scholarly journals Musicianship and melodic predictability enhance neural gain in auditory cortex during pitch deviance detection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Quiroga‐Martinez ◽  
Niels Christian Hansen ◽  
Andreas Højlund ◽  
Marcus Pearce ◽  
Elvira Brattico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Deviance Detection ◽  
Neural Gain

scholarly journals Musicianship and melodic predictability enhance neural gain in auditory cortex during pitch deviance detection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.R. Quiroga-Martinez ◽  
N. C. Hansen ◽  
A. Højlund ◽  
M. Pearce ◽  
E. Brattico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Model Comparison ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Causal Modeling ◽  
Predictive Processing ◽  
Hierarchical Processing ◽  
Deviance Detection ◽  
Bayesian Model Comparison ◽  
Neural Gain ◽  
The Brain

AbstractWhen listening to music, pitch deviations are more salient and elicit stronger prediction error responses when the melodic context is predictable and when the listener is a musician. Yet, the neuronal dynamics and changes in synaptic efficacy underlying such effects remain unclear. Here, we employed dynamic causal modeling (DCM) to investigate whether the magnetic mismatch negativity response (MMNm)—and its modulation by context predictability and musical expertise—are associated with enhanced neural gain of auditory areas, as a plausible mechanism for encoding precision-weighted prediction errors. Using Bayesian model comparison, we asked whether models with intrinsic connections within primary auditory cortex (A1) and superior temporal gyrus (STG)—typically related to gain control—or extrinsic connections between A1 and STG—typically related to propagation of prediction and error signals—better explained magnetoencephalography (MEG) responses. We found that, compared to regular sounds, out-of-tune pitch deviations were associated with lower intrinsic (inhibitory) connectivity in A1 and STG, and lower backward (inhibitory) connectivity from STG to A1, consistent with disinhibition and enhanced neural gain in these auditory areas. More predictable melodies were associated with disinhibition in right A1, while musicianship was associated with disinhibition in left A1 and reduced connectivity from STG to left A1. These results indicate that musicianship and melodic predictability, as well as pitch deviations themselves, enhance neural gain in auditory cortex during deviance detection. Our findings are consistent with predictive processing theories suggesting that precise and informative error signals are selected by the brain for subsequent hierarchical processing.Significance statementIn complex auditory contexts, being able to identify informative signals is of paramount importance. Such is the case of music listening, where surprising sounds play a fundamental role in its perceptual, aesthetical, and emotional experience. Crucially, surprising sounds in the pitch dimension are more easily detected and generate stronger cortical responses when melodies are predictable and when the listener is a musician. Using Dynamic Causal Modelling, here we show that such effects arise from a local increase in neural gain within auditory areas, rather than from passing of prediction and error signals between brain regions. Consistent with predictive processing theories, this suggests that the enhanced precision of auditory predictive models—through melodic predictability and musical training—up-regulates the processing of informative error signals in the brain.

scholarly journals The effects of aging on neural signatures of temporal regularity processing in sounds

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Björn Herrmann ◽  
Chad Buckland ◽  
Ingrid S. Johnsrude
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Amplitude Modulation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Auditory Periphery ◽  
Temporal Regularity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Effects Of Aging ◽  
Neural Gain

AbstractSensitivity to temporal regularity (e.g., amplitude modulation) is crucial for speech perception. Degradation of the auditory periphery due to aging and hearing loss may lead to an increased response gain in auditory cortex, with potential consequences for the processing of temporal regularities. We used electroencephalography recorded from younger (18–33 years) and older (55–80 years) adults to investigate how aging affects neural gain and the neural sensitivity to amplitude modulation in sounds. Aging was associated with reduced adaptation in auditory cortex, suggesting an age-related gain increase. Consistently, neural synchronization in auditory cortex to a 4-Hz amplitude modulation of a narrow-band noise was enhanced in ~30% of older individuals. Despite enhanced responsivity in auditory cortex, sustained neural activity (likely involving auditory and higher-order brain regions) in response to amplitude modulation was absent in older people. Hence, aging may lead to an over-responsivity to amplitude modulation in auditory cortex, but to a diminished regularity representation in higher-order areas.

Deviance detection in physiologically identified cell types in the rat auditory cortex

2021 ◽  
Vol 399 ◽  
pp. 107997 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pérez-González ◽  
Gloria G. Parras ◽  
Camilo J. Morado-Díaz ◽  
Cristian Aedo-Sánchez ◽  
Guillermo V. Carbajal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Deviance Detection

scholarly journals Contrast gain control in mouse auditory cortex

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 1872-1884 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Cooke ◽  
Andrew J. King ◽  
Ben D. B. Willmore ◽  
Jan W. H. Schnupp
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Gain Control ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Extracellular Recordings ◽  
Contrast Gain ◽  
Contrast Gain Control ◽  
Deep Layers ◽  
Neural Gain

The neocortex is thought to employ a number of canonical computations, but little is known about whether these computations rely on shared mechanisms across different neural populations. In recent years, the mouse has emerged as a powerful model organism for the dissection of the circuits and mechanisms underlying various aspects of neural processing and therefore provides an important avenue for research into putative canonical computations. One such computation is contrast gain control, the systematic adjustment of neural gain in accordance with the contrast of sensory input, which helps to construct neural representations that are robust to the presence of background stimuli. Here, we characterized contrast gain control in the mouse auditory cortex. We performed laminar extracellular recordings in the auditory cortex of the anesthetized mouse while varying the contrast of the sensory input. We observed that an increase in stimulus contrast resulted in a compensatory reduction in the gain of neural responses, leading to representations in the mouse auditory cortex that are largely contrast invariant. Contrast gain control was present in all cortical layers but was found to be strongest in deep layers, indicating that intracortical mechanisms may contribute to these gain changes. These results lay a foundation for investigations into the mechanisms underlying contrast adaptation in the mouse auditory cortex. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated whether contrast gain control, the systematic reduction in neural gain in response to an increase in sensory contrast, exists in the mouse auditory cortex. We performed extracellular recordings in the mouse auditory cortex while presenting sensory stimuli with varying contrasts and found this form of processing was widespread. This finding provides evidence that contrast gain control may represent a canonical cortical computation and lays a foundation for investigations into the underlying mechanisms.

scholarly journals Stimulus-Specific Adaptation and Deviance Detection in the Rat Auditory Cortex

PLoS ONE ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. e23369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nevo Taaseh ◽  
Amit Yaron ◽  
Israel Nelken
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Specific Adaptation ◽  
Deviance Detection

Influence of kainic acid and long-lasting intermitent hypoxia on auditory cortex

2005 ◽  
Vol 84 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Benesová ◽  
M Langmeier ◽  
J Betka ◽  
S Trojan
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Kainic Acid
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