PNAS：高中音乐训练好处

英国伦敦大学一项研究提示，高中的音乐训练可能有助于改善大脑对声音的响应以及青少年的听觉和语言技能。定期的音乐训练可能有助于改善口语记忆并且区分语音和环境噪音。为了确定青少年的音乐训练是否带来了听觉和语言的提高并且增强了大脑对声音的响应，Nina Kraus 及其同事在一项研究中招募了美国芝加哥地区的40名高中新生，该研究在这些受试者高一学年之前不久启动。将近一半的这些学生参加了乐队课程，这涉及每周在学校接受2到3小时的乐器群体音乐教学，而其他人参加了初级预备役军官训练团(JROTC)，它着重于在一个可比较的时期进行锻炼活动。在该研究开始的时候和3年后的电极记录揭示出了初级预备役军官训练团(JROTC)组表现出了大脑皮层下言语响应一致性逐渐衰退的典型青少年模式。相比之下，接受音乐训练的学生在3年后没有表现出这类衰退，延长了大脑对声音的增强的灵敏度。此外，音乐组表现出了大脑皮层声音响应的更快的成熟。所有的受试者都改善了与声音结构意识有关的语言技能，但是参加音乐课的学生的改善比参加初级预备役军官训练团(JROTC)的学生更大。这组作者说，由于资金的短缺而变得越来越不受欢迎的高中音乐训练可能锤炼大脑发育和改善语言技能。

原文链接：

Music training alters the course of adolescent auditory development

原文摘要：

Fundamental changes in brain structure and function during adolescence are well-characterized, but the extent to which experience modulates adolescent neurodevelopment is not. Musical experience provides an ideal case for examining this question because the influence of music training begun early in Life is well-known. We investigated the effects of in-school music training, previously shown to enhance auditory skills, versus another in-school training program that did not focus on development of auditory skills (active control). We tested adolescents on neural responses to sound and language skills before they entered high school (pretraining) and again 3 y later. Here, we show that in-school music training begun in high school prolongs the stability of subcortical sound processing and accelerates maturation of cortical auditory responses. Although phonological processing improved in both the music training and active control groups, the enhancement was greater in adolescents who underwent music training. Thus, music training initiated as late as adolescence can enhance neural processing of sound and confer benefits for language skills. These results establish the potential for experience-driven brain plasticity during adolescence and demonstrate that in-school programs can engender these changes.

doi: 10.1073/PNAS.1505114112

作者：Adam T. Tierney