Music genetics research: Association with musicality of a polymorphism in the AVPR1A gene.

Musicality is defined as a natural tendency, sensibility, knowledge, or talent to create, perceive, and play music. Musical abilities involve a great range of social and cognitive behaviors, which are influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. Although a number of studies have yielded insights into music genetics research, genes and biological pathways related to these traits are not fully understood. Our hypothesis in the current study is that genes associated with different behaviors could also influence the musical phenotype. Our aim was to investigate whether polymorphisms in six genes (AVPR1A, SLC6A4, ITGB3, COMT, DRD2 and DRD4) related to social and cognitive traits are associated with musicality in a sample of children. Musicality was assessed through an individualized music therapy assessment profile (IMTAP) which has been validated in Brazil to measure musical ability. We show here that the RS1 microsatellite of the AVPR1A gene is nominally associated with musicality, corroborating previous results linking AVPR1A with musical activity. This study is one of the first to investigate musicality in a comprehensive way, and it contributes to better understand the genetic basis underlying musical ability.

Convergent Validity for the Individual Music-Centered Assessment Profile for Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

A significant percentage of music therapists actively provides services to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is an absence, however, of a widely accepted clinical instrument, specific to music therapy work with this population, that demonstrates psychometric validation. Establishing commonality in assessing and documenting this particular work within the field would be pivotal to furthering the efforts which have established music therapy as evidenced-based practice. A study was conducted to explore the convergent validity between the Musical Emotion Assessment Rating Scale (MEARS), which is Scale I of the Individual Music-Centered Assessment Profile of the Neurodevelopmental Disorders (IMCAP-ND) assessment tool, with the Social Affect Scale domains and item variables of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). The data revealed statistical significance, thus supporting convergent validity with several specific MEARS scores when compared with the ADOS Social Affect domain score. The current investigation supports the IMCAP-ND's soundness as an assessment tool possessing valid and reliable psychometric properties. The convergent validity between MEARS and ADOS showed positive results in the area of social affect. Implications of this study are related to clinical practice and may impact how music therapists assess children with autism. Furthermore, this study contributes to the growing body of music therapy assessments that have yielded valid and reliable scores used to evaluate core features of ASD (e.g., social affect).

Music genetics research: Association with musicality of a polymorphism in the AVPR1A gene

Abstract Musicality is defined as a natural tendency, sensibility, knowledge, or talent to create, perceive, and play music. Musical abilities involve a great range of social and cognitive behaviors, which are influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. Although a number of studies have yielded insights into music genetics research, genes and biological pathways related to these traits are not fully understood. Our hypothesis in the current study is that genes associated with different behaviors could also influence the musical phenotype. Our aim was to investigate whether polymorphisms in six genes (AVPR1A, SLC6A4, ITGB3, COMT, DRD2 and DRD4) related to social and cognitive traits are associated with musicality in a sample of children. Musicality was assessed through an individualized music therapy assessment profile (IMTAP) which has been validated in Brazil to measure musical ability. We show here that the RS1 microsatellite of the AVPR1A gene is nominally associated with musicality, corroborating previous results linking AVPR1A with musical activity. This study is one of the first to investigate musicality in a comprehensive way, and it contributes to better understand the genetic basis underlying musical ability.