Neuromagnetic responses in silence after musical chord sequences.

Neuromagnetic responses in silence after chord sequences ending in three kinds of musical cadences were investigated. The magnetoencephalographic signals of musically trained participants showed clear peaks around the bilateral temporal areas during the period of silence when the cadences were musically premature. Maximum global moment during the silent period was estimated in the auditory cortices. The time course of the source activities revealed two components, first around 80 ms and second around 150 or 200 ms, the latency of which differed depending on the cadence. These auditory cortical activities, particularly the second components, are suggested to reflect the participants' internal generation of a sound image associated with temporal or temporal-spectral expectations induced as a function of musical cadence.