bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory),
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Aug. 6, 2024
Abstract
The
human
brain
tracks
temporal
regularities
in
acoustic
signals
faithfully.
Recent
neuroimaging
studies
have
shown
complex
modulations
of
synchronized
neural
activities
to
the
shape
stimulus
envelopes.
How
connect
responses
different
envelope
shapes
with
listeners’
perceptual
ability
synchronize
rhythms
requires
further
characterization.
Here
we
examine
participants’
motor
and
sensory
synchronization
noise
stimuli
periodic
amplitude
(AM).
We
used
three
that
varied
sharpness
onset.
In
a
synchronous
finger-tapping
task,
show
participants
more
consistently
align
their
taps
same
phase
when
listening
sharp
onsets
than
those
gradual
onsets.
This
effect
is
replicated
suggesting
basis
for
facilitated
alignment
sharp-onset
stimuli.
Surprisingly,
despite
less
consistent
tap
alignments
gradual-onset
stimuli,
are
equally
effective
extracting
rate
modulation
from
both
they
tapped
at
alongside
input.
result
demonstrates
robust
tracking
periodicity
achievable
without
presence
edges
or
envelope.
Our
findings
assuming
distinct
processes
during
sensorimotor
synchronization.
These
may
be
underpinned
by
mechanisms
whose
relative
strengths
modulated
specific
dynamics
characteristics.
European Journal of Neuroscience,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
61(5)
Published: March 1, 2025
Deterioration
in
the
peripheral
and
central
auditory
systems
is
common
older
adults
often
leads
to
hearing
speech
comprehension
difficulties.
Even
when
remains
intact,
electrophysiological
data
of
frequently
exhibit
altered
neural
responses
along
pathway,
reflected
variability
phase
alignment
activity
sound
onsets.
However,
it
unclear
whether
challenges
processing
aging
stem
from
more
fundamental
deficits
timing
processes.
Here,
we
investigated
if
how
individuals
encoded
temporal
regularities
isochronous
sequences
presented
at
1.5Hz,
they
employed
adaptive
mechanisms
anticipation
next
We
recorded
EEG
young
listening
simple
tone
sequences.
show
that
displayed
larger
event-related
responses,
an
increased
1/F
slope,
but
reduced
phase-coherence
stimulation
frequency
(1.5Hz)
a
slope
over
time
delta
theta
frequency-bands.
These
observations
suggest
top-down
modulatory
inhibition
repeated
predictable
sounds
sequence
continuous
phase-alignment
expected
onsets
aging.
Given
deteriorations
these
basic
capacities
may
affect
other
higher-order
cognitive
processes
(e.g.,
attention,
perception,
action),
results
underscore
need
for
future
research
examining
link
between
abilities
general
cognition
across
lifespan.
Neural
activity
in
auditory
cortex
tracks
the
amplitude-onset
envelope
of
continuous
speech,
but
recent
work
counter-intuitively
suggests
that
neural
tracking
increases
when
speech
is
masked
by
background
noise,
despite
reduced
intelligibility.
Noise-related
amplification
could
indicate
stochastic
resonance
–
response
facilitation
through
noise
supports
tracking,
a
comprehensive
account
lacking.
In
five
human
electroencephalography
(EEG)
experiments,
current
study
demonstrates
generalized
enhancement
due
to
minimal
noise.
Results
show
a)
enhanced
for
at
very
high
SNRs
(∼30
dB
SNR)
where
highly
intelligible;
b)
this
independent
attention;
c)
it
generalizes
across
different
stationary
maskers,
strongest
12-talker
babble;
and
d)
present
headphone
free-field
listening,
suggesting
neural-tracking
real-life
listening.
The
paints
clear
picture
enhances
representation
onset-envelope,
contributes
tracking.
further
highlights
non-linearities
induced
make
its
use
as
biological
marker
processing
challenging.
Neural
activity
in
auditory
cortex
tracks
the
amplitude-onset
envelope
of
continuous
speech,
but
recent
work
counterintuitively
suggests
that
neural
tracking
increases
when
speech
is
masked
by
background
noise,
despite
reduced
intelligibility.
Noise-related
amplification
could
indicate
stochastic
resonance
–
response
facilitation
through
noise
supports
tracking,
a
comprehensive
account
lacking.
In
five
human
electroencephalography
experiments,
current
study
demonstrates
generalized
enhancement
due
to
minimal
noise.
