Mechanisms of auditory selective attention for speech and non-speech stimuli

项目摘要/摘要 在生态聆听环境中，个体必须将注意力指向特定的来源(例如， 朋友)，而忽略同时的背景噪音(例如，咖啡馆中的其他顾客)。此外，听众必须 将注意力指向听觉来源内的特定维度(例如，对区分有用的频率 在不同的语音之间)。一个被广泛接受但未经检验的假设是，这些基于来源的和 基于维度的听觉选择性注意有共同的机制支持。人文科学 历来专注于使用言语刺激的来源注意力，而非人类动物研究则 初步研究了非言语刺激下的基于维度的注意；因此，在 这些文献让人不清楚动物研究能在多大程度上模拟人类行为。更广泛地说， 支持听觉选择性注意的机制仍然没有得到充分说明。例如，现有的研究 这表明选择性注意涉及增强关键信息的表征，但目前尚不清楚 选择性注意还涉及主动抑制无关信息。因此，拟议的目标是 该项目旨在阐明支持听觉选择性注意的认知和神经机制。第一个目标 确定听觉选择性注意是否涉及对无关信息的抑制。钥匙 科学的前提是将训练作为三角化机制的工具。也就是说，如果选择性注意涉及到 抑制不相关的听觉维度，然后进行提高听者抑制能力的训练 不相关的听觉信息应该与听觉选择性注意的伴随获得联系在一起。 听众将接受为期8天的听觉训练，这将要求他们的表现越来越好- 目标频带中的粒化处理(促进目标维度的丰富表示)或将 对他们必须抑制无关的听觉维度的程度提出了越来越高的要求(例如，非 目标频段)。令人感兴趣的是，训练是否与改善听觉选择性注意力有关， 通过经典的行为和电生理注意力指数来衡量。第二个目标是 确定不同形式的听觉选择性注意(例如，基于来源和基于维度)是否 得到共同机制的支持。如果他们是，那么训练会导致一种类型的听觉的改善 选择性注意(例如，基于维度的)应该推广到另一个(例如，基于来源的)。听众将会 完成训练前、训练中和训练后的泛化测试。我们感兴趣的是 注意目标听觉维度的能力的提高与指导能力的提高有关 对特定来源的关注。测试还将评估使用非语言刺激进行的训练是否能概括 为了演讲。研究结果将提供对不同形式的听觉选择性注意的程度的洞察 都有共同的机制支持。总体而言，拟议工作将澄清支持机制 听觉选择性注意，并在非人类的动物和人类文学之间提供了一个重要的缺失环节。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT In ecological listening environments, individuals must direct attention toward a specific source (e.g., the voice of a friend) while ignoring simultaneous background noise (e.g., other patrons in a café). Moreover, listeners must direct attention toward specific dimensions within an auditory source (e.g., frequencies useful for distinguishing between different speech sounds). A widely held but untested assumption is that these source-based and dimension-based forms of auditory selective attention are supported by common mechanisms. Human studies have historically focused on source-based attention using speech stimuli, while nonhuman animal studies have primarily investigated dimension-based attention with non-speech stimuli; there is thus an empirical gap between these literatures, making it unclear how well the animal studies can model human behavior. More generally, the mechanisms that support auditory selective attention remain underspecified. For instance, extant research suggests that selective attention involves enhancing representations of key information, but it is unclear whether selective attention also involves actively suppressing irrelevant information. Thus, the goal of the proposed project is to clarify the cognitive and neural mechanisms that support auditory selective attention. The first aim is to determine whether auditory selective attention involves suppression of irrelevant information. The key scientific premise is to use training as a tool for triangulating mechanism. That is, if selective attention involves suppression of irrelevant auditory dimensions, then training that improves a listener’s ability to suppress irrelevant auditory information should be associated with concomitant gains in auditory selective attention. Listeners will receive eight days of auditory training that either will require them to perform increasingly fine- grained processing in a target frequency band (promoting enriched representations of target dimensions) or will place increasing demands on the extent to which they must suppress irrelevant auditory dimensions (e.g., a non- target frequency band). Of interest is whether training is associated with improved auditory selective attention, as measured through classic behavioral and electrophysiological indices of attention. The second aim is to determine whether different forms of auditory selective attention (e.g., source-based and dimension-based) are supported by common mechanisms. If they are, then training that leads to improvements in one type of auditory selective attention (e.g., dimension-based) should generalize to another (e.g., source-based). Listeners will complete tests of generalization before, midway through, and after the training regimen. Of interest is whether an improved ability to attend to target auditory dimensions is associated with an improved ability to direct attention toward a specific source. Tests will also assess whether training with non-speech stimuli generalizes to speech. The results will provide insight into the extent to which different forms of auditory selective attention are supported by common mechanisms. Overall, the proposed work will clarify the mechanisms supporting auditory selective attention and provide a vital missing link between the nonhuman animal and human literatures.