Speci¢city of experience-dependent pitch representation in the brainstem

Crosslanguage comparisons of brainstem-evoked potentials have revealed experience-dependent plasticity in pitch representation for curvilinear f0 contours representative of Mandarin tones. To assess the tolerance limits of this experience-dependent selectiv-ity, we evaluated cross-linguistically (Chinese, English) the pitch strength and tracking accuracy of linear rising and falling f0 ramps representative of Mandarin tones 2 and 4.No crosslanguage di¡erences in pitch strength or accuracy were observed for either tone, indicating that stimuli with linear rising/falling ramps elicit homogeneous pitch representations at the level of the brain-stem regardless of language experience. We conclude that pitch extraction at the brainstem level is critically dependent on speci¢c dimensions of pitch contours that native speakers have been exposed to in natural speech contexts. NeuroReport 17:1601^160