismatch negativity (MMN) response to frequency changes strengthened more in the MG and ABG compared to the CG at the 6-month follow-up, indicating that regular exposure to both music and speech enhanced early auditory encoding in the recovering brain (Särkämö et al., 2010a).

In the present study, our aim was to determine with a VBM analysis of the longitudinal structural MRI data (baseline acute stage and 6-month stage) from the same patient sample whether daily music listening could also lead to structural GM and WM reorganisation in the brain and if this change would also be related to the previously found positive effects of music on cognitive and emotional recovery after stroke.

Materials and Methods

Subjects and Study Design

Sixty stroke patients were recruited during 2004–2006 from the Department of Neurology of the Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH). All patients had an acute ischemic MCA stroke in the left (n = 29) or right (n = 31) temporal, frontal, parietal, or subcortical brain regions. Additional inclusion criteria were: no prior neurological/psychiatric disease, drug/alcohol abuse, or hearing deficit; right-handed; ≤75 years old; Finnish-speaking; and able to co-operate. Recruited patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups (n = 20 each): an MG, an ABG, or a CG. Randomisation was performed with a random number generator by a researcher not involved in the patient enrollment. The HUCH Ethics Committee approved the study, an, and all patients signed an informed consent. All patients received standard treatment for stroke in terms of medical care and rehabilitation.

During the follow-up, the patients underwent a neuropsychological assessment (including cognitive tests and questionnaires) and an auditory MEG measurement 1 week (baseline), 3 months, and 6 months post-stroke, and a structural MRI within 2 weeks of the stroke onset and 6 months post-stroke. Details regarding the methodology and results of the neuropsychological assessments and the MEG experiment are available in the prepreviouslyblished articles (Särkämö et al., 2008, 2010a).

Of the 60 patients initially recruited into the study, 55 completed the study up to the 3-month stage and 54 up to the 6-month stage. For the longitudinal VBM analyses, appropriate MRI data were unavailable in three patients and the image quality was insufficient in two patients. Thus, data from 49 patients were used in the present study. Demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as the musical and linguistic activities of the patients, are shown in Tables 1 and 2, presented separately for the patients with left hemisphere damage (LHD, n = 23) and right hemisphere damage (RHD, n = 26). There were no significant differences between the MG, ACG, and CG on any demographic or clinical variables, prior musical or linguistic activities, or in other rehabilitation received during the 6-month follow-up,. In contrast, the frequency of listening to music and audiobooks differed highly significantly between the groups both at the 3-month and the 6-month stage. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the MG and ABG on how many hours per day the patients listened to the provided material (music in thaudiobooks books in the ABG) on average, although within the RHD, patients the daily listening amounts were slightly higher in the MG than in the ABG. These results indicate that the groups were comparable and that the intervention protocol worked well.

TABLE 1

Table 1. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients (n = 49).

TABLE 2

Table 2. Musical and linguistic activities of the patients (n = 49).

Intervention

As soon as possible after their enrollment to the study (mean 8.8 days post-stroke, range 3–21 days), the MG and ABG patients were individually contacted by a music therapist. In the MG, the therapist provided the patients with portable CD players and CDs of their favourite music in any musical genre (primarily popular music with lyrics but also jazz, folk, or classical music). Similarly, the therapist provided the ABG with portable players and self-selected narrated audiobooks. The patients were trained in using the players. They were instructed to listen to the material by themselves daily (for a minimum of 1 h per day) for the following 2 months in addition to standard care and rehabilitation. After this intervention period (3-month stage), they were encouraged to continue listening to the material on their own. To ensure that the patients could engage in the listening protocol, the therapist kept close weekly contact with the patients and the nurses and/or relatives of the patients were asked to help. The frequency frequency was verified from the listening diaries, which the patients kept during the intervention period and from questionnaires at the 3- and 6-month stages. The CG was not given any listening material and received only standard care and rehabilitation during the follow-up.

