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Di Stefano N, Spence C. Should absolute pitch be considered as a unique kind of absolute sensory judgment in humans? A systematic and theoretical review of the literature. Cognition 2024; 249:105805. [PMID: 38761646 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Absolute pitch is the name given to the rare ability to identify a musical note in an automatic and effortless manner without the need for a reference tone. Those individuals with absolute pitch can, for example, name the note they hear, identify all of the tones of a given chord, and/or name the pitches of everyday sounds, such as car horns or sirens. Hence, absolute pitch can be seen as providing a rare example of absolute sensory judgment in audition. Surprisingly, however, the intriguing question of whether such an ability presents unique features in the domain of sensory perception, or whether instead similar perceptual skills also exist in other sensory domains, has not been explicitly addressed previously. In this paper, this question is addressed by systematically reviewing research on absolute pitch using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method. Thereafter, we compare absolute pitch with two rare types of sensory experience, namely synaesthesia and eidetic memory, to understand if and how these phenomena exhibit similar features to absolute pitch. Furthermore, a common absolute perceptual ability that has been often compared to absolute pitch, namely colour perception, is also discussed. Arguments are provided supporting the notion that none of the examined abilities can be considered like absolute pitch. Therefore, we conclude by suggesting that absolute pitch does indeed appear to constitute a unique kind of absolute sensory judgment in humans, and we discuss some open issues and novel directions for future research in absolute pitch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Di Stefano
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Gian Domenico Romagnosi, 18, 00196 Rome, Italy.
| | - Charles Spence
- Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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2
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Tang T, Samaha J, Peters MAK. Behavioral and neural measures of confidence using a novel auditory pitch identification task. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299784. [PMID: 38950011 PMCID: PMC11216601 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Observers can discriminate between correct versus incorrect perceptual decisions with feelings of confidence. The centro-parietal positivity build-up rate (CPP slope) has been suggested as a likely neural signature of accumulated evidence, which may guide both perceptual performance and confidence. However, CPP slope also covaries with reaction time, which also covaries with confidence in previous studies, and performance and confidence typically covary; thus, CPP slope may index signatures of perceptual performance rather than confidence per se. Moreover, perceptual metacognition-including neural correlates-has largely been studied in vision, with few exceptions. Thus, we lack understanding of domain-general neural signatures of perceptual metacognition outside vision. Here we designed a novel auditory pitch identification task and collected behavior with simultaneous 32-channel EEG in healthy adults. Participants saw two tone labels which varied in tonal distance on each trial (e.g., C vs D, C vs F), then heard a single auditory tone; they identified which label was correct and rated confidence. We found that pitch identification confidence varied with tonal distance, but performance, metacognitive sensitivity (trial-by-trial covariation of confidence with accuracy), and reaction time did not. Interestingly, however, while CPP slope covaried with performance and reaction time, it did not significantly covary with confidence. We interpret these results to mean that CPP slope is likely a signature of first-order perceptual processing and not confidence-specific signals or computations in auditory tasks. Our novel pitch identification task offers a valuable method to examine the neural correlates of auditory and domain-general perceptual confidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States of America
| | - Jason Samaha
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Megan A. K. Peters
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States of America
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States of America
- Program in Brain, Mind, & Consciousness, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada
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3
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Hisaizumi M, Tantam D. Enhanced sensitivity to pitch perception and its possible relation to language acquisition in autism. AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS 2024; 9:23969415241248618. [PMID: 38817731 PMCID: PMC11138189 DOI: 10.1177/23969415241248618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Background and aims Fascinations for or aversions to particular sounds are a familiar feature of autism, as is an ability to reproduce another person's utterances, precisely copying the other person's prosody as well as their words. Such observations seem to indicate not only that autistic people can pay close attention to what they hear, but also that they have the ability to perceive the finer details of auditory stimuli. This is consistent with the previously reported consensus that absolute pitch is more common in autistic individuals than in neurotypicals. We take this to suggest that autistic people have perception that allows them to pay attention to fine details. It is important to establish whether or not this is so as autism is often presented as a deficit rather than a difference. We therefore undertook a narrative literature review of studies of auditory perception, in autistic and nonautistic individuals, focussing on any differences in processing linguistic and nonlinguistic sounds. Main contributions We find persuasive evidence that nonlinguistic auditory perception in autistic children differs from that of nonautistic children. This is supported by the additional finding of a higher prevalence of absolute pitch and enhanced pitch discriminating abilities in autistic children compared to neurotypical children. Such abilities appear to stem from atypical perception, which is biased toward local-level information necessary for processing pitch and other prosodic features. Enhanced pitch discriminating abilities tend to be found in autistic individuals with a history of language delay, suggesting possible reciprocity. Research on various aspects of language development in autism also supports the hypothesis that atypical pitch perception may be accountable for observed differences in language development in autism. Conclusions The results of our review of previously published studies are consistent with the hypothesis that auditory perception, and particularly pitch perception, in autism are different from the norm but not always impaired. Detail-oriented pitch perception may be an advantage given the right environment. We speculate that unusually heightened sensitivity to pitch differences may be at the cost of the normal development of the perception of the sounds that contribute most to early language development. Implications The acquisition of speech and language may be a process that normally involves an enhanced perception of speech sounds at the expense of the processing of nonlinguistic sounds, but autistic children may not give speech sounds this same priority.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Digby Tantam
- Middlesex University, Existential Academy, London, UK
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4
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Costalunga G, Carpena CS, Seltmann S, Benichov JI, Vallentin D. Wild nightingales flexibly match whistle pitch in real time. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3169-3178.e3. [PMID: 37453423 PMCID: PMC10414052 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Interactive vocal communication, similar to a human conversation, requires flexible and real-time changes to vocal output in relation to preceding auditory stimuli. These vocal adjustments are essential to ensuring both the suitable timing and content of the interaction. Precise timing of dyadic vocal exchanges has been investigated in a variety of species, including humans. In contrast, the ability of non-human animals to accurately adjust specific spectral features of vocalization extemporaneously in response to incoming auditory information is less well studied. One spectral feature of acoustic signals is the fundamental frequency, which we perceive as pitch. Many animal species can discriminate between sound frequencies, but real-time detection and reproduction of an arbitrary pitch have only been observed in humans. Here, we show that nightingales in the wild can match the pitch of whistle songs while singing in response to conspecifics or pitch-controlled whistle playbacks. Nightingales matched whistles across their entire pitch production range indicating that they can flexibly tune their vocal output along a wide continuum. Prompt whistle pitch matches were more precise than delayed ones, suggesting the direct mapping of auditory information onto a motor command to achieve online vocal replication of a heard pitch. Although nightingales' songs follow annual cycles of crystallization and deterioration depending on breeding status, the observed pitch-matching behavior is present year-round, suggesting a stable neural circuit independent of seasonal changes in physiology. Our findings represent the first case of non-human instantaneous vocal imitation of pitch, highlighting a promising model for understanding sensorimotor transformation within an interactive context. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Costalunga
- Neural Circuits for Vocal Communication Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., Seewiesen 82319, Germany
| | - Carolina Sánchez Carpena
- Neural Circuits for Vocal Communication Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., Seewiesen 82319, Germany
| | - Susanne Seltmann
- Neural Circuits for Vocal Communication Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., Seewiesen 82319, Germany
| | - Jonathan I Benichov
- Neural Circuits for Vocal Communication Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., Seewiesen 82319, Germany
| | - Daniela Vallentin
- Neural Circuits for Vocal Communication Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., Seewiesen 82319, Germany.
