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Updated: May 9, 2026
06:34
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Dynamic oscillatory processes governing cued orienting and allocation of auditory attention
Jyrki Ahveninen1, Samantha Huang, John W Belliveau
1Harvard Medical School-Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|August 7, 2013
Summary
Researchers identified brain network activity patterns that predict how well people can focus on specific sounds. Increased gamma brainwave activity in frontoparietal and temporal regions is linked to faster and more accurate auditory attention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Auditory Processing
Background:
- Everyday listening requires dynamic switching between sound sources and goal-directed attention.
- The neural mechanisms underlying auditory attention control are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the oscillatory brain networks involved in controlling auditory attention.
- To identify neural correlates of voluntary and involuntary auditory attention shifts.
Main Methods:
- Used fMRI-weighted magnetoencephalography/EEG source estimates to analyze brain activity.
- Participants shifted attention based on auditory cues, with occasional unexpected novel sounds.
- Analyzed cortical power correlations in various frequency bands (gamma, alpha, theta, beta).
Main Results:
- Increased frontoparietal/temporal gamma activity (30-100 Hz) predicted faster and more accurate target discrimination.
- Audiospatial attention engagement showed increased ipsilateral parieto-occipital alpha activity (7.5-15 Hz).
- Sustained theta, beta, and gamma power increases were observed in specific frontal, insular, and parietal regions after cued versus novelty-triggered orienting.
Conclusions:
- Identified sustained oscillatory patterns linked to voluntary engagement of auditory spatial attention.
- Frontoparietal and temporal gamma increases are key predictors of auditory attention performance.
- Findings shed light on the neural basis of auditory attention control and sound source selection.
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