scholarly journals Going Beyond Rote Auditory Learning: Neural Patterns of Generalized Auditory Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Shannon L. M. Heald ◽  
Stephen C. Van Hedger ◽  
John Veillette ◽  
Katherine Reis ◽  
Joel S. Snyder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Rote Learning ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Auditory Learning ◽  
New Words ◽  
Long Latency ◽  
Pattern Variability

Abstract The ability to generalize across specific experiences is vital for the recognition of new patterns, especially in speech perception considering acoustic–phonetic pattern variability. Indeed, behavioral research has demonstrated that listeners are able via a process of generalized learning to leverage their experiences of past words said by difficult-to-understand talker to improve their understanding for new words said by that talker. Here, we examine differences in neural responses to generalized versus rote learning in auditory cortical processing by training listeners to understand a novel synthetic talker. Using a pretest–posttest design with EEG, participants were trained using either (1) a large inventory of words where no words were repeated across the experiment (generalized learning) or (2) a small inventory of words where words were repeated (rote learning). Analysis of long-latency auditory evoked potentials at pretest and posttest revealed that rote and generalized learning both produced rapid changes in auditory processing, yet the nature of these changes differed. Generalized learning was marked by an amplitude reduction in the N1–P2 complex and by the presence of a late negativity wave in the auditory evoked potential following training; rote learning was marked only by temporally later scalp topography differences. The early N1–P2 change, found only for generalized learning, is consistent with an active processing account of speech perception, which proposes that the ability to rapidly adjust to the specific vocal characteristics of a new talker (for which rote learning is rare) relies on attentional mechanisms to selectively modify early auditory processing sensitivity.

scholarly journals Going beyond rote auditory learning: Neural patterns of generalized auditory learning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon L.M. Heald ◽  
Stephen C. Van Hedger ◽  
John Veillette ◽  
Katherine Reis ◽  
Joel S. Snyder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Cortical Processing ◽  
Rote Learning ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Auditory Learning

AbstractThe ability to generalize rapidly across specific experiences is vital for robust recognition of new patterns, especially in speech perception considering acoustic-phonetic pattern variability. Behavioral research has demonstrated that listeners are rapidly able to generalize their experience with a talker’s speech and quickly improve understanding of a difficult-to-understand talker without prolonged practice, e.g., even after a single training session. Here, we examine the differences in neural responses to generalized versus rote learning in auditory cortical processing by training listeners to understand a novel synthetic talker using a Pretest-Posttest design with electroencephalography (EEG). Participants were trained using either (1) a large inventory of words where no words repeated across the experiment (generalized learning) or (2) a small inventory of words where words repeated (rote learning). Analysis of long-latency auditory evoked potentials at Pretest and Posttest revealed that while rote and generalized learning both produce rapid changes in auditory processing, the nature of these changes differed. In the context of adapting to a talker, generalized learning is marked by an amplitude reduction in the N1-P2 complex and by the presence of a late-negative (LN) wave in the auditory evoked potential following training. Rote learning, however, is marked only by temporally later source configuration changes. The early N1-P2 change, found only for generalized learning, suggests that generalized learning relies on the attentional system to reorganize the way acoustic features are selectively processed. This change in relatively early sensory processing (i.e. during the first 250ms) is consistent with an active processing account of speech perception, which proposes that the ability to rapidly adjust to the specific vocal characteristics of a new talker (for which rote learning is rare) relies on attentional mechanisms to adaptively tune early auditory processing sensitivity.Statement of SignificancePrevious research on perceptual learning has typically examined neural responses during rote learning: training and testing is carried out with the same stimuli. As a result, it is not clear that findings from these studies can explain learning that generalizes to novel patterns, which is critical in speech perception. Are neural responses to generalized learning in auditory processing different from neural responses to rote learning? Results indicate rote learning of a particular talker’s speech involves brain regions focused on the memory encoding and retrieving of specific learned patterns, whereas generalized learning involves brain regions involved in reorganizing attention during early sensory processing. In learning speech from a novel talker, only generalized learning is marked by changes in the N1-P2 complex (reflective of secondary auditory cortical processing). The results are consistent with the view that robust speech perception relies on the fast adjustment of attention mechanisms to adaptively tune auditory sensitivity to cope with acoustic variability.