MRI Data Acquisition

Structural MRI was performed within 2 weeks of stroke onset and 6 months post-stroke using the 1.5 T Siemens Vision scanner of the HUCH Department of Radiology. Clinically, the MRI was used by two experienced neuroradiologists (authors Taina Autti and Heli M. Silvennoinen) to verify the stroke diagnosis and evaluate the lesion's size and locationNormalizing. The MRI sequence included a 3D set of high-resolution T1 images (TE = 3.68 ms, TR = 1900 ms, TI = 1100 ms, flip angle 15°, isotropic voxel size of 1 mm3), which were used in the present VBM analysis. In addition, also a smaller set of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (2D FLAIR) images, which are sensitive to acute infarcts, were acquired and used in accurately locating the lesion area, especially in the acute stage.

Voxel-Based Morphometry Analysis

Morphometric analysis was carried out using VBM (Ashburner and Friston, 2000) and Statistical Parametric Mapping software (SPM8; The Welcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, London) under MATLAB 7.8.0 (The MathWorks Inc., Natick, MA, USA). The normaliznormalisationn images is a prerequisite in any multi-subject voxel-wise MRI data analysis and is especially important when dealing with abnormal brains. To achieve an accurate segmentation and normalisation of lesioned GM and WM tissue, Unified Segmentation (Ashburner and Friston, 2005) with medium regularisation and cost function masking (CFM) was applied to the structural T1-weighted images of each subject (Brett et al., 2001). The cost function masks were defined by manually depicting binary lesion masks of the lesioned tissue for each patient at each time (acute and 6-month stage) using the MRIcron software package 1 (Rorden and Brett, 2000). This technique has been widely used with patients suffering from stroke (Crinion et al., 2007; Andersen et al., 2010; Ripollés et al., 2012), achieving optimal normalisation with no post-registration lesion shrinkage or out-of-brain distortion (Ripollés et al., 2012). During normalisation, the GM and WM images were modulated to preserve the signal's total amountto. The resulting normalised GM and WM tissue probability maps were smoothed using an isotropic spatial filter (FWHM = 6 mm) to reduce residual inter-individual variability.

All normalised and smoothed GM and WM images were further analysed in order to compare the differences in the GMV or white matter volume (WMV). Because the processing of music and speech are generally known to involve the left and right hemispheres to a different degree (e.g., Zatorre et al., 2002; Tervaniemi and Hugdahl, 2003) and they are therefore differentially affected by lesion laterality, we performed separate analyses for the LHD patients (MG: n = 7, ABG: n = 8, CG: n = 8) and the RHD patients (MG: n = 9, ABG: n = 10, CG: n = 7). Thus, four separate mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) models (GMV–LHD, GMV–RHD, WMV–LHD, WMV–RHD) were built with Group (MG/ABG/CG) as a between-subjects variable and Time (acute stage/6-month stage) as a within-subjects variable (thereby ensuring that each subject acted as its own control). Total intracranial volume (TIV) was included as a nuisance variable to correct for global differences in head size. Three different Group × Time interactions were calculated: MG > CG and ABG, ABG > CG and MG, and CG > MG and ABG. In other words, we tested if the post–pre GMV increments more significantin one group (e.g., MG) were greater than in the other two groups (e.g., CG and ABG). In addition, post hoc paired t-tests were planned to check the direction of the effect of Time within each Group (6 months > acute). It has been suggested that combined intensity and cluster size thresholds such as p < 0.005 with a 10 voxel extent produce a desirable balance between Type I and Type II errors (Lieberman and Cunningham, 2009). Taking a slightly more stringent approach, the results are reported in tables at p < 0.001 (uncorrected threshold) with a cluster size of ≥50 voxels of spatFor the sake of visual clarity, results are shown in figures at p < 0.01 (uncorrected threshold), although only clusters reported in the tables are labeled and commented throughout the text. Anatomical and cytoarchitectonical areas were identified using the Automated Anatomical Labeling (Tzourio-Mazoyer et al., 2002) and the Talairach Daemon database atlases (Lancaster et al., 2000) included in the xjView toolbox 2.

