Copyediting sample 61:
Musical ability and Williams syndrome

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Musical Ability and William's Syndrome Only a handful of studies have formally examined the musical abilities of individuals with Williams syndrome. Comparable levels of musical interest were found among children with Down syndrome and those with Williams syndrome, although those in the latter group were more likely to play an instrument (Hedapp, Dykens, Fidler, & Rosner, 2000). Rhythmic abilities among some children with Williams syndrome were found to be equal to those of typically developing controls (Levitan & Bellugi, 1998), with the Williams group showing an impressive ability to improvise. Musical abilities among people with this syndrome may in part be related to "hypertimbria", an enhanced ability to distinguish the subjective quality of a sound (e.g. different musical instruments playing the same note). Anecdotally, parents report that their children with Williams syndrome have an uncanny ability to identify the exact origin of sounds in their environment (e.g. distinguishing different types of aircraft based on their engine sounds). This may be a variant of perfect pitch, the ability to precisely recognize musical notes, which in turn could be related to the known association between Williams syndrome and hyperacusis. Although these preliminary studies and observations are intriguing, further research is needed to determine the extent to which musical abilities are part of the Williams syndrome phenotype.

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Musical Ability and William's Syndrome Williams Syndrome Only a handful of studies have formally examined the musical abilities of individuals with Williams syndrome. Comparable levels of musical interest were found among children with Down syndrome and those with Williams syndrome, although those in the latter group were more likely to play an instrument (Hedapp, Dykens, Fidler, & Rosner, 2000). Rhythmic abilities among some children with Williams syndrome were found to be equal to those of typically developing controls (Levitan & Bellugi, 1998), with the Williams group showing an impressive ability to improvise. Musical abilities among people with this syndrome may in part be related to "hypertimbria", "hypertimbria," an enhanced ability to distinguish the subjective quality of a sound (e.g. different musical instruments playing the same note). (e.g., different musical instruments playing the same note). Anecdotally, parents report that their children with Williams syndrome have an uncanny ability to identify the exact origin of sounds in their environment (e.g. distinguishing different types of aircraft based on their engine sounds). (e.g., distinguishing different types of aircraft based on their engine sounds). This may be a variant of perfect pitch, the ability to precisely recognize musical notes, which in turn could be related to the known association between Williams syndrome and hyperacusis. Although these preliminary studies and observations are intriguing, further research is needed to determine the extent to which musical abilities are part of the Williams syndrome phenotype.

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Musical Ability and Williams Syndrome Only a handful of studies have formally examined the musical abilities of individuals with Williams syndrome. Comparable levels of musical interest were found among children with Down syndrome and those with Williams syndrome, although those in the latter group were more likely to play an instrument (Hedapp, Dykens, Fidler, & Rosner, 2000). Rhythmic abilities among some children with Williams syndrome were found to be equal to those of typically developing controls (Levitan & Bellugi, 1998), with the Williams group showing an impressive ability to improvise. Musical abilities among people with this syndrome may in part be related to "hypertimbria," an enhanced ability to distinguish the subjective quality of a sound (e.g., different musical instruments playing the same note). Anecdotally, parents report that their children with Williams syndrome have an uncanny ability to identify the exact origin of sounds in their environment (e.g., distinguishing different types of aircraft based on their engine sounds). This may be a variant of perfect pitch, the ability to precisely recognize musical notes, which in turn could be related to the known association between Williams syndrome and hyperacusis. Although these preliminary studies and observations are intriguing, further research is needed to determine the extent to which musical abilities are part of the Williams syndrome phenotype.