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Moore BCJ. The perception of emotion in music by people with hearing loss and people with cochlear implants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230258. [PMID: 39005027 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0258] [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] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Music is an important part of life for many people. It can evoke a wide range of emotions, including sadness, happiness, anger, tension, relief and excitement. People with hearing loss and people with cochlear implants have reduced abilities to discriminate some of the features of musical sounds that may be involved in evoking emotions. This paper reviews these changes in perceptual abilities and describes how they affect the perception of emotion in music. For people with acquired partial hearing loss, it appears that the perception of emotion in music is almost normal, whereas congenital partial hearing loss is associated with impaired perception of music emotion. For people with cochlear implants, the ability to discriminate changes in fundamental frequency (associated with perceived pitch) is much worse than normal and musical harmony is hardly perceived. As a result, people with cochlear implants appear to judge emotion in music primarily using tempo and rhythm cues, and this limits the range of emotions that can be judged. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C J Moore
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
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2
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Lukashkin AN, Russell IJ, Rybdylova O. Local cochlear mechanical responses revealed through outer hair cell receptor potential measurements. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00474-0. [PMID: 39014895 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Sensory hair cells, including the sensorimotor outer hair cells, which enable the sensitive, sharply tuned responses of the mammalian cochlea, are excited by radial shear between the organ of Corti and the overlying tectorial membrane. It is not currently possible to measure directly in vivo mechanical responses in the narrow cleft between the tectorial membrane and organ of Corti over a wide range of stimulus frequencies and intensities. The mechanical responses can, however, be derived by measuring hair cell receptor potentials. We demonstrate that the seemingly complex frequency- and intensity-dependent behavior of outer hair cell receptor potentials could be qualitatively explained by a two degrees of freedom system with local cochlear partition and tectorial membrane resonances strongly coupled by the outer hair cell stereocilia. A local minimum in the receptor potential below the characteristic frequency should always be observed at a frequency where the tectorial membrane mechanical impedance is minimal, i.e., at the presumed tectorial membrane resonance frequency. The tectorial membrane resonance frequency might, however, shift with stimulus intensity in accordance with a shift in the maximum of the tectorial membrane radial mechanical responses to lower frequencies, as observed in experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei N Lukashkin
- Sensory Neuroscience Research Group, School of Applied Science, University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom.
| | - Ian J Russell
- Sensory Neuroscience Research Group, School of Applied Science, University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Oyuna Rybdylova
- Advanced Engineering Centre, School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering, University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom.
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3
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Guest DR, Rajappa N, Oxenham AJ. Limitations in human auditory spectral analysis at high frequencies. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 156:326-340. [PMID: 38990035 PMCID: PMC11240212 DOI: 10.1121/10.0026475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Humans are adept at identifying spectral patterns, such as vowels, in different rooms, at different sound levels, or produced by different talkers. How this feat is achieved remains poorly understood. Two psychoacoustic analogs of spectral pattern recognition are spectral profile analysis and spectrotemporal ripple direction discrimination. This study tested whether pattern-recognition abilities observed previously at low frequencies are also observed at extended high frequencies. At low frequencies (center frequency ∼500 Hz), listeners were able to achieve accurate profile-analysis thresholds, consistent with prior literature. However, at extended high frequencies (center frequency ∼10 kHz), listeners' profile-analysis thresholds were either unmeasurable or could not be distinguished from performance based on overall loudness cues. A similar pattern of results was observed with spectral ripple discrimination, where performance was again considerably better at low than at high frequencies. Collectively, these results suggest a severe deficit in listeners' ability to analyze patterns of intensity across frequency in the extended high-frequency region that cannot be accounted for by cochlear frequency selectivity. One interpretation is that the auditory system is not optimized to analyze such fine-grained across-frequency profiles at extended high frequencies, as they are not typically informative for everyday sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Guest
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
| | - Neha Rajappa
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Andrew J Oxenham
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
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Borjigin A, Bharadwaj HM. Individual Differences Elucidate the Perceptual Benefits Associated with Robust Temporal Fine-Structure Processing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.20.558670. [PMID: 37790457 PMCID: PMC10542537 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.20.558670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
The auditory system is unique among sensory systems in its ability to phase lock to and precisely follow very fast cycle-by-cycle fluctuations in the phase of sound-driven cochlear vibrations. Yet, the perceptual role of this temporal fine structure (TFS) code is debated. This fundamental gap is attributable to our inability to experimentally manipulate TFS cues without altering other perceptually relevant cues. Here, we circumnavigated this limitation by leveraging individual differences across 200 participants to systematically compare variations in TFS sensitivity to performance in a range of speech perception tasks. TFS sensitivity was assessed through detection of interaural time/phase differences, while speech perception was evaluated by word identification under noise interference. Results suggest that greater TFS sensitivity is not associated with greater masking release from fundamental-frequency or spatial cues, but appears to contribute to resilience against the effects of reverberation. We also found that greater TFS sensitivity is associated with faster response times, indicating reduced listening effort. These findings highlight the perceptual significance of TFS coding for everyday hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agudemu Borjigin
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Hari M. Bharadwaj
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Saddler MR, McDermott JH. Models optimized for real-world tasks reveal the necessity of precise temporal coding in hearing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.21.590435. [PMID: 38712054 PMCID: PMC11071365 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.21.590435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Neurons encode information in the timing of their spikes in addition to their firing rates. Spike timing is particularly precise in the auditory nerve, where action potentials phase lock to sound with sub-millisecond precision, but its behavioral relevance is uncertain. To investigate the role of this temporal coding, we optimized machine learning models to perform real-world hearing tasks with simulated cochlear input. We asked how precise auditory nerve spike timing needed to be to reproduce human behavior. Models with high-fidelity phase locking exhibited more human-like sound localization and speech perception than models without, consistent with an essential role in human hearing. Degrading phase locking produced task-dependent effects, revealing how the use of fine-grained temporal information reflects both ecological task demands and neural implementation constraints. The results link neural coding to perception and clarify conditions in which prostheses that fail to restore high-fidelity temporal coding could in principle restore near-normal hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Saddler
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Josh H McDermott
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Speech and Hearing Biosciences and Technology, Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Pollastri F, Giannoni B, Marcelli V, Spadavecchia G, Pecci R. Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid Effects on Vestibular Function: A Preliminary Report. Audiol Res 2024; 14:386-400. [PMID: 38666904 PMCID: PMC11047723 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres14020033] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cochlear receptors are sensitive to vibratory stimuli. Based on this sensibility, bone-anchored hearing aids have been introduced to correct unilateral or bilateral conductive or mixed hearing loss and unilateral deafness. The vestibular system is also sensitive to the vibratory stimulus and this type of response is used in clinics to test its functionality. Being aware of this double separated sensibility, we wondered whether bone vibration, which activates the acoustic receptors of patients with bone conduction aids, can also influence the functionality of the vestibular system. METHODS To this end, we recruited 12 patients with a bone-anchored hearing aid and evaluated their vestibular function with and without an activated vibratory acoustic device. RESULTS Our results show that the vibratory stimulus delivered by the bone conduction aid also reaches and stimulates the vestibular receptors; this stimulation is evidenced by the appearance or modification of some nystagmus findings during bedside vestibular testing. Despite this, none of these patients complained of dizziness or vertigo during prosthesis use. Nystagmus that appeared or changed during acoustic vibratory stimulation through the prosthesis was almost all predominantly horizontal, unidirectional with respect to gaze or body position, inhibited by fixation, and most often consistent with vestibular function tests indicating peripheral vestibular damage. CONCLUSIONS The findings of sound-evoked nystagmus seem to indicate peripheral rather than central vestibular activation. The occurrence of some predominantly horizontal and high-frequency induced nystagmus seems to attribute the response mainly to the utricle and lateral semicircular canal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Pollastri
- Unit of Audiology, Careggi University Hospital, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (B.G.); (G.S.); (R.P.)
| | - Beatrice Giannoni
- Unit of Audiology, Careggi University Hospital, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (B.G.); (G.S.); (R.P.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug’s Area and Child’s Health, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Spadavecchia
- Unit of Audiology, Careggi University Hospital, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (B.G.); (G.S.); (R.P.)
| | - Rudi Pecci
- Unit of Audiology, Careggi University Hospital, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (B.G.); (G.S.); (R.P.)
