Individual Differences in Rhythm Skills: Links with Neural Consistency and Linguistic Ability

Abstract

Durational patterns provide cues to linguistic structure, and so variations in rhythm skills may have consequences for language development. Understanding individual differences in rhythm skills, therefore, could help explain variability in language ability across the population. We investigated the neural foundations of rhythmic proficiency and its relation to language skills in young adults. We hypothesized that rhythmic abilities can be characterized by at least two constructs, which are tied to independent language abilities and neural profiles. Specifically, we hypothesized that rhythm skills that require integration of information across time rely upon the consistency of slow, low-frequency auditory processing, which we measured using the evoked cortical response. On the other hand, we hypothesized that rhythmic skills that require fine temporal precision rely upon the consistency of fast, higher-frequency auditory processing, which we measured using the frequency following response. Performance on rhythm tests aligned with two constructs: rhythm sequencing and synchronization. Rhythm sequencing and synchronization were linked to the consistency of slow cortical and fast frequency-following responses, respectively. Furthermore, while rhythm sequencing ability was linked to verbal memory, reading, and nonverbal auditory temporal processing, synchronization ability was linked only to nonverbal auditory temporal processing. Thus, rhythm perception at different time scales reflects distinct abilities, which rely on distinct auditory neural resources. In young adults slow rhythmic processing makes the more extensive contribution to language skill.

Predictive rhythmic tapping to isochronous and tempo changing metronomes in the nonhuman primate

“…28,51 We demonstrated that macaques share with humans the neurophysiological mechanisms to represent fast acoustic periodicities 51 by exhibiting a humanhomologous frequency-following response (FFR). 49 Important for the present discussion is the fact that human participants that can entrain with high precision to an external beat also show larger intertrial consistency of the FFR potential, [52][53][54] suggesting a partial overlap between auditory circuits underlying the FFR and neural circuits involved in beat entrainment. In addition, monkeys can also detect stimulus omissions occurring in an isochronous auditory pattern exhibiting a mismatch negativity (MMN) potential 28 (i.e., a differential cortical brain signal to a deviant event, embedded in a stream of repeated standard events).…”

Successful second language learning is tied to robust domain-general auditory processing and stable neural representation of sound

“…Finally, we investigated the extent to which variability in neural encoding of sound explained individual differences in auditory perceptual ability. Prior work has revealed links between the robustness of the frequency-following response and a variety of auditory skills, including the precision of auditory-motor synchronization (Tierney & Kraus, 2013Tierney, White-Schwoch, MacLean, & Kraus, 2017), amplitude modulation detection (Purcell, John, Schneider, & Picton, 2004;Bharadwaj, Masud, Mehraei, Gerhulst, & Shinn-Cunningham, 2015), and frequency discrimination (Krishnan, Bidelman, & Gandour, 2010;Krishnan, Bidelman, Gmalt, Ananthakrishnan, & Gandour, 2012;Marmel et al, 2013). However, as each of these studies examined relationships between the frequency-following response and either a single test or a narrow range of tests designed to measure similar skills (i.e.…”

Clapping in time parallels literacy and calls upon overlapping neural mechanisms in early readers

“…Indeed, the interaction between sensory and motor systems when synchronizing to an external isochronous (i.e., steady) rhythm has been proposed as the reason why music training can benefit literacy . This link between synchronization ability and language/reading skills is well established in both typical and atypical populations . However, the mechanisms underlying this link need to be further explored to disentangle the role that different systems involved in rhythm tasks play in shaping specific aspects of auditory processing and literacy.…”

“…2,3 This link between synchronization ability and language/reading skills is well established in both typical and atypical populations. [4][5][6][7][8][9] However, the mechanisms underlying this link need to be further explored to disentangle the role that different systems involved in rhythm tasks play in shaping specific aspects of auditory processing and literacy.…”