scholarly journals Test-Retest of Long Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials (P300) with Pure Tone and Speech Stimuli

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (02) ◽  
pp. 134-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Perez ◽  
Karin Ziliotto ◽  
Liliane Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Evoked Potentials ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Evoked Potential ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Speech Stimulus ◽  
P300 Latency ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Long Latency

Introduction Long latency auditory evoked potentials, especially P300, have been used for clinical evaluation of mental processing. Many factors can interfere with Auditory Evoked Potential - P300 results, suggesting large intra and inter-subject variations. Objective The objective of the study was to identify the reliability of P3 components (latency and amplitude) over 4–6 weeks and the most stable auditory stimulus with the best test-retest agreement. Methods Ten normal-hearing women participated in the study. Only subjects without auditory processing problems were included. To determine the P3 components, we elicited long latency auditory evoked potential (P300) by pure tone and speech stimuli, and retested after 4–6 weeks using the same parameters. We identified P300 latency and amplitude by waveform subtraction. Results We found lower coefficient of variation values in latency than in amplitude, with less variability analysis when speech stimulus was used. There was no significant correlation in latency measures between pure tone and speech stimuli, and sessions. There was a significant intrasubject correlation between measures of latency and amplitude. Conclusion These findings show that amplitude responses are more robust for the speech stimulus when compared with its pure tone counterpart. The P300 indicated stability for latency and amplitude measures when the test-retest was applied. Reliability was higher for amplitude than for latency, with better agreement when the pure tone stimulus was used. However, further research with speech stimulus is needed to clarify how these stimuli are processed by the nervous system.

Informational Masking Effects of Speech Versus Nonspeech Noise on Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 4014-4029
Author(s):  
Kathy R. Vander Werff ◽  
Christopher E. Niemczak ◽  
Kenneth Morse
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Spectral Characteristics ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Informational Masking ◽  
Neural Encoding ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Typical Morphology ◽  
Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Speech Information

Purpose Background noise has been categorized as energetic masking due to spectrotemporal overlap of the target and masker on the auditory periphery or informational masking due to cognitive-level interference from relevant content such as speech. The effects of masking on cortical and sensory auditory processing can be objectively studied with the cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP). However, whether effects on neural response morphology are due to energetic spectrotemporal differences or informational content is not fully understood. The current multi-experiment series was designed to assess the effects of speech versus nonspeech maskers on the neural encoding of speech information in the central auditory system, specifically in terms of the effects of speech babble noise maskers varying by talker number. Method CAEPs were recorded from normal-hearing young adults in response to speech syllables in the presence of energetic maskers (white or speech-shaped noise) and varying amounts of informational maskers (speech babble maskers). The primary manipulation of informational masking was the number of talkers in speech babble, and results on CAEPs were compared to those of nonspeech maskers with different temporal and spectral characteristics. Results Even when nonspeech noise maskers were spectrally shaped and temporally modulated to speech babble maskers, notable changes in the typical morphology of the CAEP in response to speech stimuli were identified in the presence of primarily energetic maskers and speech babble maskers with varying numbers of talkers. Conclusions While differences in CAEP outcomes did not reach significance by number of talkers, neural components were significantly affected by speech babble maskers compared to nonspeech maskers. These results suggest an informational masking influence on neural encoding of speech information at the sensory cortical level of auditory processing, even without active participation on the part of the listener.

scholarly journals Electrophysiological and Behavioral Evaluation of Auditory Processing in Adults with Dysphonia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Cláudia Mondini Ribeiro Bez ◽  
Cyntia Barbosa Laureano Luiz ◽  
Sabrina Mazzer Paes ◽  
Renata Rangel Azevedo ◽  
Daniela Gil
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Behavioral Assessment ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Clinical History ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Central Auditory Processing ◽  
Complex Stimuli ◽  
Long Latency ◽  
The Right

