Explicit action perception shares resources with music syntax: A controlled behavioral study

Given evidence that neural resources monitoring language syntax also underlie the perception of music syntax (Koelsch, 2005) and recently a proposed ‘syntax’ in sequential action (Fazio et al., 2009), a previous EEG study investigated whether neural resources may be shared between implicit perception of music and action (Sammler et al., 2010). Results yielded a syntactic-like ERP pattern elicited by the errors in sequential action, but no interaction of resources across the music and action domains. The present follow-up study sought behavioral signs of resource-overlap when perception is instead explicit. Five chords accompanied five reach-to-grasp images in a 2x2 factorial interference paradigm (target: regular/irregular cadence paired with correct/incorrect grasp). Results indeed revealed an interaction of resources which monitored the action and music sequences, manifested in task accuracy. A control experiment with accompanying pure tones instead of chords (standard/deviant final tone) did not, however, show the same interaction. Crucially, the null-result control study speaks to a neural resource involved in action perception that is shared only with syntactically organized sound, not a simple auditory distraction. This promising behavioral data warrants follow-up neuropsychological experimentation with explicit-task paradigms