The neural mechanisms of concept formation over time in music

Abstract

The interplay between abstraction, learning and memory is crucial for humans to interact with the environment. Abstraction in relation to concept formation is typically studied with Gestalt stimuli varying in their physical properties while maintaining abstract internal relations. The role of temporal integration in recognising abstract concepts has been, however, overlooked even in a sensory domain relying on temporal item succession such as audition. Here, we investigated the neural mechanisms underlying abstract concept generalisation over time using a musical adaptation of the old/new recognition paradigm. During magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings, 108 participants categorised five-tone sequences as previously learned or novel or as musical or not. The sequences varied in pace, ranging from very fast (125 ms per sound) to very slow (5000 ms per sound). On the behavioural level, sequence duration exerted a substantial impact on the recognition and musicality judgments of the novel sequences. The differences in neural responses between memorised and novel sequences especially involved regions in the auditory cortex, medial cingulate gyrus and medial temporal lobe and were most pronounced at the highest musical pace, diminishing proportionally as the pace decreased. These findings contribute to our understanding of how the brain generalises and derives meaning from abstract concepts that unfold over time learned through the auditory system.