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Vélez A, Sandoval SM. Size matters: individual variation in auditory sensitivity may influence sexual selection in Pacific treefrogs (Pseudacris regilla). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024; 210:771-784. [PMID: 38367051 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-024-01690-w] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
The matched filter hypothesis proposes a close match between senders and receivers and is supported by several studies on variation in signal properties and sensory-processing mechanisms among species and populations. Importantly, within populations, individual variation in sensory processing may affect how receivers perceive signals. Our main goals were to characterize hearing sensitivity of Pacific treefrogs (Pseudacris regilla), assess patterns of individual variation in hearing sensitivity, and evaluate how among-individual variation in hearing sensitivity and call frequency content affect auditory processing of communication signals. Overall, males and females are most sensitive to frequencies between 2.0 and 2.5 kHz, which matches the dominant frequency of the call, and have a second region of high sensitivity between 400 and 800 Hz that does not match the fundamental frequency of the call. We found high levels of among-individual variation in hearing sensitivity, primarily driven by subject size. Importantly, patterns of among-individual variation in hearing differ between males and females. Cross-correlation analyses reveal that among-individual variation in hearing sensitivity may lead to differences on how receivers, particularly females, perceive male calls. Our results suggest that individual variation in sensory processing may affect signal perception and influence the evolution of sexually selected traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Vélez
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA.
| | - Sam Moreno Sandoval
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
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2
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Vetere A, Camera ND, Cococcetta C, Paoletti C, Dondi M, Biaggi F, Ianni FD. Case report: Evaluation of head trauma in a tawny owl ( Strix aluco) with advanced imaging diagnostic, FVEP and BAER test. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1439432. [PMID: 39239386 PMCID: PMC11374603 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1439432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
An adult pet tawny owl (Strix aluco) presented to a veterinary hospital at Parma University with a history of head trauma. After a critical care protocol including thermal, oxygen and fluid support aimed at stabilizing the patient, a neurological examination was performed. During neurological evaluation, marked lethargy and an inability to rise from a recumbent position was noted. Anisocoria was also present, with a mydriatic left pupil exhibiting no pupillary light response (PLR) even on direct illumination of both eyes. On ocular fundus examination, retinal hemorrhage and retinal detachment were observed. Based on these clinical findings, a complete work-up was performed, including hematological exams and total body X-ray studies followed by a computed tomography (CT) scan. Additional examinations, such as brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) measurement and flash visual evoked potential (FVEP) recording, were performed. FVEP measurements performed on the left eye exhibited no peaks in either series of stimulations, indicating an altered functional integration within the visual pathway. A CT scan revealed a large hypoattenuating lesion within the right cerebral hemisphere, suspected to be intraparenchymal edema. The BAER test demonstrated an altered trace consistent with brainstem involvement and left hypoacusis due to cranial nerve VIII deficiency. Head trauma can result in significant neurological impairments in birds, impacting their behavior, mobility, and cognitive abilities. FVEP recordings, BAER tests and CT scans may be useful diagnostic tools in clinical practice. Understanding the causes and neurologic presentation of avian traumas is essential for effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment of affected birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Vetere
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università Degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Ciro Cococcetta
- Department of Exotic Animals, Centre Hospitalier Vétérinaire Saint-Martin, Allonzier-la-Caille, France
| | - Carlo Paoletti
- Department of Exotic Animals, Centre Hospitalier Vétérinaire ADVETIA, Vélizy-Villacoublay, France
| | - Maurizio Dondi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università Degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Fabio Biaggi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università Degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Ianni
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università Degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy
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Wang T, Yang J, Lei J, Huang J, Shi H, Wang J. Peripheral hearing sensitivity is similar between the sexes in a benthic turtle species despite the larger body size of males. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70130. [PMID: 39130099 PMCID: PMC11310098 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity has evolved in many vertebrate species, and the sex with a larger body size typically shows more sensitive hearing. However, generalizing this association is controversial. Research on sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity contributes to an understanding of auditory sense functions, adaptations, and evolution among species. Therefore, the hypothesized association between body size and hearing needs further validation, especially in specific animal groups. In this study, we assessed hearing sensitivity by measuring auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) in both sexes of 3-year-old Chinese softshell turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis). In this species, male bodies are larger than those of female, and individuals spend most of their lives in the mud at the bottom of freshwater habitats. We found that for both sexes, the hearing sensitivity bandwidth was 0.2-0.9 kHz. Although males were significantly larger than females, no significant differences in ABR thresholds or latencies were found between males and females at the same stimulus frequency. These results indicate that P. sinensis hearing is only sensitive to low-frequency (typically <0.9 kHz) sound signals and that sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity is not a trait that has evolved in P. sinensis. Physiological and environmental reasons may account for P. sinensis acoustic communication via low-frequency sound signals and the lack of sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity in these benthic turtles. The results of this study refine our understanding of the adaptation and evolution of the vertebrate auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongliang Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Jinxia Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Jinhong Lei
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Jingdeng Huang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Haitao Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
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Wei C, Erbe C. Sound reception and hearing capabilities in the Little Penguin ( Eudyptula minor): first predicted in-air and underwater audiograms. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240593. [PMID: 39205992 PMCID: PMC11349431 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Despite increasing concern about the effects of anthropogenic noise on marine fauna, relevant research is limited, particularly in those inaccessible species, such as the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor). In this study, we collected freshly deceased Little Penguins for dissection and micro-computed tomography (microCT) scans. The head structures, including the ear apparatus, were reconstructed based on high-resolution imaging data for the species. Moreover, three-dimensional finite-element models were built based on microCT data to simulate the sound reception processes and ear responses to the incident planar waves at the selected frequencies. The received sound pressure fields and motion (i.e. displacement and velocity) of the internal ear-related structures were modelled. The synergistic response of ear components to incident aerial and underwater sounds was computed to predict the hearing capabilities of the Little Penguins across a broad frequency range (100 Hz-10 kHz), both in air and under water. Our predicted data showed good agreement with other diving birds in both the form and range of auditory sensitivity. This study demonstrates a promising method to study hearing in other inaccessible animals. The outputs from this study can inform noise impact mitigation and conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Wei
- Centre for Marine Science & Technology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia6845, Australia
| | - Christine Erbe
- Centre for Marine Science & Technology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia6845, Australia
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Capshaw G, Diebold CA, Adams DM, Rayner J, Wilkinson GS, Moss CF, Lauer AM. Resistance to age-related hearing loss in the echolocating big brown bat ( Eptesicus fuscus ). BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.15.603592. [PMID: 39071368 PMCID: PMC11275774 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.15.603592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Hearing mediates many behaviors critical for survival in echolocating bats, including foraging and navigation. Most mammals are susceptible to progressive age-related hearing loss; however, the evolution of biosonar, which requires the ability to hear low-intensity echoes from outgoing sonar signals, may have selected against the development of hearing deficits in echolocating bats. Although many echolocating bats exhibit exceptional longevity and rely on acoustic behaviors for survival to old age, relatively little is known about the aging bat auditory system. In this study, we used DNA methylation to estimate the ages of wild-caught big brown bats ( Eptesicus fuscus ) and measured hearing sensitivity in young and aging bats using auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). We found no evidence for hearing deficits in aging bats, demonstrated by comparable thresholds and similar ABR wave and DPOAE amplitudes across age groups. We additionally found no significant histological evidence for cochlear aging, with similar hair cell counts, afferent, and efferent innervation patterns in young and aging bats. Here we demonstrate that big brown bats show minimal evidence for age-related loss of peripheral hearing sensitivity and therefore represent informative models for investigating mechanisms that may preserve hearing function over a long lifetime.
