Abstract
BackgroundA long-standing debate concerns where in the processing hierarchy of the central nervous system (CNS) selective attention takes effect. In the auditory system, cochlear processes can be influenced via direct and mediated (by the inferior colliculus) projections from the auditory cortex to the superior olivary complex (SOC). Studies illustrating attentional modulations of cochlear responses have so far been limited to sound-evoked responses. The aim of the present study is to investigate intermodal (audiovisual) selective attention in humans simultaneously at the cortical and cochlear level during a stimulus-free cue-target interval.ResultsWe found that cochlear activity in the silent cue-target intervals was modulated by a theta-rhythmic pattern (~ 6 Hz). While this pattern was present independently of attentional focus, cochlear theta activity was clearly enhanced when attending to the upcoming auditory input. On a cortical level, classical posterior alpha and beta power enhancements were found during auditory selective attention. Interestingly, participants with a stronger release of inhibition in auditory brain regions show a stronger attentional modulation of cochlear theta activity.ConclusionsThese results hint at a putative theta-rhythmic sampling of auditory input at the cochlear level. Furthermore, our results point to an interindividual variable engagement of efferent pathways in an attentional context that are linked to processes within and beyond processes in auditory cortical regions.
Highlights
A long-standing debate concerns where in the processing hierarchy of the central nervous system (CNS) selective attention takes effect
otoacoustic activity” (OOA) is not sensitive to within-subject performance variability we investigated if the OOA- and cortical effects were sensitive to within-subject performance variability as these kinds of analyses provide more insight into how attention modulates both cortical and cochlear activity
To what extent cochlear activity is sensitive to selective attention and how these changes are linked to cortical dynamics is a matter of ongoing debate
Summary
A long-standing debate concerns where in the processing hierarchy of the central nervous system (CNS) selective attention takes effect. Cochlear processes can be influenced via direct and mediated (by the inferior colliculus) projections from the auditory cortex to the superior olivary complex (SOC). Studies illustrating attentional modulations of cochlear responses have so far been limited to sound-evoked responses. Cognitive processing of sensory stimuli is capacity limited. Responses to attended stimuli are enhanced, while responses to unattended and distracting stimuli are diminished [1, 2]. Cochlear processes can be modulated via direct and mediated (by the inferior colliculus) projections from the auditory cortex to the superior olivary complex (SOC).
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