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Carney LH. Neural Fluctuation Contrast as a Code for Complex Sounds: The Role and Control of Peripheral Nonlinearities. Hear Res 2024; 443:108966. [PMID: 38310710 PMCID: PMC10923127 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.108966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
The nonlinearities of the inner ear are often considered to be obstacles that the central nervous system has to overcome to decode neural responses to sounds. This review describes how peripheral nonlinearities, such as saturation of the inner-hair-cell response and of the IHC-auditory-nerve synapse, are instead beneficial to the neural encoding of complex sounds such as speech. These nonlinearities set up contrast in the depth of neural-fluctuations in auditory-nerve responses along the tonotopic axis, referred to here as neural fluctuation contrast (NFC). Physiological support for the NFC coding hypothesis is reviewed, and predictions of several psychophysical phenomena, including masked detection and speech intelligibility, are presented. Lastly, a framework based on the NFC code for understanding how the medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent system contributes to the coding of complex sounds is presented. By modulating cochlear gain control in response to both sound energy and fluctuations in neural responses, the MOC system is hypothesized to function not as a simple feedback gain-control device, but rather as a mechanism for enhancing NFC along the tonotopic axis, enabling robust encoding of complex sounds across a wide range of sound levels and in the presence of background noise. Effects of sensorineural hearing loss on the NFC code and on the MOC feedback system are presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel H Carney
- Depts. of Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience, and Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
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Hakizimana P. The sensitivity of mechanoelectrical transduction response phase to acoustic overstimulation is calcium-dependent. Pflugers Arch 2024; 476:271-282. [PMID: 37987805 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-023-02883-z] [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: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The Mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) channels of the mammalian hair cells are essential for converting sound stimuli into electrical signals that enable hearing. However, the impact of acoustic overstimulation, a leading cause of hearing loss, on the MET channel function remains poorly understood. In this study, I investigated the effect of loud sound-induced temporary threshold shift (TTS) on the transduction response phase across a wide range of sound frequencies and amplitudes. The results demonstrated an increase in the transduction response phase following TTS, indicating altered transduction apparatus function. Further investigations involving the reduction of extracellular calcium, a known consequence of TTS, replicated the observed phase changes. Additionally, reduction of potassium entry confirmed the specific role of calcium in regulating the transduction response phase. These findings provide novel insights into the impact of loud sound exposure on hearing impairment at the transduction apparatus level and highlight the critical role of calcium in modulating sound transduction. Considering that over 1 billion teenagers and young adults globally are at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe music listening habits, these results could significantly enhance awareness about the damaging effects of loud sound exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Hakizimana
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV), Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
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Jaime Tobón LM, Moser T. Ca 2+ regulation of glutamate release from inner hair cells of hearing mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2311539120. [PMID: 38019860 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311539120] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In our hearing organ, sound is encoded at ribbon synapses formed by inner hair cells (IHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). How the underlying synaptic vesicle (SV) release is controlled by Ca2+ in IHCs of hearing animals remained to be investigated. Here, we performed patch-clamp SGN recordings of the initial rate of release evoked by brief IHC Ca2+-influx in an ex vivo cochlear preparation from hearing mice. We aimed to closely mimic physiological conditions by perforated-patch recordings from IHCs kept at the physiological resting potential and at body temperature. We found release to relate supralinearly to Ca2+-influx (power, m: 4.3) when manipulating the [Ca2+] available for SV release by Zn2+-flicker-blocking of the single Ca2+-channel current. In contrast, a near linear Ca2+ dependence (m: 1.2 to 1.5) was observed when varying the number of open Ca2+-channels during deactivating Ca2+-currents and by dihydropyridine channel-inhibition. Concurrent changes of number and current of open Ca2+-channels over the range of physiological depolarizations revealed m: 1.8. These findings indicate that SV release requires ~4 Ca2+-ions to bind to their Ca2+-sensor of fusion. We interpret the near linear Ca2+-dependence of release during manipulations that change the number of open Ca2+-channels to reflect control of SV release by the high [Ca2+] in the Ca2+-nanodomain of one or few nearby Ca2+-channels. We propose that a combination of Ca2+ nanodomain control and supralinear intrinsic Ca2+-dependence of fusion optimally links SV release to the timing and amplitude of the IHC receptor potential and separates it from other IHC Ca2+-signals unrelated to afferent synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina María Jaime Tobón
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- Multiscale Bioimaging of Excitable Cells, Cluster of Excellence, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- Multiscale Bioimaging of Excitable Cells, Cluster of Excellence, Göttingen 37075, Germany
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10
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Ni G, Xu Z, Bai Y, Zheng Q, Zhao R, Wu Y, Ming D. EEG-based assessment of temporal fine structure and envelope effect in mandarin syllable and tone perception. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:11287-11299. [PMID: 37804238 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad366] [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: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, speech perception research has benefited from low-frequency rhythm entrainment tracking of the speech envelope. However, speech perception is still controversial regarding the role of speech envelope and temporal fine structure, especially in Mandarin. This study aimed to discuss the dependence of Mandarin syllables and tones perception on the speech envelope and the temporal fine structure. We recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) of the subjects under three acoustic conditions using the sound chimerism analysis, including (i) the original speech, (ii) the speech envelope and the sinusoidal modulation, and (iii) the fine structure of time and the modulation of the non-speech (white noise) sound envelope. We found that syllable perception mainly depended on the speech envelope, while tone perception depended on the temporal fine structure. The delta bands were prominent, and the parietal and prefrontal lobes were the main activated brain areas, regardless of whether syllable or tone perception was involved. Finally, we decoded the spatiotemporal features of Mandarin perception from the microstate sequence. The spatiotemporal feature sequence of the EEG caused by speech material was found to be specific, suggesting a new perspective for the subsequent auditory brain-computer interface. These results provided a new scheme for the coding strategy of new hearing aids for native Mandarin speakers. HIGHLIGHTS
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangjian Ni
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072 China
- Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration, Tianjin 300392 China
| | - Zihao Xu
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Yanru Bai
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Qi Zheng
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Ran Zhao
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Yubo Wu
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Dong Ming
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072 China
- Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration, Tianjin 300392 China
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Pastras CJ, Curthoys IS. Vestibular Testing-New Physiological Results for the Optimization of Clinical VEMP Stimuli. Audiol Res 2023; 13:910-928. [PMID: 37987337 PMCID: PMC10660708 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres13060079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Both auditory and vestibular primary afferent neurons can be activated by sound and vibration. This review relates the differences between them to the different receptor/synaptic mechanisms of the two systems, as shown by indicators of peripheral function-cochlear and vestibular compound action potentials (cCAPs and vCAPs)-to click stimulation as recorded in animal studies. Sound- and vibration-sensitive type 1 receptors at the striola of the utricular macula are enveloped by the unique calyx afferent ending, which has three modes of synaptic transmission. Glutamate is the transmitter for both cochlear and vestibular primary afferents; however, blocking glutamate transmission has very little effect on vCAPs but greatly reduces cCAPs. We suggest that the ultrafast non-quantal synaptic mechanism called resistive coupling is the cause of the short latency vestibular afferent responses and related results-failure of transmitter blockade, masking, and temporal precision. This "ultrafast" non-quantal transmission is effectively electrical coupling that is dependent on the membrane potentials of the calyx and the type 1 receptor. The major clinical implication is that decreasing stimulus rise time increases vCAP response, corresponding to the increased VEMP response in human subjects. Short rise times are optimal in human clinical VEMP testing, whereas long rise times are mandatory for audiometric threshold testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Pastras
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
| | - Ian S. Curthoys
- Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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12
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Brunstein M, Lubetzki J, Moutoussamy C, Li W, Barral J. Fast 2-photon stimulation using holographic patterns. OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 31:39222-39238. [PMID: 38018006 DOI: 10.1364/oe.498644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Two decades after its introduction, optogenetics - a biological technique to control the activity of neurons or other cell types with light - remains a cutting edge and promising tool to study biological processes. Its increasing usage in research varies widely from causally exploring biological mechanisms and neural computations, to neurostimulation and sensory restauration. To stimulate neurons in the brain, a variety of approaches have been developed to generate precise spatiotemporal light patterns. Yet certain constrains still exists in the current optical techniques to activate a neuronal population with both cellular resolution and millisecond precision. Here, we describe an experimental setup allowing to stimulate a few tens of neurons in a plane at sub-millisecond rates using 2-photon activation. A liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator (LCoS-SLM) was used to generate spatial patterns in 2 dimensions. The image of the patterns was formed on the plane of a digital micromirror device (DMD) that was used as a fast temporal modulator of each region of interest. Using fluorescent microscopy and patch-clamp recording of neurons in culture expressing the light-gated ion channels, we characterized the temporal and spatial resolution of the microscope. We described the advantages of combining the LCoS-SLM with the DMD to maximize the temporal precision, modulate the illumination amplitude, and reduce background activation. Finally, we showed that this approach can be extended to patterns in 3 dimensions. We concluded that the methodology is well suited to address important questions about the role of temporal information in neuronal coding.
