FMRI OF HUMAN AUDITORY SPATIAL PROCESSING

这项研究的总体目标是更好地了解人类大脑皮层系统的组织结构，这些系统涉及声音位置、运动和听觉空间布局的感知。为了实现这一目标，将使用功能磁共振成像(FMRI)来区分、绘制和功能表征涉及听觉空间知觉和注意的人脑区域。重点将放在(1)首先绘制与听力和/或空间处理相关的几个已确立的皮质细分图。这些功能标志将被用来(2)帮助识别和绘制专门用于分析声音的空间属性和/或控制对听觉空间中刺激的注意力的皮质通路。最后，(3)我们将结合高分辨率功能磁共振成像，结合3D声音产生的最新进展来识别听觉空间的皮质地图。受试者将执行听觉或视听行为任务，同时使用1.5T G.E.Signa临床扫描仪和3.0T Bruker扫描仪(这将允许更高分辨率成像)采集功能图像，使用T2加权功能图像的回声平面或聚集采集脉冲序列。功能磁共振成像实验旨在允许在扫描过程的静默期提供高保真声音，从而最大限度地减少或消除与扫描仪噪声相关的干扰。总而言之，该项目中的实验试图识别负责感知声音空间属性的大脑皮层系统。这些实验将提供颞叶和顶叶皮质相应功能专门化的详细地图，并将扩大我们对人类听觉功能的理解。除了它与理解听觉空间知觉的神经基础有关外，这项研究的结果也可能对理解和诊断与脑损伤相关的听觉空间知觉缺陷有重要意义。

The overall goal of this study is to provide a better understanding of the organization of human cortical systems involved in the perception of sound location, movement, and the layout of auditory space. To achieve this goal, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be used to differentiate, map and functionally characterize human brain regions involved in auditory spatial perception and attention. Emphasis will be placed on (1) first mapping several well-established subdivisions of the cortex that are related to hearing and/or spatial processing. These functional landmarks will then be used to (2) assist in identifying and mapping cortical pathways specialized for analyzing the spatial attributes of sound and/or controlling attention directed to stimuli in auditory space. Finally, (3) we will use recent advances in 3D sound production in conjuction with high resolution fMRI to identify cortical maps of auditory space. Subjects will perform auditory or audio-visual behavioral tasks while functional images are acquired with a 1.5T G.E. Signa clinical scanner and a 3.0T Bruker scanner (which will allow for higher resolution imaging), using echo-planar or clustered-acquisition pulse sequences for T2 weighted functional images. The fMRI experiments are designed to allow high fidelity sound to be delivered during silent periods of the scanning process, thereby minimizing or eliminating interference associated with scanner noise. Together, the experiments in this project seek to identify cortical systems responsible for perception of the spatial attributes of sound. The experiments will provide detailed maps of corresponding functional specialization in temporal and parietal cortex and will extend our understanding of auditory function in humans. In addition to its relevance for understanding the neural basis of auditory space perception, the results of this study may also be of significant use in understanding and diagnosing deficits in auditory space perception associated with brain damage.