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Delta- and theta-band cortical tracking and phase-amplitude coupling to sung speech by infants

View ORCID ProfileAdam Attaheri, View ORCID ProfileÁine Ní Choisdealbha, View ORCID ProfileGiovanni M. Di Liberto, View ORCID ProfileSinead Rocha, View ORCID ProfilePerrine Brusini, View ORCID ProfileNatasha Mead, View ORCID ProfileHelen Olawole-Scott, Panagiotis Boutris, View ORCID ProfileSamuel Gibbon, Isabel Williams, View ORCID ProfileChristina Grey, View ORCID ProfileSheila Flanagan, View ORCID ProfileUsha Goswami
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.12.329326
Adam Attaheri
1University of Cambridge;
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  • For correspondence: aa974@cam.ac.uk
Áine Ní Choisdealbha
1University of Cambridge;
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Giovanni M. Di Liberto
2Ecole Normale Superieure
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Sinead Rocha
1University of Cambridge;
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Perrine Brusini
1University of Cambridge;
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Natasha Mead
1University of Cambridge;
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Helen Olawole-Scott
1University of Cambridge;
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Panagiotis Boutris
1University of Cambridge;
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Samuel Gibbon
1University of Cambridge;
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Isabel Williams
1University of Cambridge;
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Christina Grey
1University of Cambridge;
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Sheila Flanagan
1University of Cambridge;
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Usha Goswami
1University of Cambridge;
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Abstract

The amplitude envelope of speech carries crucial low-frequency acoustic information that assists linguistic decoding at multiple time scales. Neurophysiological signals are known to track the amplitude envelope of adult-directed speech (ADS), particularly in the theta-band. Acoustic analysis of infant-directed speech (IDS) has revealed significantly greater modulation energy than ADS in an amplitude-modulation (AM) band centered on ∼2 Hz. Accordingly, cortical tracking of IDS by delta-band neural signals may be key to language acquisition. Speech also contains acoustic information within its higher-frequency bands (beta, gamma). Adult EEG and MEG studies reveal an oscillatory hierarchy, whereby low-frequency (delta, theta) neural phase dynamics temporally organize the amplitude of high-frequency signals (phase amplitude coupling, PAC). Whilst consensus is growing around the role of PAC in the matured adult brain, its role in the development of speech processing is unexplored.

Here, we examined the presence and maturation of low-frequency (<12 Hz) cortical speech tracking in infants by recording EEG longitudinally from 60 participants when aged 4-, 7- and 11-months as they listened to nursery rhymes. After establishing stimulus-related neural signals in delta and theta, cortical tracking at each age was assessed in the delta, theta and alpha [control] bands using a multivariate temporal response function (mTRF) method. Delta-beta, delta-gamma, theta-beta and theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) was also assessed. Significant delta and theta but not alpha tracking was found. Significant PAC was present at all ages, with both delta and theta -driven coupling observed.

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Highlights

  • Longitudinal EEG study in which 4, 7- & 11-month infants listened to nursery rhymes

  • We demonstrate cortical speech tracking via delta & theta neural signals (mTRF)

  • Periodogram (PSD) analysis revealed stimulus related delta & theta PSD peaks

  • Delta and theta driven phase amplitude coupling (PAC) was found at all ages

  • Gamma frequency amplitudes displayed stronger PAC to low frequency phases than beta

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • Small amendments based on reviewer comments. Including using a normalised measure of phase amplitude coupling (PAC).

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted August 05, 2021.
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Delta- and theta-band cortical tracking and phase-amplitude coupling to sung speech by infants
Adam Attaheri, Áine Ní Choisdealbha, Giovanni M. Di Liberto, Sinead Rocha, Perrine Brusini, Natasha Mead, Helen Olawole-Scott, Panagiotis Boutris, Samuel Gibbon, Isabel Williams, Christina Grey, Sheila Flanagan, Usha Goswami
bioRxiv 2020.10.12.329326; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.12.329326
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Delta- and theta-band cortical tracking and phase-amplitude coupling to sung speech by infants
Adam Attaheri, Áine Ní Choisdealbha, Giovanni M. Di Liberto, Sinead Rocha, Perrine Brusini, Natasha Mead, Helen Olawole-Scott, Panagiotis Boutris, Samuel Gibbon, Isabel Williams, Christina Grey, Sheila Flanagan, Usha Goswami
bioRxiv 2020.10.12.329326; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.10.12.329326

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