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Robustness to Noise in the Auditory System: A Distributed and Predictable Property.

S Souffi1,2, C Lorenzi3, C Huetz1,2

  • 1Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (Neuro-PSI), Department Integrative and Computational Neuroscience, Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR 9197) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Orsay 91405, France.

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|February 26, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Auditory neurons detect communication sounds in noise. Neuronal responses vary across the auditory system, with some neurons representing signal and others noise, and many switching behaviors between noise types.

Keywords:
auditory systemnatural vocalizationsneuronal classificationnoise resistancenoise-type sensitivity

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Auditory System Research
  • Signal Processing in Biology

Background:

  • Background noise significantly impairs auditory perception of speech and animal vocalizations.
  • Auditory neurons demonstrate remarkable ability to detect communication sounds amidst substantial background noise.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate neuronal responses to communication sounds in various background noise conditions across different levels of the auditory system.
  • To characterize the diversity of neuronal behaviors in noise and their distribution throughout the auditory pathway.

Main Methods:

  • Neuronal recordings were obtained from the cochlear nucleus (CN), inferior colliculus (IC), auditory thalamus, and auditory cortex in anesthetized guinea pigs.
  • Vocalizations were presented against stationary or chorus noise at three signal-to-noise ratios (-10, 0, and 10 dB).
  • Five distinct neuronal response categories in noise were identified and analyzed, with statistical validation using bootstrapping and supervised learning.

Main Results:

  • A continuum of neuronal behaviors in noise was observed, ranging from high-fidelity signal representation (prominent in IC and thalamus) to high-fidelity noise representation (prominent in CN).
  • Cortical areas showed less robust responses compared to the IC and thalamus.
  • A significant proportion of neurons (21-72%) switched response categories between stationary and chorus noise conditions.

Conclusions:

  • The auditory system exhibits diverse strategies for processing communication sounds in noise, with varying neuronal specializations across different structures.
  • Neuronal responses to noise are dynamic and can shift depending on the noise characteristics.
  • Predicting neuronal category assignment based on signal and noise responses alone has limitations, suggesting complex underlying mechanisms.