QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (30) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pastor, M. A. Articles by Masdeu, J. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pastor, M. A. Articles by Masdeu, J. C.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

The Journal of Neuroscience, December 1, 2002, 22(23):10501-10506

Activation of Human Cerebral and Cerebellar Cortex by Auditory Stimulation at 40 Hz

Maria A. Pastor¹, Julio Artieda¹, Javier Arbizu², Josep M. Marti-Climent², Ivan Peñuelas², and Jose C. Masdeu¹

Departments of ¹ Neurology and ² Nuclear Medicine, University of Navarra School of Medicine, 31080 Pamplona, Spain

We used functional brain imaging with positron emission tomography (PET)-H₂ ¹⁵O to study a remarkable neurophysiological finding in the normal brain. Auditory stimulation at various frequencies in the gamma range elicits a steady-state scalp electroencephalographic (EEG) response that peaks in amplitude at 40 Hz, with smaller amplitudes at lower and higher stimulation frequencies. We confirmed this finding in 28 healthy subjects, each studied with monaural trains of stimuli at 12 different stimulation rates (12, 20, 30, 32, 35, 37.5, 40, 42.5, 45, 47.5, 50, and 60 Hz). There is disagreement as to whether the peak in the amplitude of the EEG response at 40 Hz corresponds simply to a superimposition of middle latency auditory evoked potentials, neuronal synchronization, or increased cortical synaptic activity at this stimulation frequency. To clarify this issue, we measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with PET-H₂ ¹⁵O in nine normal subjects at rest and during auditory stimulation at four different frequencies (12, 32, 40, and 47 Hz) and analyzed the results with statistical parametric mapping. The behavior of the rCBF response was similar to the steady-state EEG response, reaching a peak at 40 Hz. This finding suggests that the steady-state amplitude peak is related to increased cortical synaptic activity. Additionally, we found that, compared with other stimulation frequencies, 40 Hz selectively activated the auditory region of the pontocerebellum, a brain structure with important roles in cortical inhibition and timing.

Key words: steady-state auditory evoked potentials; gamma oscillatory activity; regional cerebral blood flow; positron emission tomography; cerebellum; auditory cortex

---

Copyright © 2002 Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474/02/222310501-06$05.00/0

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. A. Brenner, G. P. Krishnan, J. L. Vohs, W.-Y. Ahn, W. P. Hetrick, S. L. Morzorati, and B. F. O'Donnell Steady State Responses: Electrophysiological Assessment of Sensory Function in Schizophrenia Schizophr Bull, November 1, 2009; 35(6): 1065 - 1077. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Rosanova, A. Casali, V. Bellina, F. Resta, M. Mariotti, and M. Massimini Natural Frequencies of Human Corticothalamic Circuits J. Neurosci., June 17, 2009; 29(24): 7679 - 7685. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G Arrondo, M Alegre, J Sepulcre, J Iriarte, J Artieda, and P Villoslada Abnormalities in brain synchronization are correlated with cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, April 1, 2009; 15(4): 509 - 516. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. A. Pastor, C. Vidaurre, M. A. Fernandez-Seara, A. Villanueva, and K. J. Friston Frequency-Specific Coupling in the Cortico-Cerebellar Auditory System J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2008; 100(4): 1699 - 1705. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Pastor, M Valencia, J Artieda, M Alegre, and J. Masdeu Topography of Cortical Activation Differs for Fundamental and Harmonic Frequencies of the Steady-State Visual-Evoked Responses. An EEG and PET H215O Study Cereb Cortex, August 1, 2007; 17(8): 1899 - 1905. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. D. Skosnik, G. P. Krishnan, E. E. Aydt, H. A. Kuhlenshmidt, and B. F. O'Donnell Psychophysiological Evidence of Altered Neural Synchronization in Cannabis Use: Relationship to Schizotypy Am J Psychiatry, October 1, 2006; 163(10): 1798 - 1805. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. D. Patel and E. Balaban Human Auditory Cortical Dynamics During Perception of Long Acoustic Sequences: Phase Tracking of Carrier Frequency by the Auditory Steady-state Response Cereb Cortex, January 1, 2004; 14(1): 35 - 46. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Pastor, J. Artieda, J. Arbizu, M. Valencia, and J. C. Masdeu Human Cerebral Activation during Steady-State Visual-Evoked Responses J. Neurosci., December 17, 2003; 23(37): 11621 - 11627. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help