Beta‐band oscillations play an essential role in motor–auditory interactions

Abstract

In the human brain, self-generated auditory stimuli elicit smaller cortical responses compared to externally generated sounds. This sensory attenuation is thought to result from predictions about the sensory consequences of self-generated actions that rely on motor commands. Previous research has implicated brain oscillations in this process. However, the specific role of these oscillations in motor-auditory interactions during sensory attenuation is still unclear. In this study, we aimed at addressing this question by using magnetoencephalography (MEG). We recorded MEG in 20 healthy participants during listening to passively presented and selfgenerated tones. Our results show that the magnitude of sensory attenuation in bilateral auditory areas is significantly correlated with the modulation of beta-band (15-30 Hz) amplitude in the motor cortex. Moreover, we observed a significant directional coupling (Granger causality) in beta-band originating from the motor cortex toward bilateral auditory areas. Our findings indicate that beta-band oscillations play an important role in mediating top-down interactions between motor and auditory cortex and, in our paradigm, suppress cortical responses to predicted sensory input. K E Y W O R D Sauditory perception, beta-band oscillation, MEG, motor-auditory interactions, prediction, sensory attenuation

The role of motor and environmental visual rhythms in structuring auditory cortical excitability

“…As seen in the current and many previous studies, phase reset and entertainment of ongoing oscillations is most prevalent in extragranular layers (Lakatos et al, 2005a(Lakatos et al, , 2007(Lakatos et al, , 2009O'Connell et al, 2011), and modulatory inputs targeting these layers have long thought to cause phase reset, and if stimuli are rhythmic, entrainment (Barczak et al, 2019;Lakatos et al, 2009;O'Connell et al, 2011O'Connell et al, , 2014. Besides anatomical studies, recent magnetoencephalography studies investigating predictions in auditory scenes in humans found significant effective connectivity from motor cortex toward auditory areas (Abbasi and Gross, 2020;Morillon and Baillet, 2017). Additionally, besides direct projections, an indirect source of motor influences on the auditory system could stem from the cochlea, as a recent study reported oscillations of the eardrum coinciding with saccade onset in the absence of sound (Gruters et al, 2018).…”

Genuine cross-frequency coupling networks in human resting-state electrophysiological recordings

“…Interareal synchronization of alpha (α, 7-14 Hz) and beta (β, 14-30 Hz) oscillations in humans and nonhuman primates, respectively, is thought to regulate top-down or feedback communication [14][15][16][17][18][19]. In contrast, both β and gamma-band (γ, 30-100 Hz) oscillations and synchronization have been associated with bottom-up sensory processing and representation of object-specific sensory information [15,[20][21][22], and β oscillations are also associated with sensorimotor processing [23,24]. Overall, brain-wide oscillation networks in multiple frequencies are proposed to be the core of cognition [10,11,[25][26][27].…”

Genuine cross-frequency coupling networks in human resting-state electrophysiological recordings

“…In humans, large-scale oscillatory networks in several frequency bands characterize magnetoencephalography (MEG), electroencephalography (EEG), and stereo-EEG (SEEG) data during resting state (RS) activity [3][4][5][6][7][8] and in many cognitive functions [9][10][11][12][13]. Inter-areal synchronization of alpha (, 7-14 Hz) and beta (, [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Hz) oscillations in humans and non-human primates, respectively, is thought to regulate top-down or feedback communication [14][15][16][17][18][19]. In contrast, both  and gamma-band (, 30-100 Hz) oscillations and synchronization have been associated with bottom-up sensory processing and representation of object-specific sensory information [15,[20][21][22], and  oscillations are also with sensorimotor processing [23,24].…”

“…Inter-areal synchronization of alpha (, 7-14 Hz) and beta (, [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Hz) oscillations in humans and non-human primates, respectively, is thought to regulate top-down or feedback communication [14][15][16][17][18][19]. In contrast, both  and gamma-band (, 30-100 Hz) oscillations and synchronization have been associated with bottom-up sensory processing and representation of object-specific sensory information [15,[20][21][22], and  oscillations are also with sensorimotor processing [23,24]. Overall, brain-wide oscillation networks in multiple frequencies are proposed to be the core of cognition [10,11,[25][26][27].…”