Auditory Deficits in Congenital Amusia (AMUSIE CONGENITALE)

Neuropsychological tests consist in listening to sounds in various contexts and providing behavioral responses with response-buttons. Neurophysiological tests consist in the recording of EEG and/or MEG signals or MRI images while realizing the neuropsychological tests, as well as anatomical MRI scanning to characterize the participants' brain anatomy and reconstruct the brain sources of surface EEG/MEG signals.

Experiment 1 are interested in perception and musical memory vs. Language and contribute to our understanding of the functional and structural organization of the brain to perceive and memorize music and language.

Experiment 2 focuses on perception and musical memory vs. Language and contribute to our understanding of the functional and structural organization of the brain to perceive and memorize music and language. The second experiment will also study short-term memory networks for musical and verbal materials, but the specificity will be the inclusion of a verbal material sung, thus representing the combination of both information. Experiment 2 is divided into two sub-parts. Indeed, the investigators will develop the musical and verbal materials during a first experimental part in experiment (experiment 2a) and then apply them in experimentation MEG (experiment 2b). Experiment 2a will allow us to test new equipment in a short term memory task under conditions that are less restrictive for the participants. Then the investigators will apply the optimal material that emerges for the MEG experiment.

Experiment 3 will use Discordant Negativity (MMN; Mismatch Negativity) protocols in coupled EEG-MEG (experiment 3a) and EEG alone (experiment 3b) to investigate memory traces of sensory information. The MMN is used to probe auditory sensory memory (pre-requisite for short- or long-term storage), and has the advantage of being measured without requiring an active task from the participant.

Experiment 4 will study the neural correlates of long-term memory for musical and verbal material with fMRI. The testimonies of the amusicians suggest a deficit of the musical lexicon which contrasts with that the musical lexicon elaborated of the non-musician listeners.