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13
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Wei L, Verschooten E, Joris PX. Enhancement of phase-locking in rodents. II. An axonal recording study in chinchilla. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:751-767. [PMID: 37609701 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00474.2022] [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] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The trapezoid body (TB) contains axons of neurons residing in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) that provide excitatory and inhibitory inputs to the main monaural and binaural nuclei in the superior olivary complex (SOC). To understand the monaural and binaural response properties of neurons in the medial and lateral superior olive (MSO and LSO), it is important to characterize the temporal firing properties of these inputs. Because of its exceptional low-frequency hearing, the chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) is one of the widely used small animal models for studies of hearing. However, the characterization of the output of its ventral cochlear nucleus to the nuclei of the SOC is fragmentary. We obtained responses of TB axons to stimuli typically used in binaural studies and compared these responses to those of auditory nerve (AN) fibers, with a focus on temporal coding. We found enhancement of phase-locking and entrainment, i.e., the ability of a neuron to fire action potentials at a certain stimulus phase for nearly every stimulus period, in TB axons relative to AN fibers. Enhancement in phase-locking and entrainment are quantitatively more modest than in the cat but greater than in the gerbil. As in these species, these phenomena occur not only in low-frequency neurons stimulated at their characteristic frequency but also in neurons tuned to higher frequencies when stimulated with low-frequency tones, to which complex phase-locking behavior with multiple modes of firing per stimulus cycle is frequently observed.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The sensitivity of neurons to small time differences in sustained sounds to both ears is important for binaural hearing, and this sensitivity is critically dependent on phase-locking in the monaural pathways. Although studies in cat showed a marked improvement in phase-locking from the peripheral to the central auditory nervous system, the evidence in rodents is mixed. Here, we recorded from AN and TB of chinchilla and found temporal enhancement, though more limited than in cat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liting Wei
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eric Verschooten
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip X Joris
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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14
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Vinay, Moore BCJ. Exploiting individual differences to assess the role of place and phase locking cues in auditory frequency discrimination at 2 kHz. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13801. [PMID: 37612303 PMCID: PMC10447419 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40571-1] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The relative role of place and temporal mechanisms in auditory frequency discrimination was assessed for a centre frequency of 2 kHz. Four measures of frequency discrimination were obtained for 63 normal-hearing participants: detection of frequency modulation using modulation rates of 2 Hz (FM2) and 20 Hz (FM20); detection of a change in frequency across successive pure tones (difference limen for frequency, DLF); and detection of changes in the temporal fine structure of bandpass filtered complex tones centred at 2 kHz (TFS). Previous work has suggested that: FM2 depends on the use of both temporal and place cues; FM20 depends primarily on the use of place cues because the temporal mechanism cannot track rapid changes in frequency; DLF depends primarily on temporal cues; TFS depends exclusively on temporal cues. This led to the following predicted patterns of the correlations of scores across participants: DLF and TFS should be highly correlated; FM2 should be correlated with DLF and TFS; FM20 should not be correlated with DLF or TFS. The results were broadly consistent with these predictions and with the idea that frequency discrimination at 2 kHz depends partly or primarily on temporal cues except for frequency modulation detection at a high rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay
- Audiology Group, Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Tungasletta 2, 7491, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Brian C J Moore
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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15
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Moore BCJ, Vinay. Assessing mechanisms of frequency discrimination by comparison of different measures over a wide frequency range. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11379. [PMID: 37452119 PMCID: PMC10349105 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38600-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that auditory detection of frequency modulation (FM) for low FM rates depends on the use of both temporal (phase locking) and place cues, depending on the carrier frequency, while detection of FM at high rates depends primarily on the use of place cues. To test this, FM detection for 2 and 20 Hz rates was measured over a wide frequency range, 1-10 kHz, including high frequencies for which temporal cues are assumed to be very weak. Performance was measured over the same frequency range for a task involving detection of changes in the temporal fine structure (TFS) of bandpass filtered complex tones, for which performance is assumed to depend primarily on the use of temporal cues. FM thresholds were better for the 2- than for the 20-Hz rate for center frequencies up to 4 kHz, while the reverse was true for higher center frequencies. For both FM rates, the thresholds, expressed as a proportion of the center frequency, were roughly constant for center frequencies from 6 to 10 Hz, consistent with the use of place cues. For the TFS task, thresholds worsened progressively with increasing frequency above 4 kHz, consistent with the weakening of temporal cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C J Moore
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Vinay
- Audiology Group, Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Tungasletta 2, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
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16
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Klug J, Encke J, Dietz M. Characterization of the decline in auditory nerve phase locking at high frequencies. JASA EXPRESS LETTERS 2023; 3:074403. [PMID: 37477582 DOI: 10.1121/10.0020267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
The frequency dependence of phase locking in the auditory nerve influences various auditory coding mechanisms. The decline of phase locking with increasing frequency is commonly described by a low-pass filter. This study compares fitted low-pass filter parameters with the actual rate of phase locking decline. The decline is similar across studies and only 40 dB per decade, corresponding to the asymptotic decline of a second order filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Klug
- Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics, University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, , ,
| | - Jörg Encke
- Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics, University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, , ,
| | - Mathias Dietz
- Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics, University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, , ,
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17
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de Cheveigné A. Why is the perceptual octave stretched? An account based on mismatched time constants within the auditory brainstem. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 153:2600. [PMID: 37129672 DOI: 10.1121/10.0017978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
This paper suggests an explanation for listeners' greater tolerance to positive than negative mistuning of the higher tone within an octave pair. It hypothesizes a neural circuit tuned to cancel the lower tone that also cancels the higher tone if that tone is in tune. Imperfect cancellation is the cue to mistuning of the octave. The circuit involves two neural pathways, one delayed with respect to the other, that feed a coincidence-sensitive neuron via excitatory and inhibitory synapses. A mismatch between the time constants of these two synapses results in an asymmetry in sensitivity to mismatch. Specifically, if the time constant of the delayed pathway is greater than that of the direct pathway, there is a greater tolerance to positive mistuning than to negative mistuning. The model is directly applicable to the harmonic octave (concurrent tones) but extending it to the melodic octave (successive tones) requires additional assumptions that are discussed. The paper reviews evidence from auditory psychophysics and physiology in favor-or against-this explanation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain de Cheveigné
- Laboratoire des Systèmes Perceptifs, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8248, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
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18
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Chen C, Remington ED, Wang X. Sound localization acuity of the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Hear Res 2023; 430:108722. [PMID: 36863289 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a small arboreal New World primate which has emerged as a promising model in auditory neuroscience. One potentially useful application of this model system is in the study of the neural mechanism underlying spatial hearing in primate species, as the marmosets need to localize sounds to orient their head to events of interest and identify their vocalizing conspecifics that are not visible. However, interpretation of neurophysiological data on sound localization requires an understanding of perceptual abilities, and the sound localization behavior of marmosets has not been well studied. The present experiment measured sound localization acuity using an operant conditioning procedure in which marmosets were trained to discriminate changes in sound location in the horizontal (azimuth) or vertical (elevation) dimension. Our results showed that the minimum audible angle (MAA) for horizontal and vertical discrimination was 13.17° and 12.53°, respectively, for 2 to 32 kHz Gaussian noise. Removing the monaural spectral cues tended to increase the horizontal localization acuity (11.31°). Marmosets have larger horizontal MAA (15.54°) in the rear than the front. Removing the high-frequency (> 26 kHz) region of the head-related transfer function (HRTF) affected vertical acuity mildly (15.76°), but removing the first notch (12-26 kHz) region of HRTF substantially reduced the vertical acuity (89.01°). In summary, our findings indicate that marmosets' spatial acuity is on par with other species of similar head size and field of best vision, and they do not appear to use monaural spectral cues for horizontal discrimination but rely heavily on first notch region of HRTF for vertical discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenggang Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., Traylor 410, Baltimore, MD 21025, United States
| | - Evan D Remington
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., Traylor 410, Baltimore, MD 21025, United States
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., Traylor 410, Baltimore, MD 21025, United States.
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19
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Klug J, Dietz M. Frequency dependence of sensitivity to interaural phase differences in pure tones. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:3130. [PMID: 36586867 DOI: 10.1121/10.0015246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that in normal-hearing humans, the threshold of interaural time differences for pure tones increases dramatically above about 1300 Hz, only to become unmeasurable above 1400 Hz. However, physiological data and auditory models suggest that the actual decline in sensitivity is more gradual and only appears to be abrupt because the maximum of the psychometric function dips below the threshold proportion correct, e.g., 0.794. Published data only report thresholds at certain proportions correct but not the decline of proportions correct or of the sensitivity index d' with increasing frequencies. Here, we present pure-tone behavioral data obtained with a constant stimulus procedure. Seven of nine subjects showed proportions correct above 0.9 at 1300 Hz and virtually no sensitivity at 1500 Hz (proportion correct within 0.07 of chance level). This corresponds to a sensitivity decline of 46-78 dB/oct, much steeper than predicted by existing models or by the decline of phase locking of the auditory nerve fibers in animal data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Klug
- Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics, University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Mathias Dietz
- Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics, University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
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20
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Bissmeyer SRS, Goldsworthy RL. Combining Place and Rate of Stimulation Improves Frequency Discrimination in Cochlear Implant Users. Hear Res 2022; 424:108583. [PMID: 35930901 PMCID: PMC10849775 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
In the auditory system, frequency is represented as tonotopic and temporal response properties of the auditory nerve. While these response properties are inextricably linked in normal hearing, cochlear implants can separately excite tonotopic location and temporal synchrony using different electrodes and stimulation rates, respectively. This separation allows for the investigation of the contributions of tonotopic and temporal cues for frequency discrimination. The present study examines frequency discrimination in adult cochlear implant users as conveyed by electrode position and stimulation rate, separately and combined. The working hypothesis is that frequency discrimination is better provided by place and rate cues combined compared to either cue alone. This hypothesis was tested in two experiments. In the first experiment, frequency discrimination needed for melodic contour identification was measured for frequencies near 100, 200, and 400 Hz using frequency allocation modeled after clinical processors. In the second experiment, frequency discrimination for pitch ranking was measured for frequencies between 100 and 1600 Hz using an experimental frequency allocation designed to provide better access to place cues. The results of both experiments indicate that frequency discrimination is better with place and rate cues combined than with either cue alone. These results clarify how signal processing for cochlear implants could better encode frequency into place and rate of electrical stimulation. Further, the results provide insight into the contributions of place and rate cues for pitch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan R S Bissmeyer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Auditory Research Center, Health Research Association, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1640 Marengo Street Suite 326, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States.
| | - Raymond L Goldsworthy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Auditory Research Center, Health Research Association, Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1640 Marengo Street Suite 326, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States
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21
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Anandakumar DB, Liu RC. More than the end: OFF response plasticity as a mnemonic signature of a sound’s behavioral salience. Front Comput Neurosci 2022; 16:974264. [PMID: 36148326 PMCID: PMC9485674 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2022.974264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In studying how neural populations in sensory cortex code dynamically varying stimuli to guide behavior, the role of spiking after stimuli have ended has been underappreciated. This is despite growing evidence that such activity can be tuned, experience-and context-dependent and necessary for sensory decisions that play out on a slower timescale. Here we review recent studies, focusing on the auditory modality, demonstrating that this so-called OFF activity can have a more complex temporal structure than the purely phasic firing that has often been interpreted as just marking the end of stimuli. While diverse and still incompletely understood mechanisms are likely involved in generating phasic and tonic OFF firing, more studies point to the continuing post-stimulus activity serving a short-term, stimulus-specific mnemonic function that is enhanced when the stimuli are particularly salient. We summarize these results with a conceptual model highlighting how more neurons within the auditory cortical population fire for longer duration after a sound’s termination during an active behavior and can continue to do so even while passively listening to behaviorally salient stimuli. Overall, these studies increasingly suggest that tonic auditory cortical OFF activity holds an echoic memory of specific, salient sounds to guide behavioral decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakshitha B Anandakumar
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Robert C Liu
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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22
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Abstract
Cochlear implants have been the most successful neural prosthesis, with one million users globally. Researchers used the source-filter model and speech vocoder to design the modern multi-channel implants, allowing implantees to achieve 70%-80% correct sentence recognition in quiet, on average. Researchers also used the cochlear implant to help understand basic mechanisms underlying loudness, pitch, and cortical plasticity. While front-end processing advances improved speech recognition in noise, the unilateral implant speech recognition in quiet has plateaued since the early 1990s. This lack of progress calls for action on re-designing the cochlear stimulating interface and collaboration with the general neurotechnology community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan-Gang Zeng
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive Sciences, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing Research, University of California, 110 Medical Sciences E, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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23
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Round Window Electrocochleography to Low Frequency Tones in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients with and Without Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder: Separating Hair Cell and Neural Contributions Using a Computational Model. Otol Neurotol 2022; 43:781-788. [PMID: 35763496 PMCID: PMC9329248 DOI: 10.1097/mao.0000000000003568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Characterize the contribution of the auditory nerve neurophonic (ANN) to electrocochleography (ECochG) of pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients with and without auditory nerve spectrum disorder (ANSD). BACKGROUND ECochG is an emerging technique for predicting outcomes in CI recipients. Its utility may be increased by separating the cochlear microphonic (CM), produced by hair cells, from the ANN, the evoked potential correlate of neural phase-locking, which are mixed in the ongoing portion of the response to low frequency tone bursts. METHODS Responses to tone bursts of different frequency and intensities were recorded from the round window of pediatric CI recipients. Separation of the CM and ANN was performed using a model of the underlying processes that lead to the shapes of the observed waveforms. RESULTS Preoperative mean pure tone amplitudes of the included ANSD (n = 36) and non-ANSD subjects (n = 123), were similar (89.5 and 93.5, p = 0.1). Total of 1,024 ECochG responses to frequency and intensity series were recorded. The mean correlation (r) between the input and the modeled signals was 0.973 ± 0.056 (standard deviation). The ANN magnitudes were higher in the ANSD group (ANOVAs, F = 26.5 for frequency and 21.9 for intensity, df's = 1, p's < 0.001). However, its relative contribution to the overall signal was lower (ANOVAs, F = 25.8 and 12.1, df = 1, p's < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS ANN was detected in low frequency ECochG responses but not high frequency responses in both ANSD and non-ANSD subjects. ANSD subjects, evidence of neural contribution in responses to low frequency stimuli was highly variable and often comparable to signals recorded in non-ANSD subjects. The computational model revealed that on average the ANN comprised a lower proportion of the overall signal than in non-ANSD subjects.
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24
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Steenken F, Oetjen H, Beutelmann R, Carney LH, Koeppl C, Klump GM. Neural processing and perception of Schroeder-phase harmonic tone complexes in the gerbil: Relating single-unit neurophysiology to behavior. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:4060-4085. [PMID: 35724973 PMCID: PMC9632632 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Schroeder-phase harmonic tone complexes have been used in physiological and psychophysical studies in several species to gain insight into cochlear function. Each pitch period of the Schroeder stimulus contains a linear frequency sweep; the duty cycle, sweep velocity, and direction are controlled by parameters of the phase spectrum. Here, responses to a range of Schroeder-phase harmonic tone complexes were studied both behaviorally and in neural recordings from the auditory nerve and inferior colliculus of Mongolian gerbils. Gerbils were able to discriminate Schroeder-phase harmonic tone complexes based on sweep direction, duty cycle, and/or velocity for fundamental frequencies up to 200 Hz. Temporal representation in neural responses based on the van Rossum spike-distance metric, with time constants of either 1 ms or related to the stimulus' period, was compared to average discharge rates. Neural responses and behavioral performance were both expressed in terms of sensitivity, d', to allow direct comparisons. Our results suggest that in the auditory nerve, stimulus fine structure is represented by spike timing while envelope is represented by rate. In the inferior colliculus, both temporal fine structure and envelope appear to be represented best by rate. However, correlations between neural d' values and behavioral sensitivity for sweep direction were strongest for both temporal metrics, for both auditory nerve and inferior colliculus. Furthermore, the high sensitivity observed in the inferior colliculus neural rate-based discrimination suggests that these neurons integrate across multiple inputs arising from the auditory periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Steenken
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Henning Oetjen
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Beutelmann
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Laurel H Carney
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.,Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg, Delmenhorst, Germany
| | - Christine Koeppl
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Georg M Klump
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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25
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Signatures of cochlear processing in neuronal coding of auditory information. Mol Cell Neurosci 2022; 120:103732. [PMID: 35489636 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2022.103732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate ear is endowed with remarkable perceptual capabilities. The faintest sounds produce vibrations of magnitudes comparable to those generated by thermal noise and can nonetheless be detected through efficient amplification of small acoustic stimuli. Two mechanisms have been proposed to underlie such sound amplification in the mammalian cochlea: somatic electromotility and active hair-bundle motility. These biomechanical mechanisms may work in concert to tune auditory sensitivity. In addition to amplitude sensitivity, the hearing system shows exceptional frequency discrimination allowing mammals to distinguish complex sounds with great accuracy. For instance, although the wide hearing range of humans encompasses frequencies from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, our frequency resolution extends to one-thirtieth of the interval between successive keys on a piano. In this article, we review the different cochlear mechanisms underlying sound encoding in the auditory system, with a particular focus on the frequency decomposition of sounds. The relation between peak frequency of activation and location along the cochlea - known as tonotopy - arises from multiple gradients in biophysical properties of the sensory epithelium. Tonotopic mapping represents a major organizational principle both in the peripheral hearing system and in higher processing levels and permits the spectral decomposition of complex tones. The ribbon synapses connecting sensory hair cells to auditory afferents and the downstream spiral ganglion neurons are also tuned to process periodic stimuli according to their preferred frequency. Though sensory hair cells and neurons necessarily filter signals beyond a few kHz, many animals can hear well beyond this range. We finally describe how the cochlear structure shapes the neural code for further processing in order to send meaningful information to the brain. Both the phase-locked response of auditory nerve fibers and tonotopy are key to decode sound frequency information and place specific constraints on the downstream neuronal network.
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26
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Perez-Flores MC, Verschooten E, Lee JH, Kim HJ, Joris PX, Yamoah EN. Intrinsic mechanical sensitivity of mammalian auditory neurons as a contributor to sound-driven neural activity. eLife 2022; 11:74948. [PMID: 35266451 PMCID: PMC8942473 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensation – by which mechanical stimuli are converted into a neuronal signal – is the basis for the sensory systems of hearing, balance, and touch. Mechanosensation is unmatched in speed and its diverse range of sensitivities, reaching its highest temporal limits with the sense of hearing; however, hair cells (HCs) and the auditory nerve (AN) serve as obligatory bottlenecks for sounds to engage the brain. Like other sensory neurons, auditory neurons use the canonical pathway for neurotransmission and millisecond-duration action potentials (APs). How the auditory system utilizes the relatively slow transmission mechanisms to achieve ultrafast speed, and high audio-frequency hearing remains an enigma. Here, we address this paradox and report that the mouse, and chinchilla, AN are mechanically sensitive, and minute mechanical displacement profoundly affects its response properties. Sound-mimicking sinusoidal mechanical and electrical current stimuli affect phase-locked responses. In a phase-dependent manner, the two stimuli can also evoke suppressive responses. We propose that mechanical sensitivity interacts with synaptic responses to shape responses in the AN, including frequency tuning and temporal phase locking. Combining neurotransmission and mechanical sensation to control spike patterns gives the mammalian AN a secondary receptor role, an emerging theme in primary neuronal functions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric Verschooten
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Philip X Joris
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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27
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Is Skull-Vibration-Induced Nystagmus Modified with Aging? Audiol Res 2022; 12:132-142. [PMID: 35314611 PMCID: PMC8938847 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres12020016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Despite clinical practice utilizing the Dumas test (SVINT), some questions remain unanswered, including the age-related changes in frequency (FN) and slow-phase angular velocity (SPAV). This study aims to retrospectively evaluate their variations in subjects affected by unilateral peripheral vestibular loss (UPVL). Methods: We evaluated the selected samples based on the results of the SVINT, the results of the vestibular-evoked potentials (C-VEMP and O-VEMP), and the results of the head impulse test (HIT) and we compared the results against the age of the patients. We calculated the timing between the onset of UPVL and clinical evaluation in days. The presence or absence of VEMP indicated the UPVL severity. UPVL and BPPV patients with spontaneous or pseudo-spontaneous nystagmus were compared. Results: Statistical analysis showed changes in the FN and SPAV depending on age and the side of the application of the stimulus. We also observed that, in the UPVL, the severity of the disease modifies the SPAV, but not the frequency. Conclusions: The SVINT is a simple, reliable, and straightforward test that, if evaluated instrumentally, can show significant differences with aging. Further studies need to be performed to refine the clinical significance of the test and clarify its physiological background.
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28
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Cabrera L, Lau BK. The development of auditory temporal processing during the first year of life. HEARING, BALANCE AND COMMUNICATION 2022; 20:155-165. [PMID: 36111124 PMCID: PMC9473293 DOI: 10.1080/21695717.2022.2029092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The processing of auditory temporal information is important for the extraction of voice pitch, linguistic information, as well as the overall temporal structure of speech. However, many aspects of its early development remain poorly understood. This paper reviews the development of auditory temporal processing during the first year of life when infants are acquiring their native language. METHODS First, potential mechanisms of neural immaturity are discussed in the context of neurophysiological studies. Next, what is known about infant auditory capabilities is considered with a focus on psychophysical studies involving non-speech stimuli to investigate the perception of temporal fine structure and envelope cues. This is followed by a review of studies involving speech stimuli, including those that present vocoded signals as a method of degrading the spectro-temporal information available to infant listeners. RESULTS/CONCLUSION This review suggests that temporal resolution may be well developed in the first postnatal months, but that the ability to use and process the temporal information in an efficient way along the entire auditory pathway is longer to develop. Those findings have crucial implications for the development of language abilities, especially for infants with hearing impairment who are using cochlear implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurianne Cabrera
- Université de Paris, INCC UMR 8002, CNRS, 45 rue des saints-pères, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Bonnie K Lau
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, University of Washington, 1701 NE Columbia Rd, Box 257923, Seattle, WA 98195
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29
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Bush A, Chrabaszcz A, Peterson V, Saravanan V, Dastolfo-Hromack C, Lipski WJ, Richardson RM. Differentiation of speech-induced artifacts from physiological high gamma activity in intracranial recordings. Neuroimage 2022; 250:118962. [PMID: 35121181 PMCID: PMC8922158 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is great interest in identifying the neurophysiological underpinnings of speech production. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is unique in that it allows intracranial recordings from both cortical and subcortical regions in patients who are awake and speaking. The quality of these recordings, however, may be affected to various degrees by mechanical forces resulting from speech itself. Here we describe the presence of speech-induced artifacts in local-field potential (LFP) recordings obtained from mapping electrodes, DBS leads, and cortical electrodes. In addition to expected physiological increases in high gamma (60–200 Hz) activity during speech production, time-frequency analysis in many channels revealed a narrowband gamma component that exhibited a pattern similar to that observed in the speech audio spectrogram. This component was present to different degrees in multiple types of neural recordings. We show that this component tracks the fundamental frequency of the participant’s voice, correlates with the power spectrum of speech and has coherence with the produced speech audio. A vibration sensor attached to the stereotactic frame recorded speech-induced vibrations with the same pattern observed in the LFPs. No corresponding component was identified in any neural channel during the listening epoch of a syllable repetition task. These observations demonstrate how speech-induced vibrations can create artifacts in the primary frequency band of interest. Identifying and accounting for these artifacts is crucial for establishing the validity and reproducibility of speech-related data obtained from intracranial recordings during DBS surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Bush
- Brain Modulation Lab, Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Anna Chrabaszcz
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Victoria Peterson
- Brain Modulation Lab, Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Varun Saravanan
- Brain Modulation Lab, Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Christina Dastolfo-Hromack
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Communication Science and Disorders, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA; West Virginia University, Communication Science and Disorders, WV 26506, USA
| | - Witold J Lipski
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neurological Surgery, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - R Mark Richardson
- Brain Modulation Lab, Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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30
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Abstract
Taste information is encoded in the gustatory nervous system much as in other sensory systems, with notable exceptions. The concept of adequate stimulus is common to all sensory modalities, from somatosensory to auditory, visual, and so forth. That is, sensory cells normally respond only to one particular form of stimulation, the adequate stimulus, such as photons (photoreceptors in the visual system), odors (olfactory sensory neurons in the olfactory system), noxious heat (nociceptors in the somatosensory system), etc. Peripheral sensory receptors transduce the stimulus into membrane potential changes transmitted to the brain in the form of trains of action potentials. How information concerning different aspects of the stimulus such as quality, intensity, and duration are encoded in the trains of action potentials is hotly debated in the field of taste. At one extreme is the notion of labeled line/spatial coding - information for each different taste quality (sweet, salty, sour, etc.) is transmitted along a parallel but separate series of neurons (a "line") that project to focal clusters ("spaces") of neurons in the gustatory cortex. These clusters are distinct for each taste quality. Opposing this are concepts of population/combinatorial coding and temporal coding, where taste information is encrypted by groups of neurons (circuits) and patterns of impulses within these neuronal circuits. Key to population/combinatorial and temporal coding is that impulse activity in an individual neuron does not provide unambiguous information about the taste stimulus. Only populations of neurons and their impulse firing pattern yield that information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen D Roper
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
- Department of Otolaryngology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
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31
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Wang C, Wang Z, Xie B, Shi X, Yang P, Liu L, Qu T, Qin Q, Xing Y, Zhu W, Teipel SJ, Jia J, Zhao G, Li L, Tang Y. Binaural processing deficit and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2021; 18:1085-1099. [PMID: 34569690 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Speech comprehension in noisy environments depends on central auditory functions, which are vulnerable in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Binaural processing exploits two ear sounds to optimally process degraded sound information; its characteristics are poorly understood in AD. We studied behavioral and electrophysiological alterations in binaural processing among 121 participants (AD = 27; amnestic mild cognitive impairment [aMCI] = 33; subjective cognitive decline [SCD] = 30; cognitively normal [CN] = 31). We observed impairment of binaural processing in AD and aMCI, and detected a U-shaped curve change in phase synchrony (declining from CN to SCD and to aMCI, but increasing from aMCI to AD). This improvement in phase synchrony accompanying more severe cognitive stages could reflect neural adaptation for binaural processing. Moreover, increased phase synchrony is associated with worse memory during the stages when neural adaptation apparently occurs. These findings support a hypothesis that neural adaptation for binaural processing deficit may exacerbate cognitive impairment, which could help identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changming Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Zhibin Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Beijia Xie
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Xinrui Shi
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Pengcheng Yang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Speech and Hearing Research Center, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Liu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Speech and Hearing Research Center, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianshu Qu
- Speech and Hearing Research Center, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory on Machine Perception (Ministry of Education), Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Qin
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Xing
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Stefan J Teipel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Rostock, Germany
| | - Jianping Jia
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, China.,Center of Alzheimer's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Guoguang Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Li
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Speech and Hearing Research Center, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory on Machine Perception (Ministry of Education), Peking University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Tang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, China
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32
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Curthoys IS, Grant JW, Pastras CJ, Fröhlich L, Brown DJ. Similarities and Differences Between Vestibular and Cochlear Systems - A Review of Clinical and Physiological Evidence. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:695179. [PMID: 34456671 PMCID: PMC8397526 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.695179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The evoked response to repeated brief stimuli, such as clicks or short tone bursts, is used for clinical evaluation of the function of both the auditory and vestibular systems. One auditory response is a neural potential - the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) - recorded by surface electrodes on the head. The clinical analogue for testing the otolithic response to abrupt sounds and vibration is the myogenic potential recorded from tensed muscles - the vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP). VEMPs have provided clinicians with a long sought-after tool - a simple, clinically realistic indicator of the function of each of the 4 otolithic sensory regions. We review the basic neural evidence for VEMPs and discuss the similarities and differences between otolithic and cochlear receptors and afferents. VEMPs are probably initiated by sound or vibration selectively activating afferent neurons with irregular resting discharge originating from the unique type I receptors at a specialized region of the otolithic maculae (the striola). We review how changes in VEMP responses indicate the functional state of peripheral vestibular function and the likely transduction mechanisms allowing otolithic receptors and afferents to trigger such very short latency responses. In section "ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY" we show how cochlear and vestibular receptors and afferents have many similar electrophysiological characteristics [e.g., both generate microphonics, summating potentials, and compound action potentials (the vestibular evoked potential, VsEP)]. Recent electrophysiological evidence shows that the hydrodynamic changes in the labyrinth caused by increased fluid volume (endolymphatic hydrops), change the responses of utricular receptors and afferents in a way which mimics the changes in vestibular function attributed to endolymphatic hydrops in human patients. In section "MECHANICS OF OTOLITHS IN VEMPS TESTING" we show how the major VEMP results (latency and frequency response) follow from modeling the physical characteristics of the macula (dimensions, stiffness etc.). In particular, the structure and mechanical operation of the utricular macula explains the very fast response of the type I receptors and irregular afferents which is the very basis of VEMPs and these structural changes of the macula in Menière's Disease (MD) predict the upward shift of VEMP tuning in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S. Curthoys
- Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John Wally Grant
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Christopher J. Pastras
- The Menière’s Research Laboratory, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Laura Fröhlich
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Daniel J. Brown
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
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33
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Palandrani KN, Hoover EC, Stavropoulos T, Seitz AR, Isarangura S, Gallun FJ, Eddins DA. Temporal integration of monaural and dichotic frequency modulation. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 150:745. [PMID: 34470296 PMCID: PMC8337085 DOI: 10.1121/10.0005729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Frequency modulation (FM) detection at low modulation frequencies is commonly used as an index of temporal fine-structure processing. The present study evaluated the rate of improvement in monaural and dichotic FM across a range of test parameters. In experiment I, dichotic and monaural FM detection was measured as a function of duration and modulator starting phase. Dichotic FM thresholds were lower than monaural FM thresholds and the modulator starting phase had no effect on detection. Experiment II measured monaural FM detection for signals that differed in modulation rate and duration such that the improvement with duration in seconds (carrier) or cycles (modulator) was compared. Monaural FM detection improved monotonically with the number of modulation cycles, suggesting that the modulator is extracted prior to detection. Experiment III measured dichotic FM detection for shorter signal durations to test the hypothesis that dichotic FM relies primarily on the signal onset. The rate of improvement decreased as duration increased, which is consistent with the use of primarily onset cues for the detection of dichotic FM. These results establish that improvement with duration occurs as a function of the modulation cycles at a rate consistent with the independent-samples model for monaural FM, but later cycles contribute less to detection in dichotic FM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine N Palandrani
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Eric C Hoover
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Trevor Stavropoulos
- Brain Game Center, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Aaron R Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Sittiprapa Isarangura
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Mahidol University, Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Frederick J Gallun
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - David A Eddins
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
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34
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Peterson AJ, Heil P. A simplified physiological model of rate-level functions of auditory-nerve fibers. Hear Res 2021; 406:108258. [PMID: 34010767 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108258] [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: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several approaches have been used to describe the rate-level functions of auditory-nerve fibers (ANFs). One approach uses descriptive models that can be fitted easily to data. Another derives rate-level functions from comprehensive physiological models of auditory peripheral processing. Here, we seek to identify the minimal set of components needed to provide a physiologically plausible account of rate-level functions. Our model consists of a first-order Boltzmann mechanoelectrical transducer function relating the instantaneous stimulus pressure to an instantaneous output, followed by a lowpass filter that eliminates the AC component, followed by an exponential synaptic transfer function relating the DC component to the mean spike rate. This is perhaps the simplest physiologically plausible model capable of accounting for rate-level functions under the assumption that the model parameters for a given ANF and stimulus frequency are level-independent. We find that the model typically accounts well for rate-level functions from cat ANFs for all stimulus frequencies. More complicated model variants having saturating synaptic transfer functions do not perform significantly better, implying the system operates far away from synaptic saturation. Rate saturation in the model is caused by saturation of the DC component of the filter output (e.g., the receptor potential), which in turn is due to the saturation of the transducer function. The maximum mean spike rate is approximately constant across ANFs, such that the slope parameter of the exponential synaptic transfer function decreases with increasing spontaneous rate. If the synaptic parameters for a given ANF are assumed to be constant across stimulus frequencies, then frequency- and level-dependent input nonlinearities are derived that are qualitatively similar to those reported in the literature. Contrary to assumptions in the literature, such nonlinearities are obtained even for ANFs having high spontaneous rates. Finally, spike-rate adaptation is examined and found to be accounted for by a decrease in the slope parameter of the synaptic transfer function over time following stimulus onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Peterson
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Heil
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
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35
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Bhardwaj A, Khyam MO, Müller R. Biomimetic detection of dynamic signatures in foliage echoes. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2021; 16:046026. [PMID: 33862609 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/abf910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Certain bat species (familyRhinolophidae) dynamically deform their emission baffles (noseleaves) and reception baffles (pinnae) during echolocation. Prior research using numerical models, laboratory characterizations, and experiments with simple targets have suggested that this dynamics may manifest itself in time-variant echo signatures. Since the pronounced random nature of echoes from natural targets such as foliage has not been reflected in these experiments, we have collected a large number (>55 000) of foliage echoes outdoors with a sonar head that mimics the dynamic periphery in bats. The echo data was processed with a custom auditory processing model to create spike-based echo representations. Deep-learning classifiers were able to estimate the dynamic state of the periphery, i.e., static or dynamic, based on single echoes with accuracies of up to 80%. This suggests that the effects of the peripheral dynamics are present in the bat brains and could hence be used by the animals. The best classification performances were obtained for data obtained within a spatially confined area. Hence, if the bat brains suffer from the same generalization issues, they would have to have a way to adapt their neural echo processing to such local fluctuations to exploit the dynamic effects successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Bhardwaj
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg 24060, United States of America
| | - M Omar Khyam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg 24060, United States of America
| | - Rolf Müller
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg 24060, United States of America
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36
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Rutherford MA, von Gersdorff H, Goutman JD. Encoding sound in the cochlea: from receptor potential to afferent discharge. J Physiol 2021; 599:2527-2557. [PMID: 33644871 PMCID: PMC8127127 DOI: 10.1113/jp279189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribbon-class synapses in the ear achieve analog to digital transformation of a continuously graded membrane potential to all-or-none spikes. In mammals, several auditory nerve fibres (ANFs) carry information from each inner hair cell (IHC) to the brain in parallel. Heterogeneity of transmission among synapses contributes to the diversity of ANF sound-response properties. In addition to the place code for sound frequency and the rate code for sound level, there is also a temporal code. In series with cochlear amplification and frequency tuning, neural representation of temporal cues over a broad range of sound levels enables auditory comprehension in noisy multi-speaker settings. The IHC membrane time constant introduces a low-pass filter that attenuates fluctuations of the receptor potential above 1-2 kHz. The ANF spike generator adds a high-pass filter via its depolarization-rate threshold that rejects slow changes in the postsynaptic potential and its phasic response property that ensures one spike per depolarization. Synaptic transmission involves several stochastic subcellular processes between IHC depolarization and ANF spike generation, introducing delay and jitter that limits the speed and precision of spike timing. ANFs spike at a preferred phase of periodic sounds in a process called phase-locking that is limited to frequencies below a few kilohertz by both the IHC receptor potential and the jitter in synaptic transmission. During phase-locking to periodic sounds of increasing intensity, faster and facilitated activation of synaptic transmission and spike generation may be offset by presynaptic depletion of synaptic vesicles, resulting in relatively small changes in response phase. Here we review encoding of spike-timing at cochlear ribbon synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Rutherford
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Henrique von Gersdorff
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon 97239
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37
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Demany L, Monteiro G, Semal C, Shamma S, Carlyon RP. The perception of octave pitch affinity and harmonic fusion have a common origin. Hear Res 2021; 404:108213. [PMID: 33662686 PMCID: PMC7614450 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Musicians say that the pitches of tones with a frequency ratio of 2:1 (one octave) have a distinctive affinity, even if the tones do not have common spectral components. It has been suggested, however, that this affinity judgment has no biological basis and originates instead from an acculturation process ‒ the learning of musical rules unrelated to auditory physiology. We measured, in young amateur musicians, the perceptual detectability of octave mistunings for tones presented alternately (melodic condition) or simultaneously (harmonic condition). In the melodic condition, mistuning was detectable only by means of explicit pitch comparisons. In the harmonic condition, listeners could use a different and more efficient perceptual cue: in the absence of mistuning, the tones fused into a single sound percept; mistunings decreased fusion. Performance was globally better in the harmonic condition, in line with the hypothesis that listeners used a fusion cue in this condition; this hypothesis was also supported by results showing that an illusory simultaneity of the tones was much less advantageous than a real simultaneity. In the two conditions, mistuning detection was generally better for octave compressions than for octave stretchings. This asymmetry varied across listeners, but crucially the listener-specific asymmetries observed in the two conditions were highly correlated. Thus, the perception of the melodic octave appeared to be closely linked to the phenomenon of harmonic fusion. As harmonic fusion is thought to be determined by biological factors rather than factors related to musical culture or training, we argue that octave pitch affinity also has, at least in part, a biological basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Demany
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS, EPHE, and Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Guilherme Monteiro
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS, EPHE, and Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Catherine Semal
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS, EPHE, and Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Shihab Shamma
- Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States; Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.
| | - Robert P Carlyon
- Cambridge Hearing Group, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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38
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Phase-Locking Requires Efficient Ca 2+ Extrusion at the Auditory Hair Cell Ribbon Synapse. J Neurosci 2021; 41:1625-1635. [PMID: 33446517 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1324-18.2020] [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: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper perception of sounds in the environment requires auditory signals to be encoded with extraordinary temporal precision up to tens of microseconds, but how it originates from the hearing organs in the periphery is poorly understood. In particular, sound-evoked spikes in auditory afferent fibers in vivo are phase-locked to sound frequencies up to 5 kHz, but it is not clear how hair cells can handle intracellular Ca2+ changes with such high speed and efficiency. In this study, we combined patch-clamp recording and two-photon Ca2+ imaging to examine Ca2+ dynamics in hair cell ribbon synapses in the bullfrog amphibian papilla of both sexes. We found that Ca2+ clearance from single synaptic ribbons followed a double exponential function, and the weight of the fast component, but not the two time constants, was significantly reduced for prolonged stimulation, and during inhibition of the plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (PMCA), the mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake (MCU), or the sarcolemma/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA), but not the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX). Furthermore, we found that both the basal Ca2+ level and the Ca2+ rise during sinusoidal stimulation were significantly increased by inhibition of PMCA, MCU, or SERCA. Consistently, phase-locking of synaptic vesicle releases from hair cells was also significantly reduced by blocking PMCA, MCU, or SERCA, but not NCX. We conclude that, in addition to fast diffusion mediated by mobile Ca2+ buffer, multiple Ca2+ extrusion pumps are required for phase-locking at the auditory hair cell ribbon synapse.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hair cell synapses can transmit sound-driven signals precisely in the kHz range. However, previous studies of Ca2+ handling in auditory hair cells have often been conducted in immature hair cells, with elevated extracellular Ca2+ concentration, or through steady-state stimulation that may not be physiologically relevant. Here we examine Ca2+ clearance from hair cell synaptic ribbons in a fully mature preparation at physiological concentration of external Ca2+ and at physiological temperature. By stimulating hair cells with sinusoidal voltage commands that mimic pure sound tones, we recapitulated the phase-locking of hair cell exocytosis with an in vitro approach. This allowed us to reveal the Ca2+ extrusion mechanisms that are required for phase-locking at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses.
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39
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Petitpré C, Bourien J, Wu H, Diuba A, Puel JL, Lallemend F. Genetic and functional diversity of primary auditory afferents. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2020.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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40
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Whiteford KL, Kreft HA, Oxenham AJ. The role of cochlear place coding in the perception of frequency modulation. eLife 2020; 9:58468. [PMID: 32996463 PMCID: PMC7556860 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural sounds convey information via frequency and amplitude modulations (FM and AM). Humans are acutely sensitive to the slow rates of FM that are crucial for speech and music. This sensitivity has long been thought to rely on precise stimulus-driven auditory-nerve spike timing (time code), whereas a coarser code, based on variations in the cochlear place of stimulation (place code), represents faster FM rates. We tested this theory in listeners with normal and impaired hearing, spanning a wide range of place-coding fidelity. Contrary to predictions, sensitivity to both slow and fast FM correlated with place-coding fidelity. We also used incoherent AM on two carriers to simulate place coding of FM and observed poorer sensitivity at high carrier frequencies and fast rates, two properties of FM detection previously ascribed to the limits of time coding. The results suggest a unitary place-based neural code for FM across all rates and carrier frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L Whiteford
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Heather A Kreft
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Andrew J Oxenham
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
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41
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Lee J, Han JH, Lee HJ. Long-Term Musical Training Alters Auditory Cortical Activity to the Frequency Change. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:329. [PMID: 32973478 PMCID: PMC7471721 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: The ability to detect frequency variation is a fundamental skill necessary for speech perception. It is known that musical expertise is associated with a range of auditory perceptual skills, including discriminating frequency change, which suggests the neural encoding of spectral features can be enhanced by musical training. In this study, we measured auditory cortical responses to frequency change in musicians to examine the relationships between N1/P2 responses and behavioral performance/musical training. Methods: Behavioral and electrophysiological data were obtained from professional musicians and age-matched non-musician participants. Behavioral data included frequency discrimination detection thresholds for no threshold-equalizing noise (TEN), +5, 0, and -5 signal-to-noise ratio settings. Auditory-evoked responses were measured using a 64-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) system in response to frequency changes in ongoing pure tones consisting of 250 and 4,000 Hz, and the magnitudes of frequency change were 10%, 25% or 50% from the base frequencies. N1 and P2 amplitudes and latencies as well as dipole source activation in the left and right hemispheres were measured for each condition. Results: Compared to the non-musician group, behavioral thresholds in the musician group were lower for frequency discrimination in quiet conditions only. The scalp-recorded N1 amplitudes were modulated as a function of frequency change. P2 amplitudes in the musician group were larger than in the non-musician group. Dipole source analysis showed that P2 dipole activity to frequency changes was lateralized to the right hemisphere, with greater activity in the musician group regardless of the hemisphere side. Additionally, N1 amplitudes to frequency changes were positively related to behavioral thresholds for frequency discrimination while enhanced P2 amplitudes were associated with a longer duration of musical training. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that auditory cortical potentials evoked by frequency change are related to behavioral thresholds for frequency discrimination in musicians. Larger P2 amplitudes in musicians compared to non-musicians reflects musical training-induced neural plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihyun Lee
- Laboratory of Brain & Cognitive Sciences for Convergence Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, South Korea
| | - Ji-Hye Han
- Laboratory of Brain & Cognitive Sciences for Convergence Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, South Korea
| | - Hyo-Jeong Lee
- Laboratory of Brain & Cognitive Sciences for Convergence Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, South Korea.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Anyang, South Korea
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42
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Maoutsa D, Reich S, Opper M. Interacting Particle Solutions of Fokker-Planck Equations Through Gradient-Log-Density Estimation. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 22:e22080802. [PMID: 33286573 PMCID: PMC7517374 DOI: 10.3390/e22080802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fokker-Planck equations are extensively employed in various scientific fields as they characterise the behaviour of stochastic systems at the level of probability density functions. Although broadly used, they allow for analytical treatment only in limited settings, and often it is inevitable to resort to numerical solutions. Here, we develop a computational approach for simulating the time evolution of Fokker-Planck solutions in terms of a mean field limit of an interacting particle system. The interactions between particles are determined by the gradient of the logarithm of the particle density, approximated here by a novel statistical estimator. The performance of our method shows promising results, with more accurate and less fluctuating statistics compared to direct stochastic simulations of comparable particle number. Taken together, our framework allows for effortless and reliable particle-based simulations of Fokker-Planck equations in low and moderate dimensions. The proposed gradient-log-density estimator is also of independent interest, for example, in the context of optimal control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Maoutsa
- Artificial Intelligence Group, Technische Universität Berlin, Marchstraße 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Reich
- Institute of Mathematics, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24/25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany;
| | - Manfred Opper
- Artificial Intelligence Group, Technische Universität Berlin, Marchstraße 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
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Sinz FH, Sachgau C, Henninger J, Benda J, Grewe J. Simultaneous spike-time locking to multiple frequencies. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:2355-2372. [PMID: 32374223 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00615.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Locking of neural firing is ubiquitously observed in the brain and occurs when neurons fire at a particular phase or in synchronization with an external signal. Here we study in detail the locking of single neurons to multiple distinct frequencies at the example of p-type electroreceptor afferents in the electrosensory system of the weakly electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus (brown ghost knifefish). We find that electrosensory afferents and pyramidal cells in the electrosensory lateral line lobe (ELL) lock to multiple frequencies, including the electric organ discharge (EOD) frequency, beat, and stimulus itself. We identify key elements necessary for locking to multiple frequencies, study its limits, and provide concise mathematical models reproducing our main findings. Our findings provide another example of how rate and temporal codes can coexist and complement each other in single neurons and demonstrate that sensory coding in p-type electroreceptor afferents provides a much richer representation of the sensory environment than commonly assumed. Since the underlying mechanisms are not specific to the electrosensory system, our results could provide the basis for studying multiple frequency locking in other systems.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Locking of neuronal spikes to external and internal signals is a ubiquitous neurophysiological mechanism that has been extensively studied in several brain areas and species. Using experimental data from the electrosensory system and concise mathematical models, we analyze how a single neuron can simultaneously lock to multiple frequencies. Our findings demonstrate how temporal and rate codes can complement each other and lead to rich neuronal representations of sensory signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian H Sinz
