1
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Nussbaum C, Schirmer A, Schweinberger SR. Musicality - Tuned to the melody of vocal emotions. Br J Psychol 2024; 115:206-225. [PMID: 37851369 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Musicians outperform non-musicians in vocal emotion perception, likely because of increased sensitivity to acoustic cues, such as fundamental frequency (F0) and timbre. Yet, how musicians make use of these acoustic cues to perceive emotions, and how they might differ from non-musicians, is unclear. To address these points, we created vocal stimuli that conveyed happiness, fear, pleasure or sadness, either in all acoustic cues, or selectively in either F0 or timbre only. We then compared vocal emotion perception performance between professional/semi-professional musicians (N = 39) and non-musicians (N = 38), all socialized in Western music culture. Compared to non-musicians, musicians classified vocal emotions more accurately. This advantage was seen in the full and F0-modulated conditions, but was absent in the timbre-modulated condition indicating that musicians excel at perceiving the melody (F0), but not the timbre of vocal emotions. Further, F0 seemed more important than timbre for the recognition of all emotional categories. Additional exploratory analyses revealed a link between time-varying F0 perception in music and voices that was independent of musical training. Together, these findings suggest that musicians are particularly tuned to the melody of vocal emotions, presumably due to a natural predisposition to exploit melodic patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Nussbaum
- Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Voice Research Unit, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Annett Schirmer
- Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stefan R Schweinberger
- Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Voice Research Unit, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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2
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Tillmann B, Graves JE, Talamini F, Lévêque Y, Fornoni L, Hoarau C, Pralus A, Ginzburg J, Albouy P, Caclin A. Auditory cortex and beyond: Deficits in congenital amusia. Hear Res 2023; 437:108855. [PMID: 37572645 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Congenital amusia is a neuro-developmental disorder of music perception and production, with the observed deficits contrasting with the sophisticated music processing reported for the general population. Musical deficits within amusia have been hypothesized to arise from altered pitch processing, with impairments in pitch discrimination and, notably, short-term memory. We here review research investigating its behavioral and neural correlates, in particular the impairments at encoding, retention, and recollection of pitch information, as well as how these impairments extend to the processing of pitch cues in speech and emotion. The impairments have been related to altered brain responses in a distributed fronto-temporal network, which can be observed also at rest. Neuroimaging studies revealed changes in connectivity patterns within this network and beyond, shedding light on the brain dynamics underlying auditory cognition. Interestingly, some studies revealed spared implicit pitch processing in congenital amusia, showing the power of implicit cognition in the music domain. Building on these findings, together with audiovisual integration and other beneficial mechanisms, we outline perspectives for training and rehabilitation and the future directions of this research domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Tillmann
- CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR5292, U1028, F-69500, Bron, France; Laboratory for Research on Learning and Development, Université de Bourgogne, LEAD - CNRS UMR5022, Dijon, France; LEAD-CNRS UMR5022; Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté; Pôle AAFE; 11 Esplanade Erasme; 21000 Dijon, France.
| | - Jackson E Graves
- Laboratoire des systèmes perceptifs, Département d'études cognitives, École normale supérieure, PSL University, Paris 75005, France
| | | | - Yohana Lévêque
- CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR5292, U1028, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Lesly Fornoni
- CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR5292, U1028, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Caliani Hoarau
- CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR5292, U1028, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Agathe Pralus
- CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR5292, U1028, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Jérémie Ginzburg
- CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR5292, U1028, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Philippe Albouy
- CERVO Brain Research Center, School of Psychology, Laval University, Québec, G1J 2G3; International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), CRBLM, Montreal QC, H2V 2J2, Canada
| | - Anne Caclin
- CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UMR5292, U1028, F-69500, Bron, France.
