title: Activation of the left superior temporal gyrus of musicians by music-derived sounds.
abstract: Previous studies have suggested that professional musicians comprehend features of music-derived sound even if the sound sequence lacks the traditional temporal structure of music. We tested this hypothesis through behavioral and functional brain imaging experiments. Musicians were better than nonmusicians at identifying scrambled pieces of piano music in which the original temporal structure had been destroyed. Bilateral superior temporal gyri (STG) activity was observed while musicians listened to the scrambled stimuli, whereas this activity was present only in the right STG of nonmusicians under the same experimental conditions. We suggest that left STG activation is related to the processing of deviants, which appears to be enhanced in musicians. This may be because of the superior knowledge of musical temporal structure held by this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan. tomatsui@naramed-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kazai
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuzaki
authors.forename: Haruhiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katayose
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011361:Professional Competence; D013016:Sound; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen