Yun Nan|Li Liu|Eveline Geiser|Hua Shu|Chen Gong|Qi Dong|John D. E. Gabrieli|Robert Desimone
Piano training enhances the neural processing of pitch and improves speech perception in Mandarin-speaking children
Chinese Institute for Brain Research|Beijing Normal University|Chinese Institute for Brain Research|Beijing Normal University|Massachusetts Institute of Technology|McGovern Institute for Brain Research|University of Lausanne|Chinese Institute for Brain Research|Beijing Normal University|McGovern Institute for Brain Research|Massachusetts Institute of Technology|Chinese Institute for Brain Research|Beijing Normal University|McGovern Institute for Brain Research|Massachusetts Institute of Technology|McGovern Institute for Brain Research|Massachusetts Institute of Technology
musical training confers advantages speechsound processing could play important role early childhood education understand mechanisms effect used eventrelated potential behavioral measures longitudinal design seventyfour mandarinspeaking children aged 45 old pseudorandomly assigned piano training reading training nocontact control group six months piano training improved behavioral auditory word discrimination general well word discrimination based vowels compared controls reading group yielded similar trends however piano group demonstrated unique advantages reading control groups consonantbased word discrimination enhanced positive mismatch responses pmmrs lexical tone musical pitch changes improved word discrimination based consonants correlated enhancements musical pitch pmmrs among children piano group contrast three groups improved equally general cognitive measures including tests iq working memory attention results suggest strengthened common sound processing across domains important mechanism underlying benefits musical training language processing addition although failed find fartransfer effects musical training general cognition neartransfer effects speech perception establish potential musical training help children improve language skills piano training inferior reading training direct tests language function even seemed superior reading training enhancing consonant discrimination