Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

1.5K
The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the...
1.5K
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

1.3K
The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
1.3K
Hearing01:31

Hearing

59.0K
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
59.0K
Perception of Sound Waves01:01

Perception of Sound Waves

6.1K
The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...
6.1K
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

9.0K
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
9.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Modest sex differences in the test of basic auditory capabilities (TBAC).

Frontiers in psychology·2024
Same author

Knockdown of the Non-canonical Wnt Gene Prickle2 Leads to Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Abnormalities While Cerebellar-Mediated Behaviors Remain Intact.

Cerebellum (London, England)·2024
Same author

Why Did the Earwitnesses to the John F. Kennedy Assassination Not Agree About the Location of the Gunman?

Frontiers in psychology·2021
Same author

Auditory evoked potentials: Differences by sex, race, and menstrual cycle and correlations with common psychoacoustical tasks.

PloS one·2021
Same author

Cerebellar D1DR-expressing neurons modulate the frontal cortex during timing tasks.

Neurobiology of learning and memory·2019
Same author

Correlations between otoacoustic emissions and performance in common psychoacoustical tasks.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2018

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
09:37

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control

Published on: July 5, 2015

9.6K

Changes in otoacoustic emissions during selective auditory and visual attention.

Kyle P Walsh1, Edward G Pasanen1, Dennis McFadden1

  • 1Department of Psychology and Center for Perceptual Systems, University of Texas, 1 University Station A8000, Austin, Texas 78712-0187, USA.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|May 22, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Selective attention modulates cochlear activity, as measured by nonlinear stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions (nSFOAEs). This suggests cognitive demands influence auditory sensory receptors, impacting efferent reflex activity during attention tasks.

More Related Videos

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
06:46

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Published on: March 18, 2019

7.6K
Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example
08:45

Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example

Published on: October 24, 2012

15.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
09:37

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control

Published on: July 5, 2015

9.6K
Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
06:46

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Published on: March 18, 2019

7.6K
Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example
08:45

Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example

Published on: October 24, 2012

15.4K

Area of Science:

  • Auditory Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Otoacoustic Emissions Research

Background:

  • Attentional modulation of auditory processing is well-established, but its effect on the cochlea remains debated.
  • Previous studies on otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) and attention yielded inconsistent results.
  • Task demands may influence the earliest neural stages of auditory processing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of selective attention on cochlear function using nonlinear stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions (nSFOAEs).
  • To compare attentional effects across auditory and visual tasks.
  • To clarify the role of the cochlear efferent reflex in attention.

Main Methods:

  • Human subjects performed behavioral tasks under conditions of selective auditory attention, selective visual attention, and inattention.
  • Nonlinear stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions (nSFOAEs) were measured during these tasks.
  • nSFOAE magnitudes and phases were analyzed to assess cochlear responses.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences in nSFOAE magnitude (2-3 dB) were observed between attention and inattention conditions for both auditory and visual tasks.
  • Effect sizes for nSFOAE magnitude and phase differences were large.
  • Cochlear efferent reflex activity varied differentially with selective attention and inattention.

Conclusions:

  • Selective attention, regardless of modality (auditory or visual), modulates cochlear activity.
  • These findings support the hypothesis that cognitive demands influence sensory receptor function.
  • The cochlear efferent reflex plays a differential role during states of attention and inattention.