Effects of music training on auditory processing and high-frequency hearing abilities in adolescent musicians

这项研究提案的目的是对以下问题提供明确的答案： 音乐训练与增强对声音的感知有关。据报道，音乐家拥有 增强了在安静和噪音中对声音的听觉处理--这是一种可能开始于 在听觉通路的早期，作为耳蜗体本身。这些增强可能是提高以下能力的基础 理解噪音中的语音，由于它们的深刻含义，这些研究产生了 巨大的兴趣。然而，许多结论是基于相对较少的研究得出的 参与者，ii)主要是成年参与者，以及iii)没有评估听力或耳蜗病患者的功能 扩展高频(EHF)范围。这些拟议的实验旨在弥补这些不足 通过招募150名青年音乐家，并评估听力和耳蜗型流行性出血热地区。 有趣的是，即使在临床听力阈值正常的人中，在噪音中的听力也存在差异。 超能力。事实上，虽然正常的标准阈值(0.25-8 kHz)和 听力在噪声能力方面，存在着扩展高频(EHF)听力之间的建议关系 阈值(8-20 kHz)和提高噪声能力中的听力。除了测听流行性出血热阈值外， 使用失真产物耳声也可以非侵入性地评估耳蜗外毛细胞健康 在标准和超高频频率范围内的辐射(DPOAE)。 正如前面提到的，大多数先前的研究都将他们的成年参与者分为“音乐人”和“非音乐人”。 音乐家“是基于多年的音乐训练。我们的实验室最近显示(儿童和成人) 音乐天赋和音乐训练极大地预测了在噪音中听力的能力。我们的假设是 这种在听觉处理方面的“音乐家优势”与流行性出血热耳蜗功能和音乐天赋有关。 为了这两个目标，我们将招募约150名青年(11-18岁)，他们是霍赫斯坦学校的学生以及 其他地区的青年音乐家。霍赫斯坦学校每年招收约715名这一年龄段的学生 课程和合奏，提供了一个自然的招募平台来评估这些行为和生理 措施。其具体目的是调查听觉处理中的“音乐家优势”是否 与i)流行性出血热测听和耳蜗功能及ii)音乐天赋有关。 从这些对青年音乐家的研究中获得的信息将提供一个严格的评估，即 在听觉处理方面，所有类型的声音都存在“音乐家优势”，如果这种优势与 音乐天赋、音乐训练和流行性出血热耳蜗健康。我们还将研究音乐和音乐的程度 语音在噪声中的听力能力重叠，并将建立规范和结果衡量标准，可以 用于评估未来基于音乐的干预措施。

The aims of this research proposal are to provide a definitive answer to the question of whether formal musical training is associated with enhanced perception of sound. Musicians have been reported to possess enhanced auditory processing of sounds both in quiet and in noise – a result of processes that may begin as early in the auditory pathway as the cochlea itself. These enhancements may underlie improved abilities to understand speech-in-noise, and because of their profound implications, these studies have generated tremendous interest. However, many of the conclusions were based on studies that had i) relatively few participants, ii) mostly adult participants and iii) no assessment of audiometric or cochlear function in the extended high-frequency (EHF) ranges. These proposed experiments are aimed to remedy these deficiencies by recruiting 150 youth musicians, and assessing both audiometric and cochlear EHF regions. Interestingly, even in people with clinically normal hearing thresholds there are differences in hearing in noise abilities. In fact, while there is no clear relationship between normal standard thresholds (0.25-8kHz) and hearing in noise abilities, there is a proposed relationship between extended high-frequency (EHF) hearing thresholds (8-20 kHz) and improved hearing in noise abilities. In addition to audiometric EHF thresholds, cochlear outer hair cell health can also be assessed non-invasively using distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) both in the standard and EHF frequency ranges. As mentioned early, most previous studies have sorted their adult participants into “musicians” or “non- musicians” based on years of musical training. Our laboratory has recently shown (in both children and adults) that musical aptitude and musical training significantly predict hearing-in-noise abilities. Our hypothesis is that this `musician advantage' in auditory processing is related to both EHF cochlear function and musical aptitude. For both aims, we will recruit ~150 youth (11-18 years) who are students at The Hochstein School as well as other area youth musicians. The Hochstein School enrolls ~ 715 students/year in this age range in their classes and ensembles, providing a natural recruitment platform to assess these behavioral and physiological measures. The specific aims are to investigate whether the `musician advantage' in auditory processing is related to i) EHF audiometric and cochlear function and ii) musical aptitude. Information gained from these studies in youth musicians will provide a rigorous assessment of whether the `musician advantage' in auditory processing exists for all types of sound, and if this advantage is related to musical aptitude, musical training, and EHF cochlear health. We will also be examining what extent music and speech hearing-in-noise abilities overlap, and will be establishing norms and outcome measures that can be used to assess future music-based interventions.