
==== Front
bioRxiv
BIORXIV
bioRxiv
2692-8205
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

10.1101/2024.09.02.610856
preprint
1
Article
Musical training does not enhance neural sound encoding at early stages of the auditory system: A large-scale multisite investigation
Whiteford Kelly L. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2627-1509

Baltzell Lucas S.
Chiu Matt
Cooper John K.
Faucher Stefanie
Goh Pui Yii
Hagedorn Anna
Irsik Vanessa C.
Irvine Audra
Lim Sung-Joo
Mesik Juraj
Mesquita Bruno
Oakes Breanna
Rajappa Neha
Roverud Elin
Schrlau Amy E.
Van Hedger Stephen C.
Bharadwaj Hari M.
Johnsrude Ingrid S.
Kidd Gerald
Luebke Anne E.
Maddox Ross K. http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2668-0238

Marvin Elizabeth W.
Perrachione Tyler K.
Shinn-Cunningham Barbara G.
Oxenham Andrew J.
04 9 2024
2024.09.02.610856https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, which allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
http://biorxiv.org/lookup/doi/10.1101/2024.09.02.610856
nihpp-2024.09.02.610856.pdf
Abstract

Musical training has been associated with enhanced neural processing of sounds, as measured via the frequency following response (FFR), implying the potential for human subcortical neural plasticity. We conducted a large-scale multi-site preregistered study (n > 260) to replicate and extend the findings underpinning this important relationship. We failed to replicate any of the major findings published previously in smaller studies. Musical training was related neither to enhanced spectral encoding strength of a speech stimulus (/da/) in babble nor to a stronger neural-stimulus correlation. Similarly, the strength of neural tracking of a speech sound with a time-varying pitch was not related to either years of musical training or age of onset of musical training. Our findings provide no evidence for plasticity of early auditory responses based on musical training and exposure.
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