In this article, we review recent advances in research on rhythm and musical beat perception, focusing on the role of predictive processes in auditory motor interactions. We suggest that experimental evidence of the motor system’s role in beat perception, including in passive listening, may be explained by the generation and maintenance of internal predictive models, concordant with the Active Inference framework of sensory processing. We highlight two complementary hypotheses for the neural underpinnings of rhythm perception: The Action Simulation for Auditory Prediction hypothesis (Patel and Iversen, 2014) and the Gradual Audiomotor Evolution hypothesis (Merchant and Honing, 2014) and review recent experimental progress supporting each of these hypotheses. While initial formulations of ASAP and GAE explain different aspects of beat-based timing–the involvement of motor structures in the absence of movement, and physical entrainment to an auditory beat respectively–we suggest that work under both hypotheses provide converging evidence toward understanding the predictive role of the motor system in the perception of rhythm, and the specific neural mechanisms involved. We discuss future experimental work necessary to further evaluate the causal neural mechanisms underlying beat and rhythm perception.

中文翻译：

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听觉节拍和节奏感知中的运动和预测过程


在本文中，我们回顾了节奏和音乐节拍感知研究的最新进展，重点关注预测过程在听觉运动相互作用中的作用。我们认为，运动系统在节拍感知（包括被动聆听）中的作用的实验证据可以通过内部预测模型的生成和维护来解释，与感觉处理的主动推理框架一致。我们重点介绍了节奏感知神经基础的两个互补假设：听觉预测动作模拟假设（Patel 和 Iversen，2014 年）和渐进音频运动进化假设（Merchant 和 Honing，2014 年），并回顾了支持这些假设的最新实验进展。虽然 ASAP 和 GAE 的最初表述解释了基于节拍的计时的不同方面——分别是在没有运动的情况下运动结构的参与，以及听觉节拍的身体夹带——我们建议在这两种假设下的工作为理解预测性提供了一致的证据。运动系统在节奏感知中的作用以及所涉及的具体神经机制。我们讨论了进一步评估节拍和节奏感知背后的因果神经机制所必需的未来实验工作。