Cortical Representation of Auditory Space

听觉空间的皮质表征

• 批准号: 7683358
• 负责人: John C Middlebrooks
• 金额: $ 24.4万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1987
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1987-07-01 至 2012-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7683358
• 关键词: Address; Algorithms; Animal Model; Animals; Anterior; Area; Auditory; Auditory area; Back; Behavior; Behavioral; Characteristics; Cochlear Implants; Code; Complex; Condition; Cues; Data; Diagnosis; Dimensions; Dorsal; Ear; Elevation; Exhibits; External Ear; Failure; Felis catus; Frequencies; Goals; Hearing; Hearing Aids; Hearing problem; Human; Individual; Judgment; Libraries; Localized; Location; Masks; Mediating; Modeling; Neurons; Pattern; Physiological; Platelet Activating Factor; Population; Process; Psychophysiology; Relative (related person); Reporting; Research; Scheme; Shapes; Signal Transduction; Sound Localization; Source; Specific qualifier value; Specificity; Stimulus; Stream; Structure; Testing; Tympanic membrane; Visual; auditory discrimination; awake; base; design; disability; doxorubicin/fluorouracil/melphalan protocol; interest; neuromechanism; notch protein; novel; receptive field; relating to nervous system; research study; response; segregation; sound; sound frequency; success

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hearing-impaired individuals indicate as one of their greatest disabilities the inability to segregate sounds of interest from a complex auditory scene. In normal-hearing listeners, sound segregation is enhanced by localization of the relevant sound source(s), by spatial release from masking, and by spatial stream segregation. The cortical substrates of these three aspects of spatial hearing will be examined using closely coordinated psychophysical studies in humans and cats combined with cortical recording from cats in anesthetized and awake-behaving conditions. Specific Aim 1 tests the hypothesis that the spatial selectivity of cortical neurons is sharpened when a cat is actively engaged in a localization task compared to when it is inattentive. Further, it will test the hypothesis that such task-dependent sharpening of spatial selectivity is enhanced in particular cortical areas that have been shown to be necessary for normal sound localization behavior. Specific Aim 2 will define the cortical mechanisms for spatial release from masking. It will characterize spatial release from energetic masking and will develop a novel animal model for informational masking. It will test the hypothesis that informational masking arises at the level of auditory cortex and that spatial masking release is enhanced in auditory cortical belt areas. Specific Aim 3 develops an animal model for study of spatial stream segregation at the cortical level. It tests the hypothesis that perceptually segregated streams correspond to discrete populations of activated neurons. In addition, it tests the hypothesis that cortical areas that are specialized for spatial stream segregation are distinct from those specialized for sound localization. All three specific aims will discriminate between sub-cortical and cortical mechanisms and will test whether particular aspects of spatial hearing are mediated by distinct cortical areas. This will aid in diagnosis and treatment of spatial hearing disorders. Aims 2 and 3 will isolate and quantify the contribution of specific low- and high-frequency spatial cues to spatial release from masking and to spatial stream segregation. Understanding of the relative importance of low-frequency fine- structure cues and high-frequency sound-level cues will inform design of sound processing schemes intended to enhance hearing in complex auditory scenes by users of hearing aids and cochlear implants.

描述（由申请人提供）：听力受损的人表示，作为他们最大的残疾之一，无法从复杂的听觉场景中分离出感兴趣的声音。在听力正常的听众中，声音分离通过相关声源的定位、掩蔽的空间释放以及空间流分离来增强。空间听觉的这三个方面的皮层基板将使用密切协调的心理物理研究在人类和猫结合从猫在麻醉和清醒的行为条件下的皮层记录。具体目标1测试的假设，即皮层神经元的空间选择性是尖锐的，当猫积极参与定位任务相比，当它是疏忽。此外，它将测试的假设，这种任务相关的空间选择性的锐化增强已被证明是必要的正常的声音定位行为的特定皮层区域。具体目标2将定义从掩蔽中释放空间的皮质机制。它将表征能量掩蔽的空间释放，并将开发一种新的信息掩蔽动物模型。它将测试的假设，即信息掩蔽出现在听觉皮层的水平和空间掩蔽释放增强听觉皮层带区。具体目标3开发了一种动物模型，用于研究皮层水平的空间流分离。它测试的假设，感知隔离流对应于离散的激活神经元的群体。此外，它测试的假设，专门用于空间流分离的皮层区域是不同的声音定位专门。所有这三个具体目标将区分皮层下和皮层机制，并将测试空间听觉的特定方面是否由不同的皮层区域介导。这将有助于空间听力障碍的诊断和治疗。目标2和3将隔离和量化的贡献，具体的低，高频率的空间线索，从掩蔽和空间流隔离的空间释放。了解低频精细结构线索和高频声级线索的相对重要性将为设计旨在增强助听器和人工耳蜗用户在复杂听觉场景中的听力的声音处理方案提供信息。