Disentangling neural synchronization and sustained neural activity in the processing of auditory temporal patterns

Abstract

Temporal regularity within sensory input, can be defined as a uniformly structured and recurring stimulation. Perceiving temporal regularity is integral to effectively perceiving the world around us, such as in speech and music perception. Indeed, natural environments constantly present our perceptual systems with different forms of temporal regularities and rhythms. Efficient sensitivity to temporal changes not only allows us to maintain a coherent perception of our experiences, but importantly, also allows us to build expectations and predict future events (Gutschalk et al., 2002; Nobre and van Ede, 2017). Previous work investigating the underlying neural mechanisms of temporal pattern perception have focused on neural synchronization (NS).