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Signal-to-Noise Ratio Effects Frontoparietal Network Lateralization: Electroencephalogram Evidence in Underwater
Mingkun Guo1, Jie Zhang1, Hongxing Liu1
1Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|October 3, 2025
Summary
Recognizing underwater sounds is harder in noise. Lower signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) increase brain activity related to attention and integration difficulty, impacting accuracy and reaction times.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Signal Processing
Background:
- Auditory target recognition in noise, especially underwater, is difficult.
- Low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) pose significant challenges for perception.
- Understanding the neural mechanisms is crucial for improving auditory detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the impact of varying SNR on psychophysiological processes during underwater auditory target recognition.
- Examine electroencephalogram (EEG) correlates of impaired auditory perception under noisy conditions.
- Identify neural markers associated with attentional demands and information integration.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an oddball paradigm with electroencephalogram (EEG) in 20 normal-hearing participants.
- Manipulated SNR levels to -0, -10, and -20 dB for auditory targets.
- Analyzed event-related potentials (N1, P2, P300), microstate dynamics, and spectral power (alpha, gamma bands).
Main Results:
- Reduced SNR significantly impaired N1-P2 components and altered P300 latency and amplitude, indicating higher attentional load.
- Microstate analysis revealed frontoparietal activation (300-400 ms) for attention and integration.
- Alpha-band activity correlated with reduced accuracy, while gamma-band changes reflected parietal network alterations and integration difficulty.
Conclusions:
- Lower SNR increases cognitive demands for auditory target recognition, affecting neural processing.
- Brain activity in alpha and gamma bands, particularly right-lateralized networks, is critical for processing auditory information in noise.
- Findings offer insights into the neural basis of auditory perception challenges in low SNR environments.