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5
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Benner J, Reinhardt J, Christiner M, Wengenroth M, Stippich C, Schneider P, Blatow M. Temporal hierarchy of cortical responses reflects core-belt-parabelt organization of auditory cortex in musicians. Cereb Cortex 2023:7030622. [PMID: 36786655 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Human auditory cortex (AC) organization resembles the core-belt-parabelt organization in nonhuman primates. Previous studies assessed mostly spatial characteristics; however, temporal aspects were little considered so far. We employed co-registration of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) in musicians with and without absolute pitch (AP) to achieve spatial and temporal segregation of human auditory responses. First, individual fMRI activations induced by complex harmonic tones were consistently identified in four distinct regions-of-interest within AC, namely in medial Heschl's gyrus (HG), lateral HG, anterior superior temporal gyrus (STG), and planum temporale (PT). Second, we analyzed the temporal dynamics of individual MEG responses at the location of corresponding fMRI activations. In the AP group, the auditory evoked P2 onset occurred ~25 ms earlier in the right as compared with the left PT and ~15 ms earlier in the right as compared with the left anterior STG. This effect was consistent at the individual level and correlated with AP proficiency. Based on the combined application of MEG and fMRI measurements, we were able for the first time to demonstrate a characteristic temporal hierarchy ("chronotopy") of human auditory regions in relation to specific auditory abilities, reflecting the prediction for serial processing from nonhuman studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Benner
- Department of Neuroradiology and Section of Biomagnetism, University of Heidelberg Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julia Reinhardt
- Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB), University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus Christiner
- Centre for Systematic Musicology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,Department of Musicology, Vitols Jazeps Latvian Academy of Music, Riga, Latvia
| | - Martina Wengenroth
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Christoph Stippich
- Department of Neuroradiology and Radiology, Kliniken Schmieder, Allensbach, Germany
| | - Peter Schneider
- Department of Neuroradiology and Section of Biomagnetism, University of Heidelberg Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Centre for Systematic Musicology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,Department of Musicology, Vitols Jazeps Latvian Academy of Music, Riga, Latvia
| | - Maria Blatow
- Section of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Neurocenter, Cantonal Hospital Lucerne, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
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6
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Ngan VSH, Cheung LYT, Ng HTY, Yip KHM, Wong YK, Wong ACN. An early perceptual locus of absolute pitch. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14170. [PMID: 36094011 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) refers to the naming of musical tone without external reference. The influential two-component model states that AP is limited by the late-emerging pitch labeling process only and not the earlier perceptual and memory processes. Over the years, however, support for this model at the neural level has been mixed with various methodological limitations. Here, the electroencephalography responses of 27 AP possessors and 27 non-AP possessors were recorded. During both name verification and passive listening, event-related potential analyses showed a difference between AP and non-AP possessors at about 200 ms in their response toward tones compared with noise stimuli. Multivariate pattern analyses suggested that pitch naming was subserved by a series of transient processes for the first 250 ms, followed by a stage-like process for both AP and non-AP possessors with no group differences between them. These findings are inconsistent with the predictions of the two-component model, and instead suggest the existence of an early perceptual locus of AP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vince S H Ngan
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Leo Y T Cheung
- Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Hezul T Y Ng
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Ken H M Yip
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Yetta Kwailing Wong
- Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Alan C-N Wong
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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7
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Leite Filho CA, Rocha-Muniz CN, Pereira LD, Schochat E. Auditory temporal resolution and backward masking in musicians with absolute pitch. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1151776. [PMID: 37139520 PMCID: PMC10149789 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1151776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the many questions regarding the ability to effortlessly name musical notes without a reference, also known as absolute pitch, the neural processes by which this phenomenon operates are still a matter of debate. Although a perceptual subprocess is currently accepted by the literature, the participation of some aspects of auditory processing still needs to be determined. We conducted two experiments to investigate the relationship between absolute pitch and two aspects of auditory temporal processing, namely temporal resolution and backward masking. In the first experiment, musicians were organized into two groups according to the presence of absolute pitch, as determined by a pitch identification test, and compared regarding their performance in the Gaps-in-Noise test, a gap detection task for assessing temporal resolution. Despite the lack of statistically significant difference between the groups, the Gaps-in-Noise test measures were significant predictors of the measures for pitch naming precision, even after controlling for possible confounding variables. In the second experiment, another two groups of musicians with and without absolute pitch were submitted to the backward masking test, with no difference between the groups and no correlation between backward masking and absolute pitch measures. The results from both experiments suggest that only part of temporal processing is involved in absolute pitch, indicating that not all aspects of auditory perception are related to the perceptual subprocess. Possible explanations for these findings include the notable overlap of brain areas involved in both temporal resolution and absolute pitch, which is not present in the case of backward masking, and the relevance of temporal resolution to analyze the temporal fine structure of sound in pitch perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alberto Leite Filho
- Auditory Processing Lab, Department of Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Carlos Alberto Leite Filho,
| | - Caroline Nunes Rocha-Muniz
- Speech-Language Pathology Department, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Liliane Desgualdo Pereira
- Neuroaudiology Lab, Department of Speech Therapy, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliane Schochat
- Auditory Processing Lab, Department of Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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8
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Domain-specific hearing-in-noise performance is associated with absolute pitch proficiency. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16344. [PMID: 36175508 PMCID: PMC9521875 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20869-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that musicians may have an advantage over non-musicians in perceiving speech against noisy backgrounds. Previously, musicians have been compared as a homogenous group, despite demonstrated heterogeneity, which may contribute to discrepancies between studies. Here, we investigated whether “quasi”-absolute pitch (AP) proficiency, viewed as a general trait that varies across a spectrum, accounts for the musician advantage in hearing-in-noise (HIN) performance, irrespective of whether the streams are speech or musical sounds. A cohort of 12 non-musicians and 42 trained musicians stratified into high, medium, or low AP proficiency identified speech or melody targets masked in noise (speech-shaped, multi-talker, and multi-music) under four signal-to-noise ratios (0, − 3, − 6, and − 9 dB). Cognitive abilities associated with HIN benefits, including auditory working memory and use of visuo-spatial cues, were assessed. AP proficiency was verified against pitch adjustment and relative pitch tasks. We found a domain-specific effect on HIN perception: quasi-AP abilities were related to improved perception of melody but not speech targets in noise. The quasi-AP advantage extended to tonal working memory and the use of spatial cues, but only during melodic stream segregation. Overall, the results do not support the putative musician advantage in speech-in-noise perception, but suggest a quasi-AP advantage in perceiving music under noisy environments.
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9
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Paquet A, Simard F, Cadoret G. Electrophysiological Evidence of Enhanced Auditory Retrieval in Musically Trained Children. J PSYCHOPHYSIOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1027/0269-8803/a000298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Musical practice enhances auditory processing in children as related to pitch perception or tonal discrimination. The purpose of this study was to examine whether these benefits also occur in auditory working memory by influencing its neural substrates. Two groups of children aged between 7 and 11 years old were compared using an auditory retrieval task with three conditions: frequency retrieval, duration retrieval, and control. Musician children had weekly private violin or cello lessons for at least 14 months, whereas non-musician children had no musical training. Results showed that musicians’ scores on the Gordon’s Primary Measure of Music Audiation test were significantly higher than non-musicians’ scores in the rhythm and tone conditions. On memory tasks, musicians outperformed non-musicians in frequency retrieval but not in duration retrieval. Differences in retrieval performance were associated with a larger P200-like waveform over frontal sites in musicians and a larger N400-like waveform over centro-parietal sites in non-musicians. A source current density analysis revealed differences in frontal activities between musicians and non-musicians, suggesting that musical training influenced the neural mechanisms supporting auditory retrieval in children. These results are in agreement with previous studies that showed a better auditory memory in musicians. Furthermore, they suggest that in children, the effect of musical training can be strong enough to positively influence higher-order auditory memory processes such as active retrieval, as well as their neural correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anik Paquet
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Quebec in Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - France Simard
- Faculty of Arts, University of Quebec in Montreal, QC, Canada
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10
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Individual differences in human frequency-following response predict pitch labeling ability. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14290. [PMID: 34253760 PMCID: PMC8275664 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93312-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The frequency-following response (FFR) provides a measure of phase-locked auditory encoding in humans and has been used to study subcortical processing in the auditory system. While effects of experience on the FFR have been reported, few studies have examined whether individual differences in early sensory encoding have measurable effects on human performance. Absolute pitch (AP), the rare ability to label musical notes without reference notes, provides an excellent model system for testing how early neural encoding supports specialized auditory skills. Results show that the FFR predicts pitch labelling performance better than traditional measures related to AP (age of music onset, tonal language experience, pitch adjustment and just-noticeable-difference scores). Moreover, the stimulus type used to elicit the FFR (tones or speech) impacts predictive performance in a manner that is consistent with prior research. Additionally, the FFR predicts labelling performance for piano tones better than unfamiliar sine tones. Taken together, the FFR reliably distinguishes individuals based on their explicit pitch labeling abilities, which highlights the complex dynamics between sensory processing and cognition.