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3
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Lévêque Y, Schellenberg EG, Fornoni L, Bouchet P, Caclin A, Tillmann B. Individuals with congenital amusia remember music they like. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023:10.3758/s13415-023-01084-6. [PMID: 36949277 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01084-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Music is better recognized when it is liked. Does this association remain evident when music perception and memory are severely impaired, as in congenital amusia? We tested 11 amusic and 11 matched control participants, asking whether liking of a musical excerpt influences subsequent recognition. In an initial exposure phase, participants-unaware that their recognition would be tested subsequently-listened to 24 musical excerpts and judged how much they liked each excerpt. In the test phase that followed, participants rated whether they recognized the previously heard excerpts, which were intermixed with an equal number of foils matched for mode, tempo, and musical genre. As expected, recognition was in general impaired for amusic participants compared with control participants. For both groups, however, recognition was better for excerpts that were liked, and the liking enhancement did not differ between groups. These results contribute to a growing body of research that examines the complex interplay between emotions and cognitive processes. More specifically, they extend previous findings related to amusics' impairments to a new memory paradigm and suggest that (1) amusic individuals are sensitive to an aesthetic and subjective dimension of the music-listening experience, and (2) emotions can support memory processes even in a population with impaired music perception and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohana Lévêque
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS, UMR5292, INSERM, U1028, F-69000, Lyon, France.
- University Lyon 1, F-69000, Lyon, France.
| | - E Glenn Schellenberg
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social (CIS-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa, Portugal
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Lesly Fornoni
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS, UMR5292, INSERM, U1028, F-69000, Lyon, France
- University Lyon 1, F-69000, Lyon, France
| | - Patrick Bouchet
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS, UMR5292, INSERM, U1028, F-69000, Lyon, France
- University Lyon 1, F-69000, Lyon, France
| | - Anne Caclin
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS, UMR5292, INSERM, U1028, F-69000, Lyon, France
- University Lyon 1, F-69000, Lyon, France
| | - Barbara Tillmann
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS, UMR5292, INSERM, U1028, F-69000, Lyon, France
- University Lyon 1, F-69000, Lyon, France
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4
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Peretz I, Ross J, Bourassa CV, Perreault LPL, Dion PA, Weiss MW, Felezeu M, Rouleau GA, Dubé MP. Do variants in the coding regions of FOXP2, a gene implicated in speech disorder, confer a risk for congenital amusia? Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1517:279-285. [PMID: 35980667 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Congenital amusia is a lifelong disorder that compromises the normal development of musical abilities in 1.5-4% of the general population. There is a substantial genetic contribution to congenital amusia, and it bears similarities to neurodevelopmental disorders of language. Here, we examine the extent to which variants in the forkhead box P2 gene (FOXP2)-the first gene to be identified as causal in developmental speech deficits-are associated with the amusic trait. Using a cohort of 49 individuals with amusia, of which 27 were unrelated, the role of FOXP2 variants in amusia was evaluated. Fourteen variants were examined in the cohort. None segregated with the amusic trait among participants for whom family information was available; nor were they predicted to be deleterious to protein function. Thus, variants in FOXP2 are not likely to cause amusia. Implications for ongoing debates about the distinction between musicality and language are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Peretz
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jay Ross
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Cynthia V Bourassa
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Patrick A Dion
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Michael W Weiss
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Mihaela Felezeu
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Guy A Rouleau
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marie-Pierre Dubé
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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5
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Szyfter K, Wigowska-Sowińska J. Congenital amusia-pathology of musical disorder. J Appl Genet 2021; 63:127-131. [PMID: 34545551 PMCID: PMC8755656 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-021-00662-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Amusia also known as tone deafness affects roughly 1.5% population. Congenital amusia appears from birth and lasts over life span. Usually, it is not associated with other diseases. Its link to hearing impairment has been definitively excluded. Neurobiological studies point to asymmetrical processing of musical signals in auditory cortex of left and right brain hemispheres. The finding was supported by discovering microlesions in the right-side gray matter. Because of its connection with asymmetry, amusia has been classified to disconnection syndromes. Alternatively to the neurobiological explanation of amusia background, an attention was turned to the significance of genetic factors. The studies done on relatives and twins indicated familial aggregation of amusia. Molecular genetic investigations linked amusia with deletion of 22q11.2 chromosome region. Until now no specific genes responsible for development of amusia were found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Szyfter
- Institute of Human Genetics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Strzeszyńska 32, 60-479, Poznań, Poland.
