Abstract
Auditory processing can be enhanced by motor system activity. During auditory-motor synchronization, motor activity guides auditory attention and thus facilitates auditory processing through active sensing. Previous research on enhanced auditory processing through motor synchronization has been limited to easy tasks with simple stimulus material. Further, the mechanisms and brain regions underlying this synchronization are unclear. We investigated the effect of motor synchronization on auditory processing with naturalistic, musical auditory material in a discrimination task. We further assessed how previous musical training and cortical thickness of specific brain regions relate to different aspects of auditory-motor synchronization. We conducted an auditory-motor experiment in 139 adults. The task involved melody discrimination and beat tapping synchronization. Additionally, 68 participants underwent structural MRI. We found that individuals with better auditory-motor synchronization accuracy showed improved melody discrimination, and that melody discrimination was better in trials with higher tapping accuracy. However, melody discrimination was worse in the tapping than in the listening only condition. Longer previous musical training and thicker Heschl’s gyri were associated with better melody discrimination and better tapping synchrony. Post hoc analyses furthermore pointed to a possible moderating role of frontal regions. Our results suggest that motor synchronization can enhance auditory discrimination abilities through active sensing, but that this beneficial effect can be counteracted by dual-task inference when the two tasks are too challenging. Moreover, prior experience and structural brain differences influence the extent to which an individual can benefit from motor synchronization in complex listening. This could inform future research directed at development of personalized training programs for hearing ability.
Highlights
Auditory functions are essential for everyday interactions
In our post hoc analyses, we found that frontal brain structures modified the association between condition and Melody discrimination performance (MDP) in that individuals with a thicker left frontopolar cortex performed better when they were required to tap during the melody discrimination task, whereas individuals with a thinner left frontopolar cortex performed better when they were listening only
In order to understand the auditory component of the auditorymotor-interaction, we examined the effect of musical training and Heschl’s gyrus cortical thickness on MDP
Summary
Auditory functions are essential for everyday interactions. Strategies that improve impaired hearing abilities have the potential to improve quality of life. Two factors that are closely related have the potential to positively influence hearing abilities: musical training and auditory-motor synchronization. Previous studies have shown that life-long musicianship and early life musical training have a positive effect on sensorymotor (Penhune and Steele, 2012) and on auditory processing (Herholz and Zatorre, 2012). Even relatively short-term musical training has been associated with changes in brain morphology and physiology subserving auditory processing (Herholz and Zatorre, 2012). The strong auditory-motor interactions that are specific to music are one of the driving forces for neuronal plasticity (Zatorre et al, 2007; Herholz and Zatorre, 2012)
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