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11
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Fugazza C, Dror S, Sommese A, Temesi A, Miklósi Á. Word learning dogs (Canis familiaris) provide an animal model for studying exceptional performance. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14070. [PMID: 34234259 PMCID: PMC8263709 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93581-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Exceptional performance is present in various human activities but its origins are debated and challenging to study. We report evidence of exceptional performance and qualitative variation in learning object-names in dogs. 34 naïve family dogs and 6 knowledgeable individuals that knew multiple toy names, found in 2 years of search around the Globe, were exposed to 3 months of training to learn two novel toy-names and were tested in two-way choice tests. Only 1 naïve and all 6 knowledgeable dogs passed the tests. Additionally, only these dogs learned at least 10 new toy names over the 3 months, showing qualitative variation in this capacity. Although previous object-name knowledge could provide an explanation for the superior performance of the knowledgeable dogs, their rarity and the absence of previous training of this skill point to exceptional giftedness in these individuals, providing the basis to establish dogs as a model-species for studying talent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Fugazza
- grid.5591.80000 0001 2294 6276Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Shany Dror
- grid.5591.80000 0001 2294 6276Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andrea Sommese
- grid.5591.80000 0001 2294 6276Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andrea Temesi
- grid.5591.80000 0001 2294 6276Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- grid.5591.80000 0001 2294 6276Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary ,grid.5018.c0000 0001 2149 4407MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
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12
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Rogenmoser L, Arnicane A, Jäncke L, Elmer S. The left dorsal stream causally mediates the tone labeling in absolute pitch. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2021; 1500:122-133. [PMID: 34046902 PMCID: PMC8518498 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14616] [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: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) refers to the ability to effortlessly identify given pitches without any reference. Correlative evidence suggests that the left posterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is responsible for the process underlying pitch labeling in AP. Here, we measured the sight‐reading performance of right‐handed AP possessors and matched controls under cathodal and sham transcranial direct current stimulation of the left DLPFC. The participants were instructed to report notations as accurately and as fast as possible by playing with their right hand on a piano. The notations were simultaneously presented with distracting auditory stimuli that either matched or mismatched them in different semitone degrees. Unlike the controls, AP possessors revealed an interference effect in that they responded slower in mismatching conditions than in the matching one. Under cathodal stimulation, this interference effect disappeared. These findings confirm that the pitch‐labeling process underlying AP occurs automatically and is largely nonsuppressible when triggered by tone exposure. The improvement of the AP possessors’ sight‐reading performances in response to the suppression of the left DLPFC using cathodal stimulation confirms a causal relationship between this brain structure and pitch labeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Rogenmoser
- Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Andra Arnicane
- Auditory Research Group Zurich (ARGZ), Division of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lutz Jäncke
- Auditory Research Group Zurich (ARGZ), Division of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,University Research Priority Program (URPP), Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Elmer
- Auditory Research Group Zurich (ARGZ), Division of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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13
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Van Hedger SC, Veillette J, Heald SLM, Nusbaum HC. Revisiting discrete versus continuous models of human behavior: The case of absolute pitch. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244308. [PMID: 33370349 PMCID: PMC7769265 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many human behaviors are discussed in terms of discrete categories. Quantizing behavior in this fashion may provide important traction for understanding the complexities of human experience, but it also may bias understanding of phenomena and associated mechanisms. One example of this is absolute pitch (AP), which is often treated as a discrete trait that is either present or absent (i.e., with easily identifiable near-perfect "genuine" AP possessors and at-chance non-AP possessors) despite emerging evidence that pitch-labeling ability is not all-or-nothing. We used a large-scale online assessment to test the discrete model of AP, specifically by measuring how intermediate performers related to the typically defined "non-AP" and "genuine AP" populations. Consistent with prior research, individuals who performed at-chance (non-AP) reported beginning musical instruction much later than the near-perfect AP participants, and the highest performers were more likely to speak a tonal language than were the lowest performers (though this effect was not as statistically robust as one would expect from prior research). Critically, however, these developmental factors did not differentiate the near-perfect AP performers from the intermediate AP performers. Gaussian mixture modeling supported the existence of two performance distributions-the first distribution encompassed both the intermediate and near-perfect AP possessors, whereas the second distribution encompassed only the at-chance participants. Overall, these results provide support for conceptualizing intermediate levels of pitch-labeling ability along the same continuum as genuine AP-level pitch labeling ability-in other words, a continuous distribution of AP skill among all above-chance performers rather than discrete categories of ability. Expanding the inclusion criteria for AP makes it possible to test hypotheses about the mechanisms that underlie this ability and relate this ability to more general cognitive mechanisms involved in other abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C. Van Hedger
- Center for Practical Wisdom, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Huron University College, London, ON, Canada
| | - John Veillette
- Center for Practical Wisdom, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Shannon L. M. Heald
- Center for Practical Wisdom, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Howard C. Nusbaum
- Center for Practical Wisdom, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
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14
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Engler S, de Kleine E, Avan P, van Dijk P. Frequency selectivity of tonal language native speakers probed by suppression tuning curves of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions. Hear Res 2020; 398:108100. [PMID: 33125981 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.108100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Native acquisition of a tonal language (TL) is related to enhanced abilities of pitch perception and production, compared to non-tonal language (NTL) native speakers. Moreover, differences in brain responses to both linguistically relevant and non-relevant pitch changes have been described in TL native speakers. It is so far unclear to which extent differences are present at the peripheral processing level of the cochlea. To determine possible differences in cochlear frequency selectivity between Asian TL speakers and Caucasian NTL speakers, suppression tuning curves (STCs) of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) were examined in both groups. By presenting pure tones, SOAE levels were suppressed and STCs were derived. SOAEs with center frequencies higher than 4.5 kHz were recorded only in female TL native speakers, which correlated with better high-frequency tone detection thresholds. The suppression thresholds at the tip of the STC and filter quality coefficient Q10dB did not differ significantly between both language groups. Thus, the characteristics of the STCs of SOAEs do not support the presence of differences in peripheral auditory processing between TL and NTL native speakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Engler
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands; Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Emile de Kleine
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands; Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Paul Avan
- Laboratory of Neurosensory Biophysics, University Clermont Auvergne, Laboratory of Neurosensory Biophysics, UMR INSERM 1107, Clermont-Ferrand, France; School of Medicine, 28 Place Henri Dunant, Clermont-Ferrand 63000, France
| | - Pim van Dijk
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands; Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
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15
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Diminished large-scale functional brain networks in absolute pitch during the perception of naturalistic music and audiobooks. Neuroimage 2020; 216:116513. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
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16
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Usui K, Shinozaki J, Usui N, Terada K, Matsuda K, Kondo A, Tottori T, Nagamine T, Inoue Y. Retained absolute pitch after selective amygdalohippocampectomy. Epilepsy Behav Rep 2020; 14:100378. [PMID: 32984806 PMCID: PMC7494675 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebr.2020.100378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study assessed the pre-operative chronic condition and effect of epilepsy surgery in a 21-year-old Japanese woman with drug-resistant right temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). For this patient, it was crucially important to preserve language and her music capabilities, including absolute pitch (AP), which is found in the general population at less than 0.1%. The patient became seizure free, and her AP capability was preserved after selective amygdalohippocampectomy in the non-dominant right hemisphere. Most of the neuropsychological test (WAIS-III and WMS-R) scores remained in the normal range, except for low scores in verbal memory and markedly improved attention/concentration index. The patient's pre- and postoperative brain function related to language and music capabilities were investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) based on two language tasks and a music task (listening to melodies). While task performance was similar in pre- and postoperative examinations, her brain activation patterns markedly differed. The most striking difference was during the music task: areas with significant activation existed in the bilateral frontal and temporal lobes before surgery, whereas postoperative activation was confined to a very limited region in the left angular gyrus. The authors speculate that the surgery triggered some change in functional organization in the brain, which contributed to preserving her capabilities. A music student with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) became seizure free. Postoperative evaluation exhibited almost stable AP ability and cognitive function. Brain activation patterns on fMRI showed a notable change after surgery. Surgery possibly triggered some change in functional organization of the brain. Change in functional organization possibly contributed to preserving the capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Usui
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S1W17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan
- Corresponding author.
