Motor suppression of the auditory system extends to the brainstem frequency following response and is mediated by attentional demands

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (3) ◽  
pp. 1832-1832
Author(s):  
Serena Klos ◽  
Howard C. Nusbaum
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily B.J. Coffey ◽  
Alexander M.P. Chepesiuk ◽  
Sibylle C. Herholz ◽  
Sylvain Baillet ◽  
Robert J. Zatorre

AbstractSpeech-in-noise (SIN) perception is a complex cognitive skill that affects social, vocational, and educational activities. Poor SIN ability particularly affects young and elderly populations, yet varies considerably even among healthy young adults with normal hearing. Although SIN skills are known to be influenced by top-down processes that can selectively enhance lower-level sound representations, the complementary role and of feed-forward mechanisms and their relationship to musical training is poorly understood. Using a paradigm that eliminates the main top-down factors that have been implicated in SIN performance, we aimed to better understand how robust encoding of periodicity in the auditory system (as measured by the frequency-following response) contributes to SIN perception. Using magnetoencephalograpy, we found that the strength of encoding at the fundamental frequency in the brainstem, thalamus, and cortex is correlated with SIN accuracy, as was the amplitude of the slower cortical P2 wave, and these enhancements were related to the extent and timing of musicianship. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that basic feed-forward sound encoding affects SIN perception by providing better information to later processing stages, and that modifying this process may be one mechanism through which musical training might enhance the auditory networks that subserve both musical and language functions.Highlights–Enhancements in periodic sound encoding are correlated with speech-in-noise ability–This effect is observed in the absence of contextual cues and task demands–Better encoding is observed throughout the auditory system and is right-lateralized–Stronger encoding is related to stronger subsequent secondary auditory cortex activity–Musicianship is related to both speech-in-noise perception and enhanced MEG signals


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena K Rotondo ◽  
Kasia M Bieszczad

Recent investigation of memory-related functions in the auditory system have capitalized on the use of memory-modulating molecules to probe the relationship between memory and its substrates in auditory system coding. For example, epigenetic mechanisms, which regulate gene expression necessary for memory consolidation, are powerful modulators of learning-induced neuroplasticity and long-term memory formation (LTM). Inhibition of the epigenetic regulator histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) promotes LTM that is highly specific for spectral features of sound. The present work demonstrates for the first time that HDAC3 inhibition also enables memory for temporal features of sound. Rats trained in an amplitude modulation (AM) rate discrimination task and treated with a selective inhibitor of HDAC3 formed memory that was unusually specific to the AM rate paired with reward. Unusually sound-specific memory revealed behaviorally was associated with a signal-specific enhancement in temporal coding in the auditory system: stronger phase-locking that was specific to the rewarded AM rate was revealed in both the surface-recorded frequency following response (FFR) and auditory cortical multiunit activity in rats treated with the HDAC3 inhibitor. Furthermore, HDAC3 inhibition increased trial-to-trial cortical response consistency (relative to naive and trained vehicle-treated rats) that generalized across different AM rates. Stronger signal-specific phase-locking correlated with individual behavioral differences in memory specificity for the AM signal. Together, these findings support that epigenetic mechanisms regulate activity-dependent processes that enhance discriminability of sensory cues encoded into LTM in both spectral and temporal domains, which may be important for remembering spectrotemporal features of sounds, e.g., as in human voices and speech.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 1618-1635
Author(s):  
Céline Richard ◽  
Mary Lauren Neel ◽  
Arnaud Jeanvoine ◽  
Sharon Mc Connell ◽  
Alison Gehred ◽  
...  

Purpose We sought to critically analyze and evaluate published evidence regarding feasibility and clinical potential for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes of the frequency-following responses (FFRs) to speech recordings in neonates (birth to 28 days). Method A systematic search of MeSH terms in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied HealthLiterature, Embase, Google Scholar, Ovid Medline (R) and E-Pub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily, Web of Science, SCOPUS, COCHRANE Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed. Manual review of all items identified in the search was performed by two independent reviewers. Articles were evaluated based on the level of methodological quality and evidence according to the RTI item bank. Results Seven articles met inclusion criteria. None of the included studies reported neurodevelopmental outcomes past 3 months of age. Quality of the evidence ranged from moderate to high. Protocol variations were frequent. Conclusions Based on this systematic review, the FFR to speech can capture both temporal and spectral acoustic features in neonates. It can accurately be recorded in a fast and easy manner at the infant's bedside. However, at this time, further studies are needed to identify and validate which FFR features could be incorporated as an addition to standard evaluation of infant sound processing evaluation in subcortico-cortical networks. This review identifies the need for further research focused on identifying specific features of the neonatal FFRs, those with predictive value for early childhood outcomes to help guide targeted early speech and hearing interventions.


Author(s):  
Nuriye Yıldırım Gökay ◽  
Bülent Gündüz ◽  
Fatih Söke ◽  
Recep Karamert

Purpose The effects of neurological diseases on the auditory system have been a notable issue for investigators because the auditory pathway is closely associated with neural systems. The purposes of this study are to evaluate the efferent auditory system function and hearing quality in Parkinson's disease (PD) and to compare the findings with age-matched individuals without PD to present a perspective on aging. Method The study included 35 individuals with PD (mean age of 48.50 ± 8.00 years) and 35 normal-hearing peers (mean age of 49 ± 10 years). The following tests were administered for all participants: the first section of the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale; pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, tympanometry, and acoustic reflexes; and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and contralateral suppression of DPOAEs. SPSS Version 25 was used for statistical analyses, and values of p < .05 were considered statistically significant. Results There were no statistically significant differences in the pure-tone audiometry thresholds and DPOAE responses between the individuals with PD and their normal-hearing peers ( p = .732). However, statistically significant differences were found between the groups in suppression levels of DPOAEs and hearing quality ( p < .05). In addition, a statistically significant and positive correlation was found between the amount of suppression at some frequencies and the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale scores. Conclusions This study indicates that medial olivocochlear efferent system function and the hearing quality of individuals with PD were affected adversely due to the results of PD pathophysiology on the hearing system. For optimal intervention and follow-up, tasks related to hearing quality in daily life can also be added to therapies for PD.


1986 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 420-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Dorman ◽  
Ingrid Cedar ◽  
Maureen Hannley ◽  
Marjorie Leek ◽  
Julie Mapes Lindholm

Computer synthesized vowels of 50- and 300-ms duration were presented to normal-hearing listeners at a moderate and high sound pressure level (SPL). Presentation at the high SPL resulted in poor recognition accuracy for vowels of a duration (50 ms) shorter than the latency of the acoustic stapedial reflex. Presentation level had no effect on recognition accuracy for vowels of sufficient duration (300 ms) to elicit the reflex. The poor recognition accuracy for the brief, high intensity vowels was significantly improved when the reflex was preactivated. These results demonstrate the importance of the acoustic reflex in extending the dynamic range of the auditory system for speech recognition.


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