Neurobot » When Music Stops Making Sense: Lessons from an Injured Brain

In 2004, Ian McDonald, M.D., a British neurologist and amateur classical pianist, experienced a stroke that damaged a fairly small area of his brain. As a result, he temporarily lost his ability to read and play music from a score, as well as to appreciate music emotionally.
By Petr Janata, Ph.D.
Originally posted to Cerebrum @ Dana Foundation, August 2007

Reading and playing music from a score involves a complex network of brain activity. © Getty Images/I. Burgum/P. Boorman

What does his experience, and that of other people whose musical abilities have been affected by brain damage, teach us about how the brain binds together what we perceive into a seamless flow?
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