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Trumpp KM, Mayer J, Roman CE, Kent M. Hearing Assessment of Free-Ranging Owls and Implications for Wildlife Rehabilitation: 31 Cases (2014-2023). J Avian Med Surg 2024; 38:75-82. [PMID: 38980816 DOI: 10.1647/avianms-d-23-00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Owls, members of the avian order Strigiformes, are nocturnal birds of prey that are found worldwide except for Antarctica. Traumatized, free-ranging owls are commonly presented to veterinary hospitals and wildlife rehabilitation facilities with the goal of providing medical care and rehabilitation to enable release back into their natural habitat. Minimal guidelines exist for the release of wildlife, and whereas a need for functional vision is described in raptors, assessing and evaluating hearing is usually not mentioned. This can be problematic for nocturnal predators because hearing is the primary sense utilized by owls when hunting and navigating in their dark environment. The brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) test is a minimally invasive, objective assessment of hearing commonly used in companion animals. To the authors' knowledge, routine or standardized BAER evaluation has not been reported in traumatized, free-ranging owls. In the following retrospective study, 31 free-ranging owls presented to the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital for known or suspected trauma or being found in a debilitated state underwent BAER testing to assess for the presence of complete sensorineural hearing loss. Similar to assessment of hearing in companion animals, the BAER test was elicited using a broad click stimulus delivered at 85 dB nHL. In all owls, qualitative assessment and peak latency measurements of the BAER test reflected hearing ability. This study highlights the importance of hearing in nocturnal raptors, how BAER testing can aid in decision making regarding rehabilitation, and provides a foundation for further investigation of hearing loss in traumatized owls. We suggest that veterinarians working with free-ranging owls in a rehabilitation setting should consider BAER testing as part of routine diagnostic testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M Trumpp
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, GA 30602, USA,
| | - Joerg Mayer
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, GA 30602, USA
| | | | - Marc Kent
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, GA 30602, USA
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Ordiway G, McDonnell M, Sanchez JT. Revisiting the Chicken Auditory Brainstem Response: Frequency Specificity, Threshold Sensitivity, and Cross Species Comparison. Neurosci Insights 2024; 19:26331055241228308. [PMID: 38304551 PMCID: PMC10832403 DOI: 10.1177/26331055241228308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is important for both clinical and basic auditory research. It is a non-invasive measure of hearing function with millisecond-level precision. The ABR can not only measure the synchrony, speed, and efficacy of auditory physiology but also detect different modalities of hearing pathology and hearing loss. ABRs are easily acquired in vertebrate animal models like reptiles, birds, and mammals, and complement existing molecular, developmental, and systems-level research. One such model system is the chicken; an excellent animal for studying auditory development, structure, and function. However, the ABR for chickens was last reported nearly 4 decades ago. The current study examines how decades of ABR characterization in other animal species support findings from the chicken ABR. We replicated and expanded on previous research using 43 chicken hatchlings 1- and 2-day post-hatch. We report that click-evoked chicken ABRs presented with a peak waveform morphology, amplitude, and latency like previous avian studies. Tone-evoked ABRs were found for frequencies from 250 to 4000 Hertz (Hz) and exhibited a range of best sensitivity between 750 and 2000 Hz. Objective click-evoked and tone-evoked ABR thresholds were comparable to subjective thresholds. With these revisited measurements, the chicken ABR still proves to be an excellent example of precocious avian development that complements decades of molecular, neuronal, and systems-level research in the same model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Ordiway
- Roxelyn and Richard Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Central Auditory Physiology Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Miranda McDonnell
- Roxelyn and Richard Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Central Auditory Physiology Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jason Tait Sanchez
- Roxelyn and Richard Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Central Auditory Physiology Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Knowles Hearing Research Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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8
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Wang Y, Abrams KS, Youngman M, Henry KS. Histological Correlates of Auditory Nerve Injury from Kainic Acid in the Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2023; 24:473-485. [PMID: 37798548 PMCID: PMC10695905 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-023-00910-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Loss of auditory nerve afferent synapses with cochlear hair cells, called cochlear synaptopathy, is a common pathology in humans caused by aging and noise overexposure. The perceptual consequences of synaptopathy in isolation from other cochlear pathologies are still unclear. Animal models provide an effective approach to resolve uncertainty regarding the physiological and perceptual consequences of auditory nerve loss, because neural lesions can be induced and readily quantified. The budgerigar, a parakeet species, has recently emerged as an animal model for synaptopathy studies based on its capacity for vocal learning and ability to behaviorally discriminate simple and complex sounds with acuity similar to humans. Kainic acid infusions in the budgerigar produce a profound reduction of compound auditory nerve responses, including wave I of the auditory brainstem response, without impacting physiological hair cell measures. These results suggest selective auditory nerve damage. However, histological correlates of neural injury from kainic acid are still lacking. METHODS We quantified the histological effects caused by intracochlear infusion of kainic acid (1 mM; 2.5 µL), and evaluated correlations between the histological and physiological assessments of auditory nerve status. RESULTS Kainic acid infusion in budgerigars produced pronounced loss of neural auditory nerve soma (60% on average) in the cochlear ganglion, and of peripheral axons, at time points 2 or more months following injury. The hair cell epithelium was unaffected by kainic acid. Neural loss was significantly correlated with reduction of compound auditory nerve responses and auditory brainstem response wave I. CONCLUSION Compound auditory nerve responses and wave I provide a useful index of cochlear synaptopathy in this animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingxuan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Kristina S Abrams
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Margaret Youngman
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Kenneth S Henry
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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Zeyl JN, Snelling EP, Joo R, Clusella-Trullas S. Scaling of ear morphology across 127 bird species and its implications for hearing performance. Hear Res 2023; 428:108679. [PMID: 36587457 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The dimensions of auditory structures among animals of varying body size can have implications for hearing performance. Larger animals often have a hearing range focused on lower frequencies than smaller animals, which may be explained by several anatomical mechanisms in the ear and their scaling relationships. While the effect of size on ear morphology and hearing performance has been explored in some mammals, anurans and lizards, much less is known about the scaling relationships for the single-ossicle, internally-coupled ears of birds. Using micro- and nano-CT scans of the tympanic middle and inner ears of 127 ecologically and phylogenetically diverse bird species, spanning more than 400-fold in head mass (2.3 to 950 g), we undertook phylogenetically-informed scaling analyses to test whether 12 morphological traits, of functional importance to hearing, maintain their relative proportions with increasing head mass. We then extended our analysis by regressing these morphological traits with measures of hearing sensitivity and range to better understand morphological underpinnings of hearing performance. We find that most auditory structures scale together in equal proportions, whereas columella length increases disproportionately. We also find that the size of several auditory structures is associated with increased hearing sensitivity and frequency hearing limits, while head mass did not explain these measures. Although both birds and mammals demonstrate proportional scaling between auditory structures, the consequences for hearing in each group may diverge due to unique morphological predictors of auditory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey N Zeyl
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
| | - Edward P Snelling
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, and Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Rocío Joo
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, USA; Global Fishing Watch, Washington, DC 20036, USA
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McGrew KA, Crowell SE, Fiely JL, Berlin AM, Olsen GH, James J, Hopkins H, Williams CK. Underwater hearing in sea ducks with applications for reducing gillnet bycatch through acoustic deterrence. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:jeb243953. [PMID: 36305674 PMCID: PMC10658911 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
As diving foragers, sea ducks are vulnerable to underwater anthropogenic activity, including ships, underwater construction, seismic surveys and gillnet fisheries. Bycatch in gillnets is a contributing source of mortality for sea ducks, killing hundreds of thousands of individuals annually. We researched underwater hearing in sea duck species to increase knowledge of underwater avian acoustic sensitivity and to assist with possible development of gillnet bycatch mitigation strategies that include auditory deterrent devices. We used both psychoacoustic and electrophysiological techniques to investigate underwater duck hearing in several species including the long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) and common eider (Somateria mollissima). Psychoacoustic results demonstrated that all species tested share a common range of maximum auditory sensitivity of 1.0-3.0 kHz, with the long-tailed ducks and common eiders at the high end of that range (2.96 kHz), and surf scoters at the low end (1.0 kHz). In addition, our electrophysiological results from 4 surf scoters and 2 long-tailed ducks, while only tested at 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz, generally agree with the audiogram shape from our psychoacoustic testing. The results from this study are applicable to the development of effective acoustic deterrent devices or pingers in the 2-3 kHz range to deter sea ducks from anthropogenic threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen A. McGrew
- Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, 205 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
- US Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, 531 South College Ave, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Sarah E. Crowell
- US Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
| | - Jonathan L. Fiely
- US Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
| | - Alicia M. Berlin
- US Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
| | - Glenn H. Olsen
- US Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, MD 20708, USA
| | - Jennifer James
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, 531 South College Ave, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Heather Hopkins
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, 531 South College Ave, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Christopher K. Williams
- Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport Division, Mission Environmental Planning, 1176 Howell St, Newport, RI 02841, USA
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Goller B, Baumhardt P, Dominguez-Villegas E, Katzner T, Fernández-Juricic E, Lucas JR. Selecting auditory alerting stimuli for eagles on the basis of auditory evoked potentials. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 10:coac059. [PMID: 36134144 PMCID: PMC9486983 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Development of wind energy facilities results in interactions between wildlife and wind turbines. Raptors, including bald and golden eagles, are among the species known to incur mortality from these interactions. Several alerting technologies have been proposed to mitigate this mortality by increasing eagle avoidance of wind energy facilities. However, there has been little attempt to match signals used as alerting stimuli with the sensory capabilities of target species like eagles. One potential approach to tuning signals is to use sensory physiology to determine what stimuli the target eagle species are sensitive to even in the presence of background noise, thereby allowing the development of a maximally stimulating signal. To this end, we measured auditory evoked potentials of bald and golden eagles to determine what types of sounds eagles can process well, especially in noisy conditions. We found that golden eagles are significantly worse than bald eagles at processing rapid frequency changes in sounds, but also that noise effects on hearing in both species are minimal in response to rapidly changing sounds. Our findings therefore suggest that sounds of intermediate complexity may be ideal both for targeting bald and golden eagle hearing and for ensuring high stimulation in noisy field conditions. These results suggest that the sensory physiology of target species is likely an important consideration when selecting auditory alerting sounds and may provide important insight into what sounds have a reasonable probability of success in field applications under variable conditions and background noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Goller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Patrice Baumhardt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | | | - Todd Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 230 N Collins Rd., Boise, ID 83702, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey R Lucas
- Corresponding author: Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. Tel: 765-494-8112.
