scholarly journals Comparing Tinnitus Tuning Curves and Psychoacoustic Tuning Curves

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 233121651987853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Fournier ◽  
Malgorzata Wrzosek ◽  
Michel Paolino ◽  
Fabien Paolino ◽  
Anne Quemar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Related Activity ◽  
Tuning Curves ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Tinnitus Masking ◽  
Narrowband Noise

Tinnitus masking patterns have long been known to differ from those used for masking external sound. In the present study, we compared the shape of tinnitus tuning curves (TTCs) to psychophysical tuning curves (PTCs), the latter using as a target, an external sound that mimics the tinnitus characteristics. A secondary goal was to compare sound levels required to mask tinnitus to those required to mask tinnitus-mimicking sounds. The TTC, PTC, audiometric thresholds, tinnitus pitch, and level matching results of 32 tinnitus patients were analyzed. Narrowband noise maskers were used for both PTC and TTC procedures. Patients were categorized into three groups based on a combination of individual PTC–TTC results. Our findings indicate that in 41% of cases, the PTC was sharp (V shape), but the TTC showed a flat configuration, suggesting that the tinnitus-related activity in that subgroup does not behave as a regular stimulus-induced activity. In 30% of cases, V-shape PTC and TTC were found, indicating that the tinnitus-related activity may share common properties with stimulus-induced activity. For a masker centered at the tinnitus frequency, the tinnitus was more difficult to mask than the mimicking tone in 72% of patients; this was particularly true for the subset with V-shape PTCs and flat TTCs. These results may have implications for subtyping tinnitus and acoustic therapies, in particular those targeting the tinnitus frequency.

scholarly journals Neural population encoding and decoding of sound source location across sound level in the rabbit inferior colliculus

2016 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell L. Day ◽  
Bertrand Delgutte
Keyword(s):  
Inferior Colliculus ◽  
Sound Source ◽  
Auditory Pathway ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Neural Population ◽  
Linear Transformations ◽  
Tuning Curves ◽  
Azimuthal Position ◽  
Sound Levels

At lower levels of sensory processing, the representation of a stimulus feature in the response of a neural population can vary in complex ways across different stimulus intensities, potentially changing the amount of feature-relevant information in the response. How higher-level neural circuits could implement feature decoding computations that compensate for these intensity-dependent variations remains unclear. Here we focused on neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC) of unanesthetized rabbits, whose firing rates are sensitive to both the azimuthal position of a sound source and its sound level. We found that the azimuth tuning curves of an IC neuron at different sound levels tend to be linear transformations of each other. These transformations could either increase or decrease the mutual information between source azimuth and spike count with increasing level for individual neurons, yet population azimuthal information remained constant across the absolute sound levels tested (35, 50, and 65 dB SPL), as inferred from the performance of a maximum-likelihood neural population decoder. We harnessed evidence of level-dependent linear transformations to reduce the number of free parameters in the creation of an accurate cross-level population decoder of azimuth. Interestingly, this decoder predicts monotonic azimuth tuning curves, broadly sensitive to contralateral azimuths, in neurons at higher levels in the auditory pathway.

Discharge Properties of Neurons in the Rostral Superior Colliculus of the Monkey During Smooth-Pursuit Eye Movements

2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 876-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Krauzlis ◽  
Michele A. Basso ◽  
Robert H. Wurtz
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Superior Colliculus ◽  
Smooth Pursuit ◽  
Discharge Rate ◽  
Motor Command ◽  
Contralateral Side ◽  
Position Error ◽  
Related Activity ◽  
Tuning Curves ◽  
Pursuit Eye Movements

The intermediate and deep layers of the monkey superior colliculus (SC) comprise a retinotopically organized map for eye movements. The rostral end of this map, corresponding to the representation of the fovea, contains neurons that have been referred to as “fixation cells” because they discharge tonically during active fixation and pause during the generation of most saccades. These neurons also possess movement fields and are most active for targets close to the fixation point. Because the parafoveal locations encoded by these neurons are also important for guiding pursuit eye movements, we studied these neurons in two monkeys as they generated smooth pursuit. We found that fixation cells exhibit the same directional preferences during pursuit as during small saccades—they increase their discharge during movements toward the contralateral side and decrease their discharge during movements toward the ipsilateral side. This pursuit-related activity could be observed during saccade-free pursuit and was not predictive of small saccades that often accompanied pursuit. When we plotted the discharge rate from individual neurons during pursuit as a function of the position error associated with the moving target, we found tuning curves with peaks within a few degrees contralateral of the fovea. We compared these pursuit-related tuning curves from each neuron to the tuning curves for a saccade task from which we separately measured the visual, delay, and peri-saccadic activity. We found the highest and most consistent correlation with the delay activity recorded while the monkey viewed parafoveal stimuli during fixation. The directional preferences exhibited during pursuit can therefore be attributed to the tuning of these neurons for contralateral locations near the fovea. These results support the idea that fixation cells are the rostral extension of the buildup neurons found in the more caudal colliculus and that their activity conveys information about the size of the mismatch between a parafoveal stimulus and the currently foveated location. Because the generation of pursuit requires a break from fixation, the pursuit-related activity indicates that these neurons are not strictly involved with maintaining fixation. Conversely, because activity during the delay period was found for many neurons even when no eye movement was made, these neurons are also not obligatorily related to the generation of a movement. Thus the tonic activity of these rostral neurons provides a potential position-error signal rather than a motor command—a principle that may be applicable to buildup neurons elsewhere in the SC.

