title: Preserved musical semantic memory in semantic dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the scope of semantic impairment in semantic dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A man with semantic dementia, as demonstrated by clinical, neuropsychological, and imaging studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Music performance and magnetic resonance imaging results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite profoundly impaired semantic memory for words and objects due to left temporal lobe atrophy, this semiprofessional musician was creative and expressive in demonstrating preserved musical knowledge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term representations of words and objects in semantic memory may be dissociated from meaningful knowledge in other domains, such as music.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.forename: Delani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gunawardena
authors.forename: Corey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonner
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grossman
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy; D057174:Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009146:Music; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D014706:Verbal Learning