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Trends in Hearing Apr 2016The growing availability of efficient and relatively inexpensive virtual auditory display technology has provided new research platforms to explore the perception of... (Review)
Review
The growing availability of efficient and relatively inexpensive virtual auditory display technology has provided new research platforms to explore the perception of auditory motion. At the same time, deployment of these technologies in command and control as well as in entertainment roles is generating an increasing need to better understand the complex processes underlying auditory motion perception. This is a particularly challenging processing feat because it involves the rapid deconvolution of the relative change in the locations of sound sources produced by rotational and translations of the head in space (self-motion) to enable the perception of actual source motion. The fact that we perceive our auditory world to be stable despite almost continual movement of the head demonstrates the efficiency and effectiveness of this process. This review examines the acoustical basis of auditory motion perception and a wide range of psychophysical, electrophysiological, and cortical imaging studies that have probed the limits and possible mechanisms underlying this perception.
Topics: Acoustics; Animals; Cues; Electroencephalography; Head Movements; Humans; Motion; Motion Perception; Psychoacoustics; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Sound; Sound Localization; Space Perception; Time Factors
PubMed: 27094029
DOI: 10.1177/2331216516644254 -
Handbook of Clinical Neurology 2015Auditory development involves changes in the peripheral and central nervous system along the auditory pathways, and these occur naturally, and in response to... (Review)
Review
Auditory development involves changes in the peripheral and central nervous system along the auditory pathways, and these occur naturally, and in response to stimulation. Human development occurs along a trajectory that can last decades, and is studied using behavioral psychophysics, as well as physiologic measurements with neural imaging. The auditory system constructs a perceptual space that takes information from objects and groups, segregates sounds, and provides meaning and access to communication tools such as language. Auditory signals are processed in a series of analysis stages, from peripheral to central. Coding of information has been studied for features of sound, including frequency, intensity, loudness, and location, in quiet and in the presence of maskers. In the latter case, the ability of the auditory system to perform an analysis of the scene becomes highly relevant. While some basic abilities are well developed at birth, there is a clear prolonged maturation of auditory development well into the teenage years. Maturation involves auditory pathways. However, non-auditory changes (attention, memory, cognition) play an important role in auditory development. The ability of the auditory system to adapt in response to novel stimuli is a key feature of development throughout the nervous system, known as neural plasticity.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Animals; Auditory Pathways; Auditory Perception; Hearing; Humans; Psychoacoustics
PubMed: 25726262
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-62630-1.00003-2 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2023Aeroacoustic noise in multiple rotor drones has been increasingly recognized as a crucial issue, while noise reduction is normally associated with a trade-off between...
Aeroacoustic noise in multiple rotor drones has been increasingly recognized as a crucial issue, while noise reduction is normally associated with a trade-off between aerodynamic performance and sound suppression as well as sound quality improvement. Here, we propose an integrated methodology to evaluate both aeroacoustics and psychoacoustics of a single propeller. For a loop-type propeller, an experimental investigation was conducted in association with its aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics via a hover stand test in an anechoic chamber; the psychoacoustic performance was then examined with psychoacoustic annoyance models to evaluate five psychoacoustic metrics comprising loudness, fluctuation strength, roughness, sharpness, and tonality. A comparison of the figure of merit (FM), the overall sound pressure level (OASPL) and psychoacoustic metrics was undertaken among a two-blade propeller, a four-blade propeller, the loop-type propeller, a wide chord loop-type propeller, and a DJI Phantom III propeller, indicating that the loop-type propeller enables a remarkable reduction in OASPL and a noticeable improvement in sound quality while achieving comparable aerodynamic performance. Furthermore, the psychoacoustic analysis demonstrates that the loop-type propeller can improve the psychological response to various noises in terms of the higher-level broadband and lower-level tonal noise components. It is thus verified that the integrated evaluation methodology of aeroacoustics and psychoacoustics can be a useful tool in the design of low-noise propellers in association with multirotor drones.