Abstract Introduction Dysphonia is an oral communication disorder. The voice and hearing are interrelated aspects. Hearing is an important sensory input for monitoring the vocal pattern. The relation between hearing abilities and dysphonia represents a contribution both in scientific and in clinical terms, especially in cases in which satisfactory results are not achieved in the therapeutic process. Objective To characterize long-latency auditory evoked potential (P300) with tonal and complex stimuli, and to make a behavioral evaluation of auditory processing in adults with behavioral dysphonia. Method The sample used for the present study consisted of 20 subjects from both genders with ages ranging from 18 and 58, who were diagnosed with behavioral dysphonia. The evaluations occurred in a single 2-hour session, in which the procedures of clinical history, pure tone and speech audiometries, acoustic immittance measures, and behavioral and electrophysiological evaluations of auditory processing were performed. Results The descriptive measures of P3 latency elicited by tonal and complex stimuli showed similar results for the right and left ears, without statistically significant differences. In the qualitative analysis, the results observed were within the normality patterns for the P3 component for both tonal and complex stimuli. As for the behavioral evaluation of auditory processing, abnormal results were observed in 100% of the sample. Abnormalities were found in the auditory skills of ordering and temporal resolution and figure-background obtained from the duration pattern, random gap detection, and dichotic tests (syllables and words), respectively. Conclusion The evaluated patients presented central auditory processing disorder, evidenced by behavioral assessment.

Impact of Personal Frequency Modulation Systems on Behavioral and Cortical Auditory Evoked Potential Measures of Auditory Processing and Classroom Listening in School-Aged Children with Auditory Processing Disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (07) ◽  
pp. 568-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Smart ◽  
Suzanne C. Purdy ◽  
Andrea S. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Modulation ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Auditory Processing Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Measures ◽  
Frequency Pattern ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPersonal frequency modulation (FM) systems are often recommended for children diagnosed with auditory processing disorder (APD) to improve their listening environment in the classroom. Further evidence is required to support the continuation of this recommendation.To determine whether personal FM systems enhance auditory processing abilities and classroom listening in school-aged children with APD.Two baseline assessments separated by eight weeks were undertaken before a 20-week trial of bilateral personal FM in the classroom. The third assessment was completed immediately after the FM trial. A range of behavioral measures and speech-evoked cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) in quiet and in noise were used to assess auditory processing and FM outcomes. Perceived listening ability was assessed using the Listening Inventory for Education–United Kingdom version (LIFE-UK) questionnaire student and teacher versions, and a modified version of the LIFE-UK questionnaire for parents.Twenty-eight children aged 7–12 years were included in this intervention study. Of the 28 children, there were 22 males and six females.APD Tests scores and CAEP peak latencies and amplitudes were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance to determine whether results changed over the two baseline assessments and after the FM trial. The LIFE-UK was administered immediately before and after the FM trial. Student responses were analyzed using paired t-tests. Results are described for the (different) pre- and post-trial teacher versions of the LIFE-UK.Speech in spatial noise (SSN) scores improved by 13% on average when participants wore the FM system in the laboratory. Noise resulted in increased P1 and N2 latencies and reduced N2 amplitudes. The impact of noise on CAEP latencies and amplitudes was significantly reduced when participants wore the FM. Participants’ LIFE-UK responses indicated significant improvements in their perceived listening after the FM trial. Most teachers (74%) reported the trial as successful, based on LIFE-UK ratings. Teachers’ and parents’ questionnaire ratings indicated good agreement regarding the outcomes of the FM trial. There was no change in compressed and reverberated words, masking level difference, and sustained attention scores across visits. Gaps in noise, dichotic digits test, and SSN (hard words) showed practice effects. Frequency pattern test and SSN easy word scores did not change between baseline visits, and improved significantly after the FM trial. CAEP N2 latencies and amplitudes changed significantly across visits; changes occurred across the baseline and the FM trial period.Personal FM systems produce immediate speech perception benefits and enhancement of speech-evoked cortical responses in noise in the laboratory. The 20-week FM trial produced significant improvements in behavioral measures of auditory processing and participants’ perceptions of their listening skills. Teacher and parent questionnaires also indicated positive outcomes.