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Wang T, Li H, Chen B, Cui J, Shi H, Wang J. Effect of Temperature on the Plasticity of Peripheral Hearing Sensitivity to Airborne Sound in the Male Red-Eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.856660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chelonians are considered the least vocally active group of extant reptiles and known as “low-frequency specialists” with a hearing range of <1.0 kHz. As they are ectothermic organisms, most of their physiological and metabolic processes are affected by temperature, which may include the auditory system responses. To investigate the influence of temperature on turtle hearing, Trachemys scripta elegans was chosen to measure the peripheral hearing sensitivity at 10, 20, 30, and 40°C (close to the upper limit of heat resistance) using the auditory brainstem response (ABR) test. An increase in temperature (from 10 to 30°C) resulted in improved hearing sensitivity (a wider hearing sensitivity bandwidth, lower threshold, and shorter latency) in T. scripta elegans. At 40°C, the hearing sensitivity bandwidth continued to increase and the latency further shortened, but the threshold sensitivity reduced in the intermediate frequency range (0.5–0.8 kHz), increased in the high-frequency range (1.0–1.3 kHz), and did not significantly change in the low-frequency range (0.2–0.4 kHz) compared to that at 30°C. Our results suggest that although the hearing range of turtles is confined to lower frequencies than that in other animal groups, turtle hearing showed exceptional thermal regulation ability, especially when the temperature was close to the upper limit of heat resistance. Temperature increases that are sensitive to high frequencies imply that the males turtles’ auditory system adapts to a high-frequency sound environment in the context of global warming. Our study is expected to spur further research on the high-temperature plasticity of hearing sensitivity in diverse taxa or in the same group with different temperature ranges. Moreover, it facilitates forecasting the adaptive evolution of the auditory system to global warming.
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Mariette MM, Clayton DF, Buchanan KL. Acoustic developmental programming: a mechanistic and evolutionary framework. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:722-736. [PMID: 34052045 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Conditions experienced prenatally, by modulating developmental processes, have lifelong effects on individual phenotypes and fitness, ultimately influencing population dynamics. In addition to maternal biochemical cues, prenatal sound is emerging as a potent alternative source of information to direct embryonic development. Recent evidence suggests that prenatal acoustic signals can program individual phenotypes for predicted postnatal environmental conditions, which improves fitness. Across taxonomic groups, embryos have now been shown to have immediate adaptive responses to external sounds and vibrations, and direct developmental effects of sound and noise are increasingly found. Establishing the full developmental, ecological, and evolutionary impact of early soundscapes will reveal how embryos interact with the external world, and potentially transform our understanding of developmental plasticity and adaptation to changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylene M Mariette
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia.
| | - David F Clayton
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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14
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Wang J, Li H, Wang T, Chen B, Cui J, Shi H. Ontogenetic development of hearing sensitivity to airborne sound in the female red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 149:819. [PMID: 33639791 DOI: 10.1121/10.0003359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ontogenetic development of hearing sensitivity has been verified in many groups of vertebrates, but not turtles. Turtles exhibit sexual dimorphism in hearing. To examine the development of hearing in female turtles, auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were compared by assessing the hearing-sensitivity bandwidth, ABR threshold, and latency of female Trachemys scripta elegans aged 1 week, 1 month, 1 yr, and 5 yr. The hearing-sensitivity bandwidths were 0.2-1.1, 0.2-1.1, 0.2-1.3, and 0.2-1.4 kHz in each age group, respectively. Below 0.6 kHz, the ABR threshold decreased from the 1-week to 1-yr age group, with a significant difference between age groups. No significant difference was detected between the 1- and 5-yr age groups (within a stimulus frequency of 0.2-0.6 kHz). Above 0.6 kHz, ABR thresholds decreased significantly from the 1-yr to 5-yr age group (within a stimulus frequency of 0.7-1.0 kHz). There was no significant difference between the 1-month and 1-yr age groups (within a stimulus frequency of 0.7-1.0 kHz), or between the 1-week and 1-month age groups (within a stimulus frequency of 0.7-1.0 kHz, except 0.9 kHz). Thus, female turtle hearing shows frequency-segmented development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Handong Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Tongliang Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Bo Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Haitao Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
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15
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Zeng R, Brown AD, Rogers LS, Lawrence OT, Clark JI, Sisneros JA. Age-related loss of auditory sensitivity in the zebrafish (Danio rerio). Hear Res 2021; 403:108189. [PMID: 33556775 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), also known as presbycusis, is a widespread and debilitating condition impacting many older adults. Conventionally, researchers utilize mammalian model systems or human cadaveric tissue to study ARHL pathology. Recently, the zebrafish has become an effective and tractable model system for a wide variety of genetic and environmental auditory insults, but little is known about the incidence or extent of ARHL in zebrafish and other non-mammalian models. Here, we evaluated whether zebrafish exhibit age-related loss in auditory sensitivity. The auditory sensitivity of adult wild-type zebrafish (AB/WIK strain) from three adult age subgroups (13-month, 20-month, and 37-month) was characterized using the auditory evoked potential (AEP) recording technique. AEPs were elicited using pure tone stimuli (115-4500 Hz) presented via an underwater loudspeaker and recorded using shielded subdermal metal electrodes. Based on measures of sound pressure and particle acceleration, the mean AEP thresholds of 37-month-old fish [mean sound pressure level (SPL) = 122.2 dB ± 2.2 dB SE re: 1 μPa; mean particle acceleration level (PAL) = -27.5 ± 2.3 dB SE re: 1 ms-2] were approximately 9 dB higher than that of 20-month-old fish [(mean SPL = 113.1 ± 2.7 dB SE re: 1 μPa; mean PAL = -37.2 ± 2.8 dB re: 1 ms-2; p = 0.007)] and 6 dB higher than that of 13-month-old fish [(mean SPL = 116.3 ± 2.5 dB SE re: 1 μPa; mean PAL = -34.1 ± 2.6 dB SE re: 1 ms-2; p = 0.052)]. Lowest AEP thresholds for all three age groups were generally between 800 Hz and 1850 Hz, with no evidence for frequency-specific age-related loss. Our results suggest that zebrafish undergo age-related loss in auditory sensitivity, but the form and magnitude of loss is markedly different than in mammals, including humans. Future work is needed to further describe the incidence and extent of ARHL across vertebrate groups and to determine which, if any, ARHL mechanisms may be conserved across vertebrates to support meaningful comparative/translational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyu Zeng
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 413 Guthrie Hall, Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
| | - Andrew D Brown
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, United States; Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Loranzie S Rogers
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 413 Guthrie Hall, Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Owen T Lawrence
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, United States
| | - John I Clark
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, United States
| | - Joseph A Sisneros
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 413 Guthrie Hall, Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195, United States; Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
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16
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Lauridsen TB, Brandt C, Christensen-Dalsgaard J. Three auditory brainstem response (ABR) methods tested and compared in two anuran species. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb237313. [PMID: 33268532 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.237313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Hearing sensitivity has been extensively investigated, often by measuring the auditory brainstem response (ABR). ABR measurements are relatively non-invasive, easy to reproduce, and allow the assessment of sensitivity when psychophysical data are difficult to obtain. However, the experimental methods differ greatly in respect to stimulation, which may result in different audiograms. We used three different methods in the same individual frogs: stimulating with brief tone bursts (tABR), long-duration tones (ltABR) and masked ABR (mABR), where transients are masked by a long-duration sinusoid, and the sensitivity is assessed by the difference between unmasked and masked ABR. We measured sensitivity in a range from 100 to 3500 Hz, and the resulting audiograms show two sensitivity peaks at 400-600 Hz and 1500-1600 Hz (both sensitive down to 30 dB re. 20 µPa). We found similar results below 1000 Hz, but when stimulating with long-duration tones, the sensitivity decreased more rapidly above this frequency. We showed that the frequency specificity of tone bursts becomes poorly defined with shorter duration at low frequencies. Comparisons between subjectively (visual inspection by researchers) and objectively (thresholds defined by signal-to-noise ratio) defined audiograms showed very little variation. In conclusion, the mABR method gave the most sensitive audiograms. The tABR method showed a similar audiogram when using relatively long-duration tone bursts (25 ms). The ltABR method is not a good choice for studying hearing thresholds above 1000 Hz because of the bias introduced by spike rate saturation in the nerve fibers and their inability to phase lock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya B Lauridsen
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Christian Brandt
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
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17
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Henry KS, Abrams KS. Normal Tone-In-Noise Sensitivity in Trained Budgerigars despite Substantial Auditory-Nerve Injury: No Evidence of Hidden Hearing Loss. J Neurosci 2021; 41:118-129. [PMID: 33177067 PMCID: PMC7786208 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2104-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of auditory-nerve (AN) afferent cochlear innervation is a prevalent human condition that does not affect audiometric thresholds and therefore remains largely undetectable with standard clinical tests. AN loss is widely expected to cause hearing difficulties in noise, known as "hidden hearing loss," but support for this hypothesis is controversial. Here, we used operant conditioning procedures to examine the perceptual impact of AN loss on behavioral tone-in-noise (TIN) sensitivity in the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus; of either sex), an avian animal model with complex hearing abilities similar to humans. Bilateral kainic acid (KA) infusions depressed compound AN responses by 40-70% without impacting otoacoustic emissions or behavioral tone sensitivity in quiet. Surprisingly, animals with AN damage showed normal thresholds for tone detection in noise (0.1 ± 1.0 dB compared to control animals; mean difference ± SE), even under a challenging roving-level condition with random stimulus variation across trials. Furthermore, decision-variable correlations (DVCs) showed no difference for AN-damaged animals in their use of energy and envelope cues to perform the task. These results show that AN damage has less impact on TIN detection than generally expected, even under a difficult roving-level condition known to impact TIN detection in individuals with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Perceptual deficits could emerge for different perceptual tasks or with greater AN loss but are potentially minor compared with those caused by SNHL.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Loss of auditory-nerve (AN) cochlear innervation is a common problem in humans that does not affect audiometric thresholds on a clinical hearing test. AN loss is widely expected to cause hearing problems in noise, known as "hidden hearing loss," but existing studies are controversial. Here, using an avian animal model with complex hearing abilities similar to humans, we examined for the first time the impact of an experimentally induced AN lesion on behavioral tone sensitivity in noise. Surprisingly, AN-lesioned animals showed no difference in hearing performance in noise or detection strategy compared with controls. These results show that perceptual deficits from AN damage are smaller than generally expected, and potentially minor compared with those caused by sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth S Henry
