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Neural Correlates of Auditory Perception, Attention and Expectation

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Date Issued:
2006
Summary:
This dissertation examined the neural correlates of auditory perception, attention and expectation in three experiments. Experiment 1 analyzed neural correlates of auditory perception and expectation in an electroencephalography (EEG) experiment using a temporally perturbed metronome to establish an expectation for auditory events, then violate and reestablish that expectation. High frequency evoked (phase-locked) gamma band activity (GBA) was observed to follow the onset of tones whereas induced (nonphase- locked) GBA reached maximum power simultaneously with the occurrence oftone onset. Moreover, the latency of induced GBA was perturbed after an expectancy violation and relaxed back into synchrony as the expectation was reestablished. Experiment 2 was a methodological study to compare two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRJ) scanning techniques and assess their influence on auditory processing. Subjects passively listened to isochronous tone sequences at three rates while sparse or continuous scanning was employed. Sparse and continuous scanning was observed to yield comparable fMRI data, however, continuous scanner notse was observed to perturb known EEG evoked response potentials. Moreover, high frequency evoked activity, as identified by spectral analysis, was attenuated in the presence of continuous fMRl noise. Experiment 3 was conducted to study auditory expectancy and attention. First, subjects were tested behaviorally to determine their ability to tap the beat of ten highly syncopated patterns. Subjects were asked to return for one EEG and one fMRl session. In these sessions, they were instructed to attend to a syncopated pattern, mentally rehearse the pattern, and then reproduce the pattern. During the control condition, subjects heard the auditory patterns, however, they were instructed to study a list of words, remember the words during the retention interval, and then recall as many words as possible. Brain activity was localized to frontal and auditory regions when attending to the patterns and occipital-auditory areas when attending to the words. Evoked activity was shown to reflect the subject's anticipation of the beat and was attenuated when ignoring the auditory stimulus. Taken together, these results suggest that GBA indexes auditory perception, attention and expectation. The current results suggest that attention and task engagement may elicit stronger neural phase locking.
Title: Neural Correlates of Auditory Perception, Attention and Expectation.
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Name(s): Zanto, Theodore P.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Large, Edward W., Thesis advisor
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2006
Date Issued: 2006
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 190 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: This dissertation examined the neural correlates of auditory perception, attention and expectation in three experiments. Experiment 1 analyzed neural correlates of auditory perception and expectation in an electroencephalography (EEG) experiment using a temporally perturbed metronome to establish an expectation for auditory events, then violate and reestablish that expectation. High frequency evoked (phase-locked) gamma band activity (GBA) was observed to follow the onset of tones whereas induced (nonphase- locked) GBA reached maximum power simultaneously with the occurrence oftone onset. Moreover, the latency of induced GBA was perturbed after an expectancy violation and relaxed back into synchrony as the expectation was reestablished. Experiment 2 was a methodological study to compare two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRJ) scanning techniques and assess their influence on auditory processing. Subjects passively listened to isochronous tone sequences at three rates while sparse or continuous scanning was employed. Sparse and continuous scanning was observed to yield comparable fMRI data, however, continuous scanner notse was observed to perturb known EEG evoked response potentials. Moreover, high frequency evoked activity, as identified by spectral analysis, was attenuated in the presence of continuous fMRl noise. Experiment 3 was conducted to study auditory expectancy and attention. First, subjects were tested behaviorally to determine their ability to tap the beat of ten highly syncopated patterns. Subjects were asked to return for one EEG and one fMRl session. In these sessions, they were instructed to attend to a syncopated pattern, mentally rehearse the pattern, and then reproduce the pattern. During the control condition, subjects heard the auditory patterns, however, they were instructed to study a list of words, remember the words during the retention interval, and then recall as many words as possible. Brain activity was localized to frontal and auditory regions when attending to the patterns and occipital-auditory areas when attending to the words. Evoked activity was shown to reflect the subject's anticipation of the beat and was attenuated when ignoring the auditory stimulus. Taken together, these results suggest that GBA indexes auditory perception, attention and expectation. The current results suggest that attention and task engagement may elicit stronger neural phase locking.
Identifier: FA00000885 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2006.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Subject(s): Electrophysiology
Auditory evoked response
Electroencephalography
Auditory perception
Intersensory effects
Auditory pathways
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000885
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.