Distinct Neural Connectivity Patterns During Music Listening and Imagination: An Electroencephalography Study

Background: The brain's function changes during various activities, and numerous studies have explored this field. An intriguing and significant area of research is the brain's functioning during imagination and periods of inactivity. Objective: This study explores the differences in brain connectivity during music listening and imagination: by identifying distinct neural connectivity patterns and providing insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying auditory imagination. Methods: Effective connectivity matrices were generated using generalized partial directed coherence (GPDC) and directed Directed Transfer Function (dDTF) methods applied to non-invasive electroencephalography data from these two conditions. Statistical tests were performed to illustrate the differences in brain connectivity, followed by the creation of brain graphs and the application of a non-parametric permutation test to demonstrate statistical significance. Data classification between listening to music and imagining it was performed using an Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier with different feature vectors. Results: Combining features extracted from GPDC and dDTF achieved an accuracy of 71.3% while using GPDC and dDTF features individually yielded accuracies of 60% and 62.1%, respectively. Among all the graph's global features, only modularity and small-worldness showed statistically significant differences in dDTF and GPDC. Overall, findings reveal that information flows from the left hemisphere to the right hemisphere increases during music imagination compared with listening, highlighting distinct neural connectivity patterns associated with imaginative processes. Conclusion: The study provides novel insights into the distinct neural connectivity patterns during music listening and imagination, contributing to the broader understanding of cognitive processes associated with auditory imagination and perception.