| | - Jun Shinozaki
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S1W17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan
| | - Naotaka Usui
- National Epilepsy Center, NHO Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Urushiyama 886, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka 420-8688, Japan
| | - Kiyohito Terada
- National Epilepsy Center, NHO Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Urushiyama 886, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka 420-8688, Japan
| | - Kazumi Matsuda
- National Epilepsy Center, NHO Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Urushiyama 886, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka 420-8688, Japan
| | - Akihiko Kondo
- National Epilepsy Center, NHO Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Urushiyama 886, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka 420-8688, Japan
| | - Takayasu Tottori
- National Epilepsy Center, NHO Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Urushiyama 886, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka 420-8688, Japan
| | - Takashi Nagamine
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S1W17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan
| | - Yushi Inoue
- National Epilepsy Center, NHO Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Urushiyama 886, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka 420-8688, Japan
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17
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The importance of the fibre tracts connecting the planum temporale in absolute pitch possessors. Neuroimage 2020; 211:116590. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Revised: 01/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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18
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Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) refers to the rare ability to name the pitch of a tone without external reference. It is widely believed to be only for the selected few with rare genetic makeup and early musical training during the critical period, and therefore acquiring AP in adulthood is impossible. Previous studies have not offered a strong test of the effect of training because of issues like small sample size and insufficient training. In three experiments, adults learned to name pitches in a computerized, gamified and personalized training protocol for 12 to 40 hours, with the number of pitches gradually increased from three to twelve. Across the three experiments, the training covered different octaves, timbre, and training environment (inside or outside laboratory). AP learning showed classic characteristics of perceptual learning, including generalization of learning dependent on the training stimuli, and sustained improvement for at least one to three months. 14% of the participants (6 out of 43) were able to name twelve pitches at 90% or above accuracy, comparable to that of 'AP possessors' as defined in the literature. Overall, AP continues to be learnable in adulthood, which challenges the view that AP development requires both rare genetic predisposition and learning within the critical period. The finding calls for reconsideration of the role of learning in the occurrence of AP, and pushes the field to pinpoint and explain the differences, if any, between the aspects of AP more trainable in adulthood and the aspects of AP that are potentially exclusive for the few exceptional AP possessors observed in the real world.
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19
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Sharma VV, Thaut M, Russo F, Alain C. Absolute Pitch and Musical Expertise Modulate Neuro-Electric and Behavioral Responses in an Auditory Stroop Paradigm. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:932. [PMID: 31551690 PMCID: PMC6743413 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Musicians have considerable experience naming pitch-classes with verbal (e.g., Doh, Ré, and Mi) and semiotic tags (e.g., musical notation). On the one end of the spectrum, musicians can identify the pitch of a piano tone or quality of a chord without a reference tone [i.e., absolute pitch (AP) or relative pitch], which suggests strong associations between the perceived pitch information and verbal labels. Here, we examined the strength of this association using auditory versions of the Stroop task while neuro-electric brain activity was measured using high-density electroencephalography. In separate blocks of trials, participants were presented with congruent or incongruent auditory words from English language (standard auditory Stroop), Romanic solemnization, or German key lexicons (the latter two versions require some knowledge of music notation). We hypothesized that musically trained groups would show greater Stroop interference effects when presented with incongruent musical notations than non-musicians. Analyses of behavioral data revealed small or even non-existent congruency effects in musicians for solfège and keycodes versions of the Stroop task. This finding was unexpected and appears inconsistent with the hypothesis that musical training and AP are associated with high strength response level associations between a perceived pitch and verbal label. The analyses of event-related potentials revealed three temporally distinct modulations associated with conflict processing. All three modulations were larger in the auditory word Stroop than in the other two versions of the Stroop task. Only AP musicians showed significant congruity effects around 450 and 750 ms post-stimulus when stimuli were presented as Germanic keycodes (i.e., C or G). This finding suggests that AP possessors may process alpha-numeric encodings as word forms with a semantic value, unlike their RP possessing counterparts and non-musically trained individuals. However, the strength of musical conditional associations may not exceed that of standard language in speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek V. Sharma
- Music and Health Research Collaboratory, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Thaut
- Music and Health Research Collaboratory, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Frank Russo
- Music and Health Research Collaboratory, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Claude Alain
- Music and Health Research Collaboratory, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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20
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Perception and Cognition in Absolute Pitch: Distinct yet Inseparable. J Neurosci 2019; 39:5839-5841. [PMID: 31341067 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0653-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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21
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Enhanced auditory disembedding in an interleaved melody recognition test is associated with absolute pitch ability. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7838. [PMID: 31127171 PMCID: PMC6534562 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44297-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) and autism have recently been associated with each other. Neurocognitive theories of autism could perhaps explain this co-occurrence. This study investigates whether AP musicians show an advantage in an interleaved melody recognition task (IMRT), an auditory version of an embedded figures test often investigated in autism with respect to the these theories. A total of N = 59 professional musicians (AP = 27) participated in the study. In each trial a probe melody was followed by an interleaved sequence. Participants had to indicate as to whether the probe melody was present in the interleaved sequence. Sensitivity index d′ and response bias c were calculated according to signal detection theory. Additionally, a pitch adjustment test measuring fine-graded differences in absolute pitch proficiency, the Autism-Spectrum-Quotient and a visual embedded figures test were conducted. AP outperformed relative pitch (RP) possessors on the overall IMRT and the fully interleaved condition. AP proficiency, visual disembedding and musicality predicted 39.2% of variance in the IMRT. No correlations were found between IMRT and autistic traits. Results are in line with a detailed-oriented cognitive style and enhanced perceptional functioning of AP musicians similar to that observed in autism.
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22
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Wenhart T, Bethlehem RAI, Baron-Cohen S, Altenmüller E. Autistic traits, resting-state connectivity, and absolute pitch in professional musicians: shared and distinct neural features. Mol Autism 2019; 10:20. [PMID: 31073395 PMCID: PMC6498518 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0272-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent studies indicate increased autistic traits in musicians with absolute pitch and a higher proportion of absolute pitch in people with autism. Theoretical accounts connect both of these with shared neural principles of local hyper- and global hypoconnectivity, enhanced perceptual functioning, and a detail-focused cognitive style. This is the first study to investigate absolute pitch proficiency, autistic traits, and brain correlates in the same study. Sample and methods Graph theoretical analysis was conducted on resting-state (eyes closed and eyes open) EEG connectivity (wPLI, weighted phase lag index) matrices obtained from 31 absolute pitch (AP) and 33 relative pitch (RP) professional musicians. Small-worldness, global clustering coefficient, and average path length were related to autistic traits, passive (tone identification) and active (pitch adjustment) absolute pitch proficiency, and onset of musical training using Welch two-sample tests, correlations, and general linear models. Results Analyses revealed increased path length (delta 2–4 Hz), reduced clustering (beta 13–18 Hz), reduced small-worldness (gamma 30–60 Hz), and increased autistic traits for AP compared to RP. Only clustering values (beta 13–18 Hz) were predicted by both AP proficiency and autistic traits. Post hoc single connection permutation tests among raw wPLI matrices in the beta band (13–18 Hz) revealed widely reduced interhemispheric connectivity between bilateral auditory-related electrode positions along with higher connectivity between F7–F8 and F8–P9 for AP. Pitch-naming ability and pitch adjustment ability were predicted by path length, clustering, autistic traits, and onset of musical training (for pitch adjustment) explaining 44% and 38% of variance, respectively. Conclusions Results show both shared and distinct neural features between AP and autistic traits. Differences in the beta range were associated with higher autistic traits in the same population. In general, AP musicians exhibit a widely underconnected brain with reduced functional integration and reduced small-world property during resting state. This might be partly related to autism-specific brain connectivity, while differences in path length and small-worldness reflect other ability-specific influences. This is further evidenced for different pathways in the acquisition and development of absolute pitch, likely influenced by both genetic and environmental factors and their interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Wenhart
- Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, University for Music, Drama and Media, Hannover, Germany.,2Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
| | - R A I Bethlehem
- 3Autism Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S Baron-Cohen
- 3Autism Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - E Altenmüller
- Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine, University for Music, Drama and Media, Hannover, Germany.,2Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
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23
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Stewart ME, Griffiths TD, Grube M. Autistic Traits and Enhanced Perceptual Representation of Pitch and Time. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 48:1350-1358. [PMID: 26189179 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2517-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced basic perceptual discrimination has been reported for pitch in individuals with autism spectrum conditions. We test whether there is a correlational pattern of enhancement across the broader autism phenotype and whether this correlation occurs for the discrimination of pitch, time and loudness. Scores on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient correlated significantly with the pitch discrimination (r = -0.51, p < 0.05) and the time-interval discrimination (r = -0.45, p < 0.05) task that were based on a fixed reference. No correlation was found for intensity discrimination based on a fixed reference, nor for a variable reference based time-interval discrimination. The correlations suggest a relationship between autistic traits and the ability to form an enhanced, stable and highly accurate representation of auditory events in the pitch and time dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Stewart
- Psychology, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, Scotland, UK.
