Spectral and Temporal Integration in the Auditory System

我们的长期目标是阐明神经活动、声音处理、知觉 和行为。我们特别建议建立神经活动与辨别和 检测非人类受试者初级听觉皮质(A1)和侧带的声音特征 揭示当听觉大脑皮层层级提升时发生的转变的目标。我们 回答问题：听觉皮质的神经元反应如何与非人类受试者的 在辨别声音调制中的心理和行为表现？这三个目标是 设计用来比较与A1和 听觉皮质，以确定沿上升皮质通路的处理重点的变化。 目的1是确定调制识别的神经基础。目标2是确定 神经元上的行为状态和听觉注意力能够编码声音特征。目标3.是为了 确定听觉皮质的神经元反应如何与知觉、任务参数和 行为选择。为了实现这些目标，我们将建立单项之间的数量关系 神经元听觉皮质活动与神经元与非人类受试者的辨别能力 声音，并确定哪些代码最有可能构成感知能力。我们也会从单曲开始录制 非人类受试者的神经元通过注意执行不同的声音辨别任务 牵引物以确定初级和次级感觉皮质区域在转化中的作用 从感觉到任务表现。这将让我们深入了解注意力是如何改善神经处理的。 在单个神经元水平上，以及初级感觉皮质是否接收信息或参与 导致行动的过程。因为该提议将功能与大脑的不同部分联系在一起，所以 有助于更好地了解脑损伤(如中风引起的脑损伤)的特点 会影响听觉功能。这些研究的结果将有助于我们更好地理解如何参加 声音调节听觉活动，从而使这一基础科学与光谱相关 障碍(包括但不限于注意力缺陷障碍、阅读障碍等)。结果还包括 可在帮助指导助听器和人工耳蜗的编码方法方面具有相关性 因为神经编码和专注于声音的能力都与设计这些设备相关。

Our long-term goal is to elucidate the relationship between neural activity, sound processing, perception and behavior. We specifically propose to establish the relationship of neural activity to discriminating and detecting sound features in the primary auditory cortex (A1) and lateral belt of non-human subjects with the goal of revealing the transformations occurring as the auditory cortical hierarchy is ascended. We address the question: How do neuronal responses in auditory cortex relate to non-human subjects' psychophysical and behavioral performance in discriminating sound modulation? The three aims are designed to compare three fundamental aspects related to these issues in A1 and in the lateral belt of auditory cortex to determine the changing emphasis of processing along the ascending cortical pathway. Aim 1 is to determine the neural basis of modulation discrimination. Aim 2 is to determine the effect of behavioral state and auditory attention on neurons ability to encode sound features. Aim 3. is to determine how neuronal responses from auditory cortex are related to perception, task-parameters, and behavioral choices. To achieve these aims, we will establish the quantitative relationships between single neuron auditory cortical activity and the ability of neurons and non-human subjects to discriminate sounds, and determine what codes most likely underlie perceptual ability. We will also record from single neurons while non-human subjects perform different sound discrimination tasks with attentional distractors to determine the role of primary and secondary sensory cortical areas in the transformation from sensation to task performance. This will give insight into how attention improves neural processing at the single neuron level and whether primary sensory cortex receives information or is involved in the processes that lead to action. Because the proposal relates function to different parts of the brain it is relevant for a better understanding about how punctate brain damage such as that caused by stroke affects auditory function. The results of these studies will help us to better understand how attending sound modulates auditory activity and thus makes this basic science have relevance for the spectrum disorders (that include, but are not limited to attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, etc). The results also could have relevance in helping to guide approaches to coding for hearing aids and cochlear implants since both neural coding and the ability to focus on sounds are relevant for designing these devices.