Musical Training and Perceptual History Shape Alpha Dynamics in Audiovisual Speech Integration
Jihyun Lee1,2, Ji-Hye Han1,2, Hyo-Jeong Lee1,2,3
1Hearing, Balance and Integrated Neuroscience Laboratory, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang 14068, Republic of Korea.
Brain Sciences
|December 24, 2025
Summary
Musical training enhances top-down control in speech perception by modulating frontal brain activity. Nonmusicians rely more on sensory-driven processing and perceptual history, unlike musicians who focus on current auditory-visual input.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory and Speech Science
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Speech perception integrates auditory and visual cues, influenced by cognitive factors like perceptual history.
- Musical training impacts multisensory processing, potentially altering how individuals integrate speech information.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how musical training and perceptual history affect multisensory speech perception, specifically examining cortical activity during the McGurk illusion.
- To compare neural processing between musicians and nonmusicians in response to audiovisual speech stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) experiments were conducted using a McGurk task with musicians and nonmusicians.
- Cortical activity, specifically alpha power, was analyzed using dynamic imaging of coherent sources across five conditions.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in McGurk illusion susceptibility was found between musicians and nonmusicians.
- Musicians showed frontal alpha modulation, suggesting enhanced top-down control, while nonmusicians exhibited sensory-driven processing.
- Nonmusicians displayed temporal alpha modulations based on prior audiovisual congruency, indicating reliance on perceptual history.
Conclusions:
- Musical training influences neural mechanisms of audiovisual speech integration, promoting top-down control via frontal regions.
- Nonmusicians rely more on sensory-driven processing and perceptual recalibration, whereas musicians prioritize current sensory input.
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