| | - Timothy D Griffiths
- Auditory Group, Institute of Neuroscience, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, England, UK
| | - Manon Grube
- Auditory Group, Institute of Neuroscience, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, England, UK
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24
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Absolute and relative pitch processing in the human brain: neural and behavioral evidence. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1723-1738. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01872-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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25
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Brauchli C, Leipold S, Jäncke L. Univariate and multivariate analyses of functional networks in absolute pitch. Neuroimage 2019; 189:241-247. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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26
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Coll SY, Vuichoud N, Grandjean D, James CE. Electrical Neuroimaging of Music Processing in Pianists With and Without True Absolute Pitch. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:142. [PMID: 30967751 PMCID: PMC6424903 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
True absolute pitch (AP), labeling of pitches with semitone precision without a reference, is classically studied using isolated tones. However, AP is acquired and has its function within complex dynamic musical contexts. Here we examined event-related brain responses and underlying cerebral sources to endings of short expressive string quartets, investigating a homogeneous population of young highly trained pianists with half of them possessing true-AP. The pieces ended regularly or contained harmonic transgressions at closure that participants appraised. Given the millisecond precision of ERP analyses, this experimental plan allowed examining whether AP alters music processing at an early perceptual, or later cognitive level, or both, and which cerebral sources underlie differences with non-AP musicians. We also investigated the impact of AP on general auditory cognition. Remarkably, harmonic transgression sensitivity did not differ between AP and non-AP participants, and differences for auditory cognition were only marginal. The key finding of this study is the involvement of a microstate peaking around 60 ms after musical closure, characterizing AP participants. Concurring sources were estimated in secondary auditory areas, comprising the planum temporale, all transgression conditions collapsed. These results suggest that AP is not a panacea to become a proficient musician, but a rare perceptual feature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sélim Yahia Coll
- Neuroscience of Emotion and Affective Dynamics Laboratory Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and Swiss Centre for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Noémi Vuichoud
- Neuroscience of Emotion and Affective Dynamics Laboratory Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and Swiss Centre for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Didier Grandjean
- Neuroscience of Emotion and Affective Dynamics Laboratory Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and Swiss Centre for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Clara Eline James
- Neuroscience of Emotion and Affective Dynamics Laboratory Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and Swiss Centre for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,School of Health Sciences Geneva HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Geneva, Switzerland.,Geneva Neuroscience Center University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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27
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Early tone categorization in absolute pitch musicians is subserved by the right-sided perisylvian brain. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1419. [PMID: 30723232 PMCID: PMC6363806 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38273-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) is defined as the ability to identify and label tones without reference to keyality. In this context, the main question is whether early or late processing stages are responsible for this ability. We investigated the electrophysiological responses to tones in AP and relative pitch (RP) possessors while participants listened attentively to sine tones. Since event-related potentials are particularly suited for tracking tone encoding (N100 and P200), categorization (N200), and mnemonic functions (N400), we hypothesized that differences in early pitch processing stages would be reflected by increased N100 and P200-related areas in AP musicians. Otherwise, differences in later cognitive stages of tone processing should be mirrored by increased N200 and/or N400 areas in AP musicians. AP possessors exhibited larger N100 areas and a tendency towards enhanced P200 areas. Furthermore, the sources of these components were estimated and statistically compared between the two groups for a set of a priori defined regions of interest. AP musicians demonstrated increased N100-related current densities in the right superior temporal sulcus, middle temporal gyrus, and Heschl’s gyrus. Results are interpreted as indicating that early between-group differences in right-sided perisylvian brain regions might reflect auditory tone categorization rather than labelling mechanisms.
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28
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Wenhart T, Altenmüller E. A Tendency Towards Details? Inconsistent Results on Auditory and Visual Local-To-Global Processing in Absolute Pitch Musicians. Front Psychol 2019; 10:31. [PMID: 30723441 PMCID: PMC6349732 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Absolute pitch, the ability to name or produce a musical tone without a reference, is a rare ability which is often related to early musical training and genetic components. However, it remains a matter of debate why absolute pitch is relatively common in autism spectrum disorders and why absolute pitch possessors exhibit higher autistic traits. By definition absolute pitch is an ability that does not require the relation of tones but is based on a lower-level perceptual entity than relative pitch (involving relations between tones, intervals, and melodies). This study investigated whether a detail-oriented cognitive style, a concept borrowed from the autism literature (weak central coherence theory), might provide a framework to explain this joint occurrence. Two local-to-global experiments in vision (hierarchically constructed letters) and audition (hierarchically constructed melodies) as well as a pitch adjustment test measuring absolute pitch proficiency were conducted in 31 absolute pitch and 33 relative pitch professional musicians. Analyses revealed inconsistent group differences among reaction time, total of correct trials and speed-accuracy-composite-scores of experimental conditions (local vs. global, and congruent vs. incongruent stimuli). Furthermore, amounts of interference of global form on judgments of local elements and vice versa were calculated. Interestingly, reduced global-to-local interference in audition was associated with greater absolute pitch ability and in vision with higher autistic traits. Results are partially in line with the idea of a detail-oriented cognitive style in absolute pitch musicians. The inconsistency of the results might be due to limitations of global-to-local paradigms in measuring cognitive style and due to heterogeneity of absolute pitch possessors. In summary, this study provides further evidence for a multifaceted pattern of various and potentially interacting factors on the acquisition of absolute pitch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Wenhart
- Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians’ Medicine, Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, Hanover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hanover, Germany
| | - Eckart Altenmüller
- Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians’ Medicine, Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, Hanover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hanover, Germany
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29
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Greber M, Rogenmoser L, Elmer S, Jäncke L. Electrophysiological Correlates of Absolute Pitch in a Passive Auditory Oddball Paradigm: a Direct Replication Attempt. eNeuro 2018; 5:ENEURO.0333-18.2018. [PMID: 30637328 PMCID: PMC6327942 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0333-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans with absolute pitch (AP) are able to effortlessly name the pitch class of a sound without an external reference. The association of labels with pitches cannot be entirely suppressed even if it interferes with task demands. This suggests a high level of automaticity of pitch labeling in AP. The automatic nature of AP was further investigated in a study by Rogenmoser et al. (2015). Using a passive auditory oddball paradigm in combination with electroencephalography, they observed electrophysiological differences between musicians with and without AP in response to piano tones. Specifically, the AP musicians showed a smaller P3a, an event-related potential (ERP) component presumably reflecting early attentional processes. In contrast, they did not find group differences in the mismatch negativity (MMN), an ERP component associated with auditory memory processes. They concluded that early cognitive processes are facilitated in AP during passive listening and are more important for AP than the preceding sensory processes. In our direct replication study on a larger sample of musicians with (n = 54, 27 females, 27 males) and without (n = 50, 24 females, 26 males) AP, we successfully replicated the non-significant effects of AP on the MMN. However, we could not replicate the significant effects for the P3a. Additional Bayes factor analyses revealed moderate to strong evidence (Bayes factor > 3) for the null hypothesis for both MMN and P3a. Therefore, the results of this replication study do not support the postulated importance of cognitive facilitation in AP during passive tone listening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marielle Greber
- Division Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lars Rogenmoser
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007
| | - Stefan Elmer
- Division Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lutz Jäncke
- Division Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Special Education, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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30
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Van Hedger SC, Nusbaum HC. Individual differences in absolute pitch performance: Contributions of working memory, musical expertise, and tonal language background. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2018; 191:251-260. [PMID: 30347313 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
By definition, individuals with absolute pitch (AP) can categorize with near perfect accuracy without a reference pitch. This definition implies a uniformity of performance across people; however, in reality AP is a complex, multidimensional ability, shaped by both early and recent auditory experiences. In the present study we assess whether AP possessors' accuracy for identifying isolated notes is more distributed when judging more challenging instrumental timbres and octaves, as well as whether variability in note categorization could be explained through individual differences in musical expertise, language background, or working memory. In a standard test of AP, all participants performed virtually perfectly. When tested on the challenging notes, performance was more normally distributed. In exploratory analyses, we found (1) lower accuracy among participants who speak a tonal language, (2) less musical expertise among tonal language participants, and (3) a positive relationship between working memory and note performance among tonal language participants that was not present for non-tonal language participants. Taken together, these results highlight the complexity of AP categorization when considered as an auditory skill rather than a native talent. The observation that working memory may be an important in AP categorization under some challenging circumstances is consistent with recent theoretical accounts of how working memory and expertise relate to auditory recognition more broadly.