Topics: Psychoacoustics; Noise; Sound; Acoustics; Benchmarking
PubMed: 36767321
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031955 -
Neuroscience Oct 2018Music is a curious example of a temporally patterned acoustic stimulus, and a compelling pan-cultural phenomenon. This review strives to bring some insights from decades... (Review)
Review
Music is a curious example of a temporally patterned acoustic stimulus, and a compelling pan-cultural phenomenon. This review strives to bring some insights from decades of music psychology and sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) literature into the mainstream auditory domain, arguing that musical rhythm perception is shaped in important ways by temporal processing mechanisms in the brain. The feature that unites these disparate disciplines is an appreciation of the central importance of timing, sequencing, and anticipation. Perception of musical rhythms relies on an ability to form temporal predictions, a general feature of temporal processing that is equally relevant to auditory scene analysis, pattern detection, and speech perception. By bringing together findings from the music and auditory literature, we hope to inspire researchers to look beyond the conventions of their respective fields and consider the cross-disciplinary implications of studying auditory temporal sequence processing. We begin by highlighting music as an interesting sound stimulus that may provide clues to how temporal patterning in sound drives perception. Next, we review the SMS literature and discuss possible neural substrates for the perception of, and synchronization to, musical beat. We then move away from music to explore the perceptual effects of rhythmic timing in pattern detection, auditory scene analysis, and speech perception. Finally, we review the neurophysiology of general timing processes that may underlie aspects of the perception of rhythmic patterns. We conclude with a brief summary and outlook for future research.
Topics: Animals; Auditory Perception; Humans; Music; Psychoacoustics; Time Factors
PubMed: 29108832
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.10.041 -
Scientific Reports May 2021Misophonia is a condition where a strong arousal response is triggered when hearing specific human generated sounds, like chewing, and/or repetitive tapping noises, like...
Misophonia is a condition where a strong arousal response is triggered when hearing specific human generated sounds, like chewing, and/or repetitive tapping noises, like pen clicking. It is diagnosed with clinical interviews and questionnaires since no psychoacoustic tools exist to assess its presence. The present study was aimed at developing and testing a new assessment tool for misophonia. The method was inspired by an approach we have recently developed for hyperacusis. It consisted of presenting subjects (n = 253) with misophonic, pleasant, and unpleasant sounds in an online experiment. The task was to rate them on a pleasant to unpleasant visual analog scale. Subjects were labeled as misophonics (n = 78) or controls (n = 55) by using self-report questions and a misophonia questionnaire, the MisoQuest. There was a significant difference between controls and misophonics in the median global rating of misophonic sounds. On the other hand, median global rating of unpleasant, and pleasant sounds did not differ significantly. We selected a subset of the misophonic sounds to form the core discriminant sounds of misophonia (CDS). A metric: the CDS score, was used to quantitatively measure misophonia, both with a global score and with subscores. The latter could specifically quantify aversion towards different sound sources/events, i.e., mouth, breathing/nose, throat, and repetitive sounds. A receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the method accurately classified subjects with and without misophonia (accuracy = 91%). The present study suggests that the psychoacoustic test we have developed can be used to assess misophonia reliably and quickly.
