Mu suppression reveals auditory-motor predictions after short motor training in non-musicians

Abstract

Auditory-motor coupling is a bidirectional neural mechanism that supports speech and music, with evidence of motor system activation during passive listening to both spoken language and learned melodies. Such activation is anticipatory, occurs in non-musicians, and can be elicited at the single-note level. These findings support the idea that motor activity guides auditory perception by relaying predictive timing information. However, the neural processes underlying this activity are not fully understood. EEG studies in musicians have linked it to mu-band suppression, but the temporal scale and the generalizability to the broader population remain unclear. We recruited 25 non-musicians who learned to play a simple melody on a piano-like keyboard. Before and after training, participants passively listened to the trained melody and control melodies. Offline, EEG data from the motor training were used to create a time-frequency mask with which to identify mu suppression occurring during passive listening. Significant mu suppression emerged before each note only during post-training exposure to the practiced melody. Results suggest that mu suppression occurs at the single-note level following short motor training and is not dependent on prior musical experience. Our findings support the notion that motor activity aids perception by anticipating the unfolding of learned auditory-motor sequences.