scholarly journals Prediction of Human's Ability in Sound Localization Based on the Statistical Properties of Spike Trains along the Brainstem Auditory Pathway

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Ram Krips ◽  
Miriam Furst
Keyword(s):  
Time Delay ◽  
Lower Bounds ◽  
Sound Localization ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Acoustic Stimulus ◽  
Auditory Pathway ◽  
Superior Olivary Complex ◽  
Optimal Estimator ◽  
Interaural Time Delay ◽  
Interaural Level Differences

The minimum audible angle test which is commonly used for evaluating human localization ability depends on interaural time delay, interaural level differences, and spectral information about the acoustic stimulus. These physical properties are estimated at different stages along the brainstem auditory pathway. The interaural time delay is ambiguous at certain frequencies, thus confusion arises as to the source of these frequencies. It is assumed that in a typical minimum audible angle experiment, the brain acts as an unbiased optimal estimator and thus the human performance can be obtained by deriving optimal lower bounds. Two types of lower bounds are tested: the Cramer-Rao and the Barankin. The Cramer-Rao bound only takes into account the approximation of the true direction of the stimulus; the Barankin bound considers other possible directions that arise from the ambiguous phase information. These lower bounds are derived at the output of the auditory nerve and of the superior olivary complex where binaural cues are estimated. An agreement between human experimental data was obtained only when the superior olivary complex was considered and the Barankin lower bound was used. This result suggests that sound localization is estimated by the auditory nuclei using ambiguous binaural information.

Time-Intensity Trade for Speech: A Temporal Speech-Stenger Effect

1976 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 749-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J.M. Raffin ◽  
David J. Lilly ◽  
Aaron R. Thornton
Keyword(s):  
Time Delay ◽  
Clinical Application ◽  
Time Delays ◽  
Multiple Images ◽  
Potential Clinical Application ◽  
Interaural Time Delay ◽  
Lateralization Effect

Time-intensity trade for selected spondaically stressed words was investigated using a centering method for interaural time delays of 0.00, 1.00, 2.00, 2.25, 2.50, and 2.75 msec at five levels of presentation: 0-, 25-, 40-, 55-, and 70-dB HL (ANSI, 1969). Lateralization effects increased with level of presentation, with a maximum lateralization effect of between 22 and 30 dB occuring with an interaural time delay of 2.25 msec. Multiple images were perceived by all subjects with an interaural time delay of 2.75 msec and by some subjects with an interaural time delay of 2.50 msec at high levels of presentation. No “ear effect” was observed for any of the listeners. A potential clinical application is discussed for this temporal speech-Stenger effect.

Cortical Control of Sound Localization in the Cat: Unilateral Cooling Deactivation of 19 Cerebral Areas

2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 1625-1643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shveta Malhotra ◽  
Amee J. Hall ◽  
Stephen G. Lomber
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Sound Localization ◽  
Broad Band ◽  
Acoustic Stimulus ◽  
Anterior Ectosylvian Sulcus ◽  
Area 5 ◽  
Area 6 ◽  
Auditory Field ◽  
Lateral Area ◽  
Medial Area

We examined the ability of mature cats to accurately orient to, and approach, an acoustic stimulus during unilateral reversible cooling deactivation of primary auditory cortex (AI) or 1 of 18 other cerebral loci. After attending to a central visual stimulus, the cats learned to orient to a 100-ms broad-band, white-noise stimulus emitted from a central speaker or 1 of 12 peripheral sites (at 15° intervals) positioned along the horizontal plane. Twenty-eight cats had two to six cryoloops implanted over multiple cerebral loci. Within auditory cortex, unilateral deactivation of AI, the posterior auditory field (PAF) or the anterior ectosylvian sulcus (AES) resulted in orienting deficits throughout the contralateral field. However, unilateral deactivation of the anterior auditory field, the second auditory cortex, or the ventroposterior auditory field resulted in no deficits on the orienting task. In multisensory cortex, unilateral deactivation of neither ventral or dorsal posterior ectosylvian cortices nor anterior or posterior area 7 resulted in any deficits. No deficits were identified during unilateral cooling of the five visual regions flanking auditory or multisensory cortices: posterior or anterior ii suprasylvian sulcus, posterior suprasylvian sulcus or dorsal or ventral posterior suprasylvian gyrus. In motor cortex, we identified contralateral orienting deficits during unilateral cooling of lateral area 5 (5L) or medial area 6 (6m) but not medial area 5 or lateral area 6. In a control visual-orienting task, areas 5L and 6m also yielded deficits to visual stimuli presented in the contralateral field. Thus the sound-localization deficits identified during unilateral deactivation of area 5L or 6m were not unimodal and are most likely the result of motor rather than perceptual impairments. Overall, three regions in auditory cortex (AI, PAF, AES) are critical for accurate sound localization as assessed by orienting.

