Neural correlates of rhythmic auditory stimulation and rhythmic movement: Rate dependence and transient to steady-state transition

The experiments in this dissertation were designed to produce a systematic characterization of the neuroelectric and neuromagnetic correlates of isochronous tone stimulation and simple rhythmic movements over a broad range of rates. The goal was to determine how the cortical representation of rhythm changes with rate, which would provide insight into known rate-dependent differences in perceptual and coordinative abilities. Fundamental transitions in the composition of the auditory and motor responses were hypothesized to occur within the parameter ranges studied here, including the attenuation of major response components and a shift from discrete transient activity at low rates to continuous steady-state activity at high rates. The auditory responses were studied in separate electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) experiments with stimulation rates ranging from 0.5 to 8Hz. In both studies, a transition from a transient to a continuous steady-state representation of the tone sequence occurred near 2Hz. In addition, an N1m component of the transient responses disappeared at rates near 8Hz, which may indicate the border beyond which tones are no longer distinct since the response is known to be an index of novelty in the auditory environment. Moreover, in a result important for understanding how evoked activity interacts with activity already present in the cortex, the phase of ongoing 40Hz rhythms is shown to affect the amplitude of the auditory evoked 40Hz response. Rhythmic finger movement was studied using a continuation paradigm in two EEG and MEG experiments at movement rates from 0.5 to 2.5Hz. Major findings included the disappearance of activity associated with movement planning and initiation at rates above 1Hz, suggesting a transition into a steady-state motor response in which there is less direct control of individual movements by the cortex. In addition, the neural correlates of synchronization and continuation were compared, with the results showing a similar cortical organization of metronome-paced and self-paced movements. The attenuation of major response components and the development of continuous steady-state activity within the present parameter ranges indicate rate-dependent changes in the cortical representation of simple rhythms, which are proposed here to relate to known rate-dependent behavioral differences in more complex coordinative environments.