NEURAL ENCODING OF COMPLEX SOUNDS

复杂声音的神经编码

• 批准号: 8306279
• 负责人: DENNIS L BARBOUR
• 金额: $ 37.62万
• 依托单位: WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-06-02 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8306279
• 关键词: Acoustics; Address; Algorithms; Animal Vocalization; Auditory; Auditory area; Auditory system; Auricular prosthesis; Biological; Biological Preservation; Cochlear Implants; Code; Communication; Complex; Contrast Sensitivity; Devices; Elements; Engineering; Environment; Exhibits; Familiarity; Frequencies; Goals; Hearing Aids; Human; Individual; Information Theory; Investigation; Knowledge; Language; Lead; Life; Measures; Nature; Neurobiology; Neurons; Noise; Outcome; Output; Persons; Physiological; Population; Primates; Process; Property; Reading; Research; Sensory; Shapes; Signal Transduction; Source; Speech; Speech Intelligibility; Staging; Stimulus; System; Testing; Work; computerized data processing; expectation; improved; improved functioning; neural circuit; novel; relating to nervous system; research study; response; sound; sound frequency; statistics; vocalization

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The normal auditory system possesses exquisitely well-adapted processes for extracting behaviorally relevant acoustic signals from the environment, especially under challenging listening conditions such as in the presence of competing signals or background noise. These processes are poorly understood physiologically, however. The objective of this proposal is to understand the neurobiology of a particular auditory processing nonlinearity (auditory spectral contrast tuning) as it relates to noisy vocalization representation in the mammalian auditory system. Aim 1 will involve measuring the sound frequency range that auditory neurons use for making estimates of spectral contrast. This information will prove critical for understanding how contrast tuning is computed biologically. Aim 2 will determine the coding portion of the input/output function for neurons tuned to spectral contrast. The nature of this function will allow inferences to be made about how this particular processing feature is read out by neurons at a later processing stage. Aim 3 will directly test the responses of contrast-tuned neurons to vocalizations embedded in background noise, with the expectation that noisy vocalizations will produce spiking responses in these neurons that carry more information as the amount of noise increases, up to a limit. When completed, this research will result in an improved understanding of a potentially important response property in the central auditory system with potential relevance for engineered noise-reduction systems, which could have great potential for individuals reliant upon a hearing prosthesis for acts of daily living. This project addresses our long-term goal of understanding more clearly how environmental and communication sounds are encoded in the mammalian auditory system under noisy conditions. We will achieve this goal by exploring how particular nonlinear processing features of neurons in primate auditory cortex are created, encode stimulus features and respond to vocalizations degraded by noise. Ultimately, this information may aid in refining algorithms that could allow auditory prosthesis devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants to function better in everyday noisy environments.

描述（由申请人提供）：普通听觉系统具有精心适应的过程，用于从环境中提取与行为相关的声学信号，尤其是在具有挑战性的听力条件下，例如存在竞争信号或背景噪声。但是，这些过程在生理上是很少理解的。该提案的目的是了解特定听觉处理非线性（听觉频谱对比度）的神经生物学，因为它与哺乳动物听觉系统中的噪声声明表示有关。 AIM 1将涉及测量听觉神经元用于估计光谱对比度的声频范围。该信息将证明对了解对比度调整如何在生物学上计算至关重要。 AIM 2将确定调谐到光谱对比度的神经元输入/输出函数的编码部分。此功能的性质将允许对神经元在以后的处理阶段读取该特定处理功能的推论。 AIM 3将直接测试对比调整神经元对嵌入背景噪声中的发声的反应，并期望噪声发声会在这些神经元中产生尖峰响应，这些响应随着噪声的增加而携带更多信息，最高限制。完成后，这项研究将提高人们对中央听觉系统中潜在重要的响应属性的了解，该响应系统与工程降噪系统具有潜在的相关性，这对于依赖于听证假体的日常生活行为的个人可能具有很大的潜力。该项目解决了我们更清楚地了解如何在嘈杂条件下在哺乳动物听觉系统中编码环境和通信声音的长期目标。我们将通过探索在灵长类动物听觉皮层中如何创建神经元的特定非线性处理特征，编码刺激特征并响应噪声降解的发声，以实现这一目标。最终，这些信息可能有助于完善算法，这些算法可以使听觉假体设备（例如助听器和人工耳蜗）在日常嘈杂的环境中更好地发挥作用。