Absolute Pitch in a Four-Year-Old Boy With Autism

Brenton, J. Nicholas; Devries, Seth P.; Barton, Christine; Minnich, Heike; Sokol, Deborah K.

doi:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2008.05.004

Cited by 20 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Interestingly, there are several reports of superior pitch processing and AP abilities in ASD patients. (Soulieres et al, 2010;Brenton, Devries, Barton, Minnich, & Sokol, 2008;Heaton, Davis, & Happe, 2008;Bonnel et al, 2003;Brown et al, 2003;Heaton, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diminished Whole-brain but Enhanced Peri-sylvian Connectivity in Absolute Pitch Musicians

Jäncke

Langer

Hänggi

2012

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

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Several anatomical studies have identified specific anatomical features within the peri-sylvian brain system of absolute pitch (AP) musicians. In this study we used graph theoretical analysis of cortical thickness covariations (as indirect indicator of connectivity) to examine whether AP musicians differ from relative pitch musicians and nonmusicians in small-world network characteristics. We measured "local connectedness" (local clustering = ), "global efficiency of information transfer" (path length = ), "small-worldness" ( = /), and "degree" centrality as measures of connectivity. Although all groups demonstrated typical small-world features, AP musicians showed significant small-world alterations. "Degree" as a measure of interconnectedness was globally significantly decreased in AP musicians. These differences let us suggest that AP musicians demonstrate diminished neural integration (less connections) among distant brain regions. In addition, AP musicians demonstrated significantly increased local connectivity in peri-sylvian language areas of which the planum temporale, planum polare, Heschl's gyrus, lateral aspect of the superior temporal gyrus, STS, pars triangularis, and pars opercularis were hub regions. All of these brain areas are known to be involved in higher-order auditory processing, working or semantic memory processes. Taken together, whereas AP musicians demonstrate decreased global interconnectedness, the local connectedness in peri-sylvian brain areas is significantly higher than for relative pitch musicians and nonmusicians. ical features within the peri-sylvian brain system of absolute pitch (AP) musicians. In this study we used graph theoretical analysis of cortical thickness covariations (as indirect indicator of connectivity) to examine whether AP musicians differ from relative pitch musicians and nonmusicians in small-world network characteristics. We measured "local connectedness" (local clustering = γ), "global efficiency of information transfer" (path length = λ), "small-worldness" (σ = γ/λ), and "degree" centrality as measures of connectivity. Although all groups demonstrated typical small-world features, AP musicians showed significant small-world alterations. "Degree" as a measure of interconnectedness was globally significantly decreased in AP musicians. These differences let us suggest that AP musicians demonstrate diminished neural integration (less connections) among distant brain regions. In addition, AP musicians demonstrated significantly increased local connectivity in peri-sylvian language areas of which the planum temporale, planum polare, Heschlʼs gyrus, lateral aspect of the superior temporal gyrus, STS, pars triangularis, and pars opercularis were hub regions. All of these brain areas are known to be involved in higherorder auditory processing, working or semantic memory processes. Taken together, whereas AP musicians demonstrate decreased global interconnectedness, the local connectedness in perisylvian brain areas is significantly higher than for relativ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diminished Whole-brain but Enhanced Peri-sylvian Connectivity in Absolute Pitch Musicians

Jäncke

Langer

Hänggi

2012

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

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“…For example, Young and Nettelbeck (1995) noted that perfect pitch displayed by T.R., a young autistic musical savant with AP, provided an important basis for the development of his musical skills. Similarly, Brenton et al (2008) described a 4-year-old autistic boy who demonstrated AP and was even able to identify the tone of a fan buzzing in the key of F, although he had not received any formal music training and did not demonstrate savant skills for music. A.C., an autistic artist, was able to remember the pitch of certain environmental sounds at a very early stage of development, and subsequently acquired the ability to map tones and their corresponding labels without formal training (Heaton et al, 2008a).…”

Section: Development Of Autistic Absolute Pitchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Veridical mapping in the development of exceptional autistic abilities

