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Ye Y, Mattingly MM, Sunthimer MJ, Gay JD, Rosen MJ. Early-Life Stress Impairs Perception and Neural Encoding of Rapid Signals in the Auditory Pathway. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3232-3244. [PMID: 36973014 PMCID: PMC10162457 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1787-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
During developmental critical periods (CPs), early-life stress (ELS) induces cognitive deficits and alters neural circuitry in regions underlying learning, memory, and attention. Mechanisms underlying critical period plasticity are shared by sensory cortices and these higher neural regions, suggesting that sensory processing may also be vulnerable to ELS. In particular, the perception and auditory cortical (ACx) encoding of temporally-varying sounds both mature gradually, even into adolescence, providing an extended postnatal window of susceptibility. To examine the effects of ELS on temporal processing, we developed a model of ELS in the Mongolian gerbil, a well-established model for auditory processing. In both male and female animals, ELS induction impaired the behavioral detection of short gaps in sound, which are critical for speech perception. This was accompanied by reduced neural responses to gaps in auditory cortex, the auditory periphery, and auditory brainstem. ELS thus degrades the fidelity of sensory representations available to higher regions, and could contribute to well-known ELS-induced problems with cognition.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In children and animal models, early-life stress (ELS) leads to deficits in cognition, including problems with learning, memory, and attention. Such problems could arise in part from a low-fidelity representation of sensory information available to higher-level neural regions. Here, we demonstrate that ELS degrades sensory responses to rapid variations in sound at multiple levels of the auditory pathway, and concurrently impairs perception of these rapidly-varying sounds. As these sound variations are intrinsic to speech, ELS may thus pose a challenge to communication and cognition through impaired sensory encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ye
- Hearing Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, 44272
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
| | - Michelle M Mattingly
- Hearing Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, 44272
| | - Matthew J Sunthimer
- Hearing Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, 44272
| | - Jennifer D Gay
- Hearing Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, 44272
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901
| | - Merri J Rosen
- Hearing Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, 44272
- Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
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Jahn KN, Arenberg JG, Horn DL. Spectral Resolution Development in Children With Normal Hearing and With Cochlear Implants: A Review of Behavioral Studies. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:1646-1658. [PMID: 35201848 PMCID: PMC9499384 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-21-00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This review article provides a theoretical overview of the development of spectral resolution in children with normal hearing (cNH) and in those who use cochlear implants (CIs), with an emphasis on methodological considerations. The aim was to identify key directions for future research on spectral resolution development in children with CIs. METHOD A comprehensive literature review was conducted to summarize and synthesize previously published behavioral research on spectral resolution development in normal and impaired auditory systems. CONCLUSIONS In cNH, performance on spectral resolution tasks continues to improve through the teenage years and is likely driven by gradual maturation of across-channel intensity resolution. A small but growing body of evidence from children with CIs suggests a more complex relationship between spectral resolution development, patient demographics, and the quality of the CI electrode-neuron interface. Future research should aim to distinguish between the effects of patient-specific variables and the underlying physiology on spectral resolution abilities in children of all ages who are hard of hearing and use auditory prostheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly N. Jahn
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas
| | - Julie G. Arenberg
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston
| | - David L. Horn
- Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle
- Division of Otolaryngology, Seattle Children's Hospital, WA
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3
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Christensen AT, Shera CA, Abdala C. Extended low-frequency phase of the distortion-product otoacoustic emission in human newborns. JASA EXPRESS LETTERS 2021; 1:014404. [PMID: 33589887 PMCID: PMC7850017 DOI: 10.1121/10.0003192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
At constant f 2 / f 1 ratios, the phase of the nonlinear distortion component of the 2 f 1 - f 2 distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) has a steep low-frequency segment and a flat high-frequency segment in adults and newborns. In adults, recent work found that a third segment characterizes the phase at even lower frequencies. The present study tests whether the same is true of the newborn DPOAE phase. Newborn and adult phase curves are generally similar. However, as previously reported, phase-gradient delays at mid frequencies (the region of steepest phase slope) are 50% longer in newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders T Christensen
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
| | - Christopher A Shera
