Congenital amusics use a secondary pitch mechanism to identify lexical tones. (September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bones, Oliver; Wong, Patrick C.M.
• Is Part Of: Neuropsychologia. Volume 104(2017)
• Page Start: 48
• Page End: 53
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Subjects: Amusia -- Pitch perception -- Pitch mechanism -- Tone-language -- Temporal fine-structure -- Temporal envelope; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychologie -- Périodiques; Neuropsychology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.08.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-3932

Abstract

Abstract: Amusia is a pitch perception disorder associated with deficits in processing and production of both musical and lexical tones, which previous reports have suggested may be constrained to fine-grained pitch judgements. In the present study speakers of tone-languages, in which lexical tones are used to convey meaning, identified words present in chimera stimuli containing conflicting pitch-cues in the temporal fine-structure and temporal envelope, and which therefore conveyed two distinct utterances. Amusics were found to be more likely than controls to judge the word according to the envelope pitch-cues. This demonstrates that amusia is not associated with fine-grained pitch judgements alone, and is consistent with there being two distinct pitch mechanisms and with amusics having an atypical reliance on a secondary mechanism based upon envelope cues. Highlights: Amusic are more likely to identify lexical tones using envelope pitch-cues. Amusia does not only manifest in fine-grained pitch judgements. These results are consistent with the existence of two distinct pitch mechanisms.