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Dercksen TT, Widmann A, Noesselt T, Wetzel N. Somatosensory omissions reveal action-related predictive processing. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26550. [PMID: 38050773 PMCID: PMC10915725 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The intricate relation between action and somatosensory perception has been studied extensively in the past decades. Generally, a forward model is thought to predict the somatosensory consequences of an action. These models propose that when an action is reliably coupled to a tactile stimulus, unexpected absence of the stimulus should elicit prediction error. Although such omission responses have been demonstrated in the auditory modality, it remains unknown whether this mechanism generalizes across modalities. This study therefore aimed to record action-induced somatosensory omission responses using EEG in humans. Self-paced button presses were coupled to somatosensory stimuli in 88% of trials, allowing a prediction, or in 50% of trials, not allowing a prediction. In the 88% condition, stimulus omission resulted in a neural response consisting of multiple components, as revealed by temporal principal component analysis. The oN1 response suggests similar sensory sources as stimulus-evoked activity, but an origin outside primary cortex. Subsequent oN2 and oP3 responses, as previously observed in the auditory domain, likely reflect modality-unspecific higher order processes. Together, findings straightforwardly demonstrate somatosensory predictions during action and provide evidence for a partially amodal mechanism of prediction error generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tjerk T. Dercksen
- Research Group Neurocognitive DevelopmentLeibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburgGermany
- Center for Behavioral Brain SciencesMagdeburgGermany
| | - Andreas Widmann
- Research Group Neurocognitive DevelopmentLeibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburgGermany
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute for PsychologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Tömme Noesselt
- Center for Behavioral Brain SciencesMagdeburgGermany
- Department of Biological PsychologyOtto‐von‐Guericke‐University MagdeburgMagdeburgGermany
| | - Nicole Wetzel
- Research Group Neurocognitive DevelopmentLeibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburgGermany
- Center for Behavioral Brain SciencesMagdeburgGermany
- University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg‐StendalStendalGermany
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Korka B, Will M, Avci I, Dukagjini F, Stenner MP. Strategy-based motor learning decreases the post-movement β power. Cortex 2023; 166:43-58. [PMID: 37295237 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Motor learning depends on the joint contribution of several processes including cognitive strategies aiming at goal achievement and prediction error-driven implicit adaptation. Understanding this functional interplay and its clinical implications requires insight into the individual learning processes, including at a neural level. Here, we set out to examine the impact of learning a cognitive strategy, over and above implicit adaptation, on the oscillatory post-movement β rebound (PMBR), which typically decreases in power following (visuo)motor perturbations. Healthy participants performed reaching movements towards a target, with online visual feedback replacing the view of their moving hand. The feedback was sometimes rotated, either relative to their movements (visuomotor rotation) or invariant to their movements (and relative to the target; clamped feedback), always for two consecutive trials interspersed between non-rotated trials. In both conditions, the first trial with a rotation was unpredictable. On the second trial, the task was either to re-aim, and thereby compensate for the rotation experienced in the first trial (visuomotor rotation; Compensate condition), or to ignore the rotation and keep on aiming at the target (clamped feedback; Ignore condition). After-effects did not differ between conditions, indicating that the amount of implicit learning was similar, while large differences in movement direction in the second rotated trial between conditions indicated that participants successfully acquired re-aiming strategies. Importantly, PMBR power following the first rotated trial was modulated differently in the two conditions. Specifically, it decreased in both conditions, but this effect was larger when participants had to acquire a cognitive strategy and prepare to re-aim. Our results therefore suggest that the PMBR is modulated by cognitive demands of motor learning, possibly reflecting the evaluation of a behaviourally significant goal achievement error.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betina Korka
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Matthias Will
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Izel Avci
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Max-Philipp Stenner
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
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Dercksen TT, Widmann A, Wetzel N. Salient omissions-pupil dilation in response to unexpected omissions of sound and touch. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1143931. [PMID: 37032955 PMCID: PMC10077953 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1143931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Recent theories describe perception as an inferential process based on internal predictive models adjusted by means of prediction violations (prediction error). To study and demonstrate predictive processing in the brain the use of unexpected stimulus omissions has been suggested as a promising approach as the evoked brain responses are uncontaminated by responses to stimuli. Here, we aimed to investigate the pupil's response to unexpected stimulus omissions in order to better understand surprise and orienting of attention resulting from prediction violation. So far only few studies have used omission in pupillometry research and results have been inconsistent. Methods This study adapted an EEG paradigm that has been shown to elicit omission responses in auditory and somatosensory modalities. Healthy adults pressed a button at their own pace, which resulted in the presentation of sounds or tactile stimuli in either 88%, 50% or 0% (motor-control) of cases. Pupil size was recorded continuously and averaged to analyze the pupil dilation response associated with each condition. Results Results revealed that omission responses were observed in both modalities in the 88%-condition compared to motor-control. Similar pupil omission responses were observed between modalities, suggesting modality-unspecific activation of the underlying brain circuits. Discussion In combination with previous omission studies using EEG, the findings demonstrate predictive models in brain processing and point to the involvement of subcortical structures in the omission response. Our pupillometry approach is especially suitable to study sensory prediction in vulnerable populations within the psychiatric field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tjerk T. Dercksen
- Research Group Neurocognitive Development, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Tjerk T. Dercksen,
| | - Andreas Widmann
- Research Group Neurocognitive Development, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute for Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicole Wetzel
- Research Group Neurocognitive Development, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Stendal, Germany
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Paraskevoudi N, SanMiguel I. Sensory suppression and increased neuromodulation during actions disrupt memory encoding of unpredictable self-initiated stimuli. Psychophysiology 2022; 60:e14156. [PMID: 35918912 PMCID: PMC10078310 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Actions modulate sensory processing by attenuating responses to self- compared to externally generated inputs, which is traditionally attributed to stimulus-specific motor predictions. Yet, suppression has been also found for stimuli merely coinciding with actions, pointing to unspecific processes that may be driven by neuromodulatory systems. Meanwhile, the differential processing for self-generated stimuli raises the possibility of producing effects also on memory for these stimuli; however, evidence remains mixed as to the direction of the effects. Here, we assessed the effects of actions on sensory processing and memory encoding of concomitant, but unpredictable sounds, using a combination of self-generation and memory recognition task concurrently with EEG and pupil recordings. At encoding, subjects performed button presses that half of the time generated a sound (motor-auditory; MA) and listened to passively presented sounds (auditory-only; A). At retrieval, two sounds were presented and participants had to respond which one was present before. We measured memory bias and memory performance by having sequences where either both or only one of the test sounds were presented at encoding, respectively. Results showed worse memory performance - but no differences in memory bias -, attenuated responses, and larger pupil diameter for MA compared to A sounds. Critically, the larger the sensory attenuation and pupil diameter, the worse the memory performance for MA sounds. Nevertheless, sensory attenuation did not correlate with pupil dilation. Collectively, our findings suggest that sensory attenuation and neuromodulatory processes coexist during actions, and both relate to disrupted memory for concurrent, albeit unpredictable sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Paraskevoudi
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iria SanMiguel
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
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Prete DA, Heikoop D, McGillivray JE, Reilly JP, Trainor LJ. The sound of silence: Predictive error responses to unexpected sound omission in adults. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:1972-1985. [PMID: 35357048 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The human auditory system excels at detecting patterns needed for processing speech and music. According to predictive coding, the brain predicts incoming sounds, compares predictions to sensory input, and generates a prediction error whenever a mismatch between the prediction and sensory input occurs. Predictive coding can be indexed in EEG with the mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a components, two ERP components that are elicited by infrequent deviant sounds (e.g., differing in pitch, duration, loudness) in a stream of frequent sounds. If these components reflect prediction error, they should also be elicited by omitting an expected sound, but few studies have examined this. We compared ERPs elicited by infrequent randomly occurring omissions (unexpected silences) in tone sequences presented at 2 tones/sec to ERPs elicited by frequent, regularly occurring omissions (expected silences) within a sequence of tones and resting state EEG (a constant silence). We found that unexpected silences elicited significant MMN and P3a, although the magnitude of these components was quite small and variable. These results provide evidence for hierarchical predictive coding, indicating that the brain predicts silences as well as sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Prete
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - David Heikoop
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - James P Reilly