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA , ,
| | - Carolina Abdala
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
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4
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Porter HL, Leibold LJ, Buss E. Effects of Self-Generated Noise on Quiet Threshold by Transducer Type in School-Age Children and Adults. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2020; 63:2027-2033. [PMID: 32459139 PMCID: PMC7839026 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Low-frequency detection thresholds in quiet vary across transducers. This experiment tested the hypothesis that transducer effects are larger in young children than adults, due to higher levels of self-generated noise in children. Method Listeners were normal-hearing 4.6- to 11.7-year-olds and adults. Warble-tone detection was measured at 125, 250, 500, and 1000 Hz with a sound-field speaker, insert earphones, and supra-aural headphones. Probe microphone recordings measured self-generated noise levels. Results Thresholds were similar across ages for speaker measurements. Transducer effects were larger for children than adults, with mean child-adult threshold differences at 125 Hz of 3.4 dB (insert earphones) and 6.6 dB (supra-aural headphones). Age effects on threshold were broadly consistent with noise levels measured in the ear canal. Conclusions Self-generated noise appears to elevate children's low-frequency thresholds measured with occluding transducers. These effects could be particularly relevant to the diagnosis of minimal and mild hearing loss in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L. Porter
- Human Auditory Development Laboratory, Center for Hearing Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE
| | - Lori J. Leibold
- Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Emily Buss
- Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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5
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Bertsch M, Reuter C, Czedik-Eysenberg I, Berger A, Olischar M, Bartha-Doering L, Giordano V. The "Sound of Silence" in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-Listening to Speech and Music Inside an Incubator. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1055. [PMID: 32528386 PMCID: PMC7264369 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The intrauterine hearing experience differs from the extrauterine hearing exposure within a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting. Also, the listening experience of a neonate drastically differs from that of an adult. Several studies have documented that the sound level within a NICU exceeds the recommended threshold by far, possibly related to hearing loss thereafter. The aim of this study was, first, to precisely define the dynamics of sounds within an incubator and, second, to give clinicians and caregivers an idea about what can be heard “inside the box.” Methods: Audio recordings within an incubator were conducted at the Pediatric Simulation Center of the Medical University Vienna. They contained recorded music, speech, and synthesized sounds. To understand the dynamics of sounds around and within the incubator, the following stimuli were used: broadband noise with decreasing sound level in 10 steps of 6 dB, sine waves (62.5, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, and 16,000 Hz), logarithmic sweep (Chirp) over the frequency band 20 Hz to 21 kHz, singing male voice, singing, and whispering female voice. Results: Our results confirm a protective effect of the incubator from noises above 500 Hz in conditions of “no-flow” and show almost no protective effect of an incubator cover. We, furthermore, observed a strong boost of low frequencies below 125 Hz within the incubator, as well as a notable increase of higher frequency noises with open access doors, a significant resonant effect of the incubator, and a considerable masking effect of the respiratory support against any other source of noise or sound stimulation even for “low-flow” conditions. Conclusion: Our study reveals high noise levels of air supply at high flow rates and the boost of low frequencies within the incubator. Education of medical staff and family members as well as modifications of the physical environment should aim at reducing noise exposure of preterm infants in the incubator. Audiovisual material is provided as Supplementary Material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Bertsch
- Department of Music Physiology, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Angelika Berger
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Olischar
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bartha-Doering
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vito Giordano
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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6
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Roberts B, Neitzel RL. Noise exposure limit for children in recreational settings: Review of available evidence. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 146:3922. [PMID: 31795717 DOI: 10.1121/1.5132540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
It is universally recognized that prolonged exposure to high levels of non-impulsive noise will lead to noise-induced hearing loss. These high levels of noise have traditionally been found in an occupational setting, but exposure to high levels of noise is increasingly common in recreational settings. There is currently no established acceptable risk of hearing loss in children. This review assumed that the most appropriate exposure limit for recreational noise exposure in children would be developed to protect 99% of children from hearing loss exceeding 5 dB at the 4 kHz audiometric test frequency after 18 years of noise exposure. Using the ISO 1999:2013 model for predicting hearing loss, it was estimated that noise exposure equivalent to an 8-h average exposure (LEX) of 82 dBA would result in about 4.2 dB or less of hearing loss in 99% of children after 18 years of exposure. The 8-h LEX was reduced to 80 dB to include a 2 dB margin of safety. This 8-h LEX of 80 dBA is estimated to result in 2.1 dB or less of hearing loss in 99% of children after 18 years of exposure. This is equivalent to 75 dBA as a 24-h equivalent continuous average sound level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Roberts
