A DRUG FOR PERFECT PITCH

Perfect pitch, the ability to identify or sing musical notes without a reference point, is a rare, largely genetic gift, although it can be nurtured through training in early childhood. Scientists have now identified a drug, valproate, that may help adults master that rare skill by re-creating a critical period in brain development, enabling them to absorb new information as easily as they did before age 7. “It’s a mood-stabilizing drug, but we found that it also restores the plasticity of the brain to a juvenile state,” Harvard molecular biologist Takao Hensch tells NPR.org. Such neuro-plasticity is what allows young children to easily pick up skills, from speaking new languages to playing musical instruments. In the study, 23 adult males with no previous musical training took either valproate or a placebo and were taught to identify pitch tones. When the men were tested after two weeks, those who had taken the drug showed a surprising gain in perfect pitch, while the placebo group did not. Scientists say further study may establish whether valproate enhances adults’ ability to learn languages and other skills as easily as young children.