Neural correlates of early sound encoding and their relationship to speech in noise perception

Speech-in-noise (SIN) perception is a complex cognitive skill that affects social, vocational, and educational activities. Poor SIN ability particularly affects young and elderly populations, yet varies considerably even among healthy young adults with normal hearing. Although SIN skills are known to be influenced by top-down processes that can selectively enhance lower-level sound representations, the complementary role and of feed-forward mechanisms and their relationship to musical training is poorly understood. Using a paradigm that eliminates the main top-down factors that have been implicated in SIN performance, we aimed to better understand how robust encoding of periodicity in the auditory system (as measured by the frequency-following response) contributes to SIN perception. Using magnetoencephalograpy, we found that the strength of encoding at the fundamental frequency in the brainstem, thalamus, and cortex is correlated with SIN accuracy, as was the amplitude of the slower cortical P2 wave, and these enhancements were related to the extent and timing of musicianship. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that basic feed-forward sound encoding affects SIN perception by providing better information to later processing stages, and that modifying this process may be one mechanism through which musical training might enhance the auditory networks that subserve both musical and language functions.Highlights–Enhancements in periodic sound encoding are correlated with speech-in-noise ability–This effect is observed in the absence of contextual cues and task demands–Better encoding is observed throughout the auditory system and is right-lateralized–Stronger encoding is related to stronger subsequent secondary auditory cortex activity–Musicianship is related to both speech-in-noise perception and enhanced MEG signals