Lei, U. M. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2025

Neural ensembles for music production recruit more language instruments as rhythmic complexity increases

Language and music, two core forms of human communication, both rely on rhythmic control. To date, the neural ensembles supporting their real-time production are not fully characterized. Using rapid phase-encoded fMRI, we mapped the spatiotemporal brain dynamics of overt language and music production under varying rhythm control demands. We observed overlapping hemodynamic traveling waves across domains, with auditory-motor regions activated earlier, followed by visual, posterior parietal, and Sylvian parietal-temporal (Spt) regions, supporting sensorimotor transformation and online monitoring of production. Increasing rhythmic complexity elicited slower and stronger activations in both domains: compared with baseline, regular rhythm control elicited delayed and amplified responses, while irregular rhythm control produced the slowest and strongest responses. During music production, rhythm-related activity expanded into frontal and temporal language regions, suggesting that higher rhythmic demands engage language resources. These findings reveal dynamic neural ensembles that can flexibly reconfigure shared resources to support temporal precision in sequence production.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Phasor diagrams clock oscillatory hemodynamic switching between overt speech production and micro resting states

This study investigates the intricate interplay between the task-positive network and the default mode network (DMN) during transitions between overt language tasks and brief resting periods. While previous research suggests that these networks are not invariably anticorrelated, the precise timing of transitions has remained elusive. We employed rapid phase-encoded fMRI to decode brain dynamics with ultimate precision, capturing these transitions in real time. By utilizing phasor diagrams to represent the oscillatory activities, we examined the amplitudes and phases of hemodynamic fluctuations within the language network and DMN. Our findings align with existing empirical and theoretical perspectives on DMN functions and cognitive task performance, affirming the validity of our approach. We identified heterogeneous micro resting states interwoven with periods of overt speech production. Notably, various core regions of the DMN exhibited task-dependent amplitude and phase modulations, with activation strength and delay rising in line with increasing task complexity, ranging from comprehension to immediate and delayed speech production. This study sheds light on the dynamic engagement of the DMN during overt speech production, providing precise timing data of transitions between the DMN and language network. It demonstrates that rapid phase-encoded fMRI and phasor diagrams are powerful tools for measuring the switching between active tasks and micro resting states with subsecond accuracy, while also elucidating task load-dependent changes in the DMN. By accurately measuring the timing of these transitions, we gain insights into cognitive flexibility, attention, and the efficiency of information processing.

neuroscience↗