Anticipatory Activity in the Auditory Brain: From Mechanisms to Applications
Speaker: Gianpaolo Demarchi (Universität Salzburg)
Abstract
A growing body of research suggests that the brain is not a passive receiver of sensory input, but rather an active system that continuously anticipates events based on context. In the auditory domain, this predictive mode of operation becomes evident through anticipatory neural activity that reflects expectations about upcoming sounds.
In a recent work we have shown that when sound sequences follow predictable patterns, the auditory cortex engages in sharply tuned, frequency-specific preactivation of expected tones. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) combined with time-resolved decoding methods, it was possible to identify neural templates that are activated even before a sound is presented. These results strongly support the idea that perception in the auditory system relies on predictive mechanisms, with low-level sensory representations shaped in advance by learned regularities.
This approach of linking temporally precise neurophysiology with multivariate analysis, offers a flexible framework for studying how the brain forms and uses predictions in different contexts. In two follow-up studies we illustrate its broader relevance. In individuals with tinnitus, anticipatory activity appears exaggerated, possibly reflecting maladaptive inference. In another line of work, auditory predictions were observed to persist, albeit in reduced form, during sleep, suggesting that some predictive processes remain active even in the absence of consciousness.
Taken together, these studies suggest that auditory perception is inherently proactive, shaped by internal expectations that can be tracked, quantified, and compared across individuals and states. This line of research not only refines our understanding of sensory processing, but also offers new insights on how perception can become distorted in clinical condition.
Everyone interested is welcome to attend.
The meeting will be held in English.
Participation is strongly recommended for students of the Doctoral School in Philosophy and Human Sciences and for students of the Doctoral School “The Human Mind and its Explanations: Language, Brain, and Reasoning”.
Where: Online
When: 22/09/2025 – 16:00 CET
Attendance: Attendance is free and open to all, but registration is needed by email [angelica.kaufmann@unimi.it]