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Kristina S Abrams
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642
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18
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Mooney TA, Castellote M, Jones I, Rouse N, Rowles T, Mahoney B, Goertz CEC. Audiogram of a Cook Inlet beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 148:3141. [PMID: 33261390 DOI: 10.1121/10.0002351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Noise is a stressor to wildlife, yet the precise sound sensitivity of individuals and populations is often unknown or unmeasured. Cook Inlet, Alaska belugas (CIBs) are a critically endangered and declining marine mammal population. Anthropogenic noise is a primary threat to these animals. Auditory evoked potentials were used to measure the hearing of a wild, stranded CIB as part of its rehabilitation assessment. The beluga showed broadband (4-128 kHz) and sensitive hearing (<80 dB) for a wide-range of frequencies (16-80 kHz), reflective of a healthy odontocete auditory system. Data were similar to healthy, adult belugas from the comparative Bristol Bay population (the only other published data set of healthy, wild marine mammal hearing). Repeated October and December 2017 measurements were similar, showing continued auditory health of the animal throughout the rehabilitation period. Hearing data were compared to pile-driving and container-ship noise measurements made in Cook Inlet, two sources of concern, suggesting masking is likely at ecologically relevant distances. These data provide the first empirical hearing data for a CIB allowing for estimations of sound-sensitivity in this population. The beluga's sensitive hearing and likelihood of masking show noise is a clear concern for this population struggling to recover.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Aran Mooney
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
| | - Manuel Castellote
- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, 3737 Brooklyn Avenue Northeast, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA
| | - Ian Jones
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
| | | | - Teri Rowles
- Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, Office of Protected Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA
| | - Barbara Mahoney
- Protected Resources Division, Alaska Regional Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Anchorage, Alaska 99513, USA
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19
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Wilson JL, Abrams KS, Henry KS. Effects of Kainic Acid-Induced Auditory Nerve Damage on Envelope-Following Responses in the Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2020; 22:33-49. [PMID: 33078291 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-020-00776-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensorineural hearing loss is a prevalent problem that adversely impacts quality of life by compromising interpersonal communication. While hair cell damage is readily detectable with the clinical audiogram, this traditional diagnostic tool appears inadequate to detect lost afferent connections between inner hair cells and auditory nerve (AN) fibers, known as cochlear synaptopathy. The envelope-following response (EFR) is a scalp-recorded response to amplitude modulation, a critical acoustic feature of speech. Because EFRs can have greater amplitude than wave I of the auditory brainstem response (ABR; i.e., the AN-generated component) in humans, the EFR may provide a more sensitive way to detect cochlear synaptopathy. We explored the effects of kainate- (kainic acid) induced excitotoxic AN injury on EFRs and ABRs in the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), a parakeet species used in studies of complex sound discrimination. Kainate reduced ABR wave I by 65-75 % across animals while leaving otoacoustic emissions unaffected or mildly enhanced, consistent with substantial and selective AN synaptic loss. Compared to wave I loss, EFRs showed similar or greater percent reduction following kainate for amplitude-modulation frequencies from 380 to 940 Hz and slightly less reduction from 80 to 120 Hz. In contrast, forebrain-generated middle latency responses showed no consistent change post-kainate, potentially due to elevated "central gain" in the time period following AN damage. EFR reduction in all modulation frequency ranges was highly correlated with wave I reduction, though within-animal effect sizes were greater for higher modulation frequencies. These results suggest that even low-frequency EFRs generated primarily by central auditory nuclei might provide a useful noninvasive tool for detecting synaptic injury clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Wilson
- University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Kristina S Abrams
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Kenneth S Henry
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
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20
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Mooney TA, Smith A, Larsen ON, Hansen KA, Rasmussen M. A field study of auditory sensitivity of the Atlantic puffin, Fratercula arctica. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb228270. [PMID: 32561627 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.228270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Hearing is vital for birds as they rely on acoustic communication with parents, mates, chicks and conspecifics. Amphibious seabirds face many ecological pressures, having to sense cues in air and underwater. Natural noise conditions have helped shape this sensory modality but anthropogenic noise is increasingly impacting seabirds. Surprisingly little is known about their hearing, despite their imperiled status. Understanding sound sensitivity is vital when we seek to manage the impacts of man-made noise. We measured the auditory sensitivity of nine wild Atlantic puffins, Fratercula arctica, in a capture-and-release setting in an effort to define their audiogram and compare these data with the hearing of other birds and natural rookery noise. Auditory sensitivity was tested using auditory evoked potential (AEP) methods. Responses were detected from 0.5 to 6 kHz. Mean thresholds were below 40 dB re. 20 µPa from 0.75 to 3 kHz, indicating that these were the most sensitive auditory frequencies, similar to other seabirds. Thresholds in the 'middle' frequency range 1-2.5 kHz were often down to 10-20 dB re. 20 µPa. The lowest thresholds were typically at 2.5 kHz. These are the first in-air auditory sensitivity data from multiple wild-caught individuals of a deep-diving alcid seabird. The audiogram was comparable to that of other birds of similar size, thereby indicating that puffins have fully functioning aerial hearing despite the constraints of their deep-diving, amphibious lifestyles. There was some variation in thresholds, yet animals generally had sensitive ears, suggesting aerial hearing is an important sensory modality for this taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Aran Mooney
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Adam Smith
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Ole Næsbye Larsen
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | | | - Marianne Rasmussen
- The University of Iceland's Research Center in Húsavík, 640 Húsavík, Iceland
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21
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Wagner B, Bowling DL, Hoeschele M. Is consonance attractive to budgerigars? No evidence from a place preference study. Anim Cogn 2020; 23:973-987. [PMID: 32572655 PMCID: PMC7415764 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01404-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Consonant tone combinations occur naturally in the overtone series of harmonic sounds. These include sounds that many non-human animals produce to communicate. As such, non-human animals may be attracted to consonant intervals, interpreting them, e.g., as a feature of important social stimuli. There is preliminary evidence of attraction to consonance in various bird species in the wild, but few experimental studies with birds. We tested budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) for attraction to consonant over dissonant intervals in two experiments. In Experiment 1, we tested humans and budgerigars using a place preference paradigm in which individuals could explore an environment with multiple sound sources. Both species were tested with consonant and dissonant versions of a previously studied piano melody, and we recorded time spent with each stimulus as a measure of attraction. Human females spent more time with consonant than dissonant stimuli in this experiment, but human males spent equal time with both consonant and dissonant stimuli. Neither male nor female budgerigars spent more time with either stimulus type. In Experiment 2, we tested budgerigars with more ecologically relevant stimuli comprised of sampled budgerigar vocalizations arranged into consonant or dissonant chords. These stimuli, however, also failed to produce any evidence of preference in budgerigar responses. We discuss these results in the context of ongoing research on the study of consonance as a potential general feature of auditory perception in animals with harmonic vocalizations, with respect to similarities and differences between human and budgerigar vocal behaviour, and future methodological directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Wagner
- Acoustics Research Institute, Wohllebengasse 12-14, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel L Bowling
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1201 Welch Rd. MSLS P-126, Stanford, CA, 94305-5485, USA
- Department of Cognitive Biology, Althanstrasse 14 (UZA1), 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marisa Hoeschele
- Acoustics Research Institute, Wohllebengasse 12-14, 1040, Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Cognitive Biology, Althanstrasse 14 (UZA1), 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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22
