Auditory processing of signals in noise

噪声中信号的听觉处理

• 批准号: 6472437
• 负责人: BRADFORD J MAY
• 金额: $ 26.04万
• 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/6472437
• 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（申请人提供）：本研究的长期目标是 描述了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的层次组织 用于将生物信号从不太重要的 背景我们的研究已经描述了神经反应类型的特点， 中央听觉系统，可以解释为提取机制， 从背景噪音中提取听觉信号。这些神经元似乎连接在 串联在主要的听觉核团中， 卓越的噪音消除能力。我们建议的研究将解决 以下问题：什么是特殊的生理特性， 改善噪声中信号编码的中枢听觉神经元（局部 加工）？改进后的代表性是否仍保持职能分离， 它提升了听觉系统（并行处理）？是神经 当它到达更高的结构（系列）时， 加工）？下行通路如何影响 传出处理（efferent processing）这些问题的答案将是 采用单一单位电生理技术的组合， 动物的心理物理学范式。生理和行为之间的联系 结果将通过在清醒状态下进行单单位研究来加强 准备和使用心理物理程序，包括基本的 生理实验的刺激条件。除了实验， 猫，直接建立在我们以前的研究，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的听觉 从特定物种的专业化过程。更好地理解 大脑的信号处理解决方案将导致辅助设计的改进， 现在在嘈杂环境中表现不佳的听音设备。