Description
Next to the manifestation of sensori-motor transformations such as singing and dancing, the ability to play an instrument by ear must rely on a unique convergence of cerebral functions involving motor preparation and auditory perception. In this study, we aimed to gain insight into the extent to which auditory perception is used to activate cerebral regions implicated in bimanual keyboard performance.Cerebral activations were studied first in 12 improvising organists (IMP) and 12 musically-unskilled controls (CTRL) while listening to two-part ‘inventions’. Subjects listened to 24 familiar and 24 unfamiliar excerpts. In two tasks, they were instructed either to imagine performing the excerpt (IMAG), or to judge its performance (JUDG). In a sparse-sampling paradigm, 3T fMRI was used to measure group- , task- , and familiarity-induced BOLD response.
Comparing IMP to CTRL revealed bilateral activation of auditory and ventral PMC during IMAG and JUDG, regardless of familiarity, but no significant activation of left parietal cortex. Significant activations were found in right anterior parietal cortex and, during IMAG, posterior superior parietal. Masking IMAG by JUDG revealed extensive, exclusively right-hemisphere, activations, including dorsal en ventral PMC, posterior superior and anterior parietal cortex.
Subsequently, IMP were compared to non-improvising pianists (NON) revealing significant activation of right auditory cortex and SMA in both tasks. Within-group comparison of IMAG to JUDG revealed significant right-hemisphere parietal activations in IMP, contrasted with solely left-hemisphere parietal activations in NON. Again, masking IMAG by JUDG revealed significant right-hemisphere activation of superior posterior parietal cortex as a characteristic group difference.
The right-lateralised parietal activations found in IMP in this study, are possibly a manifestation of mental rotation from vertical pitch space to horizontal keyboard space. Robust, task-independent auditory activations suggest bottom-up processing of music, particularly in IMP. Bilateral activation of ventral PMC suggests a role for the mirror neuron system.
Period | 11 Aug 2013 |
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Event title | Biennial meeting of the Society for Music Perception and Cognition (SMCP) 2013 |
Event type | Conference |
Location | Toronto, CanadaShow on map |
Degree of Recognition | International |
Keywords
- motor imagery
- music performance
- mental rotation
- audiomotor transformations
Related content
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Activities
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Symposium 'onderwijs & improvisatie'
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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Audiomotor transformations in music
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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NL-BE Music Research Network Meeting I
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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Research output
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Differential parietal and temporal contributions to music perception in improvising and score-dependent musicians, an fMRI study
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
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Cerebral activations related to audition-driven performance imagery in professional musicians
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
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Audiomotor transformations in improvising and score-dependent musicians
Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › Other research output
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Virtual keyboard playing by lay and expert ears
Research output: Book/Report › Report › Academic
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The role of cerebral resonance behavior in the control of music performance: an fMRI study
Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › Other research output
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Cerebral activations in highly-skilled keyboard performers: an fMRI study
Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › Other research output
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Behavioral quantification of audiomotor transformations in improvising and score-dependent musicians
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
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The role of cerebral resonance behavior in the control of music performance: an fMRI study
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Contribution to conference proceeding › Academic › peer-review
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The cerebral organization of audiomotor transformations in music
Research output: Ph.D. Thesis › PhD Research external, graduation external
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Press/Media
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Van improviseren kun je leren
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
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Iedereen is muzikaal
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Improvisatie: fluitend naar de muziekles
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Andere delen van brein actief bij improviserende musici
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities