How We Hear: The Perception and Neural Coding of Sound
1Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455;
Annual Review of Psychology
|October 17, 2017
Summary
Auditory perception, crucial for communication and environmental awareness, involves cochlear filtering and pitch processing. Understanding these mechanisms is key to addressing age-related hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Psychoacoustics
Background:
- Auditory perception is vital for communication (speech, music) and environmental awareness.
- The cochlea's filtering and the perception of pitch are fundamental to auditory processing.
- Understanding these processes is increasingly important due to age-related hearing loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review key aspects of auditory perception and neural coding.
- To highlight the roles of cochlear filtering and pitch perception.
- To emphasize the relevance of basic auditory research for clinical applications.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on auditory perception.
- Discussion of cochlear mechanics and signal processing.
- Analysis of theoretical and technical advancements in pitch perception.
Main Results:
- Cochlear filtering significantly impacts auditory perception.
- Pitch perception is a complex process with ongoing research yielding new insights.
- Cochlear filtering and pitch are essential for auditory scene analysis and stream segregation.
Conclusions:
- Enhanced understanding of cochlear filtering and pitch perception is crucial.
- Basic research in auditory perception can inform strategies for combating hearing loss.
- Improved auditory perception mechanisms are vital for an aging population.
Related Concept Videos
01:31Hearing
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.
01:13The Cochlea
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
01:01Perception of Sound Waves
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 frequency...
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...
01:15Auditory Pathway
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 the...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
01:17Auditory Perception
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 cochlea, a...
01:21Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
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 identifying...
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 identifying...