The specialists‘ brain : a window into auditory processing & neurocognition

old_uid13373
titleThe specialists‘ brain : a window into auditory processing & neurocognition
start_date2014/02/03
schedule13h30
onlineno
summaryIn my talk I will address neuroplasticity and transfer effects in specialists, namely musicians with- and without absolute pitch, simultaneous interpreters, and synesthetes. Thereby, I will put particular emphasis on auditory processing and cognition. In the first part of the talk I will present functional and anatomical data indicating that plastic changes in the auditory-related cortex of professional musicians may be advantageous for processing segmental and suprasegmental speech information. Furthermore, I will present recent data showing that functional and structural connectivity between bilateral auditory-related brain regions might be an important factor for promoting functional specialization. In the second part of the talk I will introduce the simultaneous interpreters’ brain as a model for neuroplasticity in brain regions engaged in supporting cognitive control, articulation, and sensory-to-motor coupling mechanisms. Finally, I will present an EEG study showing pre-attentive activation of auditory cortical fields in coloured-hearing synesthetes, as indexed by increased MMN responses.
responsiblesBurle, Sargolini