That does not sound right: Sounds affect visual ERPs during a piano sight-reading task

Prolonged musical training induces important audio-visuo-motor plastic processes. However, little is known about how the musicians’ brain resolves multimodal conflicts while preparing for musical action. We run an electroencephalographic (EEG) investigation on how visual processing for action (score reading) is affected by preceding task-irrelevant piano sounds, usually associated to the same or to a different action. Presentation of an incongruent sound, 100 msec before a musical score with one single note, reduces Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) associated to score reading (N170) localised in the right temporo-parietal junction, as well as ERPs associated to conflict strength (N2) localised in the anterior cingulate cortex, superior and inferior right frontal cortex. These results suggest that listening to task-irrelevant auditory action effects (musical notes) interferes with both higher-order visual and frontal conflict monitoring processes. We conclude that, in the musicians’ brain, the automatic translation of musical sounds into motor plans, spread its effects to visually specific processing as well as strategic and amodal action monitoring mechanisms.