Rhythm Facilitates Auditory Working Memory via Beta-Band Encoding and Theta-Band Maintenance.
10.1007/s12264-024-01289-w
- Author:
Suizi TIAN
1
;
Yu-Ang CHENG
2
;
Huan LUO
3
Author Information
1. School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
2. Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
3. School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. huan.luo@pku.edu.cn.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Drift diffusion model;
Neural oscillation;
Rhythm;
Sensorimotor;
Working memory
- MeSH:
Humans;
Memory, Short-Term/physiology*;
Male;
Beta Rhythm/physiology*;
Female;
Theta Rhythm/physiology*;
Young Adult;
Auditory Perception/physiology*;
Adult;
Electroencephalography;
Acoustic Stimulation;
Reaction Time/physiology*;
Brain/physiology*;
Attention/physiology*
- From:
Neuroscience Bulletin
2025;41(2):195-210
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Rhythm, as a prominent characteristic of auditory experiences such as speech and music, is known to facilitate attention, yet its contribution to working memory (WM) remains unclear. Here, human participants temporarily retained a 12-tone sequence presented rhythmically or arrhythmically in WM and performed a pitch change-detection task. Behaviorally, while having comparable accuracy, rhythmic tone sequences showed a faster response time and lower response boundaries in decision-making. Electroencephalographic recordings revealed that rhythmic sequences elicited enhanced non-phase-locked beta-band (16 Hz-33 Hz) and theta-band (3 Hz-5 Hz) neural oscillations during sensory encoding and WM retention periods, respectively. Importantly, the two-stage neural signatures were correlated with each other and contributed to behavior. As beta-band and theta-band oscillations denote the engagement of motor systems and WM maintenance, respectively, our findings imply that rhythm facilitates auditory WM through intricate oscillation-based interactions between the motor and auditory systems that facilitate predictive attention to auditory sequences.