- Cardno ChemRisk, 30 North LaSalle Suite 3910, Chicago, Illinois 60602, USA
| | - Richard L Neitzel
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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Mattsson TS, Lind O, Follestad T, Grøndahl K, Wilson W, Nordgård S. Contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions in a clinical sample of children with auditory processing disorder. Int J Audiol 2019; 58:301-310. [DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2019.1570358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tone Stokkereit Mattsson
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ålesund Hospital, Ålesund, Norway
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ola Lind
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Turid Follestad
- Department of Public Health and General Practice, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kjell Grøndahl
- Department of Clinical Engineering, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Wayne Wilson
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ståle Nordgård
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
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8
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Abdala C, Luo P, Guardia Y. Swept-Tone Stimulus-Frequency Otoacoustic Emissions in Human Newborns. Trends Hear 2019; 23:2331216519889226. [PMID: 31789131 PMCID: PMC6887807 DOI: 10.1177/2331216519889226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several types of otoacoustic emissions have been characterized in newborns to study the maturational status of the cochlea at birth and to develop effective tests of hearing. The stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emission (SFOAE), a reflection-type emission elicited with a single low-level pure tone, is the least studied of these emissions and has not been comprehensively characterized in human newborns. The SFOAE has been linked to cochlear tuning and is sensitive to disruptions in cochlear gain (i.e., hearing loss) in adult subjects. In this study, we characterize SFOAEs evoked with rapidly sweeping tones in human neonates and consider the implications of our findings for human cochlear maturation. SFOAEs were measured in 29 term newborns within 72 hr of birth using swept tones presented at 2 oct/s across a four-octave frequency range (0.5–8 kHz); 20 normal-hearing young adults served as a control group. The prevalence of SFOAEs in newborns was as high as 90% (depending on how response “presence” was defined). Evidence of probe-tip leakage and abnormal ear-canal energy reflectance was observed in those ears with absent or unmeasurable SFOAEs. Results in the group of newborns with present stimulus-frequency emissions indicate that neonatal swept-tone SFOAEs are adult-like in morphology but have slightly higher amplitude compared with adults and longer SFOAE group delays. The origin of these nonadult-like features is probably mixed, including contributions from both conductive (ear canal and middle ear) and cochlear immaturities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Abdala
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, Auditory Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ping Luo
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, Auditory Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yeini Guardia
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, Auditory Research Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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9
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Shope TR, Chen CP, Liu H, Shaikh N. Randomized Trial of Irrigation and Curetting for Cerumen Removal in Young Children. Front Pediatr 2019; 7:216. [PMID: 31245333 PMCID: PMC6563688 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2019.00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: To gather preliminary data on the effectiveness and feasibility of cerumen removal using three irrigation methods and a metal curette in young children. Study design: Pilot study conducted as a randomized clinical trial of well and ill children age 6 months to 6 years with ≥25% cerumen occlusion in at least one ear. Children were stratified by age and randomized to one of four methods of cerumen removal: syringe with attached angiocath tubing, Elephant Ear Washer Bottle System®, OtoClear® Spray Wash Kit, or metal curette. Clinicians, blinded from treatment assignment, assessed the degree of cerumen occlusion before and after the procedure. Outcomes included reduction in cerumen occlusion, successful removal, time until completion and parental satisfaction. Rules for stopping procedures were established a priori. Results: Thirty-eight children underwent procedures (59 ears). There were no significant differences in reduction in cerumen and successful removal among the methods. Overall, 36 (61%) of 59 of procedures were successful. The syringe with angiocath tubing took the most time (P = 0.04) and resulted in the most stopped procedures (P < 0.01). Parental satisfaction scores were not significantly different. Conclusions: Irrigation methods performed comparably to cerumen removal with curette; the SA method had drawbacks. Irrigation can be performed by non-clinicians, which is potentially a significant advantage. (Clinical trial registration: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN74402562).
