scholarly journals Pure‐tone intensity and frequency discrimination as a function of frequency and sensation level

1975 ◽  
Vol 58 (S1) ◽  
pp. S35-S35
Author(s):  
Craig C. Wier ◽  
Walt Jesteadt ◽  
David M. Green
2002 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Jude Tramo ◽  
Gaurav D. Shah ◽  
Louis D. Braida

Microelectrode studies in nonhuman primates and other mammals have demonstrated that many neurons in auditory cortex are excited by pure tone stimulation only when the tone's frequency lies within a narrow range of the audible spectrum. However, the effects of auditory cortex lesions in animals and humans have been interpreted as evidence against the notion that neuronal frequency selectivity is functionally relevant to frequency discrimination. Here we report psychophysical and anatomical evidence in favor of the hypothesis that fine-grained frequency resolution at the perceptual level relies on neuronal frequency selectivity in auditory cortex. An adaptive procedure was used to measure difference thresholds for pure tone frequency discrimination in five humans with focal brain lesions and eight normal controls. Only the patient with bilateral lesions of primary auditory cortex and surrounding areas showed markedly elevated frequency difference thresholds: Weber fractions for frequency direction discrimination (“higher”—“lower” pitch judgments) were about eightfold higher than Weber fractions measured in patients with unilateral lesions of auditory cortex, auditory midbrain, or dorsolateral frontal cortex; Weber fractions for frequency change discrimination (“same”—“different” pitch judgments) were about seven times higher. In contrast, pure-tone detection thresholds, difference thresholds for pure tone duration discrimination centered at 500 ms, difference thresholds for vibrotactile intensity discrimination, and judgments of visual line orientation were within normal limits or only mildly impaired following bilateral auditory cortex lesions. In light of current knowledge about the physiology and anatomy of primate auditory cortex and a review of previous lesion studies, we interpret the present results as evidence that fine-grained frequency processing at the perceptual level relies on the integrity of finely tuned neurons in auditory cortex.


2017 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-182
Author(s):  
E Bulut ◽  
L Öztürk

We hypothesized that cochlear frequency discrimination occurs through medial olivocochlear efferent (MOCE)-induced alterations in outer hair cell (OHC) electromotility, which is independent from basilar membrane traveling waves. After obtaining informed consent, volunteers with normal hearing (n = 10; mean age: 20.6 ± 1.2 years) and patients with unilateral deafness (n = 10; mean age: 30.2 ± 17.9 years) or bilateral deafness (n = 8; mean age: 30.7 ± 13.8 years) underwent a complete physical and audiological examination, and audiological tests including transient evoked otoacoustic emission and spontaneous otoacoustic emission (TEOAE and SOAE, respectively). SOAE recordings were performed during contralateral pure-tone stimuli at 1 and 3 kHz. SOAE recordings in the presence of contralateral pure-tone stimuli showed frequency-specific activation out of the initial frequency range of SOAE responses. Basilar membrane motion during pure-tone stimulation results from OHC activation by means of MOCE neurons rather than from a traveling wave. Eventually, frequency-specific responses obtained from SOAEs suggested that OHC electromotility may be responsible for frequency discrimination of the cochlea independently from basilar membrane motion.


1971 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-346
Author(s):  
Robert H. Anderson ◽  
Kenneth A. Deffenbacher

This report describes the structure and operation of a device which provides reliable measurement of changes in the apparent size and brightness of achromatic negative afterimages. Utilizing this device two experiments were conducted to assess the effects of pure tone intensity and frequency on reported size and brightness of afterimages. Intense sound stimulation produced very pronounced increases in afterimage size and brightness. These results were discussed in light of previous Soviet findings.


2014 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 1972-1982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Buss ◽  
Crystal N. Taylor ◽  
Lori J. Leibold

Purpose The factors affecting frequency discrimination in school-age children are poorly understood. The goal of the present study was to evaluate developmental effects related to memory for pitch and the utilization of temporal fine structure. Method Listeners were 5.1- to 13.6-year-olds and adults, all with normal hearing. A subgroup of children had musical training. The task was a 3-alternative forced choice in which listeners identified the interval with the higher frequency tone or the tone characterized by frequency modulation (FM). The standard was 500 or 5000 Hz, and the FM rate was either 2 or 20 Hz. Results Thresholds tended to be higher for younger children than for older children and adults for all conditions, although this age effect was smaller for FM detection than for pure-tone frequency discrimination. Neither standard frequency nor modulation rate affected the child/adult difference FM thresholds. Children with musical training performed better than their peers on pure-tone frequency discrimination at 500 Hz. Conclusions Testing frequency discrimination using a low-rate FM detection task may minimize effects related to cognitive factors like memory for pitch or training effects. Maturation of frequency discrimination does not appear to differ across conditions in which listeners are hypothesized to rely on temporal cues and place cues.


2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (1) ◽  
pp. 371-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel R. Mathias ◽  
Leonard Varghese ◽  
Christophe Micheyl ◽  
Barbara G. Shinn-Cunningham

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