Neural entrainment to the beat and working memory predict sensorimotor synchronization skills
Abstract Neural entrainment to rhythmic patterns has been proposed as a mechanism that underlies beat perception and could explain individual differences in sensorimotor synchronization abilities. Nevertheless, the neural and cognitive mechanisms behind beat perception remain an active research area...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93948-9 |
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| author | María de Lourdes Noboa Csaba Kertész Ferenc Honbolygó |
| author_facet | María de Lourdes Noboa Csaba Kertész Ferenc Honbolygó |
| author_sort | María de Lourdes Noboa |
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| description | Abstract Neural entrainment to rhythmic patterns has been proposed as a mechanism that underlies beat perception and could explain individual differences in sensorimotor synchronization abilities. Nevertheless, the neural and cognitive mechanisms behind beat perception remain an active research area. Our study examined whether neural entrainment to rhythmic patterns, cognitive resources, specifically working memory and musical background predict sensorimotor synchronization skills in adults. Using electroencephalogram (EEG), we recorded steady-state evoked potentials (SS-EPs) while participants passively listened to short tone sequences featuring syncopated (tones missing from certain beats) and unsyncopated (tones present on every beat) rhythms. Participants also completed a finger-tapping task, measuring tapping consistency and asynchrony, and a counting span task to assess working memory. Results showed increased steady-state evoked potentials (SS-EPs) at beat-related frequencies (1.25 Hz and its harmonics, 2.10/2.50 Hz, 5 Hz), indicating faithful neural tracking of the rhythms. Contrary to expectations, stronger neural entrainment to unsyncopated rhythms was associated with greater tapping variability and lower synchronization accuracy. In contrast, working memory capacity positively predicted tapping consistency, suggesting that automatic beat-based predictions as reflected in neural entrainment may reduce the flexibility needed for rhythm production. Musical background was not a significant predictor of tapping performance, while working memory was suggesting that working memory capacity support rhythm production skills by maintaining internal representations of time intervals. Our results challenged the assumption that stronger neural entrainment universally enhances synchronization skills and highlighted the multidimensionality of rhythm processing, and the complex relationship between neural entrainment, cognitive resources, and sensorimotor synchronization skills. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-85f0f4c8e22b41a2be093287c1e37e49 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-85f0f4c8e22b41a2be093287c1e37e492025-08-20T03:45:59ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-03-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-93948-9Neural entrainment to the beat and working memory predict sensorimotor synchronization skillsMaría de Lourdes Noboa0Csaba Kertész1Ferenc Honbolygó2Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityInstitute of Psychology of the Faculty of Education and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityInstitute of Psychology of the Faculty of Education and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityAbstract Neural entrainment to rhythmic patterns has been proposed as a mechanism that underlies beat perception and could explain individual differences in sensorimotor synchronization abilities. Nevertheless, the neural and cognitive mechanisms behind beat perception remain an active research area. Our study examined whether neural entrainment to rhythmic patterns, cognitive resources, specifically working memory and musical background predict sensorimotor synchronization skills in adults. Using electroencephalogram (EEG), we recorded steady-state evoked potentials (SS-EPs) while participants passively listened to short tone sequences featuring syncopated (tones missing from certain beats) and unsyncopated (tones present on every beat) rhythms. Participants also completed a finger-tapping task, measuring tapping consistency and asynchrony, and a counting span task to assess working memory. Results showed increased steady-state evoked potentials (SS-EPs) at beat-related frequencies (1.25 Hz and its harmonics, 2.10/2.50 Hz, 5 Hz), indicating faithful neural tracking of the rhythms. Contrary to expectations, stronger neural entrainment to unsyncopated rhythms was associated with greater tapping variability and lower synchronization accuracy. In contrast, working memory capacity positively predicted tapping consistency, suggesting that automatic beat-based predictions as reflected in neural entrainment may reduce the flexibility needed for rhythm production. Musical background was not a significant predictor of tapping performance, while working memory was suggesting that working memory capacity support rhythm production skills by maintaining internal representations of time intervals. Our results challenged the assumption that stronger neural entrainment universally enhances synchronization skills and highlighted the multidimensionality of rhythm processing, and the complex relationship between neural entrainment, cognitive resources, and sensorimotor synchronization skills.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93948-9Neural entrainmentRhythmSensorimotor synchronizationEEGFrequency tagging |
| spellingShingle | María de Lourdes Noboa Csaba Kertész Ferenc Honbolygó Neural entrainment to the beat and working memory predict sensorimotor synchronization skills Scientific Reports Neural entrainment Rhythm Sensorimotor synchronization EEG Frequency tagging |
| title | Neural entrainment to the beat and working memory predict sensorimotor synchronization skills |
| title_full | Neural entrainment to the beat and working memory predict sensorimotor synchronization skills |
| title_fullStr | Neural entrainment to the beat and working memory predict sensorimotor synchronization skills |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neural entrainment to the beat and working memory predict sensorimotor synchronization skills |
| title_short | Neural entrainment to the beat and working memory predict sensorimotor synchronization skills |
| title_sort | neural entrainment to the beat and working memory predict sensorimotor synchronization skills |
| topic | Neural entrainment Rhythm Sensorimotor synchronization EEG Frequency tagging |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93948-9 |
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