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No otoacoustic evidence for a peripheral basis of absolute pitch. Hear Res 2018; 370:201-208. [PMID: 30190151 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) is the ability to identify the perceived pitch of a sound without an external reference. Relatively rare, with an incidence of approximately 1/10,000, the mechanisms underlying AP are not well understood. This study examined otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) to determine if there is evidence of a peripheral (i.e., cochlear) basis for AP. Two OAE types were examined: spontaneous emissions (SOAEs) and stimulus-frequency emissions (SFOAEs). Our motivations to explore a peripheral foundation for AP were several-fold. First is the observation that pitch judgment accuracy has been reported to decrease with age due to age-dependent physiological changes cochlear biomechanics. Second is the notion that SOAEs, which are indirectly related to perception, could act as a fixed frequency reference. Third, SFOAE delays, which have been demonstrated to serve as a proxy measure for cochlear frequency selectivity, could indicate tuning differences between groups. These led us to the hypotheses that AP subjects would (relative to controls) exhibit a. greater SOAE activity and b. sharper cochlear tuning. To test these notions, measurements were made in normal-hearing control (N = 33) and AP-possessor (N = 20) populations. In short, no substantial difference in SOAE activity was found between groups, indicating no evidence for one or more strong SOAEs that could act as a fixed cue. SFOAE phase-gradient delays, measured at several different probe levels (20-50 dB SPL), also showed no significant differences between groups. This observation argues against sharper cochlear frequency selectivity in AP subjects. Taken together, these data support the prevailing view that AP mechanisms predominantly arise at a processing level in the central nervous system (CNS) at the brainstem or higher, not within the cochlea.
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The effects of ethnicity, musicianship, and tone language experience on pitch perception. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018; 71:2627-2642. [DOI: 10.1177/1747021818757435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Language and music are intertwined: music training can facilitate language abilities, and language experiences can also help with some music tasks. Possible language–music transfer effects are explored in two experiments in this study. In Experiment 1, we tested native Mandarin, Korean, and English speakers on a pitch discrimination task with two types of sounds: speech sounds and fundamental frequency (F0) patterns derived from speech sounds. To control for factors that might influence participants’ performance, we included cognitive ability tasks testing memory and intelligence. In addition, two music skill tasks were used to examine general transfer effects from language to music. Prior studies showing that tone language speakers have an advantage on pitch tasks have been taken as support for three alternative hypotheses: specific transfer effects, general transfer effects, and an ethnicity effect. In Experiment 1, musicians outperformed non-musicians on both speech and F0 sounds, suggesting a music-to-language transfer effect. Korean and Mandarin speakers performed similarly, and they both outperformed English speakers, providing some evidence for an ethnicity effect. Alternatively, this could be due to population selection bias. In Experiment 2, we recruited Chinese Americans approximating the native English speakers’ language background to further test the ethnicity effect. Chinese Americans, regardless of their tone language experiences, performed similarly to their non–Asian American counterparts in all tasks. Therefore, although this study provides additional evidence of transfer effects across music and language, it casts doubt on the contribution of ethnicity to differences observed in pitch perception and general music abilities.
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Kim SG, Knösche TR. On the Perceptual Subprocess of Absolute Pitch. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:557. [PMID: 29085275 PMCID: PMC5649255 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) is the rare ability of musicians to identify the pitch of tonal sound without external reference. While there have been behavioral and neuroimaging studies on the characteristics of AP, how the AP is implemented in human brains remains largely unknown. AP can be viewed as comprising of two subprocesses: perceptual (processing auditory input to extract a pitch chroma) and associative (linking an auditory representation of pitch chroma with a verbal/non-verbal label). In this review, we focus on the nature of the perceptual subprocess of AP. Two different models on how the perceptual subprocess works have been proposed: either via absolute pitch categorization (APC) or based on absolute pitch memory (APM). A major distinction between the two views is that whether the AP uses unique auditory processing (i.e., APC) that exists only in musicians with AP or it is rooted in a common phenomenon (i.e., APM), only with heightened efficiency. We review relevant behavioral and neuroimaging evidence that supports each notion. Lastly, we list open questions and potential ideas to address them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Goo Kim
- Research Group for MEG and EEG-Cortical Networks and Cognitive Functions, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas R Knösche
- Research Group for MEG and EEG-Cortical Networks and Cognitive Functions, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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Kim SG, Knösche TR. Resting state functional connectivity of the ventral auditory pathway in musicians with absolute pitch. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:3899-3916. [PMID: 28481006 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) is the ability to recognize pitch chroma of tonal sound without external references, providing a unique model of the human auditory system (Zatorre: Nat Neurosci 6 () 692-695). In a previous study (Kim and Knösche: Hum Brain Mapp () 3486-3501), we identified enhanced intracortical myelination in the right planum polare (PP) in musicians with AP, which could be a potential site for perceptional processing of pitch chroma information. We speculated that this area, which initiates the ventral auditory pathway, might be crucially involved in the perceptual stage of the AP process in the context of the "dual pathway hypothesis" that suggests the role of the ventral pathway in processing nonspatial information related to the identity of an auditory object (Rauschecker: Eur J Neurosci 41 () 579-585). To test our conjecture on the ventral pathway, we investigated resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) from musicians with varying degrees of AP. Should our hypothesis be correct, RSFC via the ventral pathway is expected to be stronger in musicians with AP, whereas such group effect is not predicted in the RSFC via the dorsal pathway. In the current data, we found greater RSFC between the right PP and bilateral anteroventral auditory cortices in musicians with AP. In contrast, we did not find any group difference in the RSFC of the planum temporale (PT) between musicians with and without AP. We believe that these findings support our conjecture on the critical role of the ventral pathway in AP recognition. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3899-3916, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Goo Kim
- Research Group for MEG and EEG - Cortical Networks and Cognitive Functions, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas R Knösche
- Research Group for MEG and EEG - Cortical Networks and Cognitive Functions, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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Bader M, Schröger E, Grimm S. How regularity representations of short sound patterns that are based on relative or absolute pitch information establish over time: An EEG study. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176981. [PMID: 28472146 PMCID: PMC5417614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The recognition of sound patterns in speech or music (e.g., a melody that is played in different keys) requires knowledge about pitch relations between successive sounds. We investigated the formation of regularity representations for sound patterns in an event-related potential (ERP) study. A pattern, which consisted of six concatenated 50 ms tone segments differing in fundamental frequency, was presented 1, 2, 3, 6, or 12 times and then replaced by another pattern by randomly changing the pitch of the tonal segments (roving standard paradigm). In an absolute repetition condition, patterns were repeated identically, whereas in a transposed condition, only the pitch relations of the tonal segments of the patterns were repeated, while the entire patterns were shifted up or down in pitch. During ERP measurement participants were not informed about the pattern repetition rule, but were instructed to discriminate rarely occurring targets of lower or higher sound intensity. EPRs for pattern changes (mismatch negativity, MMN; and P3a) and for pattern repetitions (repetition positivity, RP) revealed that the auditory system is able to rapidly extract regularities from unfamiliar complex sound patterns even when absolute pitch varies. Yet, enhanced RP and P3a amplitudes, and improved behavioral performance measured in a post-hoc test, in the absolute as compared with the transposed condition suggest that it is more difficult to encode patterns without absolute pitch information. This is explained by dissociable processing of standards and deviants as well as a back propagation mechanism to early sensory processing stages, which is effective after less repetitions of a standard stimulus for absolute pitch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Bader
- Institute of Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Erich Schröger
- Institute of Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sabine Grimm
- Institute of Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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Kim S, Blake R, Lee M, Kim CY. Audio-visual interactions uniquely contribute to resolution of visual conflict in people possessing absolute pitch. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175103. [PMID: 28380058 PMCID: PMC5381860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals possessing absolute pitch (AP) are able to identify a given musical tone or to reproduce it without reference to another tone. The present study sought to learn whether this exceptional auditory ability impacts visual perception under stimulus conditions that provoke visual competition in the form of binocular rivalry. Nineteen adult participants with 3–19 years of musical training were divided into two groups according to their performance on a task involving identification of the specific note associated with hearing a given musical pitch. During test trials lasting just over half a minute, participants dichoptically viewed a scrolling musical score presented to one eye and a drifting sinusoidal grating presented to the other eye; throughout the trial they pressed buttons to track the alternations in visual awareness produced by these dissimilar monocular stimuli. On “pitch-congruent” trials, participants heard an auditory melody that was congruent in pitch with the visual score, on “pitch-incongruent” trials they heard a transposed auditory melody that was congruent with the score in melody but not in pitch, and on “melody-incongruent” trials they heard an auditory melody completely different from the visual score. For both groups, the visual musical scores predominated over the gratings when the auditory melody was congruent compared to when it was incongruent. Moreover, the AP participants experienced greater predominance of the visual score when it was accompanied by the pitch-congruent melody compared to the same melody transposed in pitch; for non-AP musicians, pitch-congruent and pitch-incongruent trials yielded equivalent predominance. Analysis of individual durations of dominance revealed differential effects on dominance and suppression durations for AP and non-AP participants. These results reveal that AP is accompanied by a robust form of bisensory interaction between tonal frequencies and musical notation that boosts the salience of a visual score.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujin Kim
