Pré-Publication, Document De Travail Année : 2025

Neural Encoding of Auditory Rhythm Beyond Cortical Auditory Areas Before the Age of Term

Résumé

Auditory processing emerges early in human development, during the late second trimester of gestation. Rhythm experience begins in fetal life, shaping neural capacities critical for language, communication, and motor skills. While rhythm processing in adults involves distributed cortical networks, including premotor and supplementary motor regions, the mechanisms in the fetal brain remain unclear, given the immaturity of the motor system. In this study, we provide evidence that premature newborns encode rhythmic beats through distributed cortical networks, extending beyond the auditory cortex into premotor and sensorimotor regions. Using high-density functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we show that auditory beats trigger distinct cortical activation patterns, indicating early involvement of an auditory-motor network, despite the absence of coordinated motor activity. Our results highlight a fundamental role for these regions in rhythm perception, forming the basis for the predictive timing mechanisms seen in adults. This early engagement of sensorimotor regions, well before overt movement or motor synchronization, reveals a neural framework supporting beat perception from the fetal stage onward. These findings advance understanding of the neural architecture for rhythm processing, showing the premature brain is already wired for complex auditory-motor interactions crucial for subsequent language and motor development.

Domaines

Neurosciences
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Dates et versions

hal-04887765 , version 1 (15-01-2025)

Identifiants

Citer

Ali Rajabi, Fabrice Wallois, Mohammadreza Edalati, Florence Levé, Alexandros Stamatiadis, et al.. Neural Encoding of Auditory Rhythm Beyond Cortical Auditory Areas Before the Age of Term. 2025. ⟨hal-04887765⟩
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