Abstract
This study was triggered by the experimental evidence that subjects required to tap in synchrony with a heard rhythm spontaneously time their tapping to variations in rhythm frequency even when these variations are so small that they are not consciously detectable. We performed a series of magnetoencephalographic (MEG) measurements, aimed at investigating whether the response of the auditory cortex discriminates randomly administered series of brief tones differing from each other only by their interstimulus intervals (ISI). Moreover, by combining psychophysical measurements, conscious and preconscious adjustments of tapping to rhythm variations were compared with brain cortical responses. The ISIs were varied by 2% or 20% from a “central” value of 500 ms. Subjects always consciously detected the 20% ISI changes and easily adjusted their tapping accordingly, whereas they never consciously detected the 2% ISI changes, even though they always correctly adjusted their tapping to them. Analysis of the auditory evoked fields (AEFs) showed that the intensity of the M100 component decreased with decreasing ISI both for 20% and 2% variations in a statistically significant manner, despite the fact that the 2% variation was not consciously perceived. The M100 behavior indicated that connections between auditory and motor cortexes may exist that are able to use the information on rhythm variations in the stimuli even when these are not consciously identified by the subject. The ability of the auditory cortex to discriminate different time characteristics of the incoming rhythmic stimuli is discussed in this paper in relation to the theories regarding the physiology of time perception and discrimination.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Berman IW (1981) Musical functioning, speech lateralization and the amusias. S Afr Med J 59:78–81
Buonomano DV (2000) Decoding temporal information: a model based on short-term synaptic plasticity. J Neurosci 20:1129–1141
Buonomano DV, Merzenich MM (1995) Temporal information transformed into a spatial code by a neural network with realistic properties. Science 267:1028–1030
Buonomano DV, Hickmott PW, Merzenich MM (1997) Context-sensitive synaptic plasticity and temporal-to-spatial transformations in hippocampal slices. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94:10403–10408
Collyer CE, Broadbent HA, Church RM (1992) Categorical time production: evidence for discrete timing in motor control. Percept Psychophys 51:134–144
Cowan N (1984) On short and long auditory stores. Psychol Bull 96:341–370
Dawe LA, Piatt JR, Racine RJ (1995) Rhythm perception and differences in accent weights for musicians and non-musicians. Percept Psychophys 57:905–914
Elberling C, Bak C, Kofoed B, Lebech J, Saermark K (1982) Auditory magnetic fields from the human cerebral cortex: location and strength of an equivalent current dipole. Acta Neurol Scand 65:553–569
Ernè SN, Narici L, Pizzella V, Romani GL (1987) The position problem in biomagnetic measurement: a solution for arrays of superconducting sensors IEEE Trans Magn 23:1319–1322
Fitzgibbons PJ, Pollatsek A, Thomas IB (1974) Detection of temporal gaps within and between perceptual tonal groups. Percept Psychophys 16:522–528
Franek M, Mates J, Radii T, Beck K, Poppel E (1994) Sensorimotor synchronization: motor responses to pseudoregular auditory patterns. Percept Psychophys 55:204–217
Fries W (1990) Disturbance of rhythm sense following right hemisphere damage. Neuropsychologia 28:1317–1323
Gallen C, Pantev C, Hampson S, Buchanan DS, Sobel D (1992) Reliability and validity of auditory neuromagnetic source localization using a large array biomagnetometer. In: Hoke M, Ernè SN, Okada YC, Romani GL (eds) Biomagnetism: clinical aspects. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, pp 171–175
Hari R, Aittoniemi K, Jarvinen ML, Katila T, Varpula T (1980) Auditory evoked transient and sustained magnetic fields of the human brain: localization of neural generators. Exp Brain Res 40:237–240
Hari R, Kaila K, Kaila T, Tuomitso T, Varpula T (1982) Interstimulus dependence of the auditory vertex response and its magnetic counterpart: implications for their neural generation. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 54:561–569
Hari R, Pelizzone M, Makela PJ, Hallstrom J, Leinonen L, Lounasmaa OV (1987) Neuromagnetic responses of the human auditory cortex to on- and offsets to noise bursts Audiology 26:31–43
Hari R, Joutsiniemi SL, Hamalainen M, Vilkman V (1989) Neuromagnetic responses of human auditory cortex to interruptions in a steady rhythm. Neurosci Lett 99:164–168
Imada T, Watanabe M, Mashiko T, Kawakatsu M, Kotani M (1997) The silent period between sounds has a stronger effect than the interstimulus interval on auditory evoked magnetic fields. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 102:37–45
Ivry RB, Keele SW (1989) Timing functions of the cerebellum. J Cogn Neurosci 1:134–150
Joutsiniemi SL, Hari R (1989) Omissions of auditory stimuli may activate frontal cortex. Eur J Neurosci 1:524–528
Kagerer F, Ilmberger J, Poppel E, Mates J, Radii T (1990) Auditory motor synchronization: timing in incremental and decremental rhythmic tapping. Act Nerv Super 32:145–146
Kraus N, Smith DI, McGee T (1988) Midline and temporal lobe MLRs in the guinea pig originate from different generator systems: a conceptual framework for new and existing data. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 70:541–558
