Researchers report that musical training does not improve the brain’s earliest sound encoding. The finding challenges a common claim about musical benefits for early auditory processing (Large-scale multi-site study).
The result matters to parents who enroll children in music lessons. Many parents expect early music lessons to boost basic brain sound processing.
The study tested the idea that musicians have stronger early neural responses to speech sounds. The researchers used scalp-recorded frequency-following responses, or FFRs, to measure early auditory encoding (Large-scale multi-site study).
The FFR reflects the brain’s phase-locked response to periodic sounds. The FFR often comes from subcortical auditory structures like the inferior colliculus (Large-scale multi-site study).
The study pooled data from six laboratories in North America. The team collected data from nearly 300 adults aged 18 to 69 (Large-scale multi-site study).
Researchers used two classic FFR tasks for replication. One task measured encoding of a syllable in background babble. The other task measured tracking of linguistic pitch in a Mandarin word (Large-scale multi-site study).
The replication used the same stimuli and the same analysis methods as the earlier influential studies. The research team also preregistered their methods before collecting data (Large-scale multi-site study).
The direct replication analyses showed no musician advantage on any measure. The study found no group difference for F0 encoding or upper-harmonic encoding in noise (Large-scale multi-site study).
The study also found no musician advantage for dynamic pitch tracking. Musicians did not show stronger fidelity of F0 tracking than non-musicians (Large-scale multi-site study).
The researchers also tested years of formal musical training as a continuous variable. Years of training did not correlate with stronger early neural encoding (Large-scale multi-site study).
The team used Bayes factors to assess evidence for the null hypothesis. Bayes analyses gave moderate support for no musician advantage on several measures (Large-scale multi-site study).
The study confirmed a clear effect of age on early auditory encoding. Older participants showed weaker spectral encoding of sound in the FFR (Large-scale multi-site study).
The study achieved high between-site reliability. Pilot data from the same volunteer across sites showed strong test-retest correlations (Large-scale multi-site study).
The research team addressed prior limitations like small sample sizes. The large, multi-site design reduces the risk of spurious effects due to small experiments (Large-scale multi-site study).
The authors noted that earlier positive results came from small samples and varied analysis choices. Those factors can create “vibration effects” that amplify false positives (Large-scale multi-site study).
The paper cautioned that different analysis pipelines can yield divergent results. The authors urged preregistration and open data for reproducible neuroscience (Large-scale multi-site study).
The authors wrote a clear summary for readers. They stated that musical training is not related to enhanced early neural encoding of sound via the scalp-recorded FFR (Large-scale multi-site study).
The authors also acknowledged the many other benefits of music. They emphasized social connection, emotional regulation, and enjoyment as valid reasons to pursue music (Large-scale multi-site study).
Experts outside the study highlighted the value of the replication. An editorial or commentary may argue that large, preregistered replications help refine scientific claims.
The study does not deny cortical plasticity related to music. The authors noted that cortical differences with musicianship remain plausible and require more research (Large-scale multi-site study).
The paper emphasized the need for longitudinal randomized trials. Randomized interventions can test whether music training causes neural changes over time (Large-scale multi-site study).
The authors recommended active control groups for future trials. Active control groups can separate training effects from placebo or motivational differences (Large-scale multi-site study).
The study has direct implications for music education policy in Thailand. Policymakers should not claim that early music lessons guarantee stronger basic auditory brainstem encoding.
Thai schools can still promote music for social and emotional benefits. Music activities can strengthen community bonds and support student wellbeing.
Health services in Thailand can consider these findings for auditory rehabilitation programs. Clinicians should not assume that musical training will reliably improve early auditory processing.
Researchers in Thailand can replicate the findings locally. Universities can run similar multi-site replications with Thai participants and Thai musical training systems.
Thai researchers can test whether tonal language experience interacts with musicianship. Thai is a tonal language and tonal experience may affect pitch processing differently.
Healthcare providers in Thailand can continue to recommend music for mental health. Music therapy can support mood, stress, and social support even if it does not alter early FFR measures.
Parents in Thailand should choose music lessons for enjoyment and skill, not for guaranteed brainstem improvements. They should set realistic goals for music education outcomes.
