Beyond alpha band: prestimulus local oscillation and interregional synchrony of the beta band shape the temporal perception of the audiovisual beep-flash stimulus

Abstract

Objective. Multisensory integration is more likely to occur if the multimodal inputs are within a narrow temporal window called temporal binding window (TBW). Prestimulus local neural oscillations and interregional synchrony within sensory areas can modulate cross-modal integration. Previous work has examined the role of ongoing neural oscillations in audiovisual temporal integration, but there is no unified conclusion. This study aimed to explore whether local ongoing neural oscillations and interregional audiovisual synchrony modulate audiovisual temporal integration. Approach. The human participants performed a simultaneity judgment (SJ) task with the beep-flash stimuli while recording electroencephalography. We focused on two stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) conditions where subjects report ∼50% proportion of synchronous responses in auditory- and visual-leading SOA (A50V and V50A). Main results. We found that the alpha band power is larger in synchronous response in the central-right posterior and posterior sensors in A50V and V50A conditions, respectively. The results suggested that the alpha band power reflects neuronal excitability in the auditory or visual cortex, which can modulate audiovisual temporal perception depending on the leading sense. Additionally, the SJs were modulated by the opposite phases of alpha (5–10 Hz) and low beta (14–20 Hz) bands in the A50V condition while the low beta band (14–18 Hz) in the V50A condition. One cycle of alpha or two cycles of beta oscillations matched an auditory-leading TBW of ∼86 ms, while two cycles of beta oscillations matched a visual-leading TBW of ∼105 ms. This result indicated the opposite phases in the alpha and beta bands reflect opposite cortical excitability, which modulated the audiovisual SJs. Finally, we found stronger high beta (21–28 Hz) audiovisual phase synchronization for synchronous response in the A50V condition. The phase synchrony of the beta band might be related to maintaining information flow between visual and auditory regions in a top-down manner. Significance. These results clarified whether and how the prestimulus brain state, including local neural oscillations and functional connectivity between brain regions, affects audiovisual temporal integration.