Attenuation of auditory N2 for self-modulated tones during continuous actions

• Published in: Biological psychology Vol. 166; p. 108201
• Main Authors: Sugimoto, Fumie, Kimura, Motohiro, Takeda, Yuji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.11.2021
• Subjects: Acoustic Stimulation; Auditory N2; Auditory Perception; Continuous actions; Electroencephalography; Event-related brain potentials (ERPs); Evoked Potentials; Evoked Potentials, Auditory; Humans; Prediction; Sensory attenuation; Sensory attenuation; Auditory N2; Event-related brain potentials (ERPs); Continuous actions; Prediction
• ISSN: 0301-0511; 1873-6246
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108201

Event-related potentials elicited by tones generated by one’s own discrete actions (e.g., button presses) are attenuated compared to those elicited by tones generated externally. The present study investigated whether ERP attenuation would occur when the timing or pitch of tones is modulated by continuous actions, as for such actions, a weak association between actions and their auditory consequences is assumed. In a modulation condition, participants modulated the time interval between tones (Experiment 1) or the pitch of tones (Experiment 2) by turning a steering wheel. In a listening condition, participants listened to the same tones as in the modulation condition without any action. The results revealed that the amplitude of N2 elicited by tones decreased in the modulation compared to listening conditions, consistently in the two experiments, suggesting relatively higher-order auditory processing can be mainly influenced by the prediction of action consequences when continuous actions modulate features of auditory stimuli. •Predictive processing induced by continuous actions was examined.•ERP attenuation was measured as an index of predictive processing.•Participants’ continuous actions modulated the timing or pitch of tones.•Amplitude of N2 in response to modulated tones decreased during continuous actions.•Higher-order auditory processing can be affected by predictions based on continuous actions.