Masking of Tinnitus and Central Masking

1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Penner
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Tuning Curves ◽  
Continuous Tone ◽  
Tinnitus Masking

In the first experiment reported here, for subjects with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, the masking of tinnitus is primarily dependent on the masker intensity; masking is nearly independent of masker frequency. In the second experiment reported here, for subjects with normal hearing, the central masking of a continuous tone (used to stimulate the tinnitus) is primarily dependent on the intensity of a contralateral masker; masking is nearly independent of masker frequency. Implications of the flat tuning curves on the design of tinnitus maskers and one possible interpretation of the similarity of tinnitus masking and central masking are discussed.

Method of estimation of hidden correlation of narrowband noise signals

2019 ◽  
pp. 34-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.I. Chernov ◽  
N.E. Sobolev ◽  
A.A. Bondarchuk ◽  
L.E. Aristarhova
Keyword(s):  
Signal Processing ◽  
Digital Signal Processing ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Digital Signal ◽  
Measuring Instruments ◽  
Central Frequency ◽  
Pearson Criterion ◽  
Useful Signal ◽  
Band Limited ◽  
Narrowband Noise

The concept of hidden correlation of noise signals is introduced. The existence of a hidden correlation between narrowband noise signals isolated simultaneously from broadband band-limited noise is theoretically proved. A method for estimating the latent correlation of narrowband noise signals has been developed and experimentally investigated. As a result of the experiment, where a time frag ent of band-limited noise, the basis of which is shot noise, is used as the studied signal, it is established: when applying the Pearson criterion, there is practically no correlation between the signal at the Central frequency and the sum of signals at mirror frequencies; when applying the proposed method for the analysis of the same signals, a strong hidden correlation is found. The proposed method is useful for researchers, engineers and metrologists engaged in digital signal processing, as well as developers of measuring instruments using a new technology for isolating a useful signal from noise – the method of mirror noise images.

Verification of the Calculation Assumptions Applied to Solutions of the Acoustic Measurements Uncertainty

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-202
Author(s):  
Wojciech Batko ◽  
Renata Bal
Keyword(s):  
Normal Distribution ◽  
Confidence Intervals ◽  
Uncertainty Of Measurement ◽  
Acoustic Measurements ◽  
Uncertainty In Measurement ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
Analysis Of Results ◽  
Essential Problem ◽  
Expression Of Uncertainty

Abstract The assessment of the uncertainty of measurement results, an essential problem in environmental acoustic investigations, is undertaken in the paper. An attention is drawn to the - usually omitted - problem of the verification of assumptions related to using the classic methods of the confidence intervals estimation, for the controlled measuring quantity. Especially the paper directs attention to the need of the verification of the assumption of the normal distribution of the measuring quantity set, being the base for the existing and binding procedures of the acoustic measurements assessment uncertainty. The essence of the undertaken problem concerns the binding legal and standard acts related to acoustic measurements and recommended in: 'Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement' (GUM) (OIML 1993), developed under the aegis of the International Bureau of Measures (BIPM). The model legitimacy of the hypothesis of the normal distribution of the measuring quantity set in acoustic measurements is discussed and supplemented by testing its likelihood on the environment acoustic results. The Jarque-Bery test based on skewness and flattening (curtosis) distribution measures was used for the analysis of results verifying the assumption. This test allows for the simultaneous analysis of the deviation from the normal distribution caused both by its skewness and flattening. The performed experiments concerned analyses of the distribution of sound levels: LD, LE, LN, LDWN, being the basic noise indicators in assessments of the environment acoustic hazards.

Case study: Prediction and field tests of railway noise and effects of a low-height noise barrier

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-314
Author(s):  
Yuna Park ◽  
Hyo-In Koh ◽  
University of Science and Technology, Transpo ◽  
University of Science and Technology, Transpo ◽  
University of Science and Technology, Transpo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Railway Systems ◽  
Railway Noise ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Noise Barrier ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Reduction Effect ◽  
The Impact

Railway noise is calculated to predict the impact of new or reconstructed railway tracks on nearby residential areas. The results are used to prepare adequate counter- measures, and the calculation results are directly related to the cost of the action plans. The calculated values were used to produce noise maps for each area of inter- est. The Schall 03 2012 is one of the most frequently used methods for the production of noise maps. The latest version was released in 2012 and uses various input para- meters associated with the latest rail vehicles and track systems in Germany. This version has not been sufficiently used in South Korea, and there is a lack of standard guidelines and a precise manual for Korean railway systems. Thus, it is not clear what input parameters will match specific local cases. This study investigates the modeling procedure for Korean railway systems and the differences between calcu- lated railway sound levels and measured values obtained using the Schall 03 2012 model. Depending on the location of sound receivers, the difference between the cal- culated and measured values was within approximately 4 dB for various train types. In the case of high-speed trains, the value was approximately 7 dB. A noise-reducing measure was also modeled. The noise reduction effect of a low-height noise barrier system was predicted and evaluated for operating railway sites within the frame- work of a national research project in Korea. The comparison of calculated and measured values showed differences within 2.5 dB.

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