International Journal of Physiology
  • Year: 2018
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue: 2

A Comparative Study of the Impact of Musical Training on Auditory Evoked Potentials

1Assistant Professor Dept of Physiology, SSIMS & RC, Karnataka

2Professor and HOD, Dept of Physiology, SSIMS & RC, Karnataka

*Corresponding Author: Dr Soumya B A, Asst. Professor, Dept of Physiology, SS IMS & RC, Karnataka E-mail: soumya.ba@gmail.com

Online published on 10 April, 2018.

Abstract

Human brain alters itself according to the environmental demands. Previous studies have proved that musical training induces structural changes in the brain. Long-term musical training is an intense, multisensory and motor experience and offers an ideal opportunity to study structural brain plasticity in the developing brain in correlation with behavioral changes induced by training. Hence the study was conducted to know the differences in the audiological responses in musicians and nonmusicians.

The study included 30 musicians (vocalists) and 30 non-singers in the age group of 19–22 years. Auditory Evoked Potentials of both ears was recorded in a quiet semi-darkened and air-conditioned room by RMsEMGEPMK II software. On statistical analysis, it was found that musicians had lesser absolute latencies for waves I, III, IV and V exhibiting a significant p-value (<0.05). No significant difference was seen with wave II absolute latency. Interpeak latencies of waves I-III, I-V and III-V did not differ significantly between the groups. V/I Amplitude ratio was not significant between musicians and non-musicians.

Keywords

Auditory Evoked Potentials, Musical training, Absolute and Interpeak Latencies