Piano training enhances the neural processing of pitch and improves speech perception in Mandarin-speaking children

Abstract

Musical training confers advantages in speech-sound processing, which could play an important role in early childhood education. To understand the mechanisms of this effect, we used event-related potential and behavioral measures in a longitudinal design. Seventy-four Mandarin-speaking children aged 4-5 y old were pseudorandomly assigned to piano training, reading training, or a no-contact control group. Six months of piano training improved behavioral auditory word discrimination in general as well as word discrimination based on vowels compared with the controls. The reading group yielded similar trends. However, the piano group demonstrated unique advantages over the reading and control groups in consonant-based word discrimination and in enhanced positive mismatch responses (pMMRs) to lexical tone and musical pitch changes. The improved word discrimination based on consonants correlated with the enhancements in musical pitch pMMRs among the children in the piano group. In contrast, all three groups improved equally on general cognitive measures, including tests of IQ, working memory, and attention. The results suggest strengthened common sound processing across domains as an important mechanism underlying the benefits of musical training on language processing. In addition, although we failed to find far-transfer effects of musical training to general cognition, the near-transfer effects to speech perception establish the potential for musical training to help children improve their language skills. Piano training was not inferior to reading training on direct tests of language function, and it even seemed superior to reading training in enhancing consonant discrimination.

Elvis Has Left the Building: Correlational but Not Causal Relationship between Music Skill and Cognitive Ability

“…It is doubtful that functional changes occurring after a musictraining intervention represent domain-general improvements in cognitive function. Instead, it is probable that such neural patterns underlie the enhancement of musicrelated skills such as pitch discrimination (e.g., Nan et al, 2018). It is thus imperative not to erroneously interpret -as sometimes happens (e.g., Habibi et al, 2016) -that functional neural changes in brain areas involved in domaingeneral cognitive abilities are evidence of cognitive enhancement.…”

“…Rather, the purpose of this article has been to clarify what are the real effects of music training in order to allow people to make informed decisions. Educators and policymakers should be aware that music training provides no benefits on non-music-related cognitive or academic skills (e.g., Nan et al, 2018). As far as we are concerned, even in the absence of other cognitive or academic benefits, it is worthwhile learning an art present in nearly all the cultures in human history.…”

Music training, music aptitude, and speech perception

“…Metaanalysis confirms that positive effects of music training are more likely to emerge from studies with such suboptimal (rather than optimal) designs (8). Mankel and Bidelman (1) also cite short-term, intensive interventions that are unlike real-world music lessons (e.g., no practicing at home) and provide no evidence for long-term effects (9). In short, previous evidence of plasticity is suggestive at best.…”

Cognitive and academic benefits of music training with children: A multilevel meta-analysis

“…Researchers in this field have reached inconsistent conclusions. While most of them have expressed optimism about the benefits of music training (e.g., Barbaroux, Dittinger, & Besson, 2019;Nan et al, 2018;Tierney, Krizman, & Kraus, 2015), others have found this enthusiasm unjustified (e.g., Kempert et al, 2016;Rickard, Bambrick, & Gill, 2012). Like in many other fields in the social sciences, meta-analyses have been carried out to resolve such controversies.…”