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany.,Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Carolin Sachgau
- Department of Neuroethology, Institute for Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Henninger
- Charité, Medical School of Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan Benda
- Department of Neuroethology, Institute for Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan Grewe
- Department of Neuroethology, Institute for Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Moore BCJ. Effects of hearing loss and age on the binaural processing of temporal envelope and temporal fine structure information. Hear Res 2020; 402:107991. [PMID: 32418682 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.107991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Within the cochlea, broadband sounds like speech and music are filtered into a series of narrowband signals, each with a relatively slowly varying envelope (ENV) imposed on a rapidly oscillating carrier (the temporal fine structure, TFS). Information about ENV is conveyed by the timing and short-term rate of action potentials in the auditory nerve while information about TFS is conveyed by synchronization of action potentials to a specific phase of the waveform in the cochlea (phase locking). This paper describes the effects of age and hearing loss on the binaural processing of ENV and TFS information, i.e. on the processing of differences in ENV and TFS at the two ears. The binaural processing of TFS information is adversely affected by both hearing loss and increasing age. The binaural processing of ENV information deteriorates somewhat with increasing age but is only slightly affected by hearing loss. The reduced TFS processing abilities found for older/hearing-impaired subjects may partially account for the difficulties that such subjects experience in complex listening situations when the target speech and interfering sounds come from different directions in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C J Moore
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
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Hechavarría JC, Jerome Beetz M, García-Rosales F, Kössl M. Bats distress vocalizations carry fast amplitude modulations that could represent an acoustic correlate of roughness. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7332. [PMID: 32355293 PMCID: PMC7192923 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64323-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Communication sounds are ubiquitous in the animal kingdom, where they play a role in advertising physiological states and/or socio-contextual scenarios. Human screams, for example, are typically uttered in fearful contexts and they have a distinctive feature termed as "roughness", which depicts amplitude fluctuations at rates from 30-150 Hz. In this article, we report that the occurrence of fast acoustic periodicities in harsh sounding vocalizations is not unique to humans. A roughness-like structure is also present in vocalizations emitted by bats (species Carollia perspicillata) in distressful contexts. We report that 47.7% of distress calls produced by bats carry amplitude fluctuations at rates ~1.7 kHz (>10 times faster than temporal modulations found in human screams). In bats, rough-like vocalizations entrain brain potentials and are more effective in accelerating the bats' heart rate than slow amplitude modulated sounds. Our results are consistent with a putative role of fast amplitude modulations (roughness in humans) for grabbing the listeners attention in situations in which the emitter is in distressful, potentially dangerous, contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio C Hechavarría
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Neurowissenschaft, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/M., Germany.
| | - M Jerome Beetz
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Neurowissenschaft, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Zoology II Emmy-Noether Animal Navigation Group, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Manfred Kössl
- Institut für Zellbiologie und Neurowissenschaft, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/M., Germany
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Kleinlogel S, Vogl C, Jeschke M, Neef J, Moser T. Emerging approaches for restoration of hearing and vision. Physiol Rev 2020; 100:1467-1525. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00035.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Impairments of vision and hearing are highly prevalent conditions limiting the quality of life and presenting a major socioeconomic burden. For long, retinal and cochlear disorders have remained intractable for causal therapies, with sensory rehabilitation limited to glasses, hearing aids, and electrical cochlear or retinal implants. Recently, the application of gene therapy and optogenetics to eye and ear has generated hope for a fundamental improvement of vision and hearing restoration. To date, one gene therapy for the restoration of vision has been approved and undergoing clinical trials will broaden its application including gene replacement, genome editing, and regenerative approaches. Moreover, optogenetics, i.e. controlling the activity of cells by light, offers a more general alternative strategy. Over little more than a decade, optogenetic approaches have been developed and applied to better understand the function of biological systems, while protein engineers have identified and designed new opsin variants with desired physiological features. Considering potential clinical applications of optogenetics, the spotlight is on the sensory systems. Multiple efforts have been undertaken to restore lost or hampered function in eye and ear. Optogenetic stimulation promises to overcome fundamental shortcomings of electrical stimulation, namely poor spatial resolution and cellular specificity, and accordingly to deliver more detailed sensory information. This review aims at providing a comprehensive reference on current gene therapeutic and optogenetic research relevant to the restoration of hearing and vision. We will introduce gene-therapeutic approaches and discuss the biotechnological and optoelectronic aspects of optogenetic hearing and vision restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany
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Electrocochleography During Translabyrinthine Approach for Vestibular Schwannoma Removal. Otol Neurotol 2020; 41:e369-e377. [DOI: 10.1097/mao.0000000000002543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Ewert SD, Paraouty N, Lorenzi C. A two‐path model of auditory modulation detection using temporal fine structure and envelope cues. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 51:1265-1278. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephan D. Ewert
- Medizinische Physik and Cluster of Excellence Hearing4All Universität Oldenburg 26111 Oldenburg Germany
| | - Nihaad Paraouty
- Laboratoire des systèmes perceptifs Département d’études cognitives, École normale supérieure CNRS PSL Research University Paris France
| | - Christian Lorenzi
- Laboratoire des systèmes perceptifs Département d’études cognitives, École normale supérieure CNRS PSL Research University Paris France
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Witton C, Swoboda K, Shapiro LR, Talcott JB. Auditory frequency discrimination in developmental dyslexia: A meta-analysis. DYSLEXIA (CHICHESTER, ENGLAND) 2020; 26:36-51. [PMID: 31877576 PMCID: PMC7028017 DOI: 10.1002/dys.1645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Auditory frequency discrimination has been used as an index of sensory processing in developmental language disorders such as dyslexia, where group differences have often been interpreted as evidence for a basic deficit in auditory processing that underpins and constrains individual variability in the development of phonological skills. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the cumulative evidence for group differences in frequency discrimination and to explore the impact of some potential moderator variables that could contribute to variability in effect-size estimations across studies. Our analyses revealed mean effect sizes for group differences on frequency discrimination tasks on the order of three-quarters of a standard deviation, but in the presence of substantial inter-study variability in their magnitude. Moderator variable analyses indicated that factors related both to participant variability on behavioural and cognitive variables associated with the dyslexia phenotype, and to variability in the task design, contributed to differences in the magnitude of effect size across studies. The apparently complex pattern of results was compounded by the lack of concurrent, standardised metrics of cognitive and reading component skills across the constituent studies. Differences on sensory processing tasks are often reported in studies of developmental disorders, but these need to be more carefully interpreted in the context of non-sensory factors, which may explain significant inter- and intra-group variance in the dependent measure of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katy Swoboda
- Aston Neuroscience InstituteAston UniversityBirminghamUK
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Residual Cochlear Function in Adults and Children Receiving Cochlear Implants: Correlations With Speech Perception Outcomes. Ear Hear 2019; 40:577-591. [PMID: 30169463 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000000630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Variability in speech perception outcomes with cochlear implants remains largely unexplained. Recently, electrocochleography, or measurements of cochlear potentials in response to sound, has been used to assess residual cochlear function at the time of implantation. Our objective was to characterize the potentials recorded preimplantation in subjects of all ages, and evaluate the relationship between the responses, including a subjective estimate of neural activity, and speech perception outcomes. DESIGN Electrocochleography was recorded in a prospective cohort of 284 candidates for cochlear implant at University of North Carolina (10 months to 88 years of ages). Measurement of residual cochlear function called the "total response" (TR), which is the sum of magnitudes of spectral components in response to tones of different stimulus frequencies, was obtained for each subject. The TR was then related to results on age-appropriate monosyllabic word score tests presented in quiet. In addition to the TR, the electrocochleography results were also assessed for neural activity in the forms of the compound action potential and auditory nerve neurophonic. RESULTS The TR magnitude ranged from a barely detectable response of about 0.02 µV to more than 100 µV. In adults (18 to 79 years old), the TR accounted for 46% of variability in speech perception outcome by linear regression (r = 0.46; p < 0.001). In children between 6 and 17 years old, the variability accounted for was 36% (p < 0.001). In younger children, the TR accounted for less of the variability, 15% (p = 0.012). Subjects over 80 years old tended to perform worse for a given TR than younger adults at the 6-month testing interval. The subjectively assessed neural activity did not increase the information compared with the TR alone, which is primarily composed of the cochlear microphonic produced by hair cells. CONCLUSIONS The status of the auditory periphery, particularly of hair cells rather than neural activity, accounts for a large fraction of variability in speech perception outcomes in adults and older children. In younger children, the relationship is weaker, and the elderly differ from other adults. This simple measurement can be applied with high throughput so that peripheral status can be assessed to help manage patient expectations, create individually-tailored treatment plans, and identify subjects performing below expectations based on residual cochlear function.
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