Musical experience impacts hearing speech in noise.

Abstract

Musical experience profoundly impacts how sound is transcribed by the nervous system. This influence is likely mediated by cognitive processes such as attention and memory through the corticofugal system [Tzounopoulos and Kraus, Neuron 62, 463–469 (2009)]. Hearing in noise is difficult for everyone but especially for children with developmental dyslexia and older adults. We have identified objective neural signatures—from the human auditory brainstem—that reflect hearing in noise [Chandrasekaran et al., Neuron 64, 311–319 (2009) and Hornickel et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 31, 13027 (2009)]. Musicians develop the ability to hear relevant signals embedded in a network of melodies and harmonies. This ability transfers to hearing a target speaker’s voice in background noise. We are beginning to understand the biological basis for this perceptual advantage [Parbery‐Clark et al., J. Neurosci 29, 14100–14107 (2009)]. Sensory processing of speech and music is tightly coupled with the cognitive abilities that underlie language and musical expertise; this knowledge can be used to advantage in the consideration of educational and remediation strategies. [Work supported by NSF SGER 0842376.]