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Zeyl JN, den Ouden O, Köppl C, Assink J, Christensen-Dalsgaard J, Patrick SC, Clusella-Trullas S. Infrasonic hearing in birds: a review of audiometry and hypothesized structure-function relationships. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1036-1054. [PMID: 32237036 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The perception of airborne infrasound (sounds below 20 Hz, inaudible to humans except at very high levels) has been documented in a handful of mammals and birds. While animals that produce vocalizations with infrasonic components (e.g. elephants) present conspicuous examples of potential use of infrasound in the context of communication, the extent to which airborne infrasound perception exists among terrestrial animals is unclear. Given that most infrasound in the environment arises from geophysical sources, many of which could be ecologically relevant, communication might not be the only use of infrasound by animals. Therefore, infrasound perception could be more common than currently realized. At least three bird species, each of which do not communicate using infrasound, are capable of detecting infrasound, but the associated auditory mechanisms are not well understood. Here we combine an evaluation of hearing measurements with anatomical observations to propose and evaluate hypotheses supporting avian infrasound detection. Environmental infrasound is mixed with non-acoustic pressure fluctuations that also occur at infrasonic frequencies. The ear can detect such non-acoustic pressure perturbations and therefore, distinguishing responses to infrasound from responses to non-acoustic perturbations presents a great challenge. Our review shows that infrasound could stimulate the ear through the middle ear (tympanic) route and by extratympanic routes bypassing the middle ear. While vibration velocities of the middle ear decline towards infrasonic frequencies, whole-body vibrations - which are normally much lower amplitude than that those of the middle ear in the 'audible' range (i.e. >20 Hz) - do not exhibit a similar decline and therefore may reach vibration magnitudes comparable to the middle ear at infrasonic frequencies. Low stiffness in the middle and inner ear is expected to aid infrasound transmission. In the middle ear, this could be achieved by large air cavities in the skull connected to the middle ear and low stiffness of middle ear structures; in the inner ear, the stiffness of round windows and cochlear partitions are key factors. Within the inner ear, the sizes of the helicotrema and cochlear aqueduct are expected to play important roles in shunting low-frequency vibrations away from low-frequency hair-cell sensors in the cochlea. The basilar papilla, the auditory organ in birds, responds to infrasound in some species, and in pigeons, infrasonic-sensitive neurons were traced back to the apical, abneural end of the basilar papilla. Vestibular organs and the paratympanic organ, a hair cell organ outside of the inner ear, are additional untested candidates for infrasound detection in birds. In summary, this review brings together evidence to create a hypothetical framework for infrasonic hearing mechanisms in birds and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey N Zeyl
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
| | - Olivier den Ouden
- R&D Seismology and Acoustics, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), Ministry of Infrastructure, Public Works and Water Management, De Bilt, 3730 AE, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Department of Geoscience and Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2628 CN, The Netherlands
| | - Christine Köppl
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26129, Germany
| | - Jelle Assink
- R&D Seismology and Acoustics, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), Ministry of Infrastructure, Public Works and Water Management, De Bilt, 3730 AE, The Netherlands
| | | | - Samantha C Patrick
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GP, UK
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23
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Larsen ON, Wahlberg M, Christensen-Dalsgaard J. Amphibious hearing in a diving bird, the great cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis). J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb217265. [PMID: 32098879 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.217265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Diving birds can spend several minutes underwater during pursuit-dive foraging. To find and capture prey, such as fish and squid, they probably need several senses in addition to vision. Cormorants, very efficient predators of fish, have unexpectedly low visual acuity underwater. So, underwater hearing may be an important sense, as for other diving animals. We measured auditory thresholds and eardrum vibrations in air and underwater of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis). Wild-caught cormorant fledglings were anaesthetized, and their auditory brainstem response (ABR) and eardrum vibrations to clicks and tone bursts were measured, first in an anechoic box in air and then in a large water-filled tank, with their head and ears submerged 10 cm below the surface. Both the ABR waveshape and latency, as well as the ABR threshold, measured in units of sound pressure, were similar in air and water. The best average sound pressure sensitivity was found at 1 kHz, both in air (53 dB re. 20 µPa) and underwater (58 dB re. 20 µPa). When thresholds were compared in units of intensity, however, the sensitivity underwater was higher than in air. Eardrum vibration amplitude in both media reflected the ABR threshold curves. These results suggest that cormorants have in-air hearing abilities comparable to those of similar-sized diving birds, and that their underwater hearing sensitivity is at least as good as their aerial sensitivity. This, together with the morphology of the outer ear (collapsible meatus) and middle ear (thickened eardrum), suggests that cormorants may have anatomical and physiological adaptations for amphibious hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Næsbye Larsen
- Sound and Behaviour Group, Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Magnus Wahlberg
- Sound and Behaviour Group, Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Jakob Christensen-Dalsgaard
- Sound and Behaviour Group, Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
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Wang T, Li H, Cui J, Zhai X, Shi H, Wang J. Auditory brainstem responses in the red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans (Testudoformes: Emydidae) reveal sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:847-854. [PMID: 31654192 PMCID: PMC6863946 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01372-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Hearing sensitivity is of general interest from the perspective of understanding the functionality and evolution of vertebrate auditory systems. Sexual dimorphism of auditory systems has been reported in several species of vertebrates, but little is known about this phenomenon in turtles. Some morphological characteristics, such as middle ear and tympanic membrane that influence the hearing sensitivity of animals can result in hearing sexual dimorphism. To examine whether sexual dimorphism in hearing sensitivity occurs in turtles and to compare hearing characteristics with respect to the shape of the tympanic membrane, we measured the hearing sensitivity and tympanum diameter in both sexes of Trachemys scripta elegans. The results showed that, with the exception of 0.9 kHz, auditory brainstem response thresholds were significantly lower in females than in males for frequencies in the 0.2-1.1 kHz range, indicating that the hearing of females shows greater sensitivity. No significant differences were detected in the tympanum diameter of both sexes. These results showed that sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity has evolved in turtles; however, this difference does not appear to be related to differences in the size of the tympanic membrane. The possible origin and function of the sexual differences in auditory characteristic are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongliang Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Handong Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaofei Zhai
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Haitao Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China.
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25
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Sun X, Zhao L, Chen Q, Wang J, Cui J. Auditory sensitivity changes with diurnal temperature variation in little torrent frogs (Amolops torrentis). BIOACOUSTICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2019.1662845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Sun
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Longhui Zhao
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qinghua Chen
- Ministry of Ecology and Environment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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26
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McGee J, Nelson PB, Ponder JB, Marr J, Redig P, Walsh EJ. Auditory performance in bald eagles and red-tailed hawks: a comparative study of hearing in diurnal raptors. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:793-811. [PMID: 31520117 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01367-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Collision with wind turbines is a conservation concern for eagles with population abundance implications. The development of acoustic alerting technologies to deter eagles from entering hazardous air spaces is a potentially significant mitigation strategy to diminish associated morbidity and mortality risks. As a prelude to the engineering of deterrence technologies, auditory function was assessed in bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), as well as in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis). Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to a comprehensive battery of clicks and tone bursts varying in level and frequency were acquired to evaluate response thresholds, as well as suprathreshold response characteristics of wave I of the ABR, which represents the compound potential of the VIII cranial nerve. Sensitivity curves exhibited an asymmetric convex shape similar to those of other avian species, response latencies decreased exponentially with increasing stimulus level and response amplitudes grew with level in an orderly manner. Both species were responsive to a frequency band at least four octaves wide, with a most sensitive frequency of 2 kHz, and a high-frequency limit of approximately 5.7 kHz in bald eagles and 8 kHz in red-tailed hawks. Findings reported here provide a framework within which acoustic alerting signals might be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- JoAnn McGee
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and the Center for Applied and Translational Sensory Science, University of Minnesota, 164 Pillsbury Dr. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Peggy B Nelson
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and the Center for Applied and Translational Sensory Science, University of Minnesota, 164 Pillsbury Dr. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Julia B Ponder
- The Raptor Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Jeffrey Marr
- St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, USA
| | - Patrick Redig
- The Raptor Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Edward J Walsh
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and the Center for Applied and Translational Sensory Science, University of Minnesota, 164 Pillsbury Dr. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
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27
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Chapuis L, Kerr CC, Collin SP, Hart NS, Sanders KL. Underwater hearing in sea snakes (Hydrophiinae): first evidence of auditory evoked potential thresholds. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/14/jeb198184. [PMID: 31345949 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.198184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The viviparous sea snakes (Hydrophiinae) are a secondarily aquatic radiation of more than 60 species that possess many phenotypic adaptations to marine life. However, virtually nothing is known of the role and sensitivity of hearing in sea snakes. This study investigated the hearing sensitivity of the fully marine sea snake Hydrophis stokesii by measuring auditory evoked potential (AEP) audiograms for two individuals. AEPs were recorded from 40 Hz (the lowest frequency tested) up to 600 Hz, with a peak in sensitivity identified at 60 Hz (163.5 dB re. 1 µPa or 123 dB re. 1 µm s-2). Our data suggest that sea snakes are sensitive to low-frequency sounds but have relatively low sensitivity compared with bony fishes and marine turtles. Additional studies are required to understand the role of sound in sea snake life history and further assess these species' vulnerability to anthropogenic noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille Chapuis
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK .,Oceans Graduate School and the UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Caroline C Kerr
- Oceans Graduate School and the UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Shaun P Collin
- Oceans Graduate School and the UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.,School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Nathan S Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Kate L Sanders
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
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28