scholarly journals Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials in Cognitive Impairment and Their Relevance to Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review Highlighting the Evidence Gap

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanne Gommeren ◽  
Joyce Bosmans ◽  
Emilie Cardon ◽  
Griet Mertens ◽  
Patrick Cras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Reference List

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia which affects a growing number of people worldwide. Early identification of people at risk to develop AD should be prioritized. Hearing loss is considered an independent potentially modifiable risk factor for accelerated cognitive decline and dementia in older adults. The main outcome of interest of this review is the alteration of Cortical Auditory Evoked Potential (CAEP) morphology in an AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) population with and without hearing loss.Methods: Two investigators independently and systematically searched publications regarding auditory processing on a cortical level in people with cognitive impairment (MCI or AD) with and without hearing loss. Only articles which mentioned at least one auditory elicited event-related potential (ERP) component and that were written in English or Dutch were included. Animal studies were excluded. No restrictions were imposed regarding publication date. The reference list of potential sources were screened for additional articles.Results: This systematic review found no eligible articles that met all inclusion criteria. Therefore, no results were included, resulting in an empty systematic review.Conclusion: In general, dysfunction – being either from cognitive or auditory origin – reduces CAEP amplitudes and prolongs latencies. Therefore, CAEPs may be a prognostic indicator in the early stages of cognitive decline. However, it remains unclear which CAEP component alteration is due to cognitive impairment, and which is due to hearing loss (or even both). In addition, vestibular dysfunction – associated with hearing loss, cognitive impairment and AD – may also alter CAEP responses. Further CAEP studies are warranted, integrating cognitive, hearing, and vestibular evaluations.

scholarly journals Mismatch Negativity Elicited by Verbal and Nonverbal Stimuli: Comparison with Potential N1

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (02) ◽  
pp. e154-e159
Author(s):  
Mirtes Brückmann ◽  
Michele Vargas Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Mismatch Negativity ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
External Auditory Meatus ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Negative Wave ◽  
Auditory Thresholds ◽  
Verbal Stimuli ◽  
Long Latency ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Introduction Mismatch negativity (MMN) is a long latency auditory evoked potential, represented by a negative wave, generated after the potential N1 and visualized in a resulting wave. Objective To identify the time of occurrence of MMN after N1, elicited with verbal and nonverbal stimuli. Methods Ninety individuals aged between 18 and 56 years old participated in the study, 39 of whom were male and 51 female, with normal auditory thresholds, at least 8 years of schooling, and who did not present auditory processing complaints. All of them underwent audiologic anamnesis, visual inspection of external auditory meatus, pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, acoustic immittance measures and the dichotic sentence identification test as a screening for alterations in auditory processing, a requirement to participate in the sample. The MMN was applied with two different stimuli, with these being da/ta (verbal) and 750 Hz and 1,000 Hz (nonverbal). Results There was a statistically significant difference between the latency values of the N1 potential and the MMN with the two stimuli, as well as between the MMN with verbal and nonverbal stimuli, and the latency of the MMN elicited with da/ta being greater than that elicited with 750 Hz and 1,000 Hz, which facilitated its visualization. Conclusion The time of occurrence of MMN after the N1 elicited with verbal stimuli was 100.4 ms and with nonverbal stimuli 85.5 ms. Thus, the marking of the MMN with verbal stimuli proved to be more distant from N1 compared with the nonverbal stimuli.

scholarly journals Auditory processing atypicalities for pure tones and complex speech sounds in Rett Syndrome – towards neuromarkers of disease progression

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga V. Sysoeva ◽  
Sophie Molholm ◽  
Aleksandra Djukic ◽  
Hans-Peter Frey ◽  
John J. Foxe
Keyword(s):  
Rett Syndrome ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Objective Evaluation ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Stimulus Complexity ◽  
Motor Impairments ◽  
Pure Tones

