Rebound depolarization in single units of the ventral cochlear nucleus: a contribution to grouping by common onset?

Effects of sequential streaming on auditory masking using psychoacoustics and auditory evoked potentials

The present study was aimed at investigating the relationship between the mismatch negativity (MMN) and psychoacoustical effects of sequential streaming on comodulation masking release (CMR). The influence of sequential streaming on CMR was investigated using a psychoacoustical alternative forced-choice procedure and electroencephalography (EEG) for the same group of subjects. The psychoacoustical data showed, that adding precursors comprising of only off-signal-frequency maskers abolished the CMR. Complementary EEG data showed an MMN irrespective of the masker envelope correlation across frequency when only the off-signal-frequency masker components were present. The addition of such precursors promotes a separation of the on- and off-frequency masker components into distinct auditory objects preventing the auditory system from using comodulation as an additional cue. A frequency-specific adaptation changing the representation of the flanking bands in the streaming conditions may also contribute to the reduction of CMR in the stream conditions, however, it is unlikely that adaptation is the primary reason for the streaming effect. A neurophysiological correlate of sequential streaming was found in EEG data using MMN, but the magnitude of the MMN was not correlated with the audibility of the signal in CMR experiments. Dipole source analysis indicated different cortical regions involved in processing auditory streaming and modulation detection. In particular, neural sources for processing auditory streaming include cortical regions involved in decision-making.

Mistuning detection and onset asynchrony in harmonic complexes in Mongolian gerbils

By applying a Go/NoGo paradigm, thresholds for detecting mistuning of components of a 200 Hz complex were determined in the Mongolian gerbil and compared with thresholds obtained in a previous study with an 800 Hz complex. Frequency difference limens (FDLs) for detecting mistuning decreased with increasing harmonic frequency and harmonic number (0.5% to 0.01% Weber fraction). It was furthermore examined how starting and ending the mistuned component earlier than the remaining complex affects the FDL (duration of all components 400 ms, time shift 30 to 500 ms). Large FDLs that are similar to pure tone FDLs (between 21% and 6.7%) were found for onset asynchronies of 300 ms and more, indicating separate processing of the mistuned component. Small FDLs that are similar to FDLs of the synchronous condition were found if the temporal overlap between the mistuned component and the remaining complex was 100 ms or more. These experimental data in combination with a simulation of processing of the harmonic complexes by the gerbil's peripheral auditory filters led to the conclusion that the phase and amplitude modulations in the filter outputs can provide cues that allow gerbils a sensitive detection of mistuning across a wide range of frequencies.