Results
show
(1)
enhanced
for
at
very
high
signal-to-noise
ratios
(~30
dB
SNR)
where
highly
intelligible;
(2)
this
independent
attention;
(3)
it
generalizes
across
different
stationary
maskers,
strongest
12-talker
babble;
and
(4)
present
headphone
free-field
listening,
suggesting
neural-tracking
real-life
listening.
The
paints
clear
picture
enhances
representation
onset-envelope,
contributes
tracking.
further
highlights
non-linearities
induced
make
its
use
as
biological
marker
processing
challenging.
Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
68(05), P. 2499 - 2516
Published: April 15, 2025
Speech
is
often
masked
by
background
sound
that
fluctuates
over
time.
Fluctuations
in
masker
intensity
can
reveal
glimpses
of
speech
support
intelligibility,
but
older
adults
have
frequently
been
shown
to
benefit
less
from
than
younger
when
listening
sentences.
Recent
work,
however,
suggests
may
leverage
as
much,
or
more,
naturalistic
stories,
potentially
because
the
availability
semantic
context
stories.
The
current
study
directly
investigated
whether
helps
released
a
fluctuating
(modulated)
more
adults.
In
two
experiments,
we
reduced
and
extended
information
sentence
stimuli
modulated
unmodulated
maskers
for
intelligibility
was
assessed.
We
found
improves
both
Both
age
groups
also
exhibit
better
an
(stationary)
masker,
compared
Semantic
amplified
gained
glimpses,
there
no
indication
amplification
led
greater
If
anything,
benefitted
more.
results
suggest
deficit
masking-release
generalizes
situations
which
available.
That
previous
research
during
story
other
factors,
such
thematic
knowledge,
motivation,
cognition,
amplify
under
conditions.
Imaging Neuroscience,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
2, P. 1 - 14
Published: Jan. 1, 2024
Abstract
Age-related
alterations
in
the
auditory
system
have
been
suggested
to
affect
processing
of
temporal
envelope
amplitude
modulations
(AM)
at
different
levels
hierarchy,
yet
few
studies
used
functional
magnetic
resonance
imaging
(fMRI)
study
this
noninvasively
humans
with
high
spatial
resolution.
In
study,
we
utilized
sparse-sampling
fMRI
3
Tesla
(3T)
investigate
regional
blood
oxygenation
level-dependent
(BOLD)
responses
AM
noise
stimuli
65
individuals
ranging
age
from
19
77
years.
We
contrasted
BOLD
modulated
4
Hz
or
80
unmodulated
stimuli.
This
allowed
us
derive
measures
neural
sensitivity
imposed
AM.
Compared
noise,
slowly
varying
elicited
significantly
greater
left
and
right
cortex
along
Heschl’s
gyrus
(HG).
were
than
putatively
primary
cortical
regions
lateral
HG.
magnitude
regions.
find
no
discernible
effects
on
recruitment
by
While
results
affirm
involvement
rate
information,
they
provide
support
for
age-related
these
measures.
discuss
potential
caveats
assessing
changes
pathway.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory),
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: July 28, 2023
Abstract
Neural
tracking
of
continuous,
spoken
speech
is
increasingly
used
to
examine
how
the
brain
encodes
and
considered
a
potential
clinical
biomarker,
for
example,
age-related
hearing
loss.
A
biomarker
must
be
reliable
(intra-class
correlation
[ICC]
>0.7),
but
reliability
neural-speech
unclear.
In
current
study,
younger
older
adults
(different
genders)
listened
stories
in
two
separate
sessions
while
electroencephalography
(EEG)
was
recorded
order
investigate
generalizability
neural
tracking.
larger
compared
under
clear
background
noise
conditions,
consistent
with
loss
inhibition
aged
auditory
system.
For
both
age
groups,
lower
than
responses
bursts
(ICC
>0.8),
which
we
as
benchmark
maximum
reliability.
The
moderate
∼0.5-0.75)
tended
when
presented
noise.
also
generalized
moderately
across
different
∼0.5-0.6),
appeared
greatest
audiobook-like
by
same
person.
This
indicates
that
variety
could
possibly
assessments.
Overall,
data
provide
results
critical
development
processing,
suggest
further
work
needed
increase
neural-tracking
response
meet
standards.
Significance
statement
approaches
are
research
impaired
processing.
needs
reliable,
study
shows
∼0.5-0.75),
although
more
variable
adults,
generalize
especially
