Magami, Kaho; (2025) Neural Processing of Dynamic Auditory Statistics: How the Passive Listening Brain Responds to Rapidly Changing Sound Environments – Evidence from EEG and Autonomic Responses. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

Preview

Text Magami_10212586_Thesis.pdf Download (12MB) | Preview

Abstract

In everyday life, we are immersed in rich and dynamic auditory environments filled with complex statistical regularities. While previous research has demonstrated that the auditory system continuously tracks such patterns, much of this work has relied on simplified stimuli—often consisting of a single, fixed pattern repeated throughout the sequence. In contrast, real-world listening involves constantly shifting auditory patterns embedded in multi-modal sensory contexts. This PhD thesis investigates how the brain tracks regularities in such environments with dynamic shifts in regularities and explores how these processes influence broader neural and cognitive functions. How do we navigate an uncertain auditory world, and in turn, how does this shape the way we perceive, respond to, and interact with our surroundings? Across three empirical chapters, the work combines electroencephalography (EEG), computational modelling, and psychophysiological measurements to examine different facets of this question. Chapter 2 explores how the brain utilises past information when tracking auditory regularities. By comparing two contexts— one in which past input is informative for predicting the current sequence and one in which it is not—the study investigates whether the brain dynamically adjusts its reliance on memory to form predictions. Chapter 3 investigates whether regularity tracking is influenced by prior context. To test this, the study compares neural responses to identical regular sequences that are preceded by contexts of differing predictability. Chapter 4 examines the broader cognitive impact of automatic auditory regularity tracking. Using an audiovisual memory task, the study tests whether task-irrelevant background sound structures influence the encoding of concurrently presented visual information. Together, these studies reveal a flexible and context-sensitive mechanism for auditory regularity tracking that operates outside the focus of attention. This work contributes to our understanding of how the brain maintains adaptive perception in complex, real-world environments.

Download activity - last month

Export as JSONXMLCSV

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as XMLCSVJSON

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as JSONXMLCSV

Archive Staff Only

View Item