The impact of short-term musical training on brain functions of auditory music analysis

• Applicant: Dr. Claudia Lappe
• Subject Area: Clinical Neurology; Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology
• Term: from 2012 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 215343018

It is long known that trained musicians show enhanced cortical processing of musical material. Recent studies showed, however, that already a few weeks of musical training suffice to induce plastic changes in auditory cortical processing, suggesting that sensorimotor learning involved in piano play has quick impact in auditory function. The present proposal builds on these initial findings and explores a number of open questions to better understand how short-term musical training induces brain plasticity. The experiments will use the musical mismatch negativity as a tool to evaluate cortical plasticity with magneto-encephalography (MEG). We will study the neural generators of the musical mismatch negativity using beamformer analysis of MEG data. We will compare the training impact on these generators in normal subjects and in subjects that present amusia, a congenital difficulty to perceive tonal differences and musical relationships. We will also study the impact of short-term piano training on perception in amusics. Using a newly developed instrumental interface for touch-free music playing we will further investigate the interaction of auditory, tactile and motor contributions to musical training and to the associated cortical plasticity. In a new line of research we will begin to apply these tools to the topic of ensemble play. While most neuroscience research in the past has looked at solo performance situations, ensemble play involves many demands and difficulties that are not present in solo play and that highlight important aspects of music production. Using the musical mismatch negativity protocol in a four-hand piano training with two subjects we will look at training benefits, differential error processing, specificity of the training to the individual material, and aspects of corepresentation of motor programs between the two players.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants