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Articles, Behavioral/Cognitive

Neural Microstates Govern Perception of Auditory Input without Rhythmic Structure

Molly J. Henry, Björn Herrmann and Jonas Obleser
Journal of Neuroscience 20 January 2016, 36 (3) 860-871; https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2191-15.2016
Molly J. Henry
1Max Planck “Auditory Cognition” Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany and
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Björn Herrmann
1Max Planck “Auditory Cognition” Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany and
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Jonas Obleser
1Max Planck “Auditory Cognition” Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany and
2Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
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Abstract

Human perception fluctuates with the phase of neural oscillations in the presence of environmental rhythmic structure by which neural oscillations become entrained. However, in the absence of predictability afforded by rhythmic structure, we hypothesize that the neural dynamical states associated with optimal psychophysical performance are more complex than what has been described previously for rhythmic stimuli. The current electroencephalography study characterized the brain dynamics associated with optimal detection of gaps embedded in narrow-band acoustic noise stimuli lacking low-frequency rhythmic structure. Optimal gap detection was associated with three spectrotemporally distinct delta-governed neural microstates. Individual microstates were characterized by unique instantaneous combinations of neural phase in the delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands. Critically, gap detection was not predictable from local fluctuations in stimulus acoustics. The current results suggest that, in the absence of rhythmic structure to entrain neural oscillations, good performance hinges on complex neural states that vary from moment to moment.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our ability to hear faint sounds fluctuates together with slow brain activity that synchronizes with environmental rhythms. However, it is so far not known how brain activity at different time scales might interact to influence perception when there is no rhythm with which brain activity can synchronize. Here, we used electroencephalography to measure brain activity while participants listened for short silences that interrupted ongoing noise. We examined brain activity in three different frequency bands: delta, theta, and alpha. Participants' ability to detect gaps depended on different numbers of frequency bands—sometimes one, sometimes two, and sometimes three—at different times. Changes in the number of frequency bands that predict perception are a hallmark of a complex neural system.

  • auditory perception
  • entrainment
  • neural microstates
  • neural oscillations
  • psychophysics
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The Journal of Neuroscience: 36 (3)
Journal of Neuroscience
Vol. 36, Issue 3
20 Jan 2016
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Neural Microstates Govern Perception of Auditory Input without Rhythmic Structure
Molly J. Henry, Björn Herrmann, Jonas Obleser
Journal of Neuroscience 20 January 2016, 36 (3) 860-871; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2191-15.2016

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Neural Microstates Govern Perception of Auditory Input without Rhythmic Structure
Molly J. Henry, Björn Herrmann, Jonas Obleser
Journal of Neuroscience 20 January 2016, 36 (3) 860-871; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2191-15.2016
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Keywords

  • auditory perception
  • entrainment
  • neural microstates
  • neural oscillations
  • psychophysics

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