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Molecular Autism
Published in: Molecular Autism 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Electroencephalography | Research

Autistic traits, resting-state connectivity, and absolute pitch in professional musicians: shared and distinct neural features

Authors: T. Wenhart, R. A. I. Bethlehem, S. Baron-Cohen, E. Altenmüller

Published in: Molecular Autism | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Recent studies indicate increased autistic traits in musicians with absolute pitch and a higher proportion of absolute pitch in people with autism. Theoretical accounts connect both of these with shared neural principles of local hyper- and global hypoconnectivity, enhanced perceptual functioning, and a detail-focused cognitive style. This is the first study to investigate absolute pitch proficiency, autistic traits, and brain correlates in the same study.

Sample and methods

Graph theoretical analysis was conducted on resting-state (eyes closed and eyes open) EEG connectivity (wPLI, weighted phase lag index) matrices obtained from 31 absolute pitch (AP) and 33 relative pitch (RP) professional musicians. Small-worldness, global clustering coefficient, and average path length were related to autistic traits, passive (tone identification) and active (pitch adjustment) absolute pitch proficiency, and onset of musical training using Welch two-sample tests, correlations, and general linear models.

Results

Analyses revealed increased path length (delta 2–4 Hz), reduced clustering (beta 13–18 Hz), reduced small-worldness (gamma 30–60 Hz), and increased autistic traits for AP compared to RP. Only clustering values (beta 13–18 Hz) were predicted by both AP proficiency and autistic traits. Post hoc single connection permutation tests among raw wPLI matrices in the beta band (13–18 Hz) revealed widely reduced interhemispheric connectivity between bilateral auditory-related electrode positions along with higher connectivity between F7–F8 and F8–P9 for AP. Pitch-naming ability and pitch adjustment ability were predicted by path length, clustering, autistic traits, and onset of musical training (for pitch adjustment) explaining 44% and 38% of variance, respectively.

Conclusions

Results show both shared and distinct neural features between AP and autistic traits. Differences in the beta range were associated with higher autistic traits in the same population. In general, AP musicians exhibit a widely underconnected brain with reduced functional integration and reduced small-world property during resting state. This might be partly related to autism-specific brain connectivity, while differences in path length and small-worldness reflect other ability-specific influences. This is further evidenced for different pathways in the acquisition and development of absolute pitch, likely influenced by both genetic and environmental factors and their interaction.
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Metadata
Title
Autistic traits, resting-state connectivity, and absolute pitch in professional musicians: shared and distinct neural features
Authors
T. Wenhart
R. A. I. Bethlehem
S. Baron-Cohen
E. Altenmüller
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Molecular Autism / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 2040-2392
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-019-0272-6

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Molecular Autism 1/2019 Go to the issue

Methodology

The distribution of autistic traits across the autism spectrum: evidence for discontinuous dimensional subpopulations underlying the autism continuum

Research

Incomplete silencing of full mutation alleles in males with fragile X syndrome is associated with autistic features

Review

Selection bias on intellectual ability in autism research: a cross-sectional review and meta-analysis

Research

Cellular and molecular characterization of multiplex autism in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons

Research

Behavioral characteristics of autism spectrum disorder in very preterm birth children

Research

Mutations in neuroligin-3 in male mice impact behavioral flexibility but not relational memory in a touchscreen test of visual transitive inference