Auditory processing of signals in noise

噪声中信号的听觉处理

• 批准号: 6624119
• 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/6624119
• 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）：本研究的长期目标是 描述让我们在背景噪音中听到声音的听觉过程。每个 感觉系统显示出具有功能性的层级组织 将生物信号与不太重要的信号分开的专业化 背景。我们的研究描述了神经反应类型 中枢听觉系统可以解释为提取信息的机制 来自背景噪声的听觉信号。这些神经元似乎连接在 跨主要听觉核的系列，以创建平行路径 卓越的降噪能力。我们提出的研究将解决 提出以下问题： 有哪些特殊的生理特性？ 改善噪声中信号编码的中枢听觉神经元（局部 加工）？改进后的表示形式在功能上是否仍然隔离为 它提升听觉系统（并行处理）？是神经的 当达到更高的结构时，代表性进一步增强（系列 加工）？下降路径如何影响质量 表征（传出处理）？这些问题的答案将是 结合单单元电生理技术和 动物心理物理学范式。生理和行为之间的联系 通过在清醒状态下进行单单元研究，结果将得到加强 准备和使用包含必要的心理物理程序 生理实验的刺激条件。除了实验中 直接建立在我们之前的研究基础上的猫，老鼠将是 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 来自物种特定专业化的过程。更好地理解 大脑的信号处理解决方案将改进辅助设计 现在的监听设备在嘈杂的环境中表现不佳。