Neuroplasticity and Neural Adaptations in Singing Voice Skill Learning: A Scoping Review

This scoping review aimed to map and characterize the available evidence on neural adaptations associated with singing expertise, with a focus on experience-dependent neuroplasticity underlying vocal motor control.

This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines and registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF; DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/VZBQY). Eligibility criteria were defined using a Population-Concept-Context (PCC) framework. A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library for studies published in English between 2005 and 2025. Two reviewers independently screened studies, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. Data were extracted and synthesized descriptively to map patterns across heterogeneous methodologies. Consistent with scoping review methodology, no formal risk-of-bias assessment was performed.

Thirty-eight studies were included. Evidence consistently indicates that singing expertise is associated with enhanced auditory-motor integration, reduced reliance on external auditory feedback, and greater stability of vocal output under sensory perturbation. Findings further suggest experience-dependent functional and structural adaptations across distributed cortical and subcortical networks, including auditory, motor, somatosensory, insular, and subcortical systems. Substantial variability was observed in study design, task paradigms, and outcome measures.

Singing expertise is supported by distributed, experience-dependent neuroplastic adaptations that promote efficient and predictive vocal motor control. This scoping review maps the current evidence base, emphasizes its methodological heterogeneity, and identifies key directions for future research, particularly regarding causal mechanisms, longitudinal plasticity, and task-specific adaptations.