The Neuropsychology of Music

• Different levels of inquiry into the neuropsychology of music• The analysis of normal and

abnormal psychological and physiological functions to determine the principles and modes by which the human brain processes, codifies, stores, and produces music.

•  A description of the clinical deficits in music perception or performance resulting from localized or diffuse damage to the nervous system.

Music, Language, and Brain

Characteristics of mental modulesFodor (1983, 2001)

Mental modules have:

• Rapidity of operation

• Automaticity

• Domain specificity

• Information encapsulation

• Neural specificity

• Innateness

Music, Language, and Brain

Case Reports of Selective Impairment in Auditory Recognition of Words,

Tunes, and Other Sounds Peretz & Coltheart (2003)

Reports Auditory DomainsTunes Words Other Sounds

C.N. & G. L. - + + (voices)I.R. - + +H.V. - + +11 cases of - + + (voices)cogenital amusia

1 case + - +1 case + - +N.S. + - +

Music, Language, and Brain

Syntactic Structure in Language and Music

Patel (2003)

Syntactically good chord sequence:

Syntactically odd chord sequence:

Music, Language, and Brain

Syntactic Structure in Language and MusicPatel (2003)

Music, Language, and Brain

Neural Evidence for Syntactic Overlap in Language and Music

Patel et al. (1998)

Brain Organization in MusicParts of the Brain

CEREBRAL CORTEX:Four Lobes CEREBELLUM BRAIN STEM

Frontal Lobe:Initiation Problem solving JudgmentInhibition of behaviorPlanningAnticipation Self-monitoring Motor planning Personality EmotionsMotivationAwareness of abilitiesOrganization Attention Concentration Mental flexibility Speaking

Parietal Lobe:Sense of touch Seeing differences in size, shape, color Spatial perception Visual perceptionTemporal Lobe:MemoryHearing Understanding languageOrganization Sequencing Music AwarenessOccipital Lobe:Vision

BalanceCoordinationSkilled motor activity

Relay StationConsciousnessAlertnessBreathingHeart RateBasic body functions

Brain Organization in MusicHeschl’s Gyrus (HG) in a Normal Brain

(Johnsrude et al., 2000)

Brain Organization in MusicPatient’s Brain showing HG Lesions

(Johnsrude et al., 2000)

Brain Organization in MusicPitch Discrimination Findings

(Johnsrude et al., 2000)

Brain Organization in MusicSchematic Diagram of the

Missing Fundamental

Brain Organization in MusicMissing Fundamental Stimuli

Patel & Balaban (2001)

Brain Organization in MusicBrain Activation to Tonally

Modulating MelodiesJanata et al. (2002)

Brain Organization in MusicTonally Modulating Chord Sequences

Koelsch et al. (2003)

Brain Organization in Music Brain Activation to Chord Sequences

Koelsch et al. (2003)

Brain Organization in MusicBrain Activation to Chord Sequences

At Position 3 Koelsch et al. (2003)

Brain Organization in MusicMelodic Expectation

Granot & Donchin (2002)

Brain Organization in MusicMelodic Expectation, con’tGranot & Donchin (2002)

Brain Organization in MusicHarmonic Priming

Bharucha & Stoeckig (1987)

Related Context   

Unrelated Context

Brain Organization in MusicBrain imaging and harmonic primingTillman, Janata, & Bharucha (2003)

Brain Organization in MusicEvent Related Potentials (ERPs) and

Harmonic Priming Regnault, Bigand & Besson (2001)

Brain Organization in MusicEvent Related Potentials (ERPs) and

Harmonic Priming, con’tRegnault, Bigand & Besson (2001)

Brain Organization in MusicNeural Representation of

Rhythmic SequencesSakai et al. (1999)

Brain Organization in MusicNeural Representation of

Rhythmic Sequences, con’tSakai et al. (1999)Behavioral Data

Average Reproduced Rhythms:1 : 2 : 3 1 : 2.02 : 3.181 : 3 : 4 1 : 2.06 : 4.041 : 2.5 : 3.5 1 : 3.33 : 3.69

Brain Organization in MusicNeural Representation of

Rhythmic Sequences, con’tSakai et al. (1999)

fMRI Data