Inhibitory effect of tDCS on auditory evoked response: Simultaneous MEG-tDCS reveals causal role of right auditory cortex in pitch learning
A body of literature has demonstrated that the right auditory cortex (AC) plays a dominant role in fine pitch processing. However, our understanding is relatively limited about whether this asymmetry extends to perceptual learning of pitch. There is also a lack of causal evidence regarding the role...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-06-01
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| Series: | NeuroImage |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921001920 |
| _version_ | 1818676314870120448 |
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| author | Reiko Matsushita Sebastian Puschmann Sylvain Baillet Robert J. Zatorre |
| author_facet | Reiko Matsushita Sebastian Puschmann Sylvain Baillet Robert J. Zatorre |
| author_sort | Reiko Matsushita |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A body of literature has demonstrated that the right auditory cortex (AC) plays a dominant role in fine pitch processing. However, our understanding is relatively limited about whether this asymmetry extends to perceptual learning of pitch. There is also a lack of causal evidence regarding the role of the right AC in pitch learning. We addressed these points with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), adapting a previous behavioral study in which anodal tDCS over the right AC was shown to block improvement of a microtonal pitch pattern learning task over 3 days. To address the physiological changes associated with tDCS, we recorded MEG data simultaneously with tDCS on the first day, and measured behavioral thresholds on the following two consecutive days. We tested three groups of participants who received anodal tDCS over their right or left AC, or sham tDCS, and measured the N1m auditory evoked response before, during, and after tDCS. Our data show that anodal tDCS of the right AC disrupted pitch discrimination learning up to two days after its application, whereas learning was unaffected by left-AC or sham tDCS. Although tDCS reduced the amplitude of the N1m ipsilaterally to the stimulated hemisphere on both left and right, only right AC N1m amplitude reductions were associated with the degree to which pitch learning was disrupted. This brain-behavior relationship confirms a causal link between right AC physiological responses and fine pitch processing, and provides neurophysiological insight concerning the mechanisms of action of tDCS on the auditory system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T08:41:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d43b06647cb44009ae238bed9e91da6d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1095-9572 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T08:41:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeuroImage |
| spelling | doaj.art-d43b06647cb44009ae238bed9e91da6d2022-12-21T21:56:19ZengElsevierNeuroImage1095-95722021-06-01233117915Inhibitory effect of tDCS on auditory evoked response: Simultaneous MEG-tDCS reveals causal role of right auditory cortex in pitch learningReiko Matsushita0Sebastian Puschmann1Sylvain Baillet2Robert J. Zatorre3Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada; International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Montreal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada; Corresponding authors.Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada; Institute of Psychology, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg 26111, GermanyMontreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, CanadaMontreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada; International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Montreal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada; Corresponding authors.A body of literature has demonstrated that the right auditory cortex (AC) plays a dominant role in fine pitch processing. However, our understanding is relatively limited about whether this asymmetry extends to perceptual learning of pitch. There is also a lack of causal evidence regarding the role of the right AC in pitch learning. We addressed these points with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), adapting a previous behavioral study in which anodal tDCS over the right AC was shown to block improvement of a microtonal pitch pattern learning task over 3 days. To address the physiological changes associated with tDCS, we recorded MEG data simultaneously with tDCS on the first day, and measured behavioral thresholds on the following two consecutive days. We tested three groups of participants who received anodal tDCS over their right or left AC, or sham tDCS, and measured the N1m auditory evoked response before, during, and after tDCS. Our data show that anodal tDCS of the right AC disrupted pitch discrimination learning up to two days after its application, whereas learning was unaffected by left-AC or sham tDCS. Although tDCS reduced the amplitude of the N1m ipsilaterally to the stimulated hemisphere on both left and right, only right AC N1m amplitude reductions were associated with the degree to which pitch learning was disrupted. This brain-behavior relationship confirms a causal link between right AC physiological responses and fine pitch processing, and provides neurophysiological insight concerning the mechanisms of action of tDCS on the auditory system.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921001920Pitch learningAuditory evoked responseTranscranial direct current stimulationSpectrotemporal model |
| spellingShingle | Reiko Matsushita Sebastian Puschmann Sylvain Baillet Robert J. Zatorre Inhibitory effect of tDCS on auditory evoked response: Simultaneous MEG-tDCS reveals causal role of right auditory cortex in pitch learning NeuroImage Pitch learning Auditory evoked response Transcranial direct current stimulation Spectrotemporal model |
| title | Inhibitory effect of tDCS on auditory evoked response: Simultaneous MEG-tDCS reveals causal role of right auditory cortex in pitch learning |
| title_full | Inhibitory effect of tDCS on auditory evoked response: Simultaneous MEG-tDCS reveals causal role of right auditory cortex in pitch learning |
| title_fullStr | Inhibitory effect of tDCS on auditory evoked response: Simultaneous MEG-tDCS reveals causal role of right auditory cortex in pitch learning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inhibitory effect of tDCS on auditory evoked response: Simultaneous MEG-tDCS reveals causal role of right auditory cortex in pitch learning |
| title_short | Inhibitory effect of tDCS on auditory evoked response: Simultaneous MEG-tDCS reveals causal role of right auditory cortex in pitch learning |
| title_sort | inhibitory effect of tdcs on auditory evoked response simultaneous meg tdcs reveals causal role of right auditory cortex in pitch learning |
| topic | Pitch learning Auditory evoked response Transcranial direct current stimulation Spectrotemporal model |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921001920 |
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