Auditory Processing: Pulling Signals Out of Noise

听觉处理：从噪音中提取信号

• 批准号: 9983567
• 负责人: H. Steven Colburn
• 金额: $ 19.2万
• 依托单位: Trustees of Boston University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-03-01 至 2003-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9983567&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Auditory; Processing; Pulling; Signals; Out

This project aims to better understand the relationship betweenthe response of the earliest nerve cells in the ear and the way that wehear sounds. The responses of these nerve cells can now be describedrather completely using computer models. Therefore, we can ask whetherthe absolute limits of how well we can hear the differences between twoslightly different sounds is a) limited by these nerve cells, or b)limited by the way the brain processes their responses. We will then go onto study the responses of the second level of nerve cells in the brain.The responses of these cells tell us how the brain takes the first steptowards processing, and ultimately understanding, complex sounds. All ofour experiments start with simple sounds in a quiet background, but thenwe go on to test our ideas with sounds that are presented in a noisybackground. Hearing sounds in a noisy environment is the most difficultproblem for the hard of hearing. A better understanding of exactly how thebrain extracts information from sounds and 'makes sense' of it will aid usin the development of better hearing aids.

该项目旨在更好地了解耳朵中最早的神经细胞的反应与我们听到声音的方式之间的关系。 现在可以使用计算机模型来相当完整地描述这些神经细胞的反应。 因此，我们可以问，我们能听到两种略有不同的声音之间的差异的绝对极限是否是a）受到这些神经细胞的限制，或者b）受到大脑处理其反应的方式的限制。然后我们将继续研究大脑第二级神经细胞的反应。这些细胞的反应告诉我们大脑如何迈出处理并最终理解复杂声音的第一步。我们所有的实验都是从安静背景中的简单声音开始，然后我们继续用嘈杂背景中呈现的声音来测试我们的想法。对于听力困难的人来说，在嘈杂的环境中听到声音是最困难的问题。更好地了解大脑如何从声音中提取信息并“理解”它，将有助于开发更好的助听器。