Understanding Auditory Development in Young Children

人类的两个主要交流系统--语言和音乐--都是基于听觉感知的。 因为沟通技能几乎影响发展的所有方面，理解听觉感知的发展对于理解一般的最佳发展至关重要。本提案中的设备支持这一领域三个主要课题的研究。 第一个主题是关于婴儿如何学习将到达他们耳朵的复杂声波解析为创建它们的单独的发声“听觉对象”，这一过程被称为听觉场景分析。 第二个主题是关于婴儿如何学习整合听觉和运动信息，这是说话或演奏乐器的必要技能。 第三个主题探讨节奏知觉的发展及其与正常和特殊人群的记忆，语言和认知发展的关系。 为了完成这项研究，我们需要四类设备。 I.实验测试设备，在实验程序中提供声音和视频，并控制外部设备，如用于生理测量的设备（例如，心率）和用于测量节奏产生的电子鼓。 二.刺激创作设备，使我们能够制作动画，以便我们可以在有趣的视频游戏样实验中测试儿童的感知，以及拍摄和编辑匹配和不匹配的音频和运动序列，以检查大脑-运动相互作用。 三.听力评估设备，用于对婴儿、年龄较大的儿童和特殊人群进行标准的临床听力评估。 四. 声音测量设备，使我们能够校准我们的声音刺激。 该设备将使我实验室的学生和全国各地的网络（NSERC创建听觉认知神经科学; AIRS MCRI）和国际（例如，伊拉斯谟Mundus）进行重要的研究，并获得在声音测量，听力测试和行业标准计划的宝贵培训。

Both of the major communication systems in humans - language and music - are based on auditory perception. Because communication skills affect virtually all aspects of development, understanding the development of auditory perception is crucial for understanding optimal development in general. The equipment in this proposal supports studies on three major topics in this area. The first topic concerns how infants learn to parse the complex sound waves that reach their ears into the separate sounding "auditory objects" that created them, a process known as auditory scene analysis. The second topic concerns how infants learn to integrate auditory and motor information, a necessary skill for speaking or playing a musical instrument. The third topic explores the development of rhythm perception and its relation to memory, language, and cognitive development in normal and special populations. To accomplish this research, we require four categories of equipment. I. EXPERIMENTAL TESTING EQUIPMENT that presents sound and video in experimental procedures and controls external devices such as those for physiological measurement (e.g., heart rate) and electronic drums for measuring rhythm production. II. STIMULUS CREATION EQUIPMENT that enables us to make animations so that we can test perception in children in fun video game-like experiments as well as to film and edit sequences of matched and mismatched audio and movement in order examine auditory-motor interactions. III. AUDIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT EQUIPMENT to perform standard clinical hearing assessments in infants, older children, and special populations. IV. SOUND MEASUREMENT EQUIPMENT that enables us to calibrate our sound stimuli. This equipment will enable students in my lab and in networks across the country (NSERC CREATE Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience; AIRS MCRI) and internationally (e.g., Erasmus Mundus) to conduct important research and to gain valuable training in sound measurement, audiological testing, and industry standard programs.