NEURAL ENCODING OF COMPLEX SOUNDS

复杂声音的神经编码

• 批准号: 7583848
• 负责人: DENNIS L BARBOUR
• 金额: $ 37.04万
• 依托单位: WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-06-02 至 2011-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7583848
• 关键词: Acoustics; Address; Algorithms; Animal Vocalization; Auditory; Auditory area; Auditory system; Auricular prosthesis; Biological; Biological Preservation; Cochlear Implants; Code; Communication; Complex; Contrast Sensitivity; Devices; Elements; Engineering; Environment; Exhibits; Familiarity; Frequencies; Goals; Hearing Aids; Human; Individual; Information Theory; Investigation; Knowledge; Language; Lead; Life; Measures; Nature; Neurobiology; Neurons; Noise; Outcome; Output; Persons; Physiological; Population; Primates; Process; Property; Reading; Research; Sensory; Shapes; Signal Transduction; Source; Speech; Speech Intelligibility; Staging; Stimulus; System; Testing; Work; computerized data processing; expectation; improved; improved functioning; neural circuit; novel; relating to nervous system; research study; response; sound; sound frequency; statistics; vocalization

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The normal auditory system possesses exquisitely well-adapted processes for extracting behaviorally relevant acoustic signals from the environment, especially under challenging listening conditions such as in the presence of competing signals or background noise. These processes are poorly understood physiologically, however. The objective of this proposal is to understand the neurobiology of a particular auditory processing nonlinearity (auditory spectral contrast tuning) as it relates to noisy vocalization representation in the mammalian auditory system. Aim 1 will involve measuring the sound frequency range that auditory neurons use for making estimates of spectral contrast. This information will prove critical for understanding how contrast tuning is computed biologically. Aim 2 will determine the coding portion of the input/output function for neurons tuned to spectral contrast. The nature of this function will allow inferences to be made about how this particular processing feature is read out by neurons at a later processing stage. Aim 3 will directly test the responses of contrast-tuned neurons to vocalizations embedded in background noise, with the expectation that noisy vocalizations will produce spiking responses in these neurons that carry more information as the amount of noise increases, up to a limit. When completed, this research will result in an improved understanding of a potentially important response property in the central auditory system with potential relevance for engineered noise-reduction systems, which could have great potential for individuals reliant upon a hearing prosthesis for acts of daily living. This project addresses our long-term goal of understanding more clearly how environmental and communication sounds are encoded in the mammalian auditory system under noisy conditions. We will achieve this goal by exploring how particular nonlinear processing features of neurons in primate auditory cortex are created, encode stimulus features and respond to vocalizations degraded by noise. Ultimately, this information may aid in refining algorithms that could allow auditory prosthesis devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants to function better in everyday noisy environments.

描述（由申请人提供）：正常的听觉系统拥有非常适合从环境中提取行为相关声学信号的过程，特别是在具有挑战性的聆听条件下，例如存在竞争信号或背景噪声的情况下。然而，这些过程在生理学上却知之甚少。该提案的目的是了解特定听觉处理非线性（听觉频谱对比度调整）的神经生物学，因为它与哺乳动物听觉系统中的噪声发声表示有关。目标 1 将涉及测量听觉神经元用于估计频谱对比度的声音频率范围。这些信息对于理解对比度调整是如何从生物学角度计算的至关重要。目标 2 将确定调整到光谱对比度的神经元的输入/输出函数的编码部分。该函数的性质将允许推断神经元在稍后的处理阶段如何读出该特定的处理特征。目标 3 将直接测试经过对比度调整的神经元对嵌入背景噪声中的发声的反应，期望噪声发声将在这些神经元中产生尖峰响应，随着噪声量的增加，这些神经元携带更多信息，直至达到极限。完成后，这项研究将有助于更好地理解中枢听觉系统中潜在的重要反应特性，该特性与工程降噪系统具有潜在的相关性，这对于依赖听力假体进行日常生活行为的个人来说可能具有巨大的潜力。该项目解决了我们的长期目标，即更清楚地了解环境和通信声音在嘈杂条件下如何在哺乳动物听觉系统中编码。我们将通过探索灵长类听觉皮层神经元的特定非线性处理特征是如何创建的、编码刺激特征并对噪声降低的发声做出反应来实现这一目标。最终，这些信息可能有助于完善算法，使助听器和人工耳蜗等听觉假体设备在日常嘈杂的环境中更好地发挥作用。