Musical training is thought to enhance music and speech processing in the brain. However, the brain mechanisms supporting any potential advantages of musical training for speech processing remain unclear.
Researchers used functional MRI to examine differences in speech perception of musicians and nonmusicians. During MRI scanning, 15 musicians and 15 nonmusicians, on average 21 to 22 years of age, identified various syllable sounds at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) ranging from –12 to 8 decibels.
While the two groups performed equally in a “no noise” condition, musicians outperformed nonmusicians in correctly identifying the syllables at all other SNRs. The ability was associated with enhanced activation of the left inferior frontal and right auditory brain regions in musicians.
Additional analysis revealed that neural patterns related to phoneme sounds, which compose syllables, were more distinct in the auditory and speech motor brain regions in musicians, compared with nonmusicians.
Further, musical training was tied to strengthened functional connectivity of the auditory–motor network, suggesting that musical training might improve speech processing. According to the authors, the findings might have implications for treating hearing disorders in aging populations
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/11/28/1712223114
Latest News
Metabolic rewiring promotes…
By newseditor
Posted 18 Apr
A drug to prevent flu-induc…
By newseditor
Posted 18 Apr
New origin of deep brain waves
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Starving cells hijack prote…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Miniature battery-free epid…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Other Top Stories
Autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease and mechanisms of disease pr…
Read more
Genetic and biochemical determinants of brain calcification
Read more
The same protein controls brain size and infertility
Read more
Age-related cognitive decline tied to immune-system molecule
Read more
Mechanism of microglial self-renewal in the brain
Read more
Protocols
MemPrep, a new technology f…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
A tangible method to assess…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
Stem cell-derived vessels-o…
By newseditor
Posted 06 Apr
Single-cell biclustering fo…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Apr
Modular dual-color BiAD sen…
By newseditor
Posted 31 Mar
Publications
How does the microbiota con…
By newseditor
Posted 18 Apr
The integrated stress respo…
By newseditor
Posted 18 Apr
The immunobiology of herpes…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Circulating microbiome DNA…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Spindle oscillations in com…
By newseditor
Posted 17 Apr
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar