The effect of stimulus type and tempo on sensorimotor synchronization during finger-tapping in cerebellar ataxia: Behavioral and neural evidence

Lousin Moumdjian; Peter Feys; Bart Moens; Mario Manto; Pierre Cabaraux; Bart Van Weijmeersch; Sonja A. Kotz; Marc Leman; Mattia Rosso

doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2025.04.005

The effect of stimulus type and tempo on sensorimotor synchronization during finger-tapping in cerebellar ataxia: Behavioral and neural evidence

Lousin Moumdjian^*, Peter Feys, Bart Moens, Mario Manto, Pierre Cabaraux, Bart Van Weijmeersch, Sonja A. Kotz, Marc Leman, Mattia Rosso

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Institut for Klinisk Medicin - Center for Music in the Brain

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

1 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

Sensorimotor synchronization, coordination of movements with external rhythms, occurs daily. Finger-tapping tasks are often used to study biological mechanisms underlying sensorimotor synchronization. This study investigates how deviations in auditory stimulus tempo from spontaneous motor tempo affect sensorimotor synchronization in patients with cerebellar ataxia during active listening and finger-tapping. Specifically, the cerebellum's role in these tasks is investigated by quantifying behavioral and neural dynamics of auditory-motor coupling. Sixteen patients with cerebellar ataxia and 14 healthy controls listened and tapped to music and metronomes at seven tempi (−12%, −8%, −4%, 0%, +4%, +8%, +12% of spontaneous tapping tempo) in randomized order. Sixty-four channel EEG, stimulus beat- and finger-tapping onsets were recorded during each trial. Behavioral synchronization was quantified by synchronization precision and accuracy, whereas neural entrainment was quantified with the stability index. Cerebellar patients displayed higher, more variable spontaneous tapping tempi than controls. Although precision was lower in patients than controls, they achieved high precision values. Differences in synchronizing between metronomes and music were observed for both precision and accuracy, favoring metronomes in both groups. Accuracy was impacted, with lowest asynchrony observed in patients with music, and across groups at the slowest tempi (−12%) and highest tempi (4, 8 and 10%). EEG results revealed greater stability for music during tapping. Although patients with cerebellar ataxia showed synchronization deficits, they could sufficiently synchronize with isochronous metronomes and music containing higher complexity, likely through sensory accumulation as a compensation strategy. These findings support the use of sensorimotor synchronization strategies in rehabilitation for cerebellar disorders.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Cortex
Vol/bind	187
Sider (fra-til)	111-123
Antal sider	13
ISSN	0010-9452
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2025.04.005
Status	Udgivet - jun. 2025

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10.1016/j.cortex.2025.04.005

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title = "The effect of stimulus type and tempo on sensorimotor synchronization during finger-tapping in cerebellar ataxia: Behavioral and neural evidence",

abstract = "Sensorimotor synchronization, coordination of movements with external rhythms, occurs daily. Finger-tapping tasks are often used to study biological mechanisms underlying sensorimotor synchronization. This study investigates how deviations in auditory stimulus tempo from spontaneous motor tempo affect sensorimotor synchronization in patients with cerebellar ataxia during active listening and finger-tapping. Specifically, the cerebellum's role in these tasks is investigated by quantifying behavioral and neural dynamics of auditory-motor coupling. Sixteen patients with cerebellar ataxia and 14 healthy controls listened and tapped to music and metronomes at seven tempi (−12%, −8%, −4%, 0%, +4%, +8%, +12% of spontaneous tapping tempo) in randomized order. Sixty-four channel EEG, stimulus beat- and finger-tapping onsets were recorded during each trial. Behavioral synchronization was quantified by synchronization precision and accuracy, whereas neural entrainment was quantified with the stability index. Cerebellar patients displayed higher, more variable spontaneous tapping tempi than controls. Although precision was lower in patients than controls, they achieved high precision values. Differences in synchronizing between metronomes and music were observed for both precision and accuracy, favoring metronomes in both groups. Accuracy was impacted, with lowest asynchrony observed in patients with music, and across groups at the slowest tempi (−12%) and highest tempi (4, 8 and 10%). EEG results revealed greater stability for music during tapping. Although patients with cerebellar ataxia showed synchronization deficits, they could sufficiently synchronize with isochronous metronomes and music containing higher complexity, likely through sensory accumulation as a compensation strategy. These findings support the use of sensorimotor synchronization strategies in rehabilitation for cerebellar disorders.",

keywords = "Cerebellum, EEG, Finger-tapping, Rhythm, Synchronization",

author = "Lousin Moumdjian and Peter Feys and Bart Moens and Mario Manto and Pierre Cabaraux and {Van Weijmeersch}, Bart and Kotz, {Sonja A.} and Marc Leman and Mattia Rosso",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2025",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.cortex.2025.04.005",

language = "English",

volume = "187",

pages = "111--123",

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The effect of stimulus type and tempo on sensorimotor synchronization during finger-tapping in cerebellar ataxia: Behavioral and neural evidence. / Moumdjian, Lousin; Feys, Peter; Moens, Bart et al.
I: Cortex, Bind 187, 06.2025, s. 111-123.

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

TY - JOUR

T1 - The effect of stimulus type and tempo on sensorimotor synchronization during finger-tapping in cerebellar ataxia

T2 - Behavioral and neural evidence

AU - Moumdjian, Lousin

AU - Feys, Peter

AU - Moens, Bart

AU - Manto, Mario

AU - Cabaraux, Pierre

AU - Van Weijmeersch, Bart

AU - Kotz, Sonja A.

AU - Leman, Marc

AU - Rosso, Mattia

PY - 2025/6

Y1 - 2025/6

N2 - Sensorimotor synchronization, coordination of movements with external rhythms, occurs daily. Finger-tapping tasks are often used to study biological mechanisms underlying sensorimotor synchronization. This study investigates how deviations in auditory stimulus tempo from spontaneous motor tempo affect sensorimotor synchronization in patients with cerebellar ataxia during active listening and finger-tapping. Specifically, the cerebellum's role in these tasks is investigated by quantifying behavioral and neural dynamics of auditory-motor coupling. Sixteen patients with cerebellar ataxia and 14 healthy controls listened and tapped to music and metronomes at seven tempi (−12%, −8%, −4%, 0%, +4%, +8%, +12% of spontaneous tapping tempo) in randomized order. Sixty-four channel EEG, stimulus beat- and finger-tapping onsets were recorded during each trial. Behavioral synchronization was quantified by synchronization precision and accuracy, whereas neural entrainment was quantified with the stability index. Cerebellar patients displayed higher, more variable spontaneous tapping tempi than controls. Although precision was lower in patients than controls, they achieved high precision values. Differences in synchronizing between metronomes and music were observed for both precision and accuracy, favoring metronomes in both groups. Accuracy was impacted, with lowest asynchrony observed in patients with music, and across groups at the slowest tempi (−12%) and highest tempi (4, 8 and 10%). EEG results revealed greater stability for music during tapping. Although patients with cerebellar ataxia showed synchronization deficits, they could sufficiently synchronize with isochronous metronomes and music containing higher complexity, likely through sensory accumulation as a compensation strategy. These findings support the use of sensorimotor synchronization strategies in rehabilitation for cerebellar disorders.

AB - Sensorimotor synchronization, coordination of movements with external rhythms, occurs daily. Finger-tapping tasks are often used to study biological mechanisms underlying sensorimotor synchronization. This study investigates how deviations in auditory stimulus tempo from spontaneous motor tempo affect sensorimotor synchronization in patients with cerebellar ataxia during active listening and finger-tapping. Specifically, the cerebellum's role in these tasks is investigated by quantifying behavioral and neural dynamics of auditory-motor coupling. Sixteen patients with cerebellar ataxia and 14 healthy controls listened and tapped to music and metronomes at seven tempi (−12%, −8%, −4%, 0%, +4%, +8%, +12% of spontaneous tapping tempo) in randomized order. Sixty-four channel EEG, stimulus beat- and finger-tapping onsets were recorded during each trial. Behavioral synchronization was quantified by synchronization precision and accuracy, whereas neural entrainment was quantified with the stability index. Cerebellar patients displayed higher, more variable spontaneous tapping tempi than controls. Although precision was lower in patients than controls, they achieved high precision values. Differences in synchronizing between metronomes and music were observed for both precision and accuracy, favoring metronomes in both groups. Accuracy was impacted, with lowest asynchrony observed in patients with music, and across groups at the slowest tempi (−12%) and highest tempi (4, 8 and 10%). EEG results revealed greater stability for music during tapping. Although patients with cerebellar ataxia showed synchronization deficits, they could sufficiently synchronize with isochronous metronomes and music containing higher complexity, likely through sensory accumulation as a compensation strategy. These findings support the use of sensorimotor synchronization strategies in rehabilitation for cerebellar disorders.

KW - Cerebellum

KW - EEG

KW - Finger-tapping

KW - Rhythm

KW - Synchronization

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U2 - 10.1016/j.cortex.2025.04.005

DO - 10.1016/j.cortex.2025.04.005

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 40318390

AN - SCOPUS:105004066985

SN - 0010-9452

VL - 187

SP - 111

EP - 123

JO - Cortex

JF - Cortex

ER -

The effect of stimulus type and tempo on sensorimotor synchronization during finger-tapping in cerebellar ataxia: Behavioral and neural evidence

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