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Randolph Blake
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Vanderbilt Vision Research Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Minyoung Lee
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chai-Youn Kim
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail:
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Platel H, Lechevalier B, Descat C, Lambert J, Eustache F. Agnosie uditive e sindromi correlate: studio clinico, cognitivo e psicopatologico. Neurologia 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/s1634-7072(17)83852-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Chavarria-Soley G. Absolute pitch in Costa Rica: Distribution of pitch identification ability and implications for its genetic basis. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 140:891. [PMID: 27586721 DOI: 10.1121/1.4960569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Absolute pitch is the unusual ability to recognize a pitch without an external reference. The current view is that both environmental and genetic factors are involved in the acquisition of the trait. In the present study, 127 adult musicians were subjected to a musical tone identification test. Subjects were university music students and volunteers who responded to a newspaper article. The test consisted of the identification of 40 piano and 40 pure tones. Subjects were classified in three categories according to their pitch naming ability: absolute pitch (AP), high accuracy of tone identification (HA), and non-absolute pitch (non-AP). Both the percentage of correct responses and the mean absolute deviation showed a statistically significant variation between categories. A very clear pattern of higher accuracy for white than for black key notes was observed for the HA and the non-AP groups. Meanwhile, the AP group had an almost perfect pitch naming accuracy for both kinds of tones. Each category presented a very different pattern of deviation around the correct response. The age at the beginning of musical training did not differ between categories. The distribution of pitch identification ability in this study suggests a complex inheritance of the trait.
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Varnet L, Wang T, Peter C, Meunier F, Hoen M. How musical expertise shapes speech perception: evidence from auditory classification images. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14489. [PMID: 26399909 PMCID: PMC4585866 DOI: 10.1038/srep14489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now well established that extensive musical training percolates to higher levels of cognition, such as speech processing. However, the lack of a precise technique to investigate the specific listening strategy involved in speech comprehension has made it difficult to determine how musicians' higher performance in non-speech tasks contributes to their enhanced speech comprehension. The recently developed Auditory Classification Image approach reveals the precise time-frequency regions used by participants when performing phonemic categorizations in noise. Here we used this technique on 19 non-musicians and 19 professional musicians. We found that both groups used very similar listening strategies, but the musicians relied more heavily on the two main acoustic cues, at the first formant onset and at the onsets of the second and third formants onsets. Additionally, they responded more consistently to stimuli. These observations provide a direct visualization of auditory plasticity resulting from extensive musical training and shed light on the level of functional transfer between auditory processing and speech perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léo Varnet
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Auditory Language Processing (ALP) research group, Lyon, France.,Laboratoire sur le Langage le Cerveau et la Cognition, CNRS UMR 5304, Auditory Language Processing (ALP) research group, Lyon, France.,Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Tianyun Wang
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Auditory Language Processing (ALP) research group, Lyon, France.,Laboratoire sur le Langage le Cerveau et la Cognition, CNRS UMR 5304, Auditory Language Processing (ALP) research group, Lyon, France.,Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Chloe Peter
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Auditory Language Processing (ALP) research group, Lyon, France.,Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Fanny Meunier
- Laboratoire sur le Langage le Cerveau et la Cognition, CNRS UMR 5304, Auditory Language Processing (ALP) research group, Lyon, France.,Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Michel Hoen
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Auditory Language Processing (ALP) research group, Lyon, France.,Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,Oticon Medical - 2720 Chemin Saint Bernard, 06220 Vallauris, France
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40
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Auditory working memory predicts individual differences in absolute pitch learning. Cognition 2015; 140:95-110. [PMID: 25909580 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2015.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) is typically defined as the ability to label an isolated tone as a musical note in the absence of a reference tone. At first glance the acquisition of AP note categories seems like a perceptual learning task, since individuals must assign a category label to a stimulus based on a single perceptual dimension (pitch) while ignoring other perceptual dimensions (e.g., loudness, octave, instrument). AP, however, is rarely discussed in terms of domain-general perceptual learning mechanisms. This is because AP is typically assumed to depend on a critical period of development, in which early exposure to pitches and musical labels is thought to be necessary for the development of AP precluding the possibility of adult acquisition of AP. Despite this view of AP, several previous studies have found evidence that absolute pitch category learning is, to an extent, trainable in a post-critical period adult population, even if the performance typically achieved by this population is below the performance of a "true" AP possessor. The current studies attempt to understand the individual differences in learning to categorize notes using absolute pitch cues by testing a specific prediction regarding cognitive capacity related to categorization - to what extent does an individual's general auditory working memory capacity (WMC) predict the success of absolute pitch category acquisition. Since WMC has been shown to predict performance on a wide variety of other perceptual and category learning tasks, we predict that individuals with higher WMC should be better at learning absolute pitch note categories than individuals with lower WMC. Across two studies, we demonstrate that auditory WMC predicts the efficacy of learning absolute pitch note categories. These results suggest that a higher general auditory WMC might underlie the formation of absolute pitch categories for post-critical period adults. Implications for understanding the mechanisms that underlie the phenomenon of AP are also discussed.
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Reybrouck M, Brattico E. Neuroplasticity beyond Sounds: Neural Adaptations Following Long-Term Musical Aesthetic Experiences. Brain Sci 2015; 5:69-91. [PMID: 25807006 PMCID: PMC4390792 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci5010069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Revised: 02/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Capitalizing from neuroscience knowledge on how individuals are affected by the sound environment, we propose to adopt a cybernetic and ecological point of view on the musical aesthetic experience, which includes subprocesses, such as feature extraction and integration, early affective reactions and motor actions, style mastering and conceptualization, emotion and proprioception, evaluation and preference. In this perspective, the role of the listener/composer/performer is seen as that of an active “agent” coping in highly individual ways with the sounds. The findings concerning the neural adaptations in musicians, following long-term exposure to music, are then reviewed by keeping in mind the distinct subprocesses of a musical aesthetic experience. We conclude that these neural adaptations can be conceived of as the immediate and lifelong interactions with multisensorial stimuli (having a predominant auditory component), which result in lasting changes of the internal state of the “agent”. In a continuous loop, these changes affect, in turn, the subprocesses involved in a musical aesthetic experience, towards the final goal of achieving better perceptual, motor and proprioceptive responses to the immediate demands of the sounding environment. The resulting neural adaptations in musicians closely depend on the duration of the interactions, the starting age, the involvement of attention, the amount of motor practice and the musical genre played.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Reybrouck
- Section of Musicology, Faculty of Arts, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Blijde-Inkomststraat 21, P.O. Box 3313, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Center for Instructional Psychology and Technology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Dekenstraat 2, P.O. Box 3773, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Elvira Brattico
- Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, Fabianinkatu 24, P.O. Box 4, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Siltavuorenpenger 1 B, P.O. Box 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) refers to the rare ability to identify the chroma of a tone or to produce a specific pitch without reference to keyality (e.g., G or C). Previously, AP has been proposed to rely on the distinctive functional-anatomical architecture of the left auditory-related cortex (ARC), this specific trait possibly enabling an optimized early "categorical perception". In contrast, currently prevailing models of AP postulate that cognitive rather than perceptual processes, namely "pitch labeling" mechanisms, more likely constitute the bearing skeleton of AP. This associative memory component has previously been proposed to be dependent, among other mechanisms, on the recruitment of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) as well as on the integrity of the left arcuate fasciculus, a fiber bundle linking the posterior supratemporal plane with the DLPFC. Here, we attempted to integrate these two apparently conflicting perspectives on AP, namely early "categorical perception" and "pitch labeling". We used electroencephalography and evaluated resting-state intracranial functional connectivity between the left ARC and DLPFC in a sample of musicians with and without AP. Results demonstrate significantly increased left-hemispheric theta phase synchronization in AP compared with non-AP musicians. Within the AP group, this specific electrophysiological marker was predictive of absolute-hearing behavior and explained ∼30% of variance. Thus, we propose that in AP subjects the tonal inputs and the corresponding mnemonic representations are tightly coupled in such a manner that the distinctive electrophysiological signature of AP can saliently be detected in only 3 min of resting-state measurements.