Finally, for any cluster of voxels where a significant Group × Time interaction was found, mean GMV or WMV increase (6 months − acute stage) was calculated for each patient and correlated with behavioural changes (6 months − acute stage) in cognitive tests and mood scales. For the cognitive measures, changes in the summary scores of the tests measuring the following cognitive domains were included: verbal memory, short-term and working memory, language skills, visuospatial cognition, executive functions, focused attention (correct responses and reaction times), and sustained attention (correct responses and reactions times; for details, see Särkämö et al., 2008). Similarly, for the mood measures, changes in the eight Profile of Mood States (POMS) scales (tension, depression, irritability, vigour, fatigue, inertia, confusion, and forgetfulness) were included (for details, see Särkämö et al., 2008).

Results

Gray and White Matter Volume Changes during Recovery

Significant GMV increases were found post-intervention (6 months − acute) for all three groups of LHD patients (see Table 3; Figure 1) and RHD patients (see Table 4; Figure 2). Areas identified were primarily located in the temporal, frontal, motor, limbic, and cerebellar brain regions, especially in the contralesional hemisphere, with the most significant and most extensive volume increases occurring in the MG.

TABLE 3

Table 3. GMV increases (6-month − acute) in LHD patients (n = 23).

FIGURE 1

Figure 1. GMV increases (6-month − acute) in LHD patients (n = 23). Lesionindicates the number of patients with damage at a particular voxel, and GMV increases within the three groups, whichee groups are shown in blue–green–red and red–yellow, respectively. Neurological convention is used. Results are shown at p < 0.01 (uncorrected) with ≥50 voxels of spatial extent and overlaid over a canonical template with MNI coordinates at the bottom right of each slice. Only clusters surviving a p < 0.001 thresholds are labelled (see also Table 3). TP, temporal pole; PCG, posterior cingulate gyrus; Cr, cerebellum; PrCG, precentral gyrus; Calc, calcarine; Prec, precuneus; SFG, superior frontal gyrus; VS, ventral striatum; IFG, inferior frontal gyrus; SACC, ventral/subgenual anterior cingulate cortex; OFC, orbitofrontal cortex; FfG, fusiform gyrus; L, left hemisphere; R, right hemisphere.

TABLE 4

Table 4. GMV increases (6-month − acute) in RHD patients (n = 26).

FIGURE 2

Figure 2. GMV increases (6-month − acute) in RHD patients (n = 26). Lesion overlap indicates the number of patients with damage at a particular voxel, and GMV increases within the three groups, which are shown in blue–green–red and red–yellow, respectively. Neurological convention is used. Results are shown at p < 0.01 (uncorrected) with ≥50 voxels of spatial extent and overlaid over a canonical template with MNI coordinates at the bottom right of each slice. Only clusters surviving a p < 0.001 thresholds are labelled (see Table 4). SMG, supramarginal gyrus; Th, thalamus; ITG, inferior temporal gyrus; Bstm, brainstem; MCG, middle cingulate gyrus; PCG, posterior cingulate gyrus; Cr, cerebellum; PrCG, precentral gyrus; In, insula; PoCG, postcentral gyrus; IFG, inferior frontal gyrus; MTG, middle temporal gyrus; FfG, fusiform gyrus; L, left hemisphere; R, right hemisphere.

In LHD patients, significant Group × Time interactions in GMV were found for the MG > ABG and CG contrast (see Table 5; Figure 3) in five different clusters: three in frontal areas [left and right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and right medial SFG] and two in limbic areas [left ventral/subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (SACC) and right ventral striatum (VS) / globus pallidum). The reversed contrasts (ABG > CG and MG, CG > MG and ABG) yielded no significant regions.

TABLE 5

Table 5. GMV increases (6-month − acute) in the MG compared to the ABG and CG (LHD patients).

