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Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Assessment of Audio-Tactile Sensory Substitution Training in Participants with Profound Deafness Using the Event-Related Potential Technique
Published on: September 7, 2022
Musical training does not enhance neural sound encoding at early stages of the auditory system: A large-scale
Kelly L Whiteford1, Lucas S Baltzell2, Matt Chiu3
1Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota.
Abstract:
Musical training has been associated with enhanced neural processing of sounds, as measured via the frequency following response (FFR), implying the potential for human subcortical neural plasticity. We conducted a large-scale multi-site preregistered study (n > 260) to replicate and extend the findings underpinning this important relationship. We failed to replicate any of the major findings published previously in smaller studies. Musical training was related neither to enhanced spectral encoding strength of a speech stimulus (/da/) in babble nor to a stronger neural-stimulus correlation. Similarly, the strength of neural tracking of a speech sound with a time-varying pitch was not related to either years of musical training or age of onset of musical training. Our findings provide no evidence for plasticity of early auditory responses based on musical training and exposure.
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