Pitch and loudness information encoded in auditory imagery as revealed by event-related potentials

Abstract

Two experiments using the ERP method and a task that involved comparing an imagined-S1 (the first stimulus) with a perceived-S2 (the second stimulus) were conducted to investigate whether imagined auditory representations encode pitch and loudness information. It was found that the amplitude of the imagery-related late positive complex (LPC) decreased with pitch but increased with loudness of the imagined sound, which was consistent with amplitude modulations of the auditory perception-related N1 component, thereby providing the first neural evidence that auditory imagery encodes perceptual attributes of auditory experiences.