FIGURE 3

Figure 3. GMV increases (6-month − acute) in the MG compared to the ABG and CG (LHD patients). Blue-green–red: lesion overlap indicating the number of patients showing damage at a particular voxel. Red–yellow: GMV increases for the MG compared to the ABG and CG (Group × Time interaction, MG > ABG and CG contrast). Bar graphs indicate GMV increases (mean ± SEM) for each cluster showing an interaction effect (white: CG, grey: ABG, black: MG). Neurological convention is used. Results are shown at p < 0.01 (uncorrected) with ≥50 voxels of spatial extent and overlaid over a canonical template with MNI coordinates at the bottom right of each slice (see also Table 5). L, left hemisphere.

RHD patients had no significant Group × Time interactions in GMV in any area at the selected threshold (p < 0.001 uncorrected). However, when using a slightly more lenient threshold (p< 0.005 uncorrected), a single cluster emerged in the left insula (MNI −33 −6 −8; 73 voxels of extent; t(22) = 3.36) for the MG > ABG and CG contrast (see Figure 4). Again, no other clusters were found using the reversed contrasts (ABG > CG and MG, CG > MG and ABG) at this same threshold.

FIGURE 4

Figure 4. GMV increases (6-month − acute) in the MG compared to the ABG and CG (RHD patients). Blue–green–Blue-greenn overlap indicating the number of patients showing damage at a particular voxel. Red–yellow: GMV increases for the MG compared to the ABG and CG (Group × Time interaction, MG > ABG, and CG contrast). Bar graphs (left) indicate GMV increases (mean ± SEM) for the only cluster (left insula) showing an interaction effect (white: CG, grey: ABG, black: MG). The scatter plot (right) shows the relationship between GMV increase in the insula cluster and improvement in language skills. Neurological convention is used. Results are shown at p < 0.01 (uncorrected) with ≥50 voxels of spatial extent and overlaid over a canonical template with MNI coordinates at the bottom right of each slice. L, left hemisphere.

There were no significant Time effects or Group × Time interactions in the WMV in LHD or RHD patients.

Correlation between Gray Matter Changes and Behavioral Recovery

To determine the functional relevance of the observed GMV increases induced by the music listening intervention, we performed correlation analyses with the longitudinal behavioural data (also 6 months − acute). In LHD patients, the increase in GMV in the identified frontal areas correlated significantly with improvement in verbal memory, language skills, and focused attention (see Table 6 for individual cluster correlations; in Figure 5, the frontal clusters are pooled together for illustrative purposes). Similarly, an increase in GMV in the limbic regions (left SACC) was significantly correlated with a decrease in self-reported depression, tension, fatigue, forgetfulness, and irritability and marginally correlated also with a reduction in self-reported confusion. In RHD patients, the GMV increases in the left insula cluster were also found to correlate with improving language skills (r = 0.63, p < 0.002; Figure 4). There were no other significant correlations.

TABLE 6

Table 6. Correlation between GMV increase and behavioural change (6-month − acute) in LHD patients.

FIGURE 5

Figure 5. Correlation between GMV increase and behavioural change (6-month − acute) in LHD patients. Red–yellow: GMV increases for the MG compared to the ABG and CG (Group × Time interaction). Scatter plots show the relationship between GMV increases and improvements in mood (left ventral/subgenual anterior cingulate cluster) and cognitive variables (three frontal clusters pooled together). Neurological convention is used. Results are shown at p < 0.01 (uncorrected) with ≥50 voxels of spatial extent and overlaid over a canonical template with MNI coordinates at the bottom right of each slice (see also Table 6). L, left hemisphere.

