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Long-term musical training alters the interaction between frames of referenceSimon P. LandryDoctoral candidate | Université de Montréal, CanadaPresented at the International Multisensory Research Forum Suzhou, ChinaJune 15th, 2016

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Introduction• Musical training can alter sensory abilities (Herholz et al.,

2012)• Musicians have faster tactile RTs (Landry et al.,

submitted)• Crossed arm TOJ task (Yamamoto et al., 2001).

• RTs increases when the SOA decrease (Yamamoto et al., 2001; Heed et al., 2012).

• No significant difference between groups with pianists• Excluded “inverted responses” (Kobor et al., 2006).• Can eliminate a significant differences (Cadieux et al., 2010).

• The impact of musical training on this task and its RT remains unknown.

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Objective• Investigate the crossed-arm TOJ task in musicians and

measure reaction times.

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Participants• Musicians (n=17)

• 6 males; 11 females• mean age=24• Mean musical training: 92th percentile

• Control group (n=20)• 5 males; 15 females• mean age=24• Mean musical training: 34th percentile

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Methodology (Cadieux et al., 2010)

• Participants indicated which cube vibrated first using foot pedals.

• 8 stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) :• ±400ms, ±200ms, ±100ms, ±50ms• + = right first, - = left first• 40 times in random order

• Arms uncrossed and crossed.• Uncrossed: Indicate which side vibrated first• Crossed: Indicate which side in space vibrated first

• Unspeeded reaction times were recorded for every stimulation.

Crossed-arm TOJ

-400 -200 0 200 4000

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

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Controls: uncrossed

Musicians: uncrossed

Stimulus onset asychrony (ms)

Pro

porti

on "

Rig

ht fi

rst"

resp

onse

s

6

Crossed-arm TOJ

-400 -200 0 200 4000

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

Controls: uncrossed

Controls: crossed

Musicians: uncrossed

Musicians: crossed

Stimulus onset asychrony (ms)

Pro

porti

on "

Rig

ht fi

rst"

resp

onse

s

7

Crossed-arm TOJ

-400 -200 0 200 4000

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

Controls: uncrossed

Controls: crossed

Musicians: uncrossed

Musicians: crossed

Stimulus onset asychrony (ms)

Pro

porti

on "

Rig

ht fi

rst"

resp

onse

s

2

3

4

5

PC

D s

core

*

8

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Reaction times: Uncrossed posture

-400 -200 -100 -50 50 100 200 400200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600Controls

Musicians

Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (ms)

Reac

tion

time

(ms)

*

*

**

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Reaction times: Crossed posture

-400 -200 -100 -50 50 100 200 400400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000Controls

Musicians

Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (ms)

Reac

tion

time

(ms)

*

*

**

*

*

*

*

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Discussion• Musicians have a higher PCD score.

• More incorrect responses in the crossed condition.• Musicians have faster RTs:

• all crossed SOAs• -200ms, -100ms, -50ms, and 50ms uncrossed SOAs

• Faster musician RT could cause incorrect responses.• In accordance with a theory proposed by Shore et al. (2002)• No time to consolidate conflicting information before TOJ response.

• New understanding of the behavioural mechanism underlying the crossed-arm TOJ task.

• Novel insight on the effects of musical training on sensory abilities.