Music teachers in Thailand can highlight transferable skills like discipline and fine motor control. Teachers can also communicate that basic sensory encoding benefits remain unproven.
Thai cultural values support community music-making. Group music activities align with family-oriented and Buddhist values of social harmony.
Traditional Thai music has strong cultural value regardless of neural transfer claims. Communities can preserve musical traditions while applying modern research findings.
The study also has implications for research funding in Thailand. Funders can prioritize longitudinal trials that test causal effects of music training.
Thai funding agencies can support standardized measures like the FFR and cortical EEG. Standardization will help cross-study comparisons within Thailand and internationally.
Universities in Thailand can form networks for multi-site replication studies. Networks can share stimuli, protocols, and preregistration templates.
The authors noted that many earlier studies used small, dichotomous groups. Future Thai studies should recruit broad samples that vary continuously in musical experience.
Thai researchers can include measures of musical aptitude and years of training. The study showed that objective musical ability did not predict FFR strength (Large-scale multi-site study).
The study also explored noise-floor criteria and analysis choices. The authors tested more conservative inclusion thresholds and still found no musician advantage (Large-scale multi-site study).
The paper discussed reliability of FFR measures. The study found adequate split-half and test-retest reliability for the stimuli used (Large-scale multi-site study).
The authors recognized that small but non-significant effects existed in their data. They interpreted these as too small to meaningfully affect perception or behavior for individuals.
The study suggests that subcortical phase-locked responses may show limited plasticity. The researchers argued that long-term music training may not reshape subcortical encoding substantially (Large-scale multi-site study).
The authors recommended exploring cortical measures more deeply. Cortical EEG and MRI may reveal training-related plasticity that FFRs miss (Large-scale multi-site study).
The study supports cautious messaging about musical training. Scientists and educators should avoid overclaiming transfer effects from music to low-level auditory processing.
Clinicians can still use music-based approaches where evidence supports them. Evidence supports music for mood and social outcomes rather than early auditory encoding.
The study shows the value of large-scale, open science approaches. The authors made data and code available for further analysis (Large-scale multi-site study).
Thai scientists can reuse the shared data for secondary analyses. Secondary analyses can test alternative hypotheses or explore demographic moderators.
The research also highlights the role of age in auditory decline. Thai public health messaging can include hearing health across the life course.
Thailand can strengthen hearing screening and age-related hearing support programs. Music may not prevent neural aging of early auditory encoding.
The study does not change the cultural value of music in Thailand. Thai communities can still celebrate and teach music for cultural continuity.
Researchers should test whether specific training types matter. For example, absolute-pitch training may differ from ensemble training in neural effects.
Thai researchers can investigate traditional training systems like gamelan or piphat. Those systems may create distinct auditory skills worth studying.
The study also demonstrates the limits of cross-sectional designs. Cross-sectional comparisons cannot prove causation between training and neural change (Large-scale multi-site study).
The authors urged randomized controlled trials for causal inference. Thailand can contribute important evidence through well-designed trials.
The authors ended with balanced advice. They wrote that music has many valuable outcomes beyond early auditory encoding (Large-scale multi-site study).
Policy makers in Thailand can keep music in schools for holistic education. They should avoid setting unrealistic neuroscience-based claims.
School administrators can monitor student wellbeing and skill development. They can adjust curricula to balance cultural, emotional, and cognitive goals.
Parents can choose music lessons based on child interest and enjoyment. They can also monitor academic and social benefits from music participation.
Researchers in Thailand can submit grant proposals for longitudinal music training trials. Grants can include active control groups and pre-registered analyses.
Clinicians can partner with music educators to design interventions. They can measure outcomes that matter to patients and communities.
Teachers can frame music as a source of joy and social learning. Teachers can avoid promoting unsupported claims about early auditory brain changes.
The new study refines the scientific story about music and the brain. The study shows that claims of early auditory advantages from musicianship need stronger evidence (Large-scale multi-site study).
The study offers a practical takeaway for Thai readers. Enjoy music and support music education for culture, emotion, and skill. Do not expect guaranteed changes in early brain sound encoding.