The neglected sense:

auditory processing, musical training and its role in language/reading development and impairment

Many research institutes around the world are dedicated to assessing brain correlates of perception, learning and memory in various domains. Nevertheless, the functional anatomy of auditory perception, memory and learning is still not as well described as that of other domains. However, basic auditory processing is to a varying degree the fundamental basis for a wide range of cognitive processes such as language and music perception, language and reading development or emotional processing, and it has had a profound impact in our daily lives. Research within the auditory domain is further essential for the development of therapeutic interventions for a variety of developmental disorders and deficits such as developmental dyslexia, specific language impairments or aphasia.

I will present the following three topics in my talk:

• The first part of my talk will describe my past and current research within the domain of auditory processing in the human brain and will especially focus on plasticity and functional reorganization within auditory networks. We recently showed a strong link between behavioral improvement scores following a pitch memory training and training-induced functional plasticity. These results may have important implications for the design of auditory based training programs.

• The second part of my talk will be dedicated to the methodological aspects and challenges of assessing auditory processing within the MRI environment due to the strong influence of the scanner’s auditory background noise. This noise may (a) interfere with auditory perception and stimulation, (b) lead to neural masking of the auditory response and (c) lead to activation in the auditory cortex itself. I will provide imaging solutions that address these issues and are especially valuable for pediatric fMRI.

• The last part of my talk will focus on the link between music, language and developmental dyslexia. Various studies have demonstrated a relationship between musical training and/or musical aptitude and improved language and reading skills in children and adults. This effect has been found in behavioral studies for a variety of language and language related tasks such as phonological segmentation, verbal memory, reading ability or speech prosody perception. However, the underlying mechanism of why and how musical training may lead to improved language and literacy skills remains unclear. I will present my current research projects that address these questions and will discuss the potential role musical and auditory training may play in improving language and reading skills in children.