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6
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Anderson KS, Gosselin N, Sadikot AF, Laguë-Beauvais M, Kang ESH, Fogarty AE, Marcoux J, Dagher J, de Guise E. Pitch and Rhythm Perception and Verbal Short-Term Memory in Acute Traumatic Brain Injury. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1173. [PMID: 34573194 PMCID: PMC8469559 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11091173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Music perception deficits are common following acquired brain injury due to stroke, epilepsy surgeries, and aneurysmal clipping. Few studies have examined these deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI), resulting in an under-diagnosis in this population. We aimed to (1) compare TBI patients to controls on pitch and rhythm perception during the acute phase; (2) determine whether pitch and rhythm perception disorders co-occur; (3) examine lateralization of injury in the context of pitch and rhythm perception; and (4) determine the relationship between verbal short-term memory (STM) and pitch and rhythm perception. Music perception was examined using the Scale and Rhythm tests of the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia, in association with CT scans to identify lesion laterality. Verbal short-term memory was examined using Digit Span Forward. TBI patients had greater impairment than controls, with 43% demonstrating deficits in pitch perception, and 40% in rhythm perception. Deficits were greater with right hemisphere damage than left. Pitch and rhythm deficits co-occurred 31% of the time, suggesting partly dissociable networks. There was a dissociation between performance on verbal STM and pitch and rhythm perception 39 to 42% of the time (respectively), with most individuals (92%) demonstrating intact verbal STM, with impaired pitch or rhythm perception. The clinical implications of music perception deficits following TBI are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten S Anderson
- Psychology Department, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada
- Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Réadaptation du Montréal Métropolitain (CRIR), Montreal, QC H3S 1M9, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), and Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC H2V2S9, Canada
| | - Nathalie Gosselin
- Psychology Department, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), and Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC H2V2S9, Canada
| | - Abbas F Sadikot
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Maude Laguë-Beauvais
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Traumatic Brain Injury Program, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Esther S H Kang
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada
| | - Alexandra E Fogarty
- Department of Neurology, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Judith Marcoux
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Traumatic Brain Injury Program, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Jehane Dagher
- Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Réadaptation du Montréal Métropolitain (CRIR), Montreal, QC H3S 1M9, Canada
- Traumatic Brain Injury Program, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Elaine de Guise
- Psychology Department, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada
- Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Réadaptation du Montréal Métropolitain (CRIR), Montreal, QC H3S 1M9, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
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7
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Zagala A, Foster NEV, Dalla Bella S. Commentary: A Tablet-Based Assessment of Rhythmic Ability. Front Psychol 2021; 12:607676. [PMID: 34354622 PMCID: PMC8329329 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.607676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Zagala
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicholas E V Foster
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Simone Dalla Bella
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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8
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Abstract
Links between musicality and vocal emotion perception skills have only recently emerged as a focus of study. Here we review current evidence for or against such links. Based on a systematic literature search, we identified 33 studies that addressed either (a) vocal emotion perception in musicians and nonmusicians, (b) vocal emotion perception in individuals with congenital amusia, (c) the role of individual differences (e.g., musical interests, psychoacoustic abilities), or (d) effects of musical training interventions on both the normal hearing population and cochlear implant users. Overall, the evidence supports a link between musicality and vocal emotion perception abilities. We discuss potential factors moderating the link between emotions and music, and possible directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Nussbaum
- Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan R. Schweinberger
- Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
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9
