Reduced connectivity of primary auditory and motor cortices during exposure to auditory white noise

•White noise alters connectivity in primary cortices and higher order associative areas.•White noise evokes a large and widespread decrease in the connectivity of left M1.•White noise evokes a more restricted decreased in the connectivity of left A1 to areas surrounding left central gyrus.•This impa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience letters 2023-05, Vol.804, p.137212-137212, Article 137212
Main Authors: Pinardi, Mattia, Schuler, Anna-Lisa, Arcara, Giorgio, Ferreri, Florinda, Marinazzo, Daniele, Di Pino, Giovanni, Pellegrino, Giovanni
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Auditory
Auditory Cortex
Connectivity
Cues
Humans
Magnetoencephalography
Magnetoencephalography - methods
Motor
Motor Cortex
Noise
White Noise
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Summary:•White noise alters connectivity in primary cortices and higher order associative areas.•White noise evokes a large and widespread decrease in the connectivity of left M1.•White noise evokes a more restricted decreased in the connectivity of left A1 to areas surrounding left central gyrus.•This impact of white noise on connectivity should be considered where it is used experimentally as a masking tool. Auditory white noise (WN) is widely used in daily life for inducing sleep, and in neuroscience to mask unwanted environmental noise and cues. However, WN was recently reported to influence corticospinal excitability and behavioral performance. Here, we expand previous preliminary findings on the influence of WN exposure on cortical functioning, and we hypothesize that it may modulate cortical connectivity. We tested our hypothesis by performing magnetoencephalography in 20 healthy subjects. WN reduces cortical connectivity of the primary auditory and motor regions with very distant cortical areas, showing a right lateralized connectivity reduction for primary motor cortex. The present results, together with previous finding concerning WN impact on corticospinal excitability and behavioral performance, further support the role of WN as a modulator of cortical function. This suggest avoiding its unrestricted use as a masking tool, while purposely designed and controlled WN application could be exploited to harness brain function and to treat neuropsychiatric conditions.
ISSN:0304-3940
1872-7972
DOI:10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137212