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R Shope
- Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Cathy P Chen
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Hui Liu
- Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Nader Shaikh
- Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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10
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Dahroug B, Tamadazte B, Weber S, Tavernier L, Andreff N. Review on Otological Robotic Systems: Toward Microrobot-Assisted Cholesteatoma Surgery. IEEE Rev Biomed Eng 2018; 11:125-142. [PMID: 29994589 DOI: 10.1109/rbme.2018.2810605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Otologic surgical procedures over time have become minimally invasive due to the development of medicine, microtechniques, and robotics. This trend then provides an expected reduction in the patient's recovery time and improvement in the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment. One of the most challenging difficulties that such techniques face are precise control of the instrument and supply of an ergonomic system to the surgeon. The objective of this literature review is to present requirements and guidelines for a surgical robotic system dedicated to middle ear surgery. This review is particularly focused on cholesteatoma surgery (diagnosis and surgical tools), which is one of the most frequent pathologies that urge for an enhanced treatment. This review also presents the current robotic systems that are implemented for otologic applications.
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11
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The eardrums move when the eyes move: A multisensory effect on the mechanics of hearing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E1309-E1318. [PMID: 29363603 PMCID: PMC5819440 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717948115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The peripheral hearing system contains several motor mechanisms that allow the brain to modify the auditory transduction process. Movements or tensioning of either the middle ear muscles or the outer hair cells modifies eardrum motion, producing sounds that can be detected by a microphone placed in the ear canal (e.g., as otoacoustic emissions). Here, we report a form of eardrum motion produced by the brain via these systems: oscillations synchronized with and covarying with the direction and amplitude of saccades. These observations suggest that a vision-related process modulates the first stage of hearing. In particular, these eye movement-related eardrum oscillations may help the brain connect sights and sounds despite changes in the spatial relationship between the eyes and the ears. Interactions between sensory pathways such as the visual and auditory systems are known to occur in the brain, but where they first occur is uncertain. Here, we show a multimodal interaction evident at the eardrum. Ear canal microphone measurements in humans (n = 19 ears in 16 subjects) and monkeys (n = 5 ears in three subjects) performing a saccadic eye movement task to visual targets indicated that the eardrum moves in conjunction with the eye movement. The eardrum motion was oscillatory and began as early as 10 ms before saccade onset in humans or with saccade onset in monkeys. These eardrum movements, which we dub eye movement-related eardrum oscillations (EMREOs), occurred in the absence of a sound stimulus. The amplitude and phase of the EMREOs depended on the direction and horizontal amplitude of the saccade. They lasted throughout the saccade and well into subsequent periods of steady fixation. We discuss the possibility that the mechanisms underlying EMREOs create eye movement-related binaural cues that may aid the brain in evaluating the relationship between visual and auditory stimulus locations as the eyes move.
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12
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Motallebzadeh H, Maftoon N, Pitaro J, Funnell WRJ, Daniel SJ. Fluid-Structure Finite-Element Modelling and Clinical Measurement of the Wideband Acoustic Input Admittance of the Newborn Ear Canal and Middle Ear. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2017; 18:671-686. [PMID: 28721606 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-017-0630-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The anatomical differences between the newborn ear and the adult one result in different input admittance responses in newborns than those in adults. Taking into account fluid-structure interactions, we have developed a finite-element model to investigate the wideband admittance responses of the ear canal and middle ear in newborns for frequencies up to 10 kHz. We have also performed admittance measurements on a group of 23 infants with ages between 14 and 28 days, for frequencies from 250 to 8000 Hz with 1/12-octave resolution. Sensitivity analyses of the model were performed to investigate the contributions of the ear canal and middle ear to the overall admittance responses, as well as the effects of the material parameters, measurement location and geometrical variability. The model was validated by comparison with our new data and with data from the literature. The model provides a quantitative understanding of the canal and middle-ear resonances around 500 and 1800 Hz, respectively, and also predicts the effects of the first resonance mode of the middle-ear cavity (around 6 kHz) as well as the first and second standing-wave modes in the ear canal (around 7.2 and 9.6 kHz, respectively), which may explain features seen in our high-frequency-resolution clinical measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Motallebzadeh
- Department of BioMedical Engineering, McGill University, 3775 rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Nima Maftoon
- Department of BioMedical Engineering, McGill University, 3775 rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Jacob Pitaro
- Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - W Robert J Funnell
- Department of BioMedical Engineering, McGill University, 3775 rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
- Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Sam J Daniel
- Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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13
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Abdala C, Luo P, Shera CA. Characterizing spontaneous otoacoustic emissions across the human lifespan. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 141:1874. [PMID: 28372113 PMCID: PMC5848845 DOI: 10.1121/1.4977192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study characterizes 1571 archival and newly acquired spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) from 632 human subjects with ages ranging from premature birth through the seventh decade of life. Automated detection and Lorentzian modeling were applied to identify SOAEs and characterize SOAE features throughout the human lifespan. Results confirm higher-level, higher-frequency, and more numerous SOAEs from neonates compared to young adults. Approximately 85% of newborns have measurable SOAEs as compared to 51%-68% for young adults. Newborn SOAEs are also an average of 5 to 6 dB higher in level than those from young-adult ears. These age differences may reflect immature ear-canal acoustics and/or the pristine condition of the neonatal cochlea. In addition, newborns as a group showed broader SOAE bandwidth and increased frequency jitter, possibly due to higher intracochlear noise; additionally, 22% of newborn SOAEs had a different, non-Lorentzian spectral shape. Aging effects were also observed: 40% of elderly ears had SOAEs, and these were greatly reduced in level, likely due to lower power gain in the aging cochlea. For all ages, SOAE bandwidths decreased with frequency in a way that mirrors the frequency dependence of stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emission delays as predicted by the standing-wave model of SOAE generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Abdala
- Auditory Research Center, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, 1640 Marengo Street, Suite 326, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
| | - Ping Luo
- Auditory Research Center, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, 1640 Marengo Street, Suite 326, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
| | - Christopher A Shera
- Auditory Research Center, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, 1640 Marengo Street, Suite 326, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
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14
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Leibold LJ, Buss E. Factors responsible for remote-frequency masking in children and adults. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 140:4367. [PMID: 28040030 PMCID: PMC5392082 DOI: 10.1121/1.4971780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Susceptibility to remote-frequency masking in children and adults was evaluated with respect to three stimulus features: (1) masker bandwidth, (2) spectral separation of the signal and masker, and (3) gated versus continuous masker presentation. Listeners were 4- to 6-year-olds, 7- to 10-year-olds, and adults. Detection thresholds for a 500-ms, 2000-Hz signal were estimated in quiet or presented with a band of noise in one of four frequency regions: 425-500 Hz, 4000-4075 Hz, 8000-8075 Hz, or 4000-10 000 Hz. In experiment 1, maskers were gated on in each 500-ms interval of a three-interval, forced-choice adaptive procedure. Masking was observed for all ages in all maskers, but the greatest masking was observed for the 4000-4075 Hz masker. These findings suggest that signal/masker spectral proximity plays an important role in remote-frequency masking, even when peripheral excitation associated with the signal and masker does not overlap. Younger children tended to have more masking than older children or adults, consistent with a reduced ability to segregate simultaneous sounds and/or listen in a frequency-selective manner. In experiment 2, detection thresholds were estimated in the same noises, but maskers were presented continuously. Masking was reduced for all ages relative to gated conditions, suggesting improved segregation and/or frequency-selective listening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori J Leibold
- Center for Hearing Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA
| | - Emily Buss
- Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
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Wang X, Keefe DH, Gan RZ. Predictions of middle-ear and passive cochlear mechanics using a finite element model of the pediatric ear. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 139:1735. [PMID: 27106321 PMCID: PMC4833734 DOI: 10.1121/1.4944949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A finite element (FE) model was developed based on histological sections of a temporal bone of a 4-year-old child to simulate middle-ear and cochlear function in ears with normal hearing and otitis media. This pediatric model of the normal ear, consisting of an ear canal, middle ear, and spiral cochlea, was first validated with published energy absorbance (EA) measurements in young children with normal ears. The model was used to simulate EA in an ear with middle-ear effusion, whose results were compared to clinical EA measurements. The spiral cochlea component of the model was constructed under the assumption that the mechanics were passive. The FE model predicted middle-ear transfer functions between the ear canal and cochlea. Effects of ear structure and mechanical properties of soft tissues were compared in model predictions for the pediatric and adult ears. EA responses are predicted to differ between adult and pediatric ears due to differences in the stiffness and damping of soft tissues within the ear, and any residual geometrical differences between the adult ear and pediatric ear at age 4 years. The results have significance for predicting effects of otitis media in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuelin Wang
