title: The OPERA hypothesis: assumptions and clarifications.
abstract: Recent research suggests that musical training enhances the neural encoding of speech. Why would musical training have this effect? The OPERA hypothesis proposes an answer on the basis of the idea that musical training demands greater precision in certain aspects of auditory processing than does ordinary speech perception. This paper presents two assumptions underlying this idea, as well as two clarifications, and suggests directions for future research.
authors.affiliation: The Neurosciences Institute, San Diego, California 92121, USA. apatel@nsi.edu
authors.forename: Aniruddh D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009488:Neurosciences; D010898:Pitch Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*