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Free keywords:
Auditory feedback; Sequential movements; Expertise-dependent differences; Plasticity; Fine motor control
Abstract:
Auditory information plays an important role in
fine motor control such as speech and musical performance.
The purpose of this study was to assess expertise-dependent
differences in the role of temporal information
of auditory feedback in the production of sequential movements.
Differences in motor responses to the transient delay
of tone production during musical performance between
expert pianists and non-musicians were evaluated. Compared
to expert pianists, non-musicians showed more pronounced
movement disruptions following the delayed
auditory feedback. For example, in response to a perturbation
the inter-keystroke interval was prolonged and the
key-press was longer in non-musicians, while the expert pianist
marginally shortened both measures. These distinct differences
between groups suggest that extensive musical
training influences feedback control in sequential finger
movements. Furthermore, there was a significant positive
correlation between the age at which the expert pianists
commenced their musical training and the amount of disruption.
Overall, these findings suggest that expert pianists
have a higher level of robustness against perturbations
and depend less on auditory feedback during the performance
of sequential movements.
