title: Increased volume and function of right auditory cortex as a marker for absolute pitch.
abstract: Absolute pitch (AP) perception is the auditory ability to effortlessly recognize the pitch of any given tone without external reference. To study the neural substrates of this rare phenomenon, we developed a novel behavioral test, which excludes memory-based interval recognition and permits quantification of AP proficiency independently of relative pitch cues. AP- and non-AP-possessing musicians were studied with morphological and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography. Gray matter volume of the right Heschl's gyrus (HG) was highly correlated with AP proficiency. Right-hemispheric auditory evoked fields were increased in the AP group. fMRI revealed an AP-dependent network of right planum temporale, secondary somatosensory, and premotor cortices, as well as left-hemispheric "Broca's" area. We propose the right HG as an anatomical marker of AP and suggest that a right-hemispheric network mediates AP "perception," whereas pitch "labeling" takes place in the left hemisphere.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg Medical School, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wengenroth
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blatow
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heinecke
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stippich
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010898:Pitch Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Heschl's gyrus; functional magnetic resonance imaging; magnetoencephalography MEG; musicians; planum temporale