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Rogenmoser L, Elmer S, Jäncke L. Absolute Pitch: Evidence for Early Cognitive Facilitation during Passive Listening as Revealed by Reduced P3a Amplitudes. J Cogn Neurosci 2015; 27:623-37. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) is the rare ability to identify or produce different pitches without using reference tones. At least two sequential processing stages are assumed to contribute to this phenomenon. The first recruits a pitch memory mechanism at an early stage of auditory processing, whereas the second is driven by a later cognitive mechanism (pitch labeling). Several investigations have used active tasks, but it is unclear how these two mechanisms contribute to AP during passive listening. The present work investigated the temporal dynamics of tone processing in AP and non-AP (NAP) participants by using EEG. We applied a passive oddball paradigm with between- and within-tone category manipulations and analyzed the MMN reflecting the early stage of auditory processing and the P3a response reflecting the later cognitive mechanism during the second processing stage. Results did not reveal between-group differences in MMN waveforms. By contrast, the P3a response was specifically associated with AP and sensitive to the processing of different pitch types. Specifically, AP participants exhibited smaller P3a amplitudes, especially in between-tone category conditions, and P3a responses correlated significantly with the age of commencement of musical training, suggesting an influence of early musical exposure on AP. Our results reinforce the current opinion that the representation of pitches at the processing level of the auditory-related cortex is comparable among AP and NAP participants, whereas the later processing stage is critical for AP. Results are interpreted as reflecting cognitive facilitation in AP participants, possibly driven by the availability of multiple codes for tones.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lutz Jäncke
- 1University of Zurich
- 2King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Hou J, Chen C, Dong Q. Resting-state functional connectivity and pitch identification ability in non-musicians. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:7. [PMID: 25717289 PMCID: PMC4324073 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have used task-related fMRI to investigate the neural basis of pitch identification (PI), but no study has examined the associations between resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and PI ability. Using a large sample of Chinese non-musicians (N = 320, with 56 having prior musical training), the current study examined the associations among musical training, PI ability, and RSFC. Results showed that musical training was associated with increased RSFC within the networks for multiple cognitive functions (such as vision, phonology, semantics, auditory encoding, and executive functions). PI ability was associated with RSFC with regions for perceptual and auditory encoding for participants with musical training, and with RSFC with regions for short-term memory, semantics, and phonology for participants without musical training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiancheng Hou
- State Key Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China ; Department of Psychology, Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China
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Skoe E, Kraus N. Auditory reserve and the legacy of auditory experience. Brain Sci 2014; 4:575-93. [PMID: 25405381 PMCID: PMC4279143 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci4040575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Revised: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Musical training during childhood has been linked to more robust encoding of sound later in life. We take this as evidence for an auditory reserve: a mechanism by which individuals capitalize on earlier life experiences to promote auditory processing. We assert that early auditory experiences guide how the reserve develops and is maintained over the lifetime. Experiences that occur after childhood, or which are limited in nature, are theorized to affect the reserve, although their influence on sensory processing may be less long-lasting and may potentially fade over time if not repeated. This auditory reserve may help to explain individual differences in how individuals cope with auditory impoverishment or loss of sensorineural function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Skoe
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Department of Psychology Affiliate, Cognitive Science Program Affiliate, University of Connecticut, 850 Bolton Street, Storrs, CT 06105, USA.
| | - Nina Kraus
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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Abstract
Perfect pitch, or absolute pitch (AP), is defined as the ability to identify or produce the pitch of a sound without need for a reference pitch, and is generally regarded as a valuable asset to the musician. However, there has been no recent review of the literature examining its aetiology and its utility taking into account emerging scientific advances in AP research, notably in functional imaging. This review analyses the key empirical research on AP, focusing on genetic and neuroimaging studies. The review concludes that: AP probably has a genetic predisposition, although this is based on limited evidence; early musical training is almost certainly essential for AP acquisition; and, although there is evidence that it may be relevant to speech processing, AP can interfere with relative pitch, an ability on which humans rely to communicate effectively. The review calls into question the value of AP to musicians and non-musicians alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calum Moulton
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust London, UK Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
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47
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Akiva-Kabiri L, Linkovski O, Gertner L, Henik A. Musical space synesthesia: Automatic, explicit and conceptual connections between musical stimuli and space. Conscious Cogn 2014; 28:17-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/01/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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48
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Tan YT, McPherson GE, Peretz I, Berkovic SF, Wilson SJ. The genetic basis of music ability. Front Psychol 2014; 5:658. [PMID: 25018744 PMCID: PMC4073543 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Music is an integral part of the cultural heritage of all known human societies, with the capacity for music perception and production present in most people. Researchers generally agree that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the broader realization of music ability, with the degree of music aptitude varying, not only from individual to individual, but across various components of music ability within the same individual. While environmental factors influencing music development and expertise have been well investigated in the psychological and music literature, the interrogation of possible genetic influences has not progressed at the same rate. Recent advances in genetic research offer fertile ground for exploring the genetic basis of music ability. This paper begins with a brief overview of behavioral and molecular genetic approaches commonly used in human genetic analyses, and then critically reviews the key findings of genetic investigations of the components of music ability. Some promising and converging findings have emerged, with several loci on chromosome 4 implicated in singing and music perception, and certain loci on chromosome 8q implicated in absolute pitch and music perception. The gene AVPR1A on chromosome 12q has also been implicated in music perception, music memory, and music listening, whereas SLC6A4 on chromosome 17q has been associated with music memory and choir participation. Replication of these results in alternate populations and with larger samples is warranted to confirm the findings. Through increased research efforts, a clearer picture of the genetic mechanisms underpinning music ability will hopefully emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ting Tan
- Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Gary E McPherson
- Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Isabelle Peretz
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research and Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel F Berkovic
- Department of Medicine, Epilepsy Research Centre, University of Melbourne Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah J Wilson
- Department of Medicine, Epilepsy Research Centre, University of Melbourne Heidelberg, VIC, Australia ; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC, Australia
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49
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Ziv N, Radin S. Absolute and relative pitch: Global versus local processing of chords. Adv Cogn Psychol 2014; 10:15-25. [PMID: 24855499 PMCID: PMC3996714 DOI: 10.2478/v10053-008-0152-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Absolute pitch (AP) is the ability to identify or produce notes without any reference note. An ongoing debate exists regarding the benefits or disadvantages of AP in processing music. One of the main issues in this context is whether the categorical perception of pitch in AP possessors may interfere in processing tasks requiring relative pitch (RP). Previous studies, focusing mainly on melodic and interval perception, have obtained inconsistent results. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of AP and RP separately, using isolated chords. Seventy-three musicians were categorized into four groups of high and low AP and RP, and were tested on two tasks: identifying chord types (Task 1), and identifying a single note within a chord (Task 2). A main effect of RP on Task 1 and an interaction between AP and RP in reaction times were found. On Task 2 main effects of AP and RP, and an interaction were found, with highest performance in participants with both high AP and RP. Results suggest that AP and RP should be regarded as two different abilities, and that AP may slow down reaction times for tasks requiring global processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Ziv
- Department of Psychology, College of Management Academic Studies,
Israel
| | - Shulamit Radin
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Tel Aviv-Yafo Academic College,
Israel
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50
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Dohn A, Garza-Villarreal EA, Chakravarty MM, Hansen M, Lerch JP, Vuust P. Gray- and White-Matter Anatomy of Absolute Pitch Possessors. Cereb Cortex 2013; 25:1379-88. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
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