- School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Douglas H Keefe
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA
| | - Rong Z Gan
- School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
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16
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Irurtzun A. The "Globularization Hypothesis" of the Language-ready Brain as a Developmental Frame for Prosodic Bootstrapping Theories of Language Acquisition. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1817. [PMID: 26696916 PMCID: PMC4673306 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent research (Boeckx and Benítez-Burraco, 2014a,b) have advanced the hypothesis that our species-specific language-ready brain should be understood as the outcome of developmental changes that occurred in our species after the split from Neanderthals-Denisovans, which resulted in a more globular braincase configuration in comparison to our closest relatives, who had elongated endocasts. According to these authors, the development of a globular brain is an essential ingredient for the language faculty and in particular, it is the centrality occupied by the thalamus in a globular brain that allows its modulatory or regulatory role, essential for syntactico-semantic computations. Their hypothesis is that the syntactico-semantic capacities arise in humans as a consequence of a process of globularization, which significantly takes place postnatally (cf. Neubauer et al., 2010). In this paper, I show that Boeckx and Benítez-Burraco's hypothesis makes an interesting developmental prediction regarding the path of language acquisition: it teases apart the onset of phonological acquisition and the onset of syntactic acquisition (the latter starting significantly later, after globularization). I argue that this hypothesis provides a developmental rationale for the prosodic bootstrapping hypothesis of language acquisition (cf. i.a. Gleitman and Wanner, 1982; Mehler et al., 1988, et seq.; Gervain and Werker, 2013), which claim that prosodic cues are employed for syntactic parsing. The literature converges in the observation that a large amount of such prosodic cues (in particular, rhythmic cues) are already acquired before the completion of the globularization phase, which paves the way for the premises of the prosodic bootstrapping hypothesis, allowing babies to have a rich knowledge of the prosody of their target language before they can start parsing the primary linguistic data syntactically.
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Abdala C, Luo P, Shera CA. Optimizing swept-tone protocols for recording distortion-product otoacoustic emissions in adults and newborns. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 138:3785-99. [PMID: 26723333 PMCID: PMC4691260 DOI: 10.1121/1.4937611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), which are routinely used in the audiology clinic and research laboratory, are conventionally recorded with discrete tones presented sequentially across frequency. However, a more efficient technique sweeps tones smoothly across frequency and applies a least-squares-fitting (LSF) procedure to compute estimates of otoacoustic emission phase and amplitude. In this study, the optimal parameters (i.e., sweep rate and duration of the LSF analysis window) required to record and analyze swept-tone DPOAEs were tested and defined in 15 adults and 10 newborns. Results indicate that optimal recording of swept-tone DPOAEs requires use of an appropriate analysis bandwidth, defined as the range of frequencies included in each least squares fit model. To achieve this, the rate at which the tones are swept and the length of the LSF analysis window must be carefully considered and changed in concert. Additionally, the optimal analysis bandwidth must be adjusted to accommodate frequency-dependent latency shifts in the reflection-component of the DPOAE. Parametric guidelines established here are equally applicable to adults and newborns. However, elevated noise during newborn swept-tone DPOAE recordings warrants protocol adaptations to improve signal-to-noise ratio and response quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Abdala
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
| | - Ping Luo
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
| | - Christopher A Shera
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
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Park MH, Won JH, Horn DL, Rubinstein JT. Acoustic temporal modulation detection in normal-hearing and cochlear implanted listeners: effects of hearing mechanism and development. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2015; 16:389-99. [PMID: 25790949 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-014-0499-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal modulation detection ability matures over many years after birth and may be particularly sensitive to experience during this period. Profound hearing loss during early childhood might result in greater perceptual deficits than a similar loss beginning in adulthood. We tested this idea by measuring performance in temporal modulation detection in profoundly deaf children and adults fitted with cochlear implants (CIs). At least two independent variables could constrain temporal modulation detection performance in children with CIs: altered encoding of modulation information due to the CI-auditory nerve interface, and atypical development of central processing of sound information provided by CIs. The effect of altered encoding was investigated by testing subjects with one of two different hearing mechanisms (normal hearing vs. CI) and the effect of atypical development was studied by testing two different age groups. All subjects were tested for their ability to detect acoustic temporal modulations of sound amplitude. A comparison of the slope, or cutoff frequency, of the temporal modulation transfer functions (TMTFs) among the four subject groups revealed that temporal resolution was mainly constrained by hearing mechanism: normal-hearing listeners could detect smaller amplitude modulations at high modulation frequencies than CI users. In contrast, a comparison of the height of the TMTFs revealed a significant interaction between hearing mechanism and age group on overall sensitivity to temporal modulation: sensitivity was significantly poorer in children with CIs, relative to the other three groups. Results suggest that there is an age-specific vulnerability of intensity discrimination or non-sensory factors, which subsequently affects sensitivity to temporal modulation in prelingually deaf children who use CIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Hyun Park