Temporal coding of envelopes and their interaural delays in the inferior colliculus of the unanesthetized rabbit

1989 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Batra ◽  
S. Kuwada ◽  
T. R. Stanford
Keyword(s):  
Inferior Colliculus ◽  
Phase Locking ◽  
Acoustic Stimulus ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Auditory Pathway ◽  
Temporal Coding ◽  
Time Of Arrival ◽  
Unanesthetized Rabbit ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Ipsilateral Stimulation

1. The difference in the time of arrival of a sound at the two ears can be used to locate its source along the azimuth. Traditionally, it has been thought that only the on-going interaural temporal disparities (ITDs) produced by sounds of lower frequency (approximately less than 2 kHz) could be used for this purpose. However, ongoing ITDs of low frequency are also produced by envelopes of amplitude-modulated (AM) tones. These ITDs can be detected and used to lateralize complex high-frequency sounds (1, 8, 12, 15, 22, 24, 26). Auditory neurons synchronize to the modulation envelope, but do so at progressively lower modulation frequencies at higher levels of the auditory pathway. Some neurons of the cochlear nucleus synchronize best to frequencies as high as 700 Hz, but those of the inferior colliculus (IC) exhibit their best synchrony below 200 Hz. Even though synchrony to higher modulation frequencies is reduced at higher levels of the auditory pathway, is information about ITDs retained? 2. We answered this question by extracellularly recording the responses of neurons in the IC of the unanesthetized rabbit. We used an unanesthetized preparation because anesthesia alters the responses of neurons in the IC to both monaurally presented tones and ITDs. The unanesthetized rabbit is ideal for auditory research. Recordings can be maintained for long periods, and the acoustic stimulus to each ear can be independently controlled. 3. We studied the responses of 89 units to sinusoidally AM tones presented to the contralateral ear. For each unit, we recorded the response at several modulation frequencies. The degree of phase locking to the envelope at each frequency was measured using the synchronization coefficient. Two measures were used to assess the range of modulation frequencies over which phase locking occurred. The "best AM frequency" was the frequency at which we observed the greatest phase locking. The "highest AM frequency" was the highest frequency at which significant phase locking (0.001 level) was observed. We could not assess synchrony to ipsilateral AM tones directly, because most units did not respond to ipsilateral stimulation. 4. We studied the sensitivity of 63 units to ITDs produced by the envelopes of AM tones. Sensitivity to ITDs was tested by presenting AM tones to the two ears that had the same carrier frequency, but modulation frequencies that differed by 1 Hz. Units that were sensitive to ITDs responded to this stimulus by varying their response rate cyclically at the difference frequency, i.e., 1 Hz.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Midline and lateral field sound localization in the ferret (Mustela putorius): contribution of the superior olivary complex

1992 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 1643-1658 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Kavanagh ◽  
J. B. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Brain Stem ◽  
Kainic Acid ◽  
Sound Localization ◽  
Retrograde Transport ◽  
Superior Olivary Complex ◽  
Motor Impairments ◽  
Lateral Field ◽  
Superior Olive ◽  
Auditory Brain Stem ◽  
Bilateral Lesions

1. The ability of ferrets to localize sound in space was determined before and after unilateral or bilateral lesions of the superior olivary complex (SOC). Lesions were made by pressure injection of kainic acid into the SOC through a stereotaxically positioned glass micropipette. The lesions destroyed the cell bodies in the superior olive without disrupting fibers of passage in the trapezoid body or other pathways in the auditory brain stem. The integrity of fibers was demonstrated by protargol staining of axonal processes and by the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) from the inferior colliculus to other auditory brain stem nuclei. Behavioral tests were carried out separately for sound localization at midline and lateral field positions. Minimum audible angles were determined for single 45-ms noise bursts presented through paired loudspeakers positioned symmetrically around 0, -60, and +60 degrees azimuth. 2. Four ferrets received complete lesions of the left SOC, and two received complete lesions of the right SOC. In general, unilateral destruction of the superior olive resulted in impairments in sound localization in both left and right lateral fields. In some cases, deficits were also apparent on midline. Four additional animals received unilateral lesions that spared cells within the SOC. In most cases, deficits were apparent despite incomplete lesions of the SOC. The pattern of deficits was generally consistent with that found in animals with complete lesions. Most animals had difficulty localizing sounds in the lateral fields. 3. Four animals received bilateral lesions of the SOC. Three had complete or near-complete destruction of the superior olive on one side of the brain with relatively minor damage on the other side. Each of these animals exhibited behavioral deficits that were particularly severe ipsilateral to the more extensively damaged superior olive. One animal with complete bilateral destruction of the SOC was incapable of sound localization, even with 2-s noise bursts. This animal, however, suffered severe motor impairments after surgery that might have contributed to the apparent inability to localize sound. 4. Two animals with kainic acid lesions that caused little or no damage to the SOC were still capable of high levels of performance in tests of sound localization and had no elevation in minimum audible angles. These cases served as controls for the possible effects of nonspecific brain damage and demonstrated that kainic acid injections per se resulted in no obvious deficits in our test situation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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