Auditory processing of signals in noise

噪声中信号的听觉处理

• 批准号: 6854501
• 负责人: BRADFORD J MAY
• 金额: $ 24.59万
• 依托单位: JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-04-15 至 2007-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6854501
• 关键词: acoustic nerve; auditory cortex; auditory feedback; auditory pathways; auditory stimulus; behavior test; biological signal transduction; cats; computer simulation; decerebration; electrophysiology; hearing; histology; inferior colliculus; laboratory mouse; neural information processing; noise; perceptual maskings; psychoacoustics; psychophysics; single cell analysis; sound perception; species difference; stereotaxic techniques; thalamus

Description (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this research is to describe the auditory processes that allow us to hear in background noise. Each sensory system shows a hierarchical organization with functional specializations for separating biological signals from less important backgrounds. Our studies have characterized neural response types within the central auditory system that can be interpreted as mechanisms for extracting auditory signals from background noise. These neurons appear to connect in series across the major auditory nuclei to create parallel pathways with exceptional noise-cancellation capabilities. Our proposed studies will address the following questions: What are the special physiological properties of central auditory neurons that improve the encoding of signals in noise (local processing)? Does the improved representation remain functionally segregated as it ascends the auditory system (parallel processing)? Is the neural representation further enhanced when it reaches higher structures (series processing)? How do descending pathways influence the quality of the representation (efferent processing)? Answers to these questions will be pursued with a combination of single-unit electrophysiological techniques and animal psychophysical paradigms. Ties between physiological and behavioral results will be strengthened by performing single-unit studies in awake preparations and using psychophysical procedures that incorporate the essential stimulus conditions of physiological experiments. In addition to experiments in cats that build directly upon our previous studies, the mouse will be introduced as a model for auditory signal processing. Cross-species comparisons of our physiological and behavioral results will distinguish general auditory processes from species-specific specializations. A better understanding of the brain's signal processing solutions will lead to improved designs for assistive listening devices that now show poor performance in noisy environments.

描述（由申请人提供）：这项研究的长期目标是 描述让我们在背景噪声中听到的听觉过程。每个 感觉系统显示了一个具有功能的分层组织 将生物学信号与较不重要的重要性分开的专业 背景。我们的研究表征了神经反应类型 可以解释为提取机制的中央听觉系统 来自背景噪音的听觉信号。这些神经元似乎在 跨主要听觉核的系列，以创建并行途径 出色的噪声漏斗能力。我们提出的研究将解决 以下问题：什么是什么特殊的生理特性 中央听觉神经元改善噪声中信号的编码（本地 加工）？改进的表示形式是否在功能上隔离为 它上升了听觉系统（并行处理）？是神经 当达到较高的结构时，代表进一步增强（系列 加工）？下降途径如何影响 表示（传出处理）？这些问题的答案将是 与单单元电生理技术和 动物心理物理范例。生理和行为之间的关系 通过在清醒中进行单单元研究来增强结果 准备并使用结合必不可少的心理物理程序 生理实验的刺激条件。除了实验 直接基于我们先前研究的猫，鼠标将是 作为听觉信号处理的模型引入。跨物种比较 我们的生理和行为结果将区分一般听觉 来自物种特定专业的过程。更好地理解 大脑的信号处理解决方案将导致改进的辅助设计设计 在嘈杂的环境中，聆听设备现在显示出差的性能。