Auditory Cortical Changes Precede Brainstem Changes During Rapid Implicit Learning: Evidence From Human EEG

Frontiers in Neuroscience

Jennifer Krizman¹  Emily R. Spitzer³  Erika Skoe⁵  Nina Kraus⁶ 

[1] Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States;Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States;Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States;Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States;Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Connecticut Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States;Institute for Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States;

关键词: auditory system;    corticofugal;    online learning;    frequency following response (FFR);    statistical learning;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fnins.2021.718230

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The auditory system is sensitive to stimulus regularities such as frequently occurring sounds and sound combinations. Evidence of regularity detection can be seen in how neurons across the auditory network, from brainstem to cortex, respond to the statistical properties of the soundscape, and in the rapid learning of recurring patterns in their environment by children and adults. Although rapid auditory learning is presumed to involve functional changes to the auditory network, the chronology and directionality of changes are not well understood. To study the mechanisms by which this learning occurs, auditory brainstem and cortical activity was simultaneously recorded via electroencephalogram (EEG) while young adults listened to novel sound streams containing recurring patterns. Neurophysiological responses were compared between easier and harder learning conditions. Collectively, the behavioral and neurophysiological findings suggest that cortical and subcortical structures each provide distinct contributions to auditory pattern learning, but that cortical sensitivity to stimulus patterns likely precedes subcortical sensitivity.

【 授权许可】

Unknown