Mottron¹,

Bouvet²,

Bonnel³

et al. 2013

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

210

162

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Superior perception, peaks of ability, and savant skills are often observed in the autistic phenotype. The enhanced perceptual functioning model (Mottron et al., 2006a) emphasizes the increased role and autonomy of perceptual information processing in autistic cognition. Autistic abilities also involve enhanced pattern detection, which may develop through veridical mapping across isomorphic perceptual and non-perceptual structures (Mottron et al., 2009). In this paper, we elaborate veridical mapping as a specific mechanism which can explain the higher incidence of savant abilities, as well as other related phenomena, in autism. We contend that savant abilities such as hyperlexia, but also absolute pitch and synaesthesia, involve similar neurocognitive components, share the same structure and developmental course, and represent related ways by which the perceptual brain deals with objective structures under different conditions. Plausibly, these apparently different phenomena develop through a veridical mapping mechanism whereby perceptual information is coupled with homological data drawn from within or across isomorphic structures. The atypical neural connectivity characteristic of autism is consistent with a developmental predisposition to veridical mapping and the resulting high prevalence of savant abilities, absolute pitch, and synaesthesia in autism.

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“…Relative to controls, individuals with autism have been shown to have superior pitch memory [e.g., 4,48] and pitch discrimination skills [e.g., 12,51,52]. Although no study has directly examined the prevalence of absolute pitch in this population, anecdotal reports do suggest unusual absolute pitch abilities [14,50], and it has been suggested that autism and absolute pitch may share biological markers [16]. …”

Section: Music Making As An Intervention To Engage the Mirror Neurmentioning

confidence: 99%

From music making to speaking: Engaging the mirror neuron system in autism

Wan

Demaine

Zipse

et al. 2010

Brain Research Bulletin

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Individuals with autism show impairments in emotional tuning, social interactions and communication. These are functions that have been attributed to the putative human mirror neuron system (MNS), which contains neurons that respond to the actions of self and others. It has been proposed that a dysfunction of that system underlies some of the characteristics of autism. Here, we review behavioral and imaging studies that implicate the MNS (or a brain network with similar functions) in sensory-motor integration and speech representation, and review data supporting the hypothesis that MNS activity could be abnormal in autism. In addition, we propose that an intervention designed to engage brain regions that overlap with the MNS may have significant clinical potential. We argue that this engagement could be achieved through forms of music making. Music making with others (e.g., playing instruments or singing) is a multi-modal activity that has been shown to engage brain regions that largely overlap with the human MNS. Furthermore, many children with autism thoroughly enjoy participating in musical activities. Such activities may enhance their ability to focus and interact with others, thereby fostering the development of communication and social skills. Thus, interventions incorporating methods of music making may offer a promising approach for facilitating expressive language in otherwise nonverbal children with autism. KeywordsAutism; Music; Language; Brain; Mirror neuron system; Auditory-motor mapping training Social and communication impairments represent some of the key diagnostic characteristics of autism [3]. Individuals with autism may show delays in language acquisition, with deficits ranging from the complete absence of functional speech, to the existence of adequate linguistic knowledge that is coupled with impairment in the functional use of that knowledge [107,108]. It has been estimated that between 30 and 50% of individuals with autism never develop functional speech [90]. Even when language develops in these individuals, verbal communication is often restricted to the expression of instrumental functions, or simple labeling [106]. If a child remains nonverbal by the age of five or six, the prognosis for social skills and expressive language has traditionally been thought to be poor

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Absolute Pitch in a Four-Year-Old Boy With Autism

Cited by 20 publications

References 12 publications

Diminished Whole-brain but Enhanced Peri-sylvian Connectivity in Absolute Pitch Musicians

Diminished Whole-brain but Enhanced Peri-sylvian Connectivity in Absolute Pitch Musicians

Veridical mapping in the development of exceptional autistic abilities

From music making to speaking: Engaging the mirror neuron system in autism

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