Lang W, Obrig H, Lindinger G, Cheyne D, Deeke L (1990) Supplementary motor area activation while tapping bimanually different rhythms in musicians. Exp Brain Res 79:504–514
Levanen S, Ahonen A, Hari R, McEvoy L, Sams M (1996) Deviant auditory stimuli activate human left and right auditory cortex differently. Cereb Cortex 6:288–96
Lu ZL, Williamson SJ, Kaufman L (1992a) Human auditory primary and association cortex have different lifetimes for activation traces. Brain Res 572:236–241
Lu ZL, Williamson SJ, Kaufman L (1992b) Behavioral lifetime of human auditory sensory memory predicted by physiological measures. Science 258:1668–1670
Makela JP, Hari R, Linnankivi A (1987) Different analysis of frequency and amplitude modulations of a continuous tone in the human auditory cortex: a neuromagnetic study. Hearing Res 27:257–264
Mayville JM, Bressler SL, Fuchs A, Kelso JA (1999) Spatiotemporal reorganization of electrical activity in the human brain associated with a timing transition in rhythmic auditory-motor coordination. Exp Brain Res 127:371–81
Meek WH, Church RM (1987) Nutrients modify the speed of internal clock and memory stages processes. Behav Neurosci 101:465–475
Melvill Jones G, Watt DGD (1971) Observations on the control of stepping and hopping movements in man. J Physiol (Lond) 219:709–727
Miller RA, Thaut MH, Aunon JI (1994) Event related brain wave potentials in an auditory-motor synchronization task. In: Pratt RR, Spintge R (eds) Music medicine. MMB Music, St Louis, pp 76–84
Monahan CB, Hirsh IJ (1990) Studies in auditory timing. 2. Rhythm patterns. Percept Psychophys 47:227–242
Pantev C, Hoke M, Luntkenhoner B, Fahrendorf G, Stober U (1990) Identification of sources of brain neuronal activity with high spatiotemporal resolution through combination of neuromagnetic source localization (NMSL) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 75:173–184
Pantev C, Elbert T, Makeig S, Hampson S, Eulitz C, Hoke M (1993) Relationship of transient and steady-state auditory evoked fields. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 88:389–396
Papanicolau AC, Banmann S (1990) Localization of auditory responses sources using MEG and MRI. Arch Neurol 47:33
Pellizzone M, Hari R, Makela JP, Huttunen J, Ahlfors S, Hamalainen M (1987) Cortical origin of the middle latency auditory evoked responses in man. Neurosci Lett 82:303–307
Povel DJ, Essen P (1985) Perception of temporal patterns. Music Percept 2:411–440
Rao SM, Harrington DL, Haaland KY, Bobholz JA, Cox RW, Binder JR (1997) Distributed neural systems underlying the timing of movements. J Neurosci 17:5528–5535
Reite M, Edrich J, Zimmerman JT, Zimmerman JE (1978) Human magnetic auditory evoked fields. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 45:114–117
Romani GL, Williamson SJ, Kaufmann L (1982) Tonotopic organization of the human auditory cortex. Science 216:1339–1340
Ross J, Houtsma AJM (1994) Discrimination of auditory temporal patterns. Percept Psychophys 56:19–26
Rossignol S, Melvill Jones G (1976) Audio-spinal influence in man studied by the H-reflex and its possible role on rhythmic movements synchronized to sound. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 41:83–92
Sams M, Kaukoranta E, Hamalainen M, Naatanen R (1991) Cortical activity elicited by changes in auditory stimuli. Psychophysiology 28:21–28
Sams M, Hari R, Rif J, Knutila J (1993) The human auditory sensory memory trace persists about 10 s: neuromagnetic evidence. J Cogn Neurosci 5:363–370
Tecchio F, Rossini PM, Pizzella V, Cassetta E, Romani G-L (1997) Spatial properties and interhemispheric differences of the sensory hand cortical representation: a neuromagnetic study. Brain Res 767:100–108
Thaut MH, Miller RA, Schauer ML (1998) Multiple synchronization strategies in rhythmic sensorimotor tasks: phase vs period corrections. Biol Cybern 79:241–250
Treisman M, Cook N, Naish PLN, MacCrone JK (1994) The internal clock: electroencephalographic evidence for oscillatory time perception. Q J Exp Psychol A 47:241–289
Vos PG, Mates J, Kruysbergen NW (1995) The perceptual centre of a stimulus as the cue for synchronization to a metronome: evidence from asynchronies. Q J Exp Psychol A 48:1024–1040
Wearden JH, Penton-Voak IS (1995) Feeling the heat: body temperature and the rate of subjective time, revisited. Q J Exp Psychol 48:129–141
West MO, Peoples LL, Michael AJ, Chapin JK, Woodward DJ (1997) Low-dose amphetamine elevates movement-related firing of rat striatal neurons. Brain Res 745:331–335
Woods DL, Clayworth CC, Knight RT, Simpson GV, Naeser MA (1987) Generators of middle- and long-latency auditory evoked potentials: implications from studies of patients with bitemporal lesions. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 68:132–148
Woodward DJ, Janak PH, Chang JY (1998) Ethanol action on neural networks studied with multineuron recording in freely moving animals. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 22:10–22
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Published online: 25 August 2000
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tecchio, F., Salustri, C., Thaut, M.H. et al. Conscious and preconscious adaptation to rhythmic auditory stimuli: a magnetoencephalographic study of human brain responses. Exp Brain Res 135, 222–230 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002210000507
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002210000507