Cortical Representation of Auditory Space

听觉空间的皮质表征

• 批准号: 8196748
• 负责人: John C Middlebrooks
• 金额: $ 48.96万
• 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 2013-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8196748
• 关键词: Animal Model; Area; Auditory; Auditory area; Behavior; Cochlear Implants; Complex; Cues; Diagnosis; Felis catus; Frequencies; Hearing; Hearing Aids; Hearing problem; Human; Individual; Masks; Mediating; Names; Neurons; Population; Principal Investigator; Process; Psychophysiology; Relative (related person); Research; Scheme; Sound Localization; Source; Stream; Structure; Testing; awake; design; disability; interest; novel; programs; segregation; sound; sound frequency

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）：听力障碍人士表示，他们最大的残疾之一是无法将感兴趣的声音与复杂的听觉场景区分开来。在听力正常的听众中，通过相关声源的定位、掩蔽的空间释放以及空间流隔离来增强声音隔离。空间听觉这三个方面的皮质基质将通过对人类和猫进行密切协调的心理物理学研究，并结合猫在麻醉和清醒行为条件下的皮质记录进行检查。具体目标 1 测试了以下假设：与猫不专心时相比，当猫积极参与定位任务时，皮质神经元的空间选择性会增强。此外，它将测试这样一个假设：这种与任务相关的空间选择性锐化在特定的皮质区域得到增强，这些区域已被证明对于正常的声音定位行为是必要的。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，并将开发一种新型的信息掩蔽动物模型。它将检验以下假设：信息掩蔽出现在听觉皮层水平，并且空间掩蔽释放在听觉皮层带区域得到增强。具体目标 3 开发了一种动物模型，用于研究皮质水平的空间流分离。它测试了这样的假设：感知上分离的流对应于离散的激活神经元群体。此外，它还测试了专门用于空间流分离的皮质区域与专门用于声音定位的皮质区域不同的假设。所有三个具体目标都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 将隔离并量化特定低频和高频空间线索对掩蔽空间释放和空间流隔离的贡献。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声音处理方案的设计提供信息，该方案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。