%A Zhao,Tian Christina %A Llanos,Fernando %A Chandrasekaran,Bharath %A Kuhl,Patricia K. %D 2022 %J Frontiers in Human Neuroscience %C %F %G English %K Infant Speech Learning,sensitive period,Music intervention,speech encoding,Frequency Following Response (FFR),Lexical tones %Q %R 10.3389/fnhum.2022.941853 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2022-July-09 %9 Original Research %# %! Sensory speech encoding in infants %* %< %T Language experience during the sensitive period narrows infants’ sensory encoding of lexical tones—Music intervention reverses it %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.941853 %V 16 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 1662-5161 %X The sensitive period for phonetic learning (6∼12 months), evidenced by improved native speech processing and declined non-native speech processing, represents an early milestone in language acquisition. We examined the extent that sensory encoding of speech is altered by experience during this period by testing two hypotheses: (1) early sensory encoding of non-native speech declines as infants gain native-language experience, and (2) music intervention reverses this decline. We longitudinally measured the frequency-following response (FFR), a robust indicator of early sensory encoding along the auditory pathway, to a Mandarin lexical tone in 7- and 11-months-old monolingual English-learning infants. Infants received either no intervention (language-experience group) or music intervention (music-intervention group) randomly between FFR recordings. The language-experience group exhibited the expected decline in FFR pitch-tracking accuracy to the Mandarin tone, while the music-intervention group did not. Our results support both hypotheses and demonstrate that both language and music experiences alter infants’ speech encoding.