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Subcortical plasticity following perceptual learning in a pitch discrimination task
Samuele Carcagno1, Christopher J Plack
1Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YF, UK. samuele.carcagno@u-bordeaux2.fr
Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO
|September 30, 2010
Summary
Pitch discrimination training significantly improved auditory perception and altered neural responses. Even low-level auditory processes in adults show experience-related plasticity.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Neuroplasticity
- Psychoacoustics
Background:
- Auditory perception, particularly pitch discrimination, can be enhanced through practice.
- The frequency-following response (FFR) reflects subcortical auditory processing and may be modulated by training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how pitch discrimination training impacts the frequency-following response (FFR).
- To determine if training-induced changes in FFR are specific to stimulus characteristics like pitch contour.
Main Methods:
- Adult participants underwent 10 hours of pitch discrimination training with static, rising, or falling pitch contour stimuli.
- Behavioral pitch discrimination and FFRs were measured before and after training.
- An untrained control group was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- Trained participants showed significant pitch discrimination improvements compared to controls.
- Improvements were partly specific to the pitch modulation and trajectory of the trained stimulus.
- Enhanced neural phase locking to the sound envelope in FFR was observed for static and rising contours post-training.
Conclusions:
- Experience-related changes occur even in low-level auditory processing in mature auditory systems.
- Auditory training can induce specific plasticity in subcortical auditory processing, as evidenced by FFR changes.
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