Auditory Temporally Selective Attention

描述(由申请者提供)：选择性注意在各种各样的条件下起着重要的作用，在这些条件下，人们被呈现在太多的信息中。空间选择性注意允许观察者优先处理许多同时呈现的图像或声音中的几个。然而，关于时间选择性注意在允许人们优先处理在特定时间呈现的信息中所起的作用，我们知之甚少。本项目的目标是描述针对时间段的选择性听觉注意的参数，探索时间选择性注意涉及的神经机制，并确定时间选择性注意是否在有效的言语知觉中发挥作用。在一系列的五个实验中，听者将被引导通过个别的象征性线索、节奏和自然语言来注意特定的时间。听觉时间选择性注意将通过比较在有人和无人注意的时间呈现的物理上相同的非目标声音所诱发的事件相关电位(ERPS)来索引。正如对空间选择性注意的研究有助于理解人们如何处理同时呈现的大量视觉信息一样，拟议的研究也有助于理解人们如何处理大量快速呈现的听觉信息。连续语音是快速变化的声学信息的一个例子，可能需要在时间上选择性地注意以进行有效的处理。这项拟议的研究将为有人和无人注意的声音的不同处理以及听者如何选择优先处理的信息提供证据。因此，它将为在感知挑战环境中为个人设计和实施培训计划、获取新技能和快速处理缺陷提供有实际意义的信息。由于时间注意对言语感知可能特别重要，因此研究结果对提高语言障碍儿童、老年听力丧失成年人以及通过植入人工耳蜗来适应感知的个人的交流技能具有重要意义。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Selective attention plays an important role in perception under a wide variety of conditions in which people are presented with too much information. Spatially selective attention allows observers to preferentially process a few of many simultaneously presented images or sounds. However, less is known about the role of temporally selective attention in allowing people to preferentially process information presented at specific times. The goals of this project are to describe the parameters of selective auditory attention directed to time periods, to explore the neural mechanisms involved in temporally selective attention, and to determine if temporally selective attention plays a role in efficient speech perception. In a series of five experiments, listeners will be directed to attend to specific times by individual symbolic cues, rhythms, and natural speech. Auditory temporally selective attention will be indexed by comparing event-related potentials (ERPS) elicited by physically identical non-target sounds presented at attended and unattended times. Just as studies of spatially selective attention have contributed to an understand of how people process large amounts of visual information presented simultaneously, the proposed studies can contribute to an understanding of how people process large amounts of rapidly presented auditory information. Continuous speech, one example of rapidly changing acoustic information, may require temporally selective attention for efficient processing. The proposed research will provide evidence about differential processing of sounds presented at attended and unattended times as well as how listeners select information for preferential processing. Therefore, it will contribute information of practical significance to the design and implementation of training programs for individuals in perceptually challenging environments, acquiring new skills, and with rapid processing deficits. Since temporal attention may be particularly important for speech perception, the results have important implications for improving communication skills in language-impaired children, adults with aging-related hearing lose, and individuals adjusting to perception through cochlear implants.