During rest, intrinsic neural dynamics manifest at multiple timescales, which progressively increase along visual and somatosensory hierarchies. Theoretically, intrinsic timescales are thought to facilitate processing of external stimuli at multiple stages. However, direct links between timescales at rest and sensory processing, as well as translation to the auditory system are lacking. Here, we measured intracranial EEG in 11 human patients with epilepsy (4 women), while listening to pure tones. We show that, in the auditory network, intrinsic neural timescales progressively increase, while the spectral exponent flattens, from temporal to entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. Within the neocortex, intrinsic timescales exhibit spatial gradients that follow the temporal lobe anatomy. Crucially, intrinsic timescales at baseline can explain the latency of auditory responses: as intrinsic timescales increase, so do the single-electrode response onset and peak latencies. Our results suggest that the human auditory network exhibits a repertoire of intrinsic neural dynamics, which manifest in cortical gradients with millimeter resolution and may provide a variety of temporal windows to support auditory processing.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Endogenous neural dynamics are often characterized by their intrinsic timescales. These are thought to facilitate processing of external stimuli. However, a direct link between intrinsic timing at rest and sensory processing is missing. Here, with intracranial EEG, we show that intrinsic timescales progressively increase from temporal to entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. Intrinsic timescales at baseline can explain the variability in the timing of intracranial EEG responses to sounds: cortical electrodes with fast timescales also show fast- and short-lasting responses to auditory stimuli, which progressively increase in the hippocampus and amygdala. Our results suggest that a hierarchy of neural dynamics in the temporal lobe manifests across cortical and limbic structures and can explain the temporal richness of auditory responses.

在休息期间，内在神经动力学表现在多个时间尺度上，沿着视觉和体感层次逐渐增加。从理论上讲，内在时间尺度被认为有助于在多个阶段处理外部刺激。然而，休息时的时间尺度和感觉处理以及听觉系统的翻译之间缺乏直接联系。在这里，我们测量了 11 名癫痫患者（4 名女性）在听纯音时的颅内脑电图。我们发现，在听觉网络中，从颞叶皮层到内嗅皮层、海马体和杏仁核，内在神经时间尺度逐渐增加，而频谱指数变平。在新皮质内，内在时间尺度表现出遵循颞叶解剖结构的空间梯度。至关重要的是，基线的内在时间尺度可以解释听觉反应的延迟：随着内在时间尺度的增加，单电极响应开始和峰值延迟也随之增加。我们的结果表明，人类听觉网络表现出一系列内在的神经动力学，其表现在毫米级分辨率的皮质梯度中，并且可以提供各种时间窗口来支持听觉处理。

意义陈述内源性神经动力学通常以其内在时间尺度为特征。这些被认为有助于处理外部刺激。然而，休息时的内在计时和感觉处理之间缺乏直接联系。在这里，通过颅内脑电图，我们发现内在时间尺度从颞叶皮层到内嗅皮层、海马体和杏仁核逐渐增加。基线的内在时间尺度可以解释颅内脑电图对声音反应的时间变化：具有快速时间尺度的皮层电极也表现出对听觉刺激的快速和短暂的反应，这种反应在海马体和杏仁核中逐渐增加。我们的结果表明，颞叶神经动力学的层次结构体现在皮质和边缘结构上，并且可以解释听觉反应的时间丰富性。