Observation of a reversible, medication-induced change in pitch perception.
This paper reports a study of an absolute pitch possessor who, upon administration of the psychoactive drug Tegratol (carbamazepine), experienced a significant change in her pitch perception. The subject's performance both in producing, as well as in identifying, random-frequency tones was measured, covering the period of administration of the drug, as well as control periods before and after. The main effect of the drug was a downward shift of the perceived pitch as compared to the two control periods. The magnitude of the shift was observed to increase with increasing fundamental frequency of the stimulus; the average shift was about one semitone. Detailed results on the frequency dependence and time dependence of the pitch shifts are presented. This may be the first documented report of a significant, reversible change of pitch perception caused by a medication.
Chaloupka
V
V
Physics Department and School of Music, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
Mitchell
S
S
Muirhead
R
R
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010898:Pitch Perception / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
D002220:Carbamazepine