The origins of musical processing: development and plasticity of auditory brainstem responses

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Human communication systems-language and music-are based largely in the auditory modality, so understanding how the processing of sound develops and is influenced by specific training is critical for achieving optimal development in children, as well as for early interventions in cases where there are problems.  In previous work, we have analyzed electroencephalographic (EEG) measurements and found that responses of auditory cortex to sound are quite immature in young infants.  Indeed they do not fully reach adult levels until well into the teenage years.  We have also found that musical training at a young age has a positive influence on the maturation of cortical responses, particularly those related to auditory attention and memory.  Because cortical responses are immature in young children, and because animal studies inform us that learning involves complex interactions between cortical and subcortical areas of the brain, we must look at subcortical processing in order to understand critical questions about how the brain develops and responds to learning.  The EEG equipment that we are requesting will allow us to measure subcortical and cortical responses to sound at the same time.  This will enable us to begin to understand how these different brain regions interact.  Furthermore, studies of how these interactions change with specific auditory learning, such as when acquiring the ability to play a musical instrument, will enable us to begin unraveling the intricate processes by which the brain learns and changes through development.