Dana L. Strait|Samantha O’Connell|Alexandra Parbery?Clark|Nina Kraus
Musicians' Enhanced Neural Differentiation of Speech Sounds Arises Early in Life: Developmental Evidence from Ages 3 to 30
Northwestern University
perception neural representation acoustically similar speech sounds underlie language development music training hones perception minute acoustic differences distinguish sounds training may generalize speech processing given adult musicians enhanced neural differentiation similar speech syllables compared nonmusicians asked whether neural advantage musicians present early life assessing musically trained untrained children young age 3 assessed auditory brainstem responses speech syllables ba ga well auditory visual cognitive abilities musicians nonmusicians across 3 developmental timepoints preschoolers schoolaged children adults crossphase analyses objectively measured degree subcortical responses differed speech syllables musicians nonmusicians age group results reveal musicians exhibit enhanced neural differentiation stop consonants early life little years training furthermore extent subcortical stop consonant distinction correlates auditoryspecific cognitive abilities ie auditory working memory attention results interpreted according corticofugal framework auditory learning subcortical processing enhancements engendered strengthened cognitive control auditory function musicians