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Updated: Jul 20, 2025

The Power of Interstimulus Interval for the Assessment of Temporal Processing in Rodents

The Power of Interstimulus Interval for the Assessment of Temporal Processing in Rodents

Published on: April 19, 2019

Temporal integration of infrasound at threshold.

Björn Friedrich¹, Holger Joost², Thomas Fedtke²

¹Department of Experimental Audiology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.

|July 31, 2023

Summary

Infrasound detection thresholds in humans decrease with stimulus duration, a phenomenon known as temporal integration. Plateau bursts are detected more easily than multiple bursts, suggesting similar auditory mechanisms across frequency ranges.

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Area of Science:

Auditory Neuroscience
Acoustics
Psychoacoustics

Background:

Infrasound, defined as sound below 20 Hz, is audible at high sound pressure levels.
Previous research indicates elevated thresholds for infrasound compared to audible frequencies.
The influence of temporal parameters on infrasound perception requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of duration and temporal envelope shape on infrasound detection thresholds.
To compare detection thresholds for plateau bursts versus multiple bursts of infrasound.
To evaluate the applicability of existing temporal integration models to infrasound perception.

Main Methods:

Stimuli: Infrasound signals (below 20 Hz) with varying durations and two temporal envelope shapes (plateau and multiple bursts).
Participants: Human listeners.
Procedure: Monaural presentation via a low-distortion sound system to determine detection thresholds in quiet.

Main Results:

Infrasound detection thresholds decreased with increasing stimulus duration for both envelope types, demonstrating temporal integration.
Thresholds for plateau bursts were generally lower than for multiple bursts at equivalent durations.
A modified temporal integration model accurately described the observed data.

Conclusions:

Temporal integration mechanisms are similar for infrasound and classical audio frequencies.
The shape of the temporal envelope significantly affects infrasound detection thresholds.
The validated model can improve comparisons across studies on infrasound perception.