Dopamine modulation of motor and implicit learning contributions to auditory temporal attention

Auditory periodic temporal attention is a fundamental rhythmic process that operates optimally around 1.5 Hz. Synchronized rhythmic movements further enhance its efficacy. This link between movement and timing is thought to rely on the subcortical basal ganglia dopamine pathway, which is crucial for both motor functions and temporal processing. However, whether dopamine underpins the relationship between auditory temporal attention and motor activity remains unclear. Using an auditory temporal attention task with Parkinsonian patients either ON or OFF the dopaminergic medication L-DOPA and healthy controls, we found that dopamine does not modulate the optimal sampling rate of auditory temporal attention, at 1.5 Hz. However, dopamine enables motor synchronization to the auditory stream and is hence crucial for the motor benefits of auditory temporal attention. Finally, early dopaminergic support is necessary to consolidate performance improvements across sessions. These findings underscore a selective role for dopamine in audio-motor interaction, while suggesting that the intrinsic rhythm of auditory attention is dopamine-independent.