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Brown JA, Brittan-Powell EF, Dooling RJ, Fishbein AR, Ball GF, Madison FN. Strain differences in hearing in song canaries. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 146:EL71. [PMID: 31370570 DOI: 10.1121/1.5117168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Belgian Waterslager song canaries, bred for hundreds of years for a low-pitched song, have also acquired an inherited high-frequency hearing loss associated with hair cell abnormalities. Here, auditory thresholds measured using auditory brainstem responses and psychophysical methods in three different strains of canaries are compared: Belgian Waterslagers, American Singers, and Borders. Border canaries have not been bred for song characteristics while American Singer canaries have been bred for song only since the 1930s. Results show that American Singer canaries also have elevated high frequency thresholds that are similar to those of the Belgian Waterslager, while Border canaries have normal thresholds. These results strengthen the case that song canary breeders in selecting for song characteristics may have inadvertently selected for hearing abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane A Brown
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland College Park, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, Maryland 20742, , , , , ,
| | - Elizabeth F Brittan-Powell
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland College Park, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, Maryland 20742, , , , , ,
| | - Robert J Dooling
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland College Park, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, Maryland 20742, , , , , ,
| | - Adam R Fishbein
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland College Park, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, Maryland 20742, , , , , ,
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland College Park, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, Maryland 20742, , , , , ,
| | - Farrah N Madison
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland College Park, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, Maryland 20742, , , , , ,
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29
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Taylor RC, Akre K, Wilczynski W, Ryan MJ. Behavioral and neural auditory thresholds in a frog. Curr Zool 2019; 65:333-341. [PMID: 31263492 PMCID: PMC6595421 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Vocalizations play a critical role in mate recognition and mate choice in a number of taxa, especially, but not limited to, orthopterans, frogs, and birds. But receivers can only recognize and prefer sounds that they can hear. Thus a fundamental question linking neurobiology and sexual selection asks-what is the threshold for detecting acoustic sexual displays? In this study, we use 3 methods to assess such thresholds in túngara frogs: behavioral responses, auditory brainstem responses, and multiunit electrophysiological recordings from the midbrain. We show that thresholds are lowest for multiunit recordings (ca. 45 dB SPL), and then for behavioral responses (ca. 61 dB SPL), with auditory brainstem responses exhibiting the highest thresholds (ca. 71 dB SPL). We discuss why these estimates differ and why, as with other studies, it is unlikely that they should be the same. Although all of these studies estimate thresholds they are not measuring the same thresholds; behavioral thresholds are based on signal salience whereas the 2 neural assays estimate physiological thresholds. All 3 estimates, however, make it clear that to have an appreciation for detection and salience of acoustic signals we must listen to those signals through the ears of the receivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Taylor
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Karin Akre
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Walter Wilczynski
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
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30
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Beatini JR, Proudfoot GA, Gall MD. Effects of presentation rate and onset time on auditory brainstem responses in Northern saw-whet owls (Aegolius acadicus). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 145:2062. [PMID: 31046339 DOI: 10.1121/1.5096532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) is a common method of assessing auditory processing in non-model species. Although ABRs are widely used to compare auditory abilities across taxa, the extent to which different features of acoustic stimuli affect the ABR is largely unknown in most non-mammalian species. The authors investigated the effects of varying presentation rate and onset time to determine how different features of acoustic stimuli influence the ABR in Northern saw-whet owls (Aegolius acadicus), a species known for their unique auditory adaptations and hunting abilities. At presentation rates ranging from 21.1 to 51.1 s-1, there were no differences in the size or synchrony of ABRs, suggesting that stimuli can be presented at a relatively rapid rate to maximize the number of observations recorded for analysis. While increasing onset time was associated with a decrement in response size and synchrony, tonebursts with 1 ms onset times produced overgeneralized neural responses as a result of spectral splatter. This suggests that 2 to 3 ms onset times may balance the trade-off between response synchrony and frequency specificity when comparing relative neural recruitment across frequencies. These findings highlight the importance of considering stimulus parameters when interpreting ABR data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Beatini
- Biology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York 12604, USA
| | - Glenn A Proudfoot
- Biology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York 12604, USA
| | - Megan D Gall
- Biology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York 12604, USA
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31
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Wong SJ, Abrams KS, Amburgey KN, Wang Y, Henry KS. Effects of selective auditory-nerve damage on the behavioral audiogram and temporal integration in the budgerigar. Hear Res 2019; 374:24-34. [PMID: 30703625 PMCID: PMC6382589 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Auditory-nerve fibers are lost steadily with age and as a possible consequence of noise-induced glutamate excitotoxicity. Auditory-nerve loss in the absence of other cochlear pathologies is thought to be undetectable with a pure-tone audiogram while degrading real-world speech perception (hidden hearing loss). Perceptual deficits remain unclear, however, due in part to the limited behavioral capacity of existing rodent models to discriminate complex sounds. The budgerigar is an avian vocal learner with human-like behavioral sensitivity to many simple and complex sounds and the capacity to mimic speech. Previous studies in this species show that intracochlear kainic-acid infusion reduces wave 1 of the auditory brainstem response by 40-70%, consistent with substantial excitotoxic auditory-nerve damage. The present study used operant-conditioning procedures in trained budgerigars to quantify kainic-acid effects on tone detection across frequency (0.25-8 kHz; the audiogram) and as a function of duration (20-160 ms; temporal integration). Tone thresholds in control animals were lowest from 1 to 4 kHz and decreased with increasing duration as in previous studies of the budgerigar. Behavioral results in kainic-acid-exposed animals were as sensitive as in controls, suggesting preservation of the audiogram and temporal integration despite auditory-nerve loss associated with up to 70% wave 1 reduction. Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions were also preserved in kainic-acid exposed animals, consistent with normal hair-cell function. These results highlight considerable perceptual resistance of tone-detection performance with selective auditory-nerve loss. Future behavioral studies in budgerigars with auditory-nerve damage can use complex speech-like stimuli to help clarify aspects of auditory perception impacted by this common cochlear pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie J Wong
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Kristina S Abrams
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Kassidy N Amburgey
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Yingxuan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Kenneth S Henry
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
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32
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Mooney TA, Smith A, Larsen ON, Hansen KA, Wahlberg M, Rasmussen MH. Field-based hearing measurements of two seabird species. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:222/4/jeb190710. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.190710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Hearing is a primary sensory modality for birds. For seabirds, auditory data is challenging to obtain and hearing data are limited. Here, we present methods to measure seabird hearing in the field, using two Alcid species: the common murre Uria aalge and the Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica. Tests were conducted in a portable semi-anechoic crate using physiological auditory evoked potential (AEP) methods. The crate and AEP system were easily transportable to northern Iceland field sites, where wild birds were caught, sedated, studied and released. The resulting data demonstrate the feasibility of a field-based application of an established neurophysiology method, acquiring high quality avian hearing data in a relatively quiet setting. Similar field methods could be applied to other seabirds, and other bird species, resulting in reliable hearing data from a large number of individuals with a modest field effort. The results will provide insights into the sound sensitivity of species facing acoustic habitat degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Aran Mooney
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Rd, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Adam Smith
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Rd, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Ole Naesbye Larsen
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | | | - Magnus Wahlberg
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
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33
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Brandt C, Brande-Lavridsen N, Christensen-Dalsgaard J. The Masked ABR (mABR): a New Measurement Method for the Auditory Brainstem Response. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2018; 19:753-761. [PMID: 30238407 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-018-00696-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is relatively non-invasive, and in many species, the only practical way to assess auditory sensitivity. The two main methods for measuring ABR are using either transients or tone bursts as a stimulus. The transient stimulus produces strong neural responses that contain no frequency information. In contrast, tone bursts stimulate only a small part of the auditory system, eliciting weaker neural responses but supplying frequency information. Furthermore, short tone bursts become less and less frequency specific with increasing stimulus wavelength, making them unsuitable for testing low-frequency hearing. Here, we develop a method that can measure sensitivity to both low and high-frequency stimuli. The method is based on masking of a transient response by long-duration sinusoids. The measurement system is developed as a highly portable system that runs on battery power. It has been used in a variety of animals in our lab and in the field, including squid (Mooney et al. in J Exp Biol 213: 3748-3759, 2010), lungfish (Christensen-Dalsgaard et al. in J Neurophys 105: 1992-2004, 2011b), alligators (Bierman et al. in J Exp Biol 217: 1094-1107, 2014), and mink (Brandt et al. in J Exp Biol 216: 3542-3550, 2013). Here, we present data recorded from Tokay geckos and compare the results with tone burst ABR measurements. This method produces results comparable to tone burst stimulations at higher frequencies (above 1 kHz) but has several advantages: it is relatively insensitive to fluctuations in neural signal level, it allows measurements at very low frequencies, it allows constant monitoring of the state of the animal, and can be used to measure directional hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Brandt
- Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark.
- Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark.
| | - Nanna Brande-Lavridsen
- Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark
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34
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Okanoya K, Yosida S, Barone CM, Applegate DT, Brittan-Powell EF, Dooling RJ, Park TJ. Auditory-vocal coupling in the naked mole-rat, a mammal with poor auditory thresholds. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 204:905-914. [PMID: 30232547 PMCID: PMC6208660 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-1287-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats are extremely social and extremely vocal rodents, displaying a wide range of functionally distinct call types and vocalizing almost continuously. Their vocalizations are low frequency, and a behavioral audiogram has shown that naked mole-rats, like other subterranean mammals, hear only low frequencies. Hence, the frequency range of their hearing and vocalizations appears to be well matched. However, even at low frequencies, naked mole-rats show very poor auditory thresholds, suggesting vocal communication may be effective only over short distances. However, in a tunnel environment where low frequency sounds propagate well and background noise is low, it may be that vocalizations travel considerable distances at suprathreshold intensities. Here, we confirmed hearing sensitivity using the auditory brainstem response; we characterized signature and alarm calls in intensity and frequency domains and we measured the effects of propagation through tubes with the diameter of naked mole-rat tunnels. Signature calls—used for intimate communication—could travel 3–8 m at suprathreshold intensities, and alarm calls (lower frequency and higher intensity), could travel up to 15 m. Despite this species’ poor hearing sensitivity, the naked mole-rat displays a functional, coupled auditory-vocal communication system—a hallmark principle of acoustic communication systems across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shigeto Yosida
- Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Catherine M Barone
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Daniel T Applegate
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Robert J Dooling
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Thomas J Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA.
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35
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Kuokkanen PT, Kraemer A, Kempter R, Köppl C, Carr CE. Auditory brainstem response wave III is correlated with extracellular field potentials from nucleus laminaris of the barn owl. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 104:874-877. [PMID: 30976274 DOI: 10.3813/aaa.919236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is generated in the auditory brainstem by local current sources, which also give rise to extracellular field potentials (EFPs). The origins of both the ABR and the EFP are not well understood. We have recently found that EFPs, especially their dipole behavior, may be dominated by the branching patterns and the activity of axonal terminal zones [1]. To test the hypothesis that axons also shape the ABR, we used the well-described barn owl early auditory system. We recorded the ABR and a series of EFPs between the brain surface and nucleus laminaris (NL) in response to binaural clicks. The ABR and the EFP within and around NL are correlated. Together, our data suggest that axonal dipoles within the barn owl nucleus laminaris contribute to the ABR wave III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula T Kuokkanen
- Department of Biology, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universitätzu Berlin, Philippstr 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Anna Kraemer
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park MD 20742, USA
| | - Richard Kempter
- Department of Biology, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universitätzu Berlin, Philippstr 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Christine Köppl
- Department of Neuroscience, Carl von Ossietzky University, 26109 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Catherine E Carr
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park MD 20742, USA
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36
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Henry KS, Abrams KS. Persistent Auditory Nerve Damage Following Kainic Acid Excitotoxicity in the Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2018; 19:435-449. [PMID: 29744730 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-018-0671-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Permanent loss of auditory nerve (AN) fibers occurs with increasing age and sound overexposure, sometimes without hair cell damage or associated audiometric threshold elevation. Rodent studies suggest effects of AN damage on central processing and behavior, but these species have limited capacity to discriminate low-frequency speech-like sounds. Here, we introduce a new animal model of AN damage in an avian communication specialist, the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). The budgerigar is a vocal learner and speech mimic with sensitive low-frequency hearing and human-like behavioral sensitivity to many complex signals including speech components. Excitotoxic AN damage was induced through bilateral cochlear infusions of kainic acid (KA). Acute KA effects on cochlear function were assessed using AN compound action potentials (CAPs) and hair cell cochlear microphonics (CMs). Long-term KA effects were assessed using auditory brainstem response (ABR) measurements for up to 31 weeks post-KA exposure. KA infusion immediately abolished AN CAPs while having mild impact on the CM. ABR wave I, the far-field AN response, showed a pronounced 40-75 % amplitude reduction at moderate-to-high sound levels that persisted for the duration of the study. In contrast, wave I latency and the amplitude of wave V were nearly unaffected by KA, and waves II-IV were less reduced than wave I. ABR thresholds, calculated based on complete response waveforms, showed no impairment following KA. These results demonstrate that KA exposure in the budgerigar causes irreversible AN damage, most likely through excitotoxic injury to afferent fibers or synapses as in other species, while sparing ABR thresholds. Normal wave V amplitude, assumed to originate centrally, may persist through compensatory mechanisms that restore central response amplitude by downregulating inhibition. Future studies in this new animal model of AN damage can explore effects of this neural lesion, in isolation from hair cell trauma and threshold elevation, on central processing and perception of complex sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth S Henry
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Box 629, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
| | - Kristina S Abrams
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Box 629, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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Beatini JR, Proudfoot GA, Gall MD. Frequency sensitivity in Northern saw-whet owls (Aegolius acadicus). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 204:145-154. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1216-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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The effects of stimulus parameters on auditory evoked potentials of Carassius auratus. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:945-951. [PMID: 28836038 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1207-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Whole-brain responses to sound are easily measured through auditory evoked potentials (AEP), but it is unclear how differences in experimental parameters affect these responses. The effect of varying parameters is especially unclear in fish studies, the majority of which use simple sound types and then extrapolate to natural conditions. The current study investigated AEPs in goldfish (Carassius auratus) using sounds of different durations (5, 10, and 20 ms) and frequencies (200, 500, 600 and 700 Hz) to test stimulus effects on latency and thresholds. We quantified differences in latency and threshold in comparison to a 10-ms test tone, a duration often used in AEP fish studies. Both response latency and threshold were significantly affected by stimulus duration, with latency patterning suggesting that AEP fires coincident with a decrease in stimulus strength. Response latency was also significantly affected by presentation frequency. These results show that stimulus type has important effects on AEP measures of hearing and call for clearer standards across different measures of AEP. Duration effects also suggest that AEP measures represent summed responses of duration-detecting neural circuit, but more effort is needed to understand the neural drivers of this commonly used technique.
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Schebsdat E, Hessel H, Seidler H, Strauss DJ. Detection of binaural interaction in free-field evoked auditory brainstem responses by time-scale representations. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2017; 2016:3732-3735. [PMID: 28269101 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2016.7591539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The so called β-wave of the binaural interaction component (BIC) in auditory brainstem responses (ABR) has been shown to be an objective measure for binaural interaction (BI). This component is the arithmetical difference between the sum of the monaurally evoked ABRs and the binaurally evoked ABR. Unfortunately, these neural responses are known to be very fragile and as a result the calculated BIC. An additional issue is, that the findings of this measurement are predominantly needed in people with hearing loss who may use hearing devices like hearing aids (HA) or cochlear implants (CI), thus they are not able to use headphones (like in conventional ABR measurements) during the detection of possible BI. This is a crucial problem, because it is known that factors like the interaural time delay (ITD) between the receiving ears are responsible for solving tasks like sound source localization or sound source separation, but specially designed measurements to coordinate the fitting of HAs or CIs with respect to BI are still missing. In this paper, we introduce a new measurement setup that is able to detect BI depending on different ITDs in free-field evoked responses by using the more reliable instantaneous phase in the time-scale representation. With this pilot study we are able to demonstrate a decreasing BI with an increasing ITD using the wavelet phase synchronization stability analysis in ten normal hearing subjects.
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Kraemer A, Baxter C, Hendrix A, Carr CE. Development of auditory sensitivity in the barn owl. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:843-853. [PMID: 28689296 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1197-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Adult barn owl hearing is acute, but development of this sense is not well understood. We, therefore, measured auditory brainstem responses in barn owls from before the onset of hearing (posthatch day 2, or P2) to adulthood (P69). The first consistent responses were detected at P4 for 1 and 2 kHz, followed by responses to 0.5 and 4 kHz at P9, and 5 kHz at P13. Sensitivity to higher frequencies increased with age, with responses to 12 kHz appearing about 2 months after hatching, once the facial ruff was mature. Therefore, these altricial birds achieve their sensitivity to sound during a prolonged period of development, which coincides with maturation of the skull and facial ruff (Haresign and Moiseff in Auk 105:699-705, 1988).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kraemer
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences Program, Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
| | - Caitlin Baxter
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Alayna Hendrix
- Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Catherine E Carr
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland College, Park, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
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41
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Maxwell A, Hansen KA, Ortiz ST, Larsen ON, Siebert U, Wahlberg M. In-air hearing of the great cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo). Biol Open 2017; 6:496-502. [PMID: 28288967 PMCID: PMC5399558 DOI: 10.1242/bio.023879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many aquatic birds use sounds extensively for in-air communication. Regardless of this, we know very little about their hearing abilities. The in-air audiogram of a male adult great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) was determined using psychophysical methods (method of constants). Hearing thresholds were derived using pure tones of five different frequencies. The lowest threshold was at 2 kHz: 18 dB re 20 µPa rms. Thresholds derived using signal detection theory were within 2 dB of the ones derived using classical psychophysics. The great cormorant is more sensitive to in-air sounds than previously believed and its hearing abilities are comparable to several other species of birds of similar size. This knowledge is important for our understanding of the hearing abilities of other species of sea birds. It can also be used to develop cormorant deterrent devices for fisheries, as well as to assess the impact of increasing in-air anthropogenic noise levels on cormorants and other aquatic birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Maxwell
- Marine Biological Research Centre, Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, Kerteminde DK-5300, Denmark
| | - Kirstin Anderson Hansen
- Marine Biological Research Centre, Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, Kerteminde DK-5300, Denmark
| | - Sara Torres Ortiz
- Marine Biological Research Centre, Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, Kerteminde DK-5300, Denmark
| | - Ole Næsbye Larsen
- Marine Biological Research Centre, Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, Kerteminde DK-5300, Denmark
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstrasse 6, Büsum D-25761, Germany
| | - Magnus Wahlberg
- Marine Biological Research Centre, Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, Kerteminde DK-5300, Denmark
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42
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Wolf SE, Swaddle JP, Cristol DA, Buchser WJ. Methylmercury Exposure Reduces the Auditory Brainstem Response of Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata ). J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2017; 18:569-579. [PMID: 28361373 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-017-0619-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercury contamination from mining and fossil fuel combustion causes damage to humans and animals worldwide. Mercury exposure has been implicated in mammalian hearing impairment, but its effect on avian hearing is unknown. In this study, we examined whether lifetime dietary mercury exposure affected hearing in domestic zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) by studying their auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). Zebra finches exposed to mercury exhibited elevated hearing thresholds, decreased amplitudes, and longer latencies in the ABR, the first evidence of mercury-induced hearing impairment in birds. Birds are a more appropriate model for the human auditory spectrum than most mammals because of similarities in frequency discrimination, vocal learning, and communication behavior. When mercury is considered in combination with other anthropogenic stressors such as noise pollution and habitat alteration, the hearing impairments we document here could substantially degrade avian auditory communication in wild birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Wolf
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA
| | - John P Swaddle
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA
| | - Daniel A Cristol
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA
| | - William J Buchser
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, USA.
