588.26/PP27

Theoretical relationship of prefrontal dopaminergic stimulation and mental illness to THEME time patterns in musical compositions by Haydn, Bach, Mozart, and Schumann

Georgia World Congress Center: Halls B3-B5

Tuesday, Oct 17, 2006, 9:00 AM -10:00 AM

*M. LYON, J. LI, T. MORGAN, E. NUNEZ;
Dept Biol Sci, Univ Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

Abstract:
Introduction: Excessive prefrontal dopaminergic stimulation is associated with schizophrenia and, at lesser levels, with organized hyperactivity, including that seen in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette’s syndrome (TS). While OCD and TS interfere severely with some activities, they do not strongly affect musical composition or reproduction.
In this connection, Mozart has been suggested, by some, to suffer from TS. We reasoned that, if this were the case, evidence for dopaminergic overactivity might be discernible in the time-patterns of his musical compositions. It has been demonstrated that schizophrenic patients exhibit excessive numbers of behavioral time-patterns, with higher levels of organization, and more complex associations, than did control subjects. We therefore made predictions that: (1) a schizophrenic composer (R. Schumann) would illustrate the same findings as described above, (2) Mozart would show, to a lesser degree, similar alterations in time-pattern structures. As controls, we used two reportedly psychologically normal composers (J. Haydn and J. S. Bach).
Method: Samples were taken from similar, sonata-style compositions for each composer. Scores were entered into a SmartScore 3.4 MIDI Edition computer program. Results were edited and converted to text files, using MIDI File DisAssembler, which coded beginning and ending of each note. These data were uploaded into Excel, converted to .erg files, and submitted to a THEME 5.0 analysis of time-patterns in the music. We compared only patterns at a significance level of 10^-8 which had occurred at least six times.
Results: At this probability, Haydn had 94 different time-patterns, Bach 34, Mozart 56, and Schumann 1252. Regarding hierarchical complexity, Haydn and Bach reached only level 3, Mozart was level 4 and Schumann level 5. The maximum length (number of associated responses) was 6, 5, 8, and 12 in the same order of composers.
Conclusions: Schumann’s results agree perfectly with the earlier schizophrenia study. Although here was little difference between Haydn, Bach and Mozart in number of different time-patterns, in length and level complexity Mozart lies closer to Schumann, which may indicate slightly increased prefrontal dopaminergic activity, due perhaps to TS. Further study is needed to establish these findings. .

 M. Lyon , None; J. Li, None; T. Morgan, None; E. Nunez, None.