title: Intertrial auditory neural stability supports beat synchronization in preschoolers.
abstract: The ability to synchronize motor movements along with an auditory beat places stringent demands on the temporal processing and sensorimotor integration capabilities of the nervous system. Links between millisecond-level precision of auditory processing and the consistency of sensorimotor beat synchronization implicate fine auditory neural timing as a mechanism for forming stable internal representations of, and behavioral reactions to, sound. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate a systematic relationship between consistency of beat synchronization and trial-by-trial stability of subcortical speech processing in preschoolers (ages 3 and 4 years old). We conclude that beat synchronization might provide a useful window into millisecond-level neural precision for encoding sound in early childhood, when speech processing is especially important for language acquisition and development.
authors.affiliation: Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 USA; Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. Electronic address: kali@u.northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Kali
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Woodruff Carr
authors.affiliation: Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 USA; Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. Electronic address: adamtierney@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tierney
authors.affiliation: Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 USA; Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. Electronic address: whiteschwoch@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Travis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: White-Schwoch
authors.affiliation: Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 USA; Department of Communication Sciences, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Neurobiology & Physiology, Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University, 675 North St Clair, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: nkraus@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kraus
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Auditory processing; Children; FFR; Sensorimotor beat synchronization; Speech processing