Auditory Temporally Selective Attention

描述（由申请人提供）：在各种各样的条件下，当人们面对过多的信息时，选择性注意在感知中起着重要作用。空间选择性注意力允许观察者优先处理许多同时呈现的图像或声音中的几个。然而，人们对暂时选择性注意在允许人们优先处理特定时间呈现的信息方面的作用知之甚少。本研究的目的是描述选择性听觉注意的参数，探讨时间选择性注意的神经机制，并确定时间选择性注意是否在有效的语音感知中起作用。在一系列的五个实验中，听众将通过个体的符号提示、节奏和自然语言来指导他们关注特定的时间。听觉时间选择性注意将通过比较事件相关电位（ERPS）引起的物理上相同的非目标声音在出席和未出席的时间。正如空间选择性注意的研究有助于理解人们如何处理同时呈现的大量视觉信息一样，拟议的研究也有助于理解人们如何处理大量快速呈现的听觉信息。连续的语音是快速变化的声学信息的一个例子，可能需要暂时的选择性注意来进行有效的处理。本研究将提供证据，证明在有人在场和无人在场的情况下对声音的不同处理，以及听者如何选择优先处理的信息。因此，它将为设计和实施具有实际意义的培训计划提供信息，以帮助个人在感知挑战环境中获得新技能，并具有快速处理缺陷。由于时间注意力可能对言语感知特别重要，因此该结果对于提高语言障碍儿童、老年听力损失成人以及通过人工耳蜗适应感知的个体的沟通技巧具有重要意义。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Selective attention plays an important role in perception under a wide variety of conditions in which people are presented with too much information. Spatially selective attention allows observers to preferentially process a few of many simultaneously presented images or sounds. However, less is known about the role of temporally selective attention in allowing people to preferentially process information presented at specific times. The goals of this project are to describe the parameters of selective auditory attention directed to time periods, to explore the neural mechanisms involved in temporally selective attention, and to determine if temporally selective attention plays a role in efficient speech perception. In a series of five experiments, listeners will be directed to attend to specific times by individual symbolic cues, rhythms, and natural speech. Auditory temporally selective attention will be indexed by comparing event-related potentials (ERPS) elicited by physically identical non-target sounds presented at attended and unattended times. Just as studies of spatially selective attention have contributed to an understand of how people process large amounts of visual information presented simultaneously, the proposed studies can contribute to an understanding of how people process large amounts of rapidly presented auditory information. Continuous speech, one example of rapidly changing acoustic information, may require temporally selective attention for efficient processing. The proposed research will provide evidence about differential processing of sounds presented at attended and unattended times as well as how listeners select information for preferential processing. Therefore, it will contribute information of practical significance to the design and implementation of training programs for individuals in perceptually challenging environments, acquiring new skills, and with rapid processing deficits. Since temporal attention may be particularly important for speech perception, the results have important implications for improving communication skills in language-impaired children, adults with aging-related hearing lose, and individuals adjusting to perception through cochlear implants.