Event-related potential correlates of auditory-motor adaptation to frequency-altered auditory feedback

Studying trained singers gives much insight into how the brain integrates feedback and internal representations to produce accurate pitch. Trained singers and non-singers participated in an EEG study that investigated the auditory N100 and P200 components with regard to when participants heard frequency-altered feedback (FAF). Participants were asked to match a tone by vocalizing '/a/' and experienced a series of sudden, gradual, or random shifts. Behaviourally, singers were more accurate at pitch matching and compensated less than non-singers; largest compensation was seen during the gradual shift condition. Singers also adapted more quickly and more fully to the FAF, and presented aftereffects during the post-test phase; evidence that singers rely more on an internal pitch representations. Neurologically, non-singers produced larger N100s than singers did, particularly during the test trials because of the unexpected feedback. Singers produced larger P200s than the non-singers across all conditions possibly because of conflict monitoring and the changes required to internal representations.