Auditory Rhythm Encoding during the Last Trimester of Human Gestation: From Tracking the Basic Beat to Tracking Hierarchical Nested Temporal Structures

Rhythm perception and synchronization to periodicity hold fundamental neurodevelopmental importance for language acquisition, musical behavior, and social communication. Rhythm is omnipresent in the fetal auditory world and newborns demonstrate sensitivity to auditory rhythmic cues. During the last trimester of gestation, the brain begins to respond to auditory stimulation and to code the auditory environment. When and how during this period do …