Pitch perception for mixtures of spectrally overlapping harmonic complex tones

The pitch of harmonic complex tones (HCT) common in speech, music and animal vocalizations plays a key role in the perceptual organization of sound. Unraveling the neural mechanisms of pitch perception requires animal models but little is known about complex pitch perception by animals, and some species appear to use different pitch mechanisms than humans. Here, we tested rabbits' ability to discriminate the fundamental frequency (F0) of HCTs with missing fundamentals using a behavioral paradigm inspired by foraging behavior in which rabbits learned to harness a spatial gradient in F0 to find the location of a virtual target within a room for a food reward. Rabbits were initially trained to discriminate HCTs with F0s in the range 400-800 Hz and with harmonics covering a wide frequency range (800-16,000 Hz), and then tested with stimuli differing either in spectral composition to test the role of harmonic resolvability (Experiment 1), or in F0 range (Experiment 2), or both F0 and spectral content (Experiment 3). Together, these experiments show that rabbits can discriminate HCTs over a wide F0 range (200-1600 Hz) encompassing the range of conspecific vocalizations, and can use either the spectral pattern of harmonics resolved by the cochlea for higher F0s or temporal envelope cues resulting from interaction between unresolved harmonics for lower F0s. The qualitative similarity of these results to human performance supports using rabbits as an animal model for studies of pitch mechanisms providing species differences in cochlear frequency selectivity and F0 range of vocalizations are taken into account.

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Perception of Iterated Rippled Noise Periodicity in Cochlear Implant Users

Audiology and Neurotology ◽

10.1159/000478649 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 104-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Luise Wagner ◽

Stefan K. Plontke ◽

Torsten Rahne

Keyword(s):

Objective Measure ◽

Difference Limen ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Pitch Perception ◽

Harmonic Complex ◽

Pitch Matching ◽

Complex Tones ◽

The Difference ◽

Single Sided Deafness ◽

Onset Response

Pitch perception is more challenging for individuals with cochlear implants (CIs) than normal-hearing subjects because the signal processing by CIs is restricted. Processing and perceiving the periodicity of signals may contribute to pitch perception. Whether individuals with CIs can discern pitch within an iterated rippled noise (IRN) signal is still unclear. In a prospective controlled psychoacoustic study with 34 CI users and 15 normal-hearing control subjects, the difference limen between IRN signals with different numbers of iterations was measured. In 7 CI users and 15 normal-hearing control listeners with single-sided deafness, pitch matching between IRN and harmonic complex tones was measured. The pitch onset response (POR) following signal changes from white noise to IRN was measured electrophysiologically. The CI users could discriminate different numbers of iteration in IRN signals, but worse than normal-hearing listeners. A POR was measured for both normal-hearing subjects and CI users increasing with the pitch salience of the IRN. This indicates that the POR could serve as an objective measure to monitor progress during audioverbal therapy after CI surgery.

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Different Modes of Pitch Perception and Learning-Induced Neuronal Plasticity of the Human Auditory Cortex

Neural Plasticity ◽

10.1155/np.2002.161 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 161-175 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Michael Schulte ◽

Arne Knief ◽

Annemarie Seither-Preisler ◽

Christo Pantev

Keyword(s):

Auditory Cortex ◽

Neuronal Plasticity ◽

Pitch Perception ◽

Gamma Band ◽

Base Line ◽

Band Frequency ◽

Harmonic Complex ◽

Fundamental Frequencies ◽

Complex Tones ◽

Virtual Pitch

We designed a melody perception experiment involving eight harmonic complex tones of missing fundamental frequencies (hidden auditory object) to study the short-term neuronal plasticity of the auditory cortex. In this experiment, the fundamental frequencies of the complex tones followed the beginning of the virtual melody of the tune “Frère Jacques”. The harmonics of the complex tones were chosen so that the spectral melody had an inverse contour when compared with the virtual one. Evoked magnetic fields were recorded contralaterally to the ear of stimulation from both hemispheres. After a base line measurement, the subjects were exposed repeatedly to the experimental stimuli for 1 hour a day. All subjects reported a sudden change in the perceived melody, indicating possible reorganization of the cortical processes involved in the virtual pitch formation. After this switch in perception, a second measurement was performed. Cortical sources of the evoked gamma-band activity were significantly stronger and located more medially after a switch in perception. Independent Component Analysis revealed enhanced synchronization in the gamma-band frequency range. Comparing the gamma-band activation of both hemispheres, no laterality effects were observed. The results indicate that the primary auditory cortices are involved in the process of virtual pitch perception and that their function is modifiable by laboratory manipulation.

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Dynamic Pitch Perception for Complex Tones of Periodic Spectral Patterns

Music Perception An Interdisciplinary Journal ◽

10.2307/40285504 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 291-314 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Yoshitaka Nakajima ◽

Hiroyuki Minami ◽

Takashi Tsumura ◽

Hiroshi Kunisaki ◽

Shigeki Ohnishi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Paired Comparison ◽

Fixed Ratio ◽

Pitch Perception ◽

The Other ◽

Complex Tones ◽

Logarithmic Frequency ◽

Human Ear ◽

Spectral Patterns ◽

Pitch Movement

Pitch circularity as found in Shepard tones was examined by using complex tones that had various degrees of exactness in their spectral periodicities on the logarithmic frequency dimension. This dimension was divided into periods of 1400 cents by tone components, and each period was subdivided into two parts of a fixed ratio of 700:700, 600:800, 550:850, 500:900, 450:950, 400:1000, or 0:1400. Subjects made paired comparison judgments for pitch. When the subdividing ratio was 0: 1400 or 400:1000, the subjects responded to the spectral periodicity of 1400 cents, and, when the ratio was 700:700 or 600:800, they responded to the periodicity of 700 cents. Some seemingly intermediate cases between these two extremes or some qualitatively different cases were obtained in the other conditions. As we have asserted before, the human ear appears to detect a global pitch movement when some tone components move in the same direction by similar degrees on the logarithmic frequency dimension.

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