Amusia due to Right Temporoparietal Infarct

Abstract

An accomplished organist, who could neither read nor write music, suddenly lost his ability to play familiar melodies as the result of an infarction of the right superior temporal and supramarginal gyri. Although the patient had minor difficulty recognizing familiar melodies and coordinating his hands, he had mainly an expressive instrumental amusia. This case provides further evidence of right hemispheric dominance for musical execution, relatively independent of musical knowledge and training.