Intertrial auditory neural stability supports beat synchronization in preschoolers

Kali Woodruff Carr; Adam Tierney; Travis White-Schwoch; Nina Kraus

doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2015.12.003

Intertrial auditory neural stability supports beat synchronization in preschoolers

Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2016 Feb:17:76-82. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.12.003. Epub 2015 Dec 12.

Authors

Kali Woodruff Carr¹, Adam Tierney², Travis White-Schwoch³, Nina Kraus⁴

Affiliations

¹ Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 USA; Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. Electronic address: kali@u.northwestern.edu.
² Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 USA; Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. Electronic address: adamtierney@gmail.com.
³ Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 USA; Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. Electronic address: whiteschwoch@northwestern.edu.
⁴ Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 USA; Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Neurobiology & Physiology, Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, 675 North St Clair, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: nkraus@northwestern.edu.

Abstract

The ability to synchronize motor movements along with an auditory beat places stringent demands on the temporal processing and sensorimotor integration capabilities of the nervous system. Links between millisecond-level precision of auditory processing and the consistency of sensorimotor beat synchronization implicate fine auditory neural timing as a mechanism for forming stable internal representations of, and behavioral reactions to, sound. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate a systematic relationship between consistency of beat synchronization and trial-by-trial stability of subcortical speech processing in preschoolers (ages 3 and 4 years old). We conclude that beat synchronization might provide a useful window into millisecond-level neural precision for encoding sound in early childhood, when speech processing is especially important for language acquisition and development.

Keywords: Auditory processing; Children; FFR; Sensorimotor beat synchronization; Speech processing.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acoustic Stimulation / methods*
Auditory Pathways / physiology*
Auditory Perception / physiology*
Child, Preschool
Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / physiology*
Female
Humans
Language Development
Male
Music* / psychology
Psychomotor Performance / physiology*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding