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Attenuation of auditory N2 for self-modulated tones during continuous actions
Fumie Sugimoto1, Motohiro Kimura1, Yuji Takeda1
1Human-Centered Mobility Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan.
Biological Psychology
|October 15, 2021
Summary
Action-based auditory attenuation occurs even with continuous actions. Predicting auditory consequences of continuous actions influences higher-order auditory processing, as shown by reduced N2 amplitudes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Perception
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) are attenuated for self-generated sounds compared to external sounds.
- This attenuation is typically linked to discrete actions with strong action-effect associations.
- Continuous actions, with potentially weaker associations, were explored for their effect on auditory processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate ERP attenuation for auditory stimuli modulated by continuous actions.
- To determine if prediction of auditory consequences influences higher-order auditory processing.
- To compare auditory processing during continuous action modulation versus passive listening.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed continuous actions (steering wheel) to modulate auditory stimuli (tone interval or pitch).
- An electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded event-related potentials (ERPs).
- A control condition involved passive listening to the same auditory stimuli without action.
Main Results:
- The N2 amplitude of ERPs was significantly decreased in the action modulation condition compared to the listening condition.
- This attenuation effect was consistent across experiments modulating tone timing and pitch.
- Results suggest a role for predicted action consequences in auditory processing.
Conclusions:
- Continuous actions that predict auditory consequences can lead to ERP attenuation.
- Higher-order auditory processing is influenced by the predictive relationship between continuous actions and their sensory outcomes.
- Predictive coding mechanisms may underlie the observed attenuation in auditory ERPs.
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