Discussion

The novel key finding of the present VBM study was that regular music listening during the 6-month post-stroke stage can lead to structural reorganisation in the recovering brain. Specifically, compared with patients who listened daily to audiobooks (ABG) or who did not receive any additional listening material (CG), the patients who listened daily to their own favourite music (MG) showed more increase in GMV from the acute to the 6-month stage in a network of frontolimbic areas, primarily in the healthy contralesional side but also perilesionally. Significantly, the observed GMV increases in this network were directly associated with the behavioural improvement in cognitive functioning and reduction in negative mood shown previously for music listening (Särkämö et al., 2008; Forsblom et al., 2012). The area-specific correlations obtained (attention, memory, and language for frontal areas; mood for limbic regions), the lack of differences in the reversed contrasts (ABG > CG and MG, CG > MG and ABG), and the fact that effects emerge in areas that have previously been found to be closely associated with music processing and cognitive/emotional processing (see below), argue against our results being false positives. Moreover, given that the patient groups were comparable at baseline and the potential effects of other types of rehabilitation (standard stroke rehabilitation) and activities (audiobook listening) were controlled for, these findings suggest that a musically enriched environment can be beneficial for acute stroke recovery and that neuroplastic changes in the frontolimbic network may underlie its efficacy.

In the present study, the frontal GMV increases associated with music listening in LHD patients were located in the left and right SFG and the right medial SFG and correlated with improved verbal memory, language skills, and focused attention over the 6-month follow-up. These correlations align with the previous findings of the study showing that music listening enhanced the recovery of verbal memory and focused attention more than audiobook listening or standard care both 3 and 6 months post-stroke (Särkämö et al., 2008). In addition, in the original data (n = 54), there was also a slight trend toward a group difference in the domain of language [mixed-model ANOVA, Group × Time interaction, F(2.4, 51.9) = 2.2, p = 0.108)] over the 6-month follow-up, with more improvement in the MG than in the ABG (p = 0.096), suggesting that the correlation between GMV and language skills is also meaningful. In previous MEG and fMRI studies on music, the activity of the SFG has been linked to melody discrimination and production (Brown et al., 2006; Lappe et al., 2013), processing the emotional valence of music (Escoffier et al., 2013), and musical episodic memory (Platel et al., 2003). Cognitively, evidence from neuroimaging and lesion studies suggests that the SFG is involved in many domain-general cognitive functions, such as attention and working memory (du Boisgueheneuc et al., 2006; Huang et al., 2013), and together with the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (DACC) it forms one key component of the salience/central executive network (Dosenbach et al., 2008). Interestingly, the DACC/SFG area also seems to have a role in language processing, including internally generated speech (Blank et al., 2003), and its activity has recently been linked to aphasia recovery (Brownsett et al., 2014). Structural and functional changes in the SFG have also been reported following meditation practice (Kang et al., 2013) and cognitive training (Hoekzema et al., 2010), suggesting that changes in SFG are associated with improved cognition.

In addition to the frontal areas, we also found GMV increases induced by music listening in LHD patients in two limbic regions: the left SACC and the right VS. Moreover, the GMV increase in the left SACC correlated with the reduction of negative mood (depression, confusion, tension, fatigue, forgetfulness, and irritability) in the POMS questionnaire. Again, this finding is well in line with our previous behavioural results showing that music listening reduced depression and confusion more than standard care (Särkämö et al., 2008) and was also subjectively associated with better relaxation and positive mood than audiobook listening (Forsblom et al., 2012). Generally, the VS is considered to be a vital part of the neural circuitry for reward and pleasure, and its dysfunction is associated with anhedonia, a hallmark symptom of depression (Der-Avakian and Markou, 2012;Esling er et al., 2012). The nucleus accumbens (NAc) and parts of the caudate nucleus and putamen, the dopaminergic VS, have been strongly implicated in neuroimaging studies as underlying the emotional experience of music (Blood and Zatorre, 2001; Brown et al., 2004; Menon and Levitin, 2005; Koelsch et al., 2006; Mitterschiffthaler et al., 2007; Montag et al., 2011; Salimpoor et al., 2011,2013). fMRI studies have also implicated the anterior cingulate in processing musical emotions (Brown et al., 2004; Mitterschiffthaler et al., 2007; Green et al., 2008; Janata, 2009; Escoffier et al., 2013), musical preferences (Berns et al., 2010; Kitayama et al., 2013), rhythm and melody perception (Jerde et al., 2011; Lee et al., 2011) and production (Brown et al., 2006; Berkowitz and Ansari, 2008), and singing (Kleber et al., 2007; Zarate and Zatorre, 2008). Generally, the ventral-rostral part of the ACC has a regulatory role in generating emotional responses, and its abnormal functioning has been linked to many psychiatric conditions (Etkin et al., 2011). In depressed patients, the activity of both the ACC and the VS to pleasant music is reduced compared to healthy controls (Osuch et al., 2009; Aust et al., 2013). In VBM studies, GM loss in the ACC has been linked to impaired recognition of musical emotions in frontotemporal dementia (Omar et al., 2011) and has also been documented as a critical neuroanatomical component in the aetiology of major depression (Grieve et al., 2013; Lai, 2013).

