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Updated: Jul 31, 2026

Mapping the After-effects of Theta Burst Stimulation on the Human Auditory Cortex with Functional Imaging
Published on: September 12, 2012
Timbre-specific enhancement of auditory cortical representations in musicians
C Pantev1, L E Roberts, M Schulz
1Biomagnetism Center, Institute for Experimental Audiology, University of Münster, Germany.
Abstract:
Neural imaging studies have shown that the brains of skilled musicians respond differently to musical stimuli than do the brains of non-musicians, particularly for musicians who commenced practice at an early age. Whether brain attributes related to musical skill are attributable to musical practice or are hereditary traits that influence the decision to train musically is a subject of controversy, owing to its pedagogic implications. Here we report that auditory cortical representations measured neuromagnetically for tones of different timbre (violin and trumpet) are enhanced compared to sine tones in violinists and trumpeters, preferentially for timbres of the instrument of training. Timbre specificity is predicted by a principle of use-dependent plasticity and imposes new requirements on nativistic accounts of brain attributes associated with musical skill.
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