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Cochlear, brainstem, and psychophysical responses show spectrotemporal tradeoff in human auditory processing.
Gavin M Bidelman1, Shaum P Bhagat
1aSchool of Communication Sciences and Disorders bInstitute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Neuroreport
|November 29, 2016
Summary
Human hearing involves a time-frequency tradeoff. This study found that cochlear function predicts temporal acuity, suggesting temporal resolution is established early in the auditory pathway.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Psychoacoustics
- Physiology
Background:
- Auditory filter theory describes a tradeoff between temporal precision and frequency resolution.
- Understanding spectrotemporal tradeoffs across the auditory system is crucial for explaining hearing capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hierarchy of brain mechanisms underlying spectrotemporal tradeoffs in human hearing.
- To compare temporal and spectral acuity at different levels of the auditory pathway, from the cochlea to behavior.
Main Methods:
- Measured cochlear and behavioral frequency selectivity using stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAE) and psychophysical tuning curves.
- Assessed temporal acuity physiologically and behaviorally via auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and gap detection thresholds (GDTs).
- Compared physiological and behavioral measures of temporal acuity and frequency tuning.
Main Results:
- High consistency was observed between physiological and behavioral measures of temporal acuity (∼3-4 ms) and frequency tuning (Q3≈10).
- Cochlear SFOAE tuning inversely predicted listeners' temporal acuity measured by ABRs and GDTs.
- Spectrotemporal tradeoffs showed similarities across the auditory processing hierarchy.
Conclusions:
- The temporal resolution of human hearing appears to be established in the cochlea.
- Cochlear mechanisms significantly influence temporal acuity throughout the auditory pathway.
- Findings suggest that temporal resolution is inherited at progressively higher levels of the auditory system.
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