One possible interpretation for the increase in GMV in the subgenual part of the ACC could be related to the role of this subregion in affective appraisal, integration of emotional and motivational states, self-referential mental processing, and introspective thought (Northoff and Bermpohl, 2004; Vago and Silbersweig, 2012). Interestingly, Greicius et al. (2007) found using PET that the resting-state SACC activity was linked to the default-mode network in depressed patients and also correlated with the length of the depressive episode. In a recent fMRI study (Yoshimura et al., in press), the activity of the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral ACC during a task of self-referential processing of positive emotional trait words was also observed to increase in depressed patients following cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), suggesting that these areas are also linked to the amelioration of depression. Thus, given that pleasant and autobiographically salient music can activate the ventral ACC (Janata, 2009) and that music listening was also observed to evoke thoughts and memories about the past and improve mood in stroke patients (Forsblom et al., 2012), it is possible that positive self-referential emotional processing associated with music listening could be driving the observed structural enhancement of the SACC and the concurrent reduction in depressed mood.

Within the RHD subgroup of patients, we observed more GMV increase in the MG compared to the other groups in a single contralesional (left) cluster in the insula, which also correlated with the recovery of language skills. Since this was seen only using a slightly less stringent statistical threshold (p < 0.005 uncorrected) and the RHD–MG listened to the intervention material somewhat more often than the RHD–ABG (p = 0.076), this result should thus be interpreted with some caution. Although less is known about the specific role of the insula in music or language, current evidence from neuroimaging links it to the affective processing of music (Brown et al., 2004; Menon and Levitin, 2005; Koelsch et al., 2006; Montag et al., 2011; Omar et al., 2011; Trost et al., 2012) and voice (Blasi et al., 2011), musical creativity and improvisation (Brown et al., 2006; Engel and Keller, 2011;Villarreal et al., 2013), and perception of melody (Wehrum et al., 2011) and chords (Koelsch et al., 2005) as well as to verbal functions, especially speech articulation (Ackermann and Riecker, 2010; Price, 2010; Baldo et al., 2011). Overall, there was less music-induced GM reorganisation in RHD patients than in LHD patients. One reason for this could be that the lesions in the right hemisphere were, on average, larger and more extensive than in the left hemisphere (p = 0.044). Coupled with the fact that there is a level of right hemisphere dominance for music processing (Zatorre et al., 2002; Tervaniemi and Hugdahl, 2003) and, consequently, the majority of the RHD patients had some degree of amusia (see Särkämö et al., 2009, 2010b), it is possible that the music was not to able to engage the musical brain network in RHD patients to the same degree as in LHD patients. In addition, our sample size was relatively small (26 RHD patients and 23 LHD patients). There was also considerable variability in the location and size of the lesions (see Figures 1 and 2, top row), which together can affect the sensitivity of the VBM analysis to detect potential volumetric changes over time, especially in the lesioned hemisphere. Thus, more extensive studies with more homogenous lesion characteristics are called for in the future to verify and extend the current findings.

In general, the exact anatomical nature of the GM and WM changes observed with the VBM method is still not understood v. Inell - in VBM, a change in “volume” essentially refers to a change in GM intensity in the images (not the actual volume of neurons, for instance) and is therefore non-specific concerning the underlying tissue characteristics. According to the current view, the potential mechanisms for GM reorganisation include axon sprouting, dendritic branching and synaptogenesis, neurogenesis, glial number and morphology changes,, and angiogenesis (Zatorre et al., 2012). These cellular changes as well as changes in neurotrophic and neural growth factor levels, have been documented also in animal studies of post-stroke EE (Biernaskie and Corbett, 2001; Johansson and Belichenko, 2002; Gobbo and O’Mara, 2004; Komitova et al., 2005; Matsumori et al., 2006; Söderström et al., 2009) and auditory EE in healthy developing animals (Engineer et al., 2004;Angelucc i et al., 2007; Nichols et al., 2007; Bose et al., 2010), providing experimental support for the enhanced cerebral reorganization induced by the musically enriched recovery environment in the present study.

In conclusion, the present study shows that daily music listening during the first month post-stroke stage can lead to fine-grained structural reorganization (as indicated by increased GMV) in a network of frontolimbic brain areas. Importantly, given that the frontolimbic plastic changes were also directly related to the cognitive and emotional recovery previously shown to be enhanced by music (Särkämö et al., 2008; Forsblom et al., 2012), these findings provide a plausible neuroanatomical correlate for the efficacy of music after stroke. At a more general level, they also provide the first evidence in humans that not only active therapist-led rehabilitation but also environmental enrichment has the potential to shape the structure of the recovering brain.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

We wish to express our gratitude to the staff of the HUCH Department of Neurology and Department of Radiology and other rehabilitation hospitals in the Helsinki metropolitan area for their collaboration, and especially to the patient subjects and their families for their participation and effort. We also wish to thank Mari Tervaniemi, Isabelle Peretz, Matti Laine, and Marja Hietanen for their assistance and expertise in planning the study. This work was funded by the Academy of Finland (grants no 77322, 141106, and 257077), the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation (Helsinki, Finland), the National Doctoral Programme on Psychology (Finland), and the Finnish Brain Foundation.

Footnotes

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Keywords: music, speech, stroke, magnetic resonance imaging, voxel-based morphometry, environmental enrichment, neuroplasticity, rehabilitation

Citation: Särkämö T, Ripollés P, Vepsäläinen H, Autti T, Silvennoinen HM, Salli E, Laitinen S, Forsblom A, Soinila S and Rodríguez-Fornells A (2014) Structural changes induced by daily music listening in the recovering brain after middle cerebral artery stroke: a voxel-based morphometry study. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 8:245. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00245

Received: 30 January 2014; Accepted: 03 April 2014;
Published online: 17 April 2014.

Edited by:

Eckart Altenmüller, University of Music and Drama Hannover, Germany

Reviewed by:

Jens Dieter Rollnik, BDH-Klinik Hessisch Oldendorf, Germany
Bernhard Haslinger, Technische Universität München, Germany

Copyright: © 2014 Särkämö, Ripollés, Vepsäläinen, Autti, Silvennoinen, Salli, Laitinen, Forsblom, Soinila and Rodríguez-Fornells. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Teppo Särkämö, Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Cognitive Science, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 1B, P.O. Box 9, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland e-mail: teppo.sarkamo@helsinki.fi

thanks http://journal.frontiersin.org/

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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

ANCIENT KATARMALLA SUN TEMPLE OF ALMORA ...

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An awesome shot of real action in Africa by Tim Bagley!

Various types of Spring.

லத்தீன் அமெரிக்காவின் தனிமை

Music is beautiful...

Structural changes induced by daily music listening in the recovering brain after middle cerebral artery stroke: a voxel-based morphometry study

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Subjects and Study Design

Intervention

MRI Data Acquisition

Voxel-Based Morphometry Analysis

Results

Gray and White Matter Volume Changes during Recovery

Correlation between Gray Matter Changes and Behavioral Recovery

Discussion

Conflict of Interest Statement

Acknowledgments

Footnotes

References

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