NEURAL ENCODING OF DYNAMIC FEATURES OF COMPLEX SOUNDS

提案研究的长期目标是使 在理解中枢听觉系统如何编码方面取得了进展 声音功能复杂。为了实现这一目标，最先进的 神经生理学和神经解剖技术将是 用于表征优先编码的路径 复杂声音的重要动态特征。日新月异 声音的幅度和频率将被研究，因为它们是 许多人类和动物交流的基本组成部分 声音，在某些情况下，调节音调感知和声音 本地化。本提案的具体目标是 严格研究腹侧单个细胞的反应 安静和背景中的耳蜗核到AM和FM信号 噪音。在单细胞标测实验期间，HRP将 从记录电极胞外弹出以标记 记录站点位置并跟踪它们与更高级别的连接 中锋。单个细胞将被分成不同的种群 基于对简单声音的反应，解剖位置，和 兴奋性和抑制性反应区的范围。这些 将对人口反应进行定性分析，并 从数量上讲，并更好地了解耳蜗是如何 核细胞处理它们从听神经接收到的信息， 不同耳蜗核种群的反应将是 与听觉神经纤维的反应相比， 同一物种在相同的记录、刺激和麻醉下 条件。最后，为了最大限度地影响哺乳动物 听觉系统，尤其是人类听觉系统 在不能进行单细胞研究的情况下，实验将被 在一种具有感知能力的动物物种上进行 辨别诸如语音的复杂通信声音， 并且有一条类似于人类的听觉曲线。结果是 这项拟议的研究对临床科学家来说是必不可少的。 开发和测试人工耳蜗和较新的人工耳蜗 旨在恢复听力的核刺激设备 感音神经性耳聋患者。这些发现也将是 帮助语音科学家和工程师设计真实的- 时间语音解码器。因为这次会议的主要目标之一是 建议是增加对职能组织的了解 在听觉系统中，特别强调的是 处理复杂声音的特征，结果将是 对于神经科医生和神经外科医生在诊断 病变、脑血管意外的功能意义 以及涉及听觉功能受损的头部创伤。

The long-term goal of the proposal research is to make significant strides in understanding how the central auditory system encodes complex sound features. To achieve this goal, state-of-the-art neurophysiological and neuroanatomic techniques will be employed to characterize pathways that preferentially encode important dynamic features of complex sounds. Rapid changes in sound amplitude and frequency will be studied since they are essential components of many human and animal communication sounds, and in some cases mediate pitch perception and sound localization. The specific aims of the present proposal are to rigorously investigate the responses of single cells in the ventral cochlear nuclear to AM and FM signals in quiet and background noise. During single-cell mapping experiments, HRP will be ejected from the recording electrode extracellularly to mark recording site locations and trace their connections with higher centers. Single cells will be grouped into different populations based on responses to simple sounds, anatomical location, and extent of excitatory and inhibitory response areas. These population responses will be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, and to gain a better understanding of how cochlear nucleus cells process inputs they receive from the auditory nerve, responses of different cochlear nucleus populations will be compared to responses of auditory-nerve fibers obtained in the same species under identical recording, stimulation and anesthetic conditions. Lastly, to maximize implications for the mammalian auditory system, and in particular for the human auditory system in which single-cell studies cannot be done, experiments will be performed on an animal species that has the perceptual capability of discriminating complex communication sounds such as speech, and has an audibility curve similar to that of man. The results of the proposed research will be essential for clinician scientists developing and testing cochlear implants and the newer cochlear nucleus stimulation devices that are designed to restore hearing in patients with sensorineural deafness. These findings will also be of assistance to speech scientists and engineers designing real- time speech decoders. Since one of the major goals of this proposal is to increase knowledge of the functional organization of the auditory system, with particular emphasis on pathways that process features of complex sounds, the results will be particularly useful to neurologists and neurosurgeons in diagnosing the functional significance of lesions, cerebrovascular accidents and head trauma involving compromise of auditory function.