Implicit Encoding of Seemingly Unstructured Auditory Stimuli

Abstract

We are biased to perceive patterns in random conditions: We see figures in clouds, recognize words within noise, or tend to set everything on a single color given the past sequence when gambling. While there are numerous examples like this falling within the phenomenon termed apophenia, the exact underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are unknown. Presumably, at the core of this phenomenon are internal representations in the brain that map the immediate environment, made possible by automatically drawing on temporal relationships in the unfolding sensory input. Yet, whether and how individual brain regions exploit these statistical structures remains elusive. In this thesis, Julian Fuhrer combines neuroscience and information theory to address the current lack of neurophysiological evidence on this phenomenon. Utilizing the high temporal and spatial precision of intracranial electroencephalography, he found that the brain automatically encodes temporal relationships between events when exposed to random acoustic stimuli. The experimental framework is further developed and tested on different types of signals, demonstrating the potential for future studies on comprehending the unknowns of the brain.