Auditory imagery modulates frequency-specific areas in the human auditory cortex.
Neural responses in early sensory areas are influenced by top-down processing. In the visual system, early visual areas have been shown to actively participate in top-down processing based on their topographical properties. Although it has been suggested that the auditory cortex is involved in top-down control, functional evidence of topographic modulation is still lacking. Here, we show that mental auditory imagery for familiar melodies induces significant activation in the frequency-responsive areas of the primary auditory cortex (PAC). This activation is related to the characteristics of the imagery: when subjects were asked to imagine high-frequency melodies, we observed increased activation in the high- versus low-frequency response area; when the subjects were asked to imagine low-frequency melodies, the opposite was observed. Furthermore, we found that A1 is more closely related to the observed frequency-related modulation than R in tonotopic subfields of the PAC. Our findings suggest that top-down processing in the auditory cortex relies on a mechanism similar to that used in the perception of external auditory stimuli, which is comparable to early visual systems.
The Catholic University of Korea, Korea.
Jihoon
J
Oh
Jae Hyung
JH
Kwon
Po Song
PS
Yang
Jaeseung
J
Jeong
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology; D008144:Loudness Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D010898:Pitch Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult