Audiotactile Stimulation Can Improve Syllable Discrimination through Multisensory Integration in the Theta Frequency Band

Guilleminot P, Graef C, Butters E, Reichenbach T (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press (MIT Press): STM Titles

Book Volume: 35

Pages Range: 1760-1772

Journal Issue: 11

DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02045

Abstract

Syllables are an essential building block of speech. We recently showed that tactile stimuli linked to the perceptual centers of syllables in continuous speech can improve speech comprehension. The rate of syllables lies in the theta frequency range, between 4 and 8 Hz, and the behavioral effect appears linked to multisensory integration in this frequency band. Because this neural activity may be oscillatory, we hypothesized that a behavioral effect may also occur not only while but also after this activity has been evoked or entrained through vibrotactile pulses. Here, we show that audiotactile integration regarding the perception of single syllables, both on the neural and on the behavioral level, is consistent with this hypothesis. We first stimulated participants with a series of vibrotactile pulses and then presented them with a syllable in background noise. We show that, at a delay of 200 msec after the last vibrotactile pulse, audiotactile integration still occurred in the theta band and syllable discrimination was enhanced. Moreover, the dependence of both the neural multisensory integration as well as of the behavioral discrimination on the delay of the audio signal with respect to the last tactile pulse was consistent with a damped oscillation. In addition, the multisensory gain is correlated with the syllable discrimination score. Our results therefore evidence the role of the theta band in audiotactile integration and provide evidence that these effects may involve oscillatory activity that still persists after the tactile stimulation.

Authors with CRIS profile

Tobias Reichenbach Professur für Sensorische Neurotechnologie

Involved external institutions

Imperial College London / The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine GB United Kingdom (GB) University of Cambridge GB United Kingdom (GB)

How to cite

APA:

Guilleminot, P., Graef, C., Butters, E., & Reichenbach, T. (2023). Audiotactile Stimulation Can Improve Syllable Discrimination through Multisensory Integration in the Theta Frequency Band. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 35(11), 1760-1772. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_02045

MLA:

Guilleminot, Pierre, et al. "Audiotactile Stimulation Can Improve Syllable Discrimination through Multisensory Integration in the Theta Frequency Band." Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 35.11 (2023): 1760-1772.

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