Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Combined Shuttle-Box Training with Electrophysiological Cortex Recording and Stimulation as a Tool to Study Perception and Learning
Published on: October 22, 2015
The auditory cortex mediates the perceptual effects of acoustic temporal expectation
Santiago Jaramillo1, Anthony M Zador
1Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA.
None:
When events occur at predictable instants, anticipation improves performance. Knowledge of event timing modulates motor circuits and thereby improves response speed. By contrast, the neuronal mechanisms that underlie changes in sensory perception resulting from expectation are not well understood. We developed a behavioral procedure for rats in which we manipulated expectations about sound timing. Valid expectations improved both the speed and the accuracy of the subjects' performance, indicating not only improved motor preparedness but also enhanced perception. Single-neuron recordings in primary auditory cortex showed enhanced representation of sounds during periods of heightened expectation. Furthermore, we found that activity in auditory cortex was causally linked to the performance of the task and that changes in the neuronal representation of sounds predicted performance on a trial-by-trial basis. Our results indicate that changes in neuronal representation as early as primary sensory cortex mediate the perceptual advantage conferred by temporal expectation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Hearing
Auditory Perception
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
The Cochlea
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...

