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Getting back on the beat: links between auditory-motor integration and precise auditory processing at fast time
Adam Tierney1,2,3, Nina Kraus1,2,3
1Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|January 12, 2016
Summary
Precise auditory timing crucial for motor control relies on fast neural processing. Enhanced neural phase coherence at rapid time scales (100 Hz) correlates with better auditory-motor adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Perception
- Motor Control
Background:
- The auditory system's temporal precision is vital for motor planning and language.
- Neural responses to sound exhibit trial-to-trial phase coherence, linked to tapping consistency.
- The relationship between neural precision and auditory-motor timing integration is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between neural precision and auditory-motor timing integration.
- To determine if fast and slow neural processing time scales differentially contribute to auditory-motor adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Participants synchronized to a pacing stimulus.
- Tempo or timing of the stimulus was altered to assess rapid adaptation.
- Neural phase coherence was measured at fast (subcortical) and slow (cortical) time scales.
Main Results:
- Participants with greater neural phase coherence adapted more rapidly and accurately.
- This precise timing ability was specific to fast time scales (10 ms or faster, 100 Hz).
- Neural phase coherence at slower time scales did not correlate with performance.
Conclusions:
- Auditory-motor adaptation relies on consistent auditory processing at fast time scales.
- Neural precision at rapid processing speeds (≥100 Hz) is key for updating motor plans based on auditory feedback.
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