Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
J Neurosci. 2022 Feb 2;42(5):894-908. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0514-21.2021. Epub 2021 Dec 10.
Auditory stimuli are often rhythmic in nature. Brain activity synchronizes with auditory rhythms via neural entrainment, and entrainment seems to be beneficial for auditory perception. However, it is not clear to what extent neural entrainment in the auditory system is reliable over time, which is a necessary prerequisite for targeted intervention. The current study aimed to establish the reliability of neural entrainment over time and to predict individual differences in auditory perception from associated neural activity. Across two different sessions, human listeners (21 females, 17 males) detected silent gaps presented at different phase locations of a 2 Hz frequency-modulated (FM) noise while EEG activity was recorded. As expected, neural activity was entrained by the 2 Hz FM noise. Moreover, gap detection was sinusoidally modulated by the phase of the 2 Hz FM into which the gap fell. Critically, both the strength of neural entrainment as well as the modulation of performance by the stimulus rhythm were highly reliable over sessions. Moreover, gap detection was predictable from pregap neural 2 Hz phase and alpha amplitude. Our results demonstrate that neural entrainment in the auditory system and the resulting behavioral modulation are reliable over time, and both entrained delta and nonentrained alpha oscillatory activity contribute to near-threshold stimulus perception. The latter suggests that improving auditory perception might require simultaneously targeting entrained brain rhythms as well as the alpha rhythm. Neural activity synchronizes to the rhythms in sounds via neural entrainment, which seems to be important for successful auditory perception. A natural hypothesis is that improving neural entrainment, for example, via brain stimulation, should benefit perception. However, the extent to which neural entrainment is reliable over time, a necessary prerequisite for targeted intervention, has not been established. Using electroencephalogram recordings, we demonstrate that both neural entrainment to FM sounds and stimulus-induced behavioral modulation are reliable over time. Moreover, moment-by-moment fluctuations in perception are best predicted by entrained delta phase and nonentrained alpha amplitude. This work suggests that improving auditory perception might require simultaneously targeting entrained brain rhythms as well as the alpha rhythm.
听觉刺激通常具有节奏性。大脑活动通过神经同步化与听觉节奏同步，而同步似乎对听觉感知有益。然而，听觉系统中的神经同步化在时间上的可靠程度尚不清楚，这是进行有针对性干预的必要前提。本研究旨在确定神经同步化随时间的可靠性，并从相关神经活动中预测听觉感知的个体差异。在两个不同的会话中，人类听众（21 名女性，17 名男性）在记录脑电图活动的同时，检测在 2 Hz 频率调制（FM）噪声的不同相位位置呈现的无声间隙。正如预期的那样，神经活动被 2 Hz FM 噪声同步化。此外，缺口检测被刺激相位正弦调制到缺口落入的 2 Hz FM 中。至关重要的是，神经同步化的强度以及刺激节律对性能的调制在两个会话中都是高度可靠的。此外，缺口检测可从缺口前的神经 2 Hz 相位和α波幅度进行预测。我们的结果表明，听觉系统中的神经同步化以及由此产生的行为调制在时间上是可靠的，并且受约束的δ波和不受约束的α波振荡活动都有助于近阈值刺激感知。后者表明，改善听觉感知可能需要同时针对受约束的大脑节律和α节律。神经活动通过神经同步化与声音的节奏同步，这似乎对成功的听觉感知很重要。一个自然的假设是，例如通过脑刺激来改善神经同步化应该有益于感知。然而，神经同步化在时间上的可靠程度，这是进行有针对性干预的必要前提，尚未确定。使用脑电图记录，我们证明了 FM 声音的神经同步化和刺激诱导的行为调制在时间上都是可靠的。此外，感知的瞬间波动最好由受约束的δ波相位和不受约束的α波幅度来预测。这项工作表明，改善听觉感知可能需要同时针对受约束的大脑节律和α节律。
