NEURAL BASIS FOR PHENOMENA SURROUNDING PRECEDENCE EFFECT

在大多数自然环境中，来自单一来源的波前将达到 通过直接路径和反射路径的监听者。直接路径是 信号源和监听程序之间的最短距离。当. 反射路径更长，产生的波前到达 来自多个方向的听众。尽管有多种 信息，听者感知到空间上不同的声音定位 在震源的位置。因为波前的位置 先到主宰空间知觉的现象是 被称为“第一波前定律”或“优先效应”。 因为它对理解双耳信息很重要 一般的处理，以及混响中声音的本地化 尤其是环境，在什么情况下，“优先-- 效应“和相关事件的发生已经被广泛研究。尽管 丰富的行为数据，似乎还没有公布 电生理学研究，解释了神经基础的 围绕“优先效应”的现象。我们的初步研究 提示“觉醒”者下丘(IC)神经元 兔子可以表现出与周围现象一致的反应 “优先效应”。 我们建议进行一系列的调查，基于我们的初步调查 利用合作努力的观察 神经生理学家和心理声学家。我们的目标是阐明 神经机制和通路构成了几个重要的 关于连续声加工的心理声学现象 刺激，包括“优先效应”。为此，单一单元 这只“清醒”的兔子的IC将被记录下来。我们将研究 化学灭活背部对这些反应的影响 我们假设外侧丘系的核是一个主要来源 对IC的抑制输入。

In most natural environments, wavefronts from a single source will reach a listener through both direct and reflected paths. The direct path is the shortest distance between the source and the listener. while the reflected paths are longer and yield wavefronts that arrive at the listener from multiple directions. Despite the multiplicity of information, the listener perceives a spatially distinct sound localized at the position of the source. Because the location of the wavefront that arrives first dominates the spatial percept, the phenomenon is called the "law of the first wavefront" or the "precedence effect". Because of its importance for understanding binaural information processing in general, and the localization of sounds in reverberant environments in particular, the conditions under which the "precedence- effect" and related events occur have been extensively studied. Despite the wealth of behavioral data, there appear to be no published electrophysiological studies that explain the neural basis of the phenomena surrounding the "precedence effect". Our preliminary studies indicate that neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC) of the "awake" rabbit can show responses consistent with phenomena surrounding the "precedence effect". We propose a series of investigations predicated on our preliminary observations that capitalize on the collaborative efforts of neurophysiologists and psychoacousticians. Our goal is to elucidate the neural mechanisms and pathways that underlie several important psychoacoustic phenomena concerning the processing of successive acoustic stimuli, including the "precedence effect". To that end, single-unit recording will be made in the IC of the "awake" rabbit. We will examine the effects on these responses of chemically inactivating the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus which we hypothesize is a major source of inhibitory input to the IC.