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.,ARiEAL Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.,School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.,Vector Institute, MaRS Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Laurel J Trainor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Dercksen TT, Widmann A, Scharf F, Wetzel N. Sound omission related brain responses in children. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 53:101045. [PMID: 34923314 PMCID: PMC8688889 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Action is an important way for children to learn about the world. Recent theories suggest that action is inherently accompanied by the sensory prediction of its effects. Such predictions can be revealed by rarely omitting the expected sensory consequence of the action, resulting in an omission response that is observable in the EEG. Although prediction errors play an important role in models of learning and development, little is known about omission-related brain responses in children. This study used a motor-auditory omission paradigm, testing a group of 6-8-year-old children and an adult group (N = 31 each). In an identity-specific condition, the sound coupled to the motor action was predictable, while in an identity unspecific condition the sound was unpredictable. Results of a temporal principal component analysis revealed that sound-related brain responses underlying the N1-complex differed considerably between age groups. Despite these developmental differences, omission responses (oN1) were similar between age groups. Two subcomponents of the oN1 were differently affected by specific and unspecific predictions. Results demonstrate that children, independent from the maturation of sound processing mechanisms, can implement specific and unspecific predictions as flexibly as adults. This supports theories that regard action and prediction error as important drivers of cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tjerk T Dercksen
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Brenneckestraße 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Widmann
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Brenneckestraße 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Leipzig University, Neumarkt 9-19, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian Scharf
- University of Münster, Fliednerstraße 21, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Nicole Wetzel
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Brenneckestraße 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany; University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Osterburgerstraße 25, 39576 Stendal, Germany
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The auditory brain in action: Intention determines predictive processing in the auditory system-A review of current paradigms and findings. Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 29:321-342. [PMID: 34505988 PMCID: PMC9038838 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-01992-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
According to the ideomotor theory, action may serve to produce desired sensory outcomes. Perception has been widely described in terms of sensory predictions arising due to top-down input from higher order cortical areas. Here, we demonstrate that the action intention results in reliable top-down predictions that modulate the auditory brain responses. We bring together several lines of research, including sensory attenuation, active oddball, and action-related omission studies: Together, the results suggest that the intention-based predictions modulate several steps in the sound processing hierarchy, from preattentive to evaluation-related processes, also when controlling for additional prediction sources (i.e., sound regularity). We propose an integrative theoretical framework—the extended auditory event representation system (AERS), a model compatible with the ideomotor theory, theory of event coding, and predictive coding. Initially introduced to describe regularity-based auditory predictions, we argue that the extended AERS explains the effects of action intention on auditory processing while additionally allowing studying the differences and commonalities between intention- and regularity-based predictions—we thus believe that this framework could guide future research on action and perception.
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Korka B, Schröger E, Widmann A. The encoding of stochastic regularities is facilitated by action-effect predictions. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6790. [PMID: 33762631 PMCID: PMC7991673 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86095-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Our brains continuously build and update predictive models of the world, sources of prediction being drawn for example from sensory regularities and/or our own actions. Yet, recent results in the auditory system indicate that stochastic regularities may not be easily encoded when a rare medium pitch deviant is presented between frequent high and low pitch standard sounds in random order, as reflected in the lack of sensory prediction error event-related potentials [i.e., mismatch negativity (MMN)]. We wanted to test the implication of the predictive coding theory that predictions based on higher-order generative models-here, based on action intention, are fed top-down in the hierarchy to sensory levels. Participants produced random sequences of high and low pitch sounds by button presses in two conditions: In a "specific" condition, one button produced high and the other low pitch sounds; in an "unspecific" condition, both buttons randomly produced high or low-pitch sounds. Rare medium pitch deviants elicited larger MMN and N2 responses in the "specific" compared to the "unspecific" condition, despite equal sound probabilities. These results thus demonstrate that action-effect predictions can boost stochastic regularity-based predictions and engage higher-order deviance detection processes, extending previous notions on the role of action predictions at sensory levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betina Korka
- grid.9647.c0000 0004 7669 9786Cognitive and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology – Wilhelm Wundt, Leipzig University, Neumarkt 9-19, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Erich Schröger
- grid.9647.c0000 0004 7669 9786Cognitive and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology – Wilhelm Wundt, Leipzig University, Neumarkt 9-19, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas Widmann
- grid.9647.c0000 0004 7669 9786Cognitive and Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology – Wilhelm Wundt, Leipzig University, Neumarkt 9-19, 04109 Leipzig, Germany ,grid.418723.b0000 0001 2109 6265Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
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