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Boramae Medical Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government - Seoul National University, Seoul, 156-707, Korea
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Kalluri R, Abdala C. Stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions in human newborns. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 137:EL78-84. [PMID: 25618103 PMCID: PMC4272386 DOI: 10.1121/1.4903915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
This study presents the first reported measurements of stimulus frequency emissions (SFOAEs) in 15 human newborns and compares their magnitudes and phase-gradient delays to those reported in adults. SFOAEs in newborns were measured at stimulus levels as low as 15 dB sound pressure level (SPL). Responses were compared between adults and newborns at stimulus levels where SFOAEs in both age groups demonstrated approximately linear growth (<40 dB SPL for newborns, <25 dB SPL for adults). Neonates had adult-like SFOAE delays when compared in this fashion, which compensates for newborn middle ear inefficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radha Kalluri
- House Research Institute, Department of Communication and Auditory Neuroscience, 2100 West Third Street, Los Angeles, California 90057 ,
| | - Carolina Abdala
- House Research Institute, Department of Communication and Auditory Neuroscience, 2100 West Third Street, Los Angeles, California 90057 ,
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20
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Abdala C, Guérit F, Luo P, Shera CA. Distortion-product otoacoustic emission reflection-component delays and cochlear tuning: estimates from across the human lifespan. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014; 135:1950-8. [PMID: 25234993 PMCID: PMC4167749 DOI: 10.1121/1.4868357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
A consistent relationship between reflection-emission delay and cochlear tuning has been demonstrated in a variety of mammalian species, as predicted by filter theory and models of otoacoustic emission (OAE) generation. As a step toward the goal of studying cochlear tuning throughout the human lifespan, this paper exploits the relationship and explores two strategies for estimating delay trends-energy weighting and peak picking-both of which emphasize data at the peaks of the magnitude fine structure. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) at 2f1-f2 were recorded, and their reflection components were extracted in 184 subjects ranging in age from prematurely born neonates to elderly adults. DPOAEs were measured from 0.5-4 kHz in all age groups and extended to 8 kHz in young adults. Delay trends were effectively estimated using either energy weighting or peak picking, with the former method yielding slightly shorter delays and the latter somewhat smaller confidence intervals. Delay and tuning estimates from young adults roughly match those obtained from SFOAEs. Although the match is imperfect, reflection-component delays showed the expected bend (apical-basal transition) near 1 kHz, consistent with a break in cochlear scaling. Consistent with other measures of tuning, the term newborn group showed the longest delays and sharpest tuning over much of the frequency range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Abdala
- Division of Communication and Auditory Neuroscience, House Research Institute, 2100 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, California 90057
| | - François Guérit
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ping Luo
- Division of Communication and Auditory Neuroscience, House Research Institute, 2100 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, California 90057
| | - Christopher A Shera
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
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Sanes DH, Woolley SMN. A behavioral framework to guide research on central auditory development and plasticity. Neuron 2011; 72:912-29. [PMID: 22196328 PMCID: PMC3244881 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2011] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The auditory CNS is influenced profoundly by sounds heard during development. Auditory deprivation and augmented sound exposure can each perturb the maturation of neural computations as well as their underlying synaptic properties. However, we have learned little about the emergence of perceptual skills in these same model systems, and especially how perception is influenced by early acoustic experience. Here, we argue that developmental studies must take greater advantage of behavioral benchmarks. We discuss quantitative measures of perceptual development and suggest how they can play a much larger role in guiding experimental design. Most importantly, including behavioral measures will allow us to establish empirical connections among environment, neural development, and perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan H Sanes
- Center for Neural Science, 4 Washington Place, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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