Mechanisms of rhythm perception

随着音乐节奏移动是人类众多依赖规律性的行为之一（例如，走路、说话、轮流），但我们对规律节奏敏感的潜在机制仍然是一个谜。当我们听到有节奏的时间间隔序列时，节拍感知会自然而然地产生，不需要任何努力。现有的时间感知模型不能解释节奏感知的许多特征，行为证据表明，人类可能有一个独特的基于节拍的计时系统。我的研究试图描述这个系统。到目前为止，我的研究表明了节奏感知和运动之间的联系：当我们听到节奏时，控制运动的大脑区域被激活，某些运动区域在节奏感知期间会做出特定的反应，即使没有运动。我的目标是：I)开发工具来评估独立于节拍产生的节拍感知，ii)表征运动系统在节拍感知中的作用的时间过程，以及iii)结合脑刺激和成像方法来理解特定运动区域在节奏和节拍感知中的因果作用。

Moving to a musical beat is one of myriad human behaviours that rely on regularity (e.g., walking, talking, turn-taking), but the mechanisms underlying our sensitivity to a regular beat are still a mystery. Beat perception occurs spontaneously, without effort, when we listen to rhythmic sequences of time intervals. Existing models of time perception cannot account for many features of beat perception, and behavioural evidence suggests that humans may have a unique beat-based timing system. My research seeks to characterize this system. Thus far, my research indicates a link between beat perception and movement: brain areas that control movement are activated when we hear rhythm, and certain motor areas respond specifically during beat perception, even when no movement is made. I aim to: i) develop tools to assess beat perception independently from beat production, ii) characterize the timecourse of the motor system’s role in beat perception, and iii) combine brain stimulation and imaging methods to understand the causal roles of specific motor areas in rhythm and beat perception.