The spike train statistics for consonant and dissonant musical accords

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how neural spike train statistics differ for consonant and dissonant musical intervals, showing that consonance leads to more regular spike trains due to frequency ratios.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical approach to understanding how neural spike train regularity varies with musical consonance and dissonance based on frequency ratios.

Findings

Consonant frequency ratios produce more regular spike trains.

Dissonant ratios lead to less regular spike train output.

Theoretical explanation links frequency ratios to spike train regularity.

Abstract

The simple system composed of three neural-like noisy elements is considered. Two of them (sensory neurons or sensors) are stimulated by noise and periodic signals with different ratio of frequencies, and the third one (interneuron) receives the output of these two sensors and noise. We propose the analytical approach to analysis of Interspike Intervals (ISI) statistics of the spike train generated by the interneuron. The ISI distributions of the sensory neurons are considered to be known. The frequencies of the input sinusoidal signals are in ratios, which are usual for music. We show that in the case of small integer ratios (musical consonance) the input pair of sinusoids results in the ISI distribution appropriate for more regular output spike train than in a case of large integer ratios (musical dissonance) of input frequencies. These effects are explained from the viewpoint of the proposed theory.