ABSTRACTDue to severe motor impairments and the lack of expressive language abilities seen in most patients with Rett Syndrome (RTT), it has proven extremely difficult to obtain accurate measures of auditory processing capabilities in this population. Here, we examined early auditory cortical processing of pure tones and more complex phonemes females with confirmed mutation of the MECP2 gene. We recorded high-density auditory evoked potentials (AEP), which allow for objective evaluation of the timing and severity of processing deficits along the auditory processing hierarchy. We compared AEPs of 12 females with RTT to those of 21 typically developing (TD) peers aged 4-21 years, interrogating the first four major components of the AEP (P1: 60-90ms; N1: 100-130ms; P2: 135-165ms; N2: 245-275ms). Atypicalities were evident in RTT at the initial stage of processing. Whereas the initial P1 showed increased amplitude to phonemic inputs relative to tones in TD participants, this modulation by stimulus complexity was absent in RTT. Interestingly, the subsequent N1 did not differ between groups, whereas the following P2 was hugely diminished in RTT, regardless of stimulus complexity. The N2 was similarly smaller in RTT, and did not differ as a function of stimulus type. The P2 effect was remarkably robust in differentiating between groups with near perfect separation between the two groups despite the wide age range of our samples. Given this robustness, along with the observation that P2 amplitude was significantly associated with RTT symptom severity, the P2 has the potential to serve as a biomarker of treatment efficacy.Significance statementOur study points to dramatic reduction of the P2 component of the auditory evoked potential (AEP) as a potentially reliable biomarker of Rett Syndrome severity, with prospective applicability as an objective readout (neuromarker) of change in functional brain activity following therapeutic interventions administered in the context of clinical trials. Compellingly, the reduction of P2 amplitude in patients with RTT mimics findings in animal models of RTT, providing a translational bridge between pre-clinical and human research.

scholarly journals Limited Pre-Speech Auditory Modulation in Individuals Who Stutter: Data and Hypotheses

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (8S) ◽  
pp. 3071-3084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludo Max ◽  
Ayoub Daliri
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Feedback ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Motor Adaptation ◽  
Motor Command ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Movement Planning ◽  
Feedback Signal ◽  
Auditory Modulation ◽  
Adults Who Stutter

Purpose We review and interpret our recent series of studies investigating motor-to-auditory influences during speech movement planning in fluent speakers and speakers who stutter. In those studies, we recorded auditory evoked potentials in response to probe tones presented immediately prior to speaking or at the equivalent time in no-speaking control conditions. As a measure of pre-speech auditory modulation (PSAM), we calculated changes in auditory evoked potential amplitude in the speaking conditions relative to the no-speaking conditions. Whereas adults who do not stutter consistently showed PSAM, this phenomenon was greatly reduced or absent in adults who stutter. The same between-group difference was observed in conditions where participants expected to hear their prerecorded speech played back without actively producing it, suggesting that the speakers who stutter use inefficient forward modeling processes rather than inefficient motor command generation processes. Compared with fluent participants, adults who stutter showed both less PSAM and less auditory–motor adaptation when producing speech while exposed to formant-shifted auditory feedback. Across individual participants, however, PSAM and auditory–motor adaptation did not correlate in the typically fluent group, and they were negatively correlated in the stuttering group. Interestingly, speaking with a consistent 100-ms delay added to the auditory feedback signal–normalized PSAM in speakers who stutter, and there no longer was a between-group difference in this condition. Conclusions Combining our own data with human and animal neurophysiological evidence from other laboratories, we interpret the overall findings as suggesting that (a) speech movement planning modulates auditory processing in a manner that may optimize its tuning characteristics for monitoring feedback during speech production and, (b) in conditions with typical auditory feedback, adults who stutter do not appropriately modulate the auditory system prior to speech onset. Lack of modulation of speakers who stutter may lead to maladaptive feedback-driven movement corrections that manifest themselves as repetitive movements or postural fixations.

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