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Jin Z, Huyang S, Jiang L, Yan Y, Xu M, Wang J, Li Q, Wu D. Increased Resting-State Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity of Posterior Superior Temporal Gyrus and Posterior Cingulate Cortex in Congenital Amusia. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:653325. [PMID: 33994929 PMCID: PMC8120159 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.653325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Interhemispheric connectivity of the two cerebral hemispheres is crucial for a broad repertoire of cognitive functions including music and language. Congenital amusia has been reported as a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by impaired music perception and production. However, little is known about the characteristics of the interhemispheric functional connectivity (FC) in amusia. In the present study, we used a newly developed voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) method to investigate the interhemispheric FC of the whole brain in amusia at resting-state. Thirty amusics and 29 matched participants underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. An automated VMHC approach was used to analyze the fMRI data. Compared to the control group, amusics showed increased VMHC within the posterior part of the default mode network (DMN) mainly in the posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Correlation analyses revealed negative correlations between the VMHC value in pSTG/PCC and the music perception ability among amusics. Further ROC analyses showed that the VMHC value of pSTG/PCC showed a good sensibility/specificity to differentiate the amusics from the controls. These findings provide a new perspective for understanding the neural basis of congenital amusia and imply the immature state of DMN may be a credible neural marker of amusia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhishuai Jin
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Sizhu Huyang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lichen Jiang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yajun Yan
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ming Xu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jinyu Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qixiong Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Daxing Wu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
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10
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Couvignou M, Kolinsky R. Comorbidity and cognitive overlap between developmental dyslexia and congenital amusia in children. Neuropsychologia 2021; 155:107811. [PMID: 33647287 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia and congenital amusia are two specific neurodevelopmental disorders that affect reading and music perception, respectively. Similarities at perceptual, cognitive, and anatomical levels raise the possibility that a common factor is at play in their emergence, albeit in different domains. However, little consideration has been given to what extent they can co-occur. A first adult study suggested a 30% amusia rate in dyslexia and a 25% dyslexia rate in amusia (Couvignou et al., Cognitive Neuropsychology 2019). We present newly acquired data from 38 dyslexic and 38 typically developing children. These were assessed with literacy and phonological tests, as well as with three musical tests: the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Musical Abilities, a pitch and time change detection task, and a singing task. Overall, about 34% of the dyslexic children were musically impaired, a proportion that is significantly higher than both the estimated 1.5-4% prevalence of congenital amusia in the general population and the rate of 5% observed within the control group. They were mostly affected in the pitch dimension, both in terms of perception and production. Correlations and prediction links were found between pitch processing skills and language measures after partialing out confounding factors. These findings are discussed with regard to cognitive and neural explanatory hypotheses of a comorbidity between dyslexia and amusia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Couvignou
- Unité de Recherche en Neurosciences Cognitives (Unescog), Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Régine Kolinsky
- Unité de Recherche en Neurosciences Cognitives (Unescog), Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Fonds de La Recherche Scientifique-FNRS (FRS-FNRS), Brussels, Belgium
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11
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Lagrois MÉ, Palmer C, Peretz I. Poor Synchronization to Musical Beat Generalizes to Speech. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9070157. [PMID: 31277417 PMCID: PMC6680836 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9070157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The rhythmic nature of speech may recruit entrainment mechanisms in a manner similar to music. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that individuals who display a severe deficit in synchronizing their taps to a musical beat (called beat-deaf here) would also experience difficulties entraining to speech. The beat-deaf participants and their matched controls were required to align taps with the perceived regularity in the rhythm of naturally spoken, regularly spoken, and sung sentences. The results showed that beat-deaf individuals synchronized their taps less accurately than the control group across conditions. In addition, participants from both groups exhibited more inter-tap variability to natural speech than to regularly spoken and sung sentences. The findings support the idea that acoustic periodicity is a major factor in domain-general entrainment to both music and speech. Therefore, a beat-finding deficit may affect periodic auditory rhythms in general, not just those for music.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Élaine Lagrois
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
| | - Caroline Palmer
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Isabelle Peretz
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
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