Perception of Space by the Octavolateralis System: Sub-modality Interactions

描述（由申请人提供）：感觉系统不断受到以下任务的挑战： 识别环境噪声背景内的源。感官科学的研究应该解释这项任务是如何完成的，并确定刺激，使动物直接适当的行为。本研究解决了这个问题的两个重要的振动源检测器-内耳和密切相关的侧线系统的鱼类。这些密切相关的系统被提出作为多感官处理的模型，因为虽然哺乳动物的听觉（在空气中）仅依赖于压力波动的检测，但大多数水生动物使用多个传感器来检测振动源。这些多个系统不仅提供关于传播的压力波的信息，而且还提供振动源周围声场的两个其他方面的信息：由内耳的惯性传感器检测到的加速度场;以及由侧线检测到的水运动模式。因此，这些传感器中的每一个都对相同的刺激做出反应，但检测刺激的不同物理方面，并且每个都具有独特的转导机制（刺激能量转化为神经活动的方式）。这项研究测试的假设，如何转导机制决定的相关方面的刺激，这将增加我们的理解的生物物理学的刺激转导在听觉系统。此外，这项研究将确定多种感觉系统在感知自然环境中的方式。不像大多数现有的研究，这些系统，这是一个安静的背景下进行的，这个建议措施的能力，检测空间离散信号和歧视源的位置在安静和嘈杂的设置。我们的实验方法的另一个重要特点是使用自然刺激（振动偶极子，而不是扬声器），是有效的多个听力相关的子模态。本研究的目的是记录和测试的方式多个感官系统联合收割机结合，以创造单一的感知在现实世界的情况。这项研究对于部分感觉丧失后的康复策略的发展以及更好的感觉假体和自动化传感器的发展非常重要。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Sensory systems are continually challenged by the task of recognizing sources within a background of ambient noise. Research in sensory science should explain how this task is accomplished and identify stimuli that allow an animal to direct appropriate behaviors. The present study addresses this problem for two important detectors of vibratory sources--the inner ear and the closely related lateral line system of fishes. These closely related systems are proposed as a model of multi-sensory processing, for while the mammalian sense of hearing (in air) relies only on the detection of pressure fluctuations, most aquatic animals use multiple sensors to detect vibratory sources. These multiple systems provide information not only about the propagating pressure wave, but also two other aspects of the sound field surrounding a vibratory source: The acceleration field detected by inertial sensors of the inner ear; and the pattern of water motions detected by the lateral line. Thus each of these sensors responds to the same stimuli, but detects different physical aspects of the stimulus, and each has unique transduction mechanisms (the ways stimulus energy is transformed to neural activity). This study test hypotheses of how transduction mechanisms dictate the relevant aspect of the stimulus, which will increase our understanding of the biophysics of stimulus transduction in auditory systems. Further, this study will determine the ways in which multiple sensory systems are brought to bear in the perception of the natural environment. Unlike the majority of existing studies of these systems, which have been performed against a quiet background, this proposal measures the ability to detect spatially discrete signals and discriminate source location in both quiet and noisy settings. Another important feature of our experimental approach is the use of natural stimuli (vibratory dipoles rather than loudspeakers) that are effective for multiple hearing-related submodalities. This study is aimed at documenting and testing the ways multiple sensory systems combine to create unitary percepts in real-world situations. This research is important for the development of rehabilitation strategies following partial sensory loss and for the development of better sensory prostheses and automated sensors.