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Individual differences in pitch discrimination have been associated with the volume of both the bilateral Heschl’s gyrus and the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). However, most of these studies used samples composed of individuals with different amounts of musical training. Here, we investigated the relationship between pitch discrimination and individual differences in the gray matter (GM) volume of these brain structures in 32 adult musicians, 28 adult non-musicians, and 32 children without musical training. The results showed that (i) the individuals without musical training (whether children or adults) who were better at pitch discrimination had greater volume of auditory regions, whereas (ii) musicians with better pitch discrimination had greater volume of the IFG. These results suggest that the relationship between pitch discrimination and the volume of auditory regions is innately established early in life, and that musical training modulates the volume of the IFG, probably improving audio-motor connectivity. This is the first study to detect a relationship between pitch discrimination ability and GM volume before beginning any musical training in children and adults. This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (PSI-2016-78805-R and PID2019-108198GB) to C.Á. Authors M-Á. P-G and A.M-P were supported by a postdoctoral graduate program grant (Jaume I University). Author M.H was supported by Ramón y Cajal Research Program of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (RYC-2016-19477). Authors J.A-V and E.V-R were supported by a predoctoral graduate program grant (National FPU). Author V.C was supported by a postdoctoral grant (Juan de la Cierva).

This is a pre-print of an article published inBrain Structure and Function. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-019-02008-2 Brain functional connectivity is supposed to capture personal and lifetime learning experiences and contribute to generating individual differences in cognitive abilities. We tested this possibility using the visual search task as a measure of visual information processing and the functioning of the visual attention control system. Forty-two undergraduate students completed a functional MRI study with a resting-state session and a visual search task scan. The visual attention and control systems were studied by investigating the functional connectivity of the primary visual area, the posterior parietal cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex because these areas have been closely related to the visual search task. A pairwise resting-state functional connectivity analysis was conducted between these regions, followed by a correlation analysis with the behavioral measures from the visual search task. Results showed that higher connectivity values between the posterior parietal cortex and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex were positively correlated with faster response speed. The posterior parietal cortex has been related to the formation of priority maps and the integration of sensory and executive information. Inhibitory control, performance monitoring during top–down cognitive tasks, and target detection have been associated with the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. In light of these results, we suggest that a priori enhanced connectivity between these regions defines individual differences in visual information processing and the ability to adapt to cognitive demands.