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43
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Cui J, Zhu B, Fang G, Smith E, Brauth SE, Tang Y. Effect of the Level of Anesthesia on the Auditory Brainstem Response in the Emei Music Frog (Babina daunchina). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169449. [PMID: 28056042 PMCID: PMC5215878 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Anesthesia is known to affect the auditory brainstem response (ABR) in mice, rats, birds and lizards. The present study investigated how the level of anesthesia affects ABR recordings in an amphibian species, Babina daunchina. To do this, we compared ABRs evoked by tone pip stimuli recorded from 35 frogs when Tricaine methane sulphonate (MS-222) anesthetic immersion times varied from 0, 5 and 10 minutes after anesthesia induction at sound frequencies between 0.5 and 6 kHz. ABR thresholds increased significantly with immersion time across the 0.5 kHz to 2.5 kHz frequency range, which is the most sensitive frequency range for hearing and the main frequency range of male calls. There were no significant differences for anesthetic levels across the 3 kHz to 6 kHz range. ABR latency was significantly longer in the 10 min group than in the 0 and 5 min groups at frequencies of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.5 kHz, while ABR latency did not differ across the 3 kHz to 4 kHz range and at 2.0 kHz. Taken together, these results show that the level of anesthesia affects the amplitude, threshold and latency of ABRs in frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Cui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Bicheng Zhu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Guangzhan Fang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ed Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Steven E. Brauth
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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44
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Scobie CA, Bayne EM, Wellicome TI. Influence of human footprint and sensory disturbances on night-time space use of an owl. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2016. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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45
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Crovo JA, Zeyl JN, Johnston CE. Hearing and Sound Production in the Aquatic Salamander, Amphiuma means. HERPETOLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-15-00026.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jenna A. Crovo
- Fish Biodiversity Lab, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Jeffrey N. Zeyl
- Fish Biodiversity Lab, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Carol E. Johnston
- Fish Biodiversity Lab, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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46
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The Binaural Interaction Component in Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Presents few Differences to Mammalian Data. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2016; 17:577-589. [PMID: 27562803 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-016-0583-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is an evoked potential that reflects the responses to sound by brainstem neural centers. The binaural interaction component (BIC) is obtained by subtracting the sum of the monaural ABR responses from the binaural response. Its latency and amplitude change in response to variations in binaural cues. The BIC is thus thought to reflect the activity of binaural nuclei and is used to non-invasively test binaural processing. However, any conclusions are limited by a lack of knowledge of the relevant processes at the level of individual neurons. The aim of this study was to characterize the ABR and BIC in the barn owl, an animal where the ITD-processing neural circuits are known in great detail. We recorded ABR responses to chirps and to 1 and 4 kHz tones from anesthetized barn owls. General characteristics of the barn owl ABR were similar to those observed in other bird species. The most prominent peak of the BIC was associated with nucleus laminaris and is thus likely to reflect the known processes of ITD computation in this nucleus. However, the properties of the BIC were very similar to previously published mammalian data and did not reveal any specific diagnostic features. For example, the polarity of the BIC was negative, which indicates a smaller response to binaural stimulation than predicted by the sum of monaural responses. This is contrary to previous predictions for an excitatory-excitatory system such as nucleus laminaris. Similarly, the change in BIC latency with varying ITD was not distinguishable from mammalian data. Contrary to previous predictions, this behavior appears unrelated to the known underlying neural delay-line circuitry. In conclusion, the generation of the BIC is currently inadequately understood and common assumptions about the BIC need to be reconsidered when interpreting such measurements.
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47
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Zhu B, Wang J, Brauth SE, Tang Y, Cui J. The spectral structure of vocalizations match hearing sensitivity but imprecisely in Philautus odontotarsus. BIOACOUSTICS 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2016.1221778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bicheng Zhu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Steven E. Brauth
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
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48
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Crowell SE, Wells-Berlin AM, Therrien RE, Yannuzzi SE, Carr CE. In-air hearing of a diving duck: A comparison of psychoacoustic and auditory brainstem response thresholds. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 139:3001. [PMID: 27250191 PMCID: PMC4902812 DOI: 10.1121/1.4948574] [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: 07/02/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Auditory sensitivity was measured in a species of diving duck that is not often kept in captivity, the lesser scaup. Behavioral (psychoacoustics) and electrophysiological [the auditory brainstem response (ABR)] methods were used to measure in-air auditory sensitivity, and the resulting audiograms were compared. Both approaches yielded audiograms with similar U-shapes and regions of greatest sensitivity (2000-3000 Hz). However, ABR thresholds were higher than psychoacoustic thresholds at all frequencies. This difference was least at the highest frequency tested using both methods (5700 Hz) and greatest at 1000 Hz, where the ABR threshold was 26.8 dB higher than the behavioral measure of threshold. This difference is commonly reported in studies involving many different species. These results highlight the usefulness of each method, depending on the testing conditions and availability of the animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Crowell
- U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, Maryland 20708, USA
| | - Alicia M Wells-Berlin
- U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, Maryland 20708, USA
| | - Ronald E Therrien
- U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, Maryland 20708, USA
| | - Sally E Yannuzzi
- Biology Department, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Catherine E Carr
- Biology Department, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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49
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Henry KS, Neilans EG, Abrams KS, Idrobo F, Carney LH. Neural correlates of behavioral amplitude modulation sensitivity in the budgerigar midbrain. J Neurophysiol 2016; 115:1905-16. [PMID: 26843608 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01003.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Amplitude modulation (AM) is a crucial feature of many communication signals, including speech. Whereas average discharge rates in the auditory midbrain correlate with behavioral AM sensitivity in rabbits, the neural bases of AM sensitivity in species with human-like behavioral acuity are unexplored. Here, we used parallel behavioral and neurophysiological experiments to explore the neural (midbrain) bases of AM perception in an avian speech mimic, the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). Behavioral AM sensitivity was quantified using operant conditioning procedures. Neural AM sensitivity was studied using chronically implanted microelectrodes in awake, unrestrained birds. Average discharge rates of multiunit recording sites in the budgerigar midbrain were insufficient to explain behavioral sensitivity to modulation frequencies <100 Hz for both tone- and noise-carrier stimuli, even with optimal pooling of information across recording sites. Neural envelope synchrony, in contrast, could explain behavioral performance for both carrier types across the full range of modulation frequencies studied (16-512 Hz). The results suggest that envelope synchrony in the budgerigar midbrain may underlie behavioral sensitivity to AM. Behavioral AM sensitivity based on synchrony in the budgerigar, which contrasts with rate-correlated behavioral performance in rabbits, raises the possibility that envelope synchrony, rather than average discharge rate, might also underlie AM perception in other species with sensitive AM detection abilities, including humans. These results highlight the importance of synchrony coding of envelope structure in the inferior colliculus. Furthermore, they underscore potential benefits of devices (e.g., midbrain implants) that evoke robust neural synchrony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth S Henry
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York;
| | | | - Kristina S Abrams
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Fabio Idrobo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Laurel H Carney
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
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50
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Crowell SC. Measuring In-Air and Underwater Hearing in Seabirds. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 875:1155-60. [PMID: 26611081 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2981-8_144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Electrophysiological methods were used to measure the in-air hearing of 10 species of seabirds. There are currently no measures of the underwater hearing abilities of diving birds. In preparation for constructing a behavioral audiogram both in-air and underwater hearing, several species of diving ducks were raised. Because there is a considerable amount of literature on bird hearing in air, the technical setup and training methods were modeled on similar studies, with modifications to address the nature of the underwater sound field and the difficulty of the task for the birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara C Crowell
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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