Topics: Adult; Affective Symptoms; Arousal; Emotions; Female; Humans; Hyperacusis; Male; Psychoacoustics; Self Report; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34040061
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90355-8 -
Hearing Research Mar 2018Auditory research has a rich history of combining experimental evidence with computational simulations of auditory processing in order to deepen our theoretical... (Review)
Review
Auditory research has a rich history of combining experimental evidence with computational simulations of auditory processing in order to deepen our theoretical understanding of how sound is processed in the ears and in the brain. Despite significant progress in the amount of detail and breadth covered by auditory models, for many components of the auditory pathway there are still different model approaches that are often not equivalent but rather in conflict with each other. Similarly, some experimental studies yield conflicting results which has led to controversies. This can be best resolved by a systematic comparison of multiple experimental data sets and model approaches. Binaural processing is a prominent example of how the development of quantitative theories can advance our understanding of the phenomena, but there remain several unresolved questions for which competing model approaches exist. This article discusses a number of current unresolved or disputed issues in binaural modelling, as well as some of the significant challenges in comparing binaural models with each other and with the experimental data. We introduce an auditory model framework, which we believe can become a useful infrastructure for resolving some of the current controversies. It operates models over the same paradigms that are used experimentally. The core of the proposed framework is an interface that connects three components irrespective of their underlying programming language: The experiment software, an auditory pathway model, and task-dependent decision stages called artificial observers that provide the same output format as the test subject.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Auditory Pathways; Auditory Perception; Cues; Hearing; Humans; Models, Psychological; Psychoacoustics; Sound Localization; Speech Intelligibility; Speech Perception; Time Factors
PubMed: 29208336
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2017.11.010 -
American Journal of Audiology Dec 2008We believe it is important to uncover tinnitus subgroups to identify subsets of patients most likely to benefit from different treatments. We review strategies for... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
We believe it is important to uncover tinnitus subgroups to identify subsets of patients most likely to benefit from different treatments. We review strategies for subgrouping based on etiology, subjective reports, the audiogram, psychoacoustics, imaging, and cluster analysis.
METHOD
Preliminary results of a 2-step cluster analysis based on 246 participants from whom we had 26 categorical and 25 continuous variables were determined.
RESULTS
A 4-cluster solution suggested the following subgroups: (a) constant distressing tinnitus, (b) varying tinnitus that is worse in noise, (c) tinnitus patients who are copers and whose tinnitus is not influenced by touch (somatic modulation), and (d) tinnitus patients who are copers but whose tinnitus is worse in quiet environments.
CONCLUSIONS
Subgroups of tinnitus patients can be identified by using statistical approaches. The subgroups we identify here represent a preliminary attempt at identifying such patients. One next step would be to explore clinical trials of tinnitus treatments based on subgroup analyses or on using subgroups in the selection criteria.
Topics: Cluster Analysis; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Psychoacoustics; Sound Spectrography; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tinnitus
PubMed: 19056922
DOI: 10.1044/1059-0889(2008/07-0044) -
Neuroscience Oct 2018Predictive coding is possibly one of the most influential, comprehensive, and controversial theories of neural function. While proponents praise its explanatory... (Review)
Review
Predictive coding is possibly one of the most influential, comprehensive, and controversial theories of neural function. While proponents praise its explanatory potential, critics object that key tenets of the theory are untested or even untestable. The present article critically examines existing evidence for predictive coding in the auditory modality. Specifically, we identify five key assumptions of the theory and evaluate each in the light of animal, human and modeling studies of auditory pattern processing. For the first two assumptions - that neural responses are shaped by expectations and that these expectations are hierarchically organized - animal and human studies provide compelling evidence. The anticipatory, predictive nature of these expectations also enjoys empirical support, especially from studies on unexpected stimulus omission. However, for the existence of separate error and prediction neurons, a key assumption of the theory, evidence is lacking. More work exists on the proposed oscillatory signatures of predictive coding, and on the relation between attention and precision. However, results on these latter two assumptions are mixed or contradictory. Looking to the future, more collaboration between human and animal studies, aided by model-based analyses will be needed to test specific assumptions and implementations of predictive coding - and, as such, help determine whether this popular grand theory can fulfill its expectations.
Topics: Animals; Auditory Cortex; Humans; Models, Neurological; Motivation; Neurons; Psychoacoustics
PubMed: 28782642
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.07.061 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... 2014The 'rapid temporal processing' and the 'temporal sampling framework' hypotheses have been proposed to account for the deficits in language and literacy development seen... (Review)
Review
The 'rapid temporal processing' and the 'temporal sampling framework' hypotheses have been proposed to account for the deficits in language and literacy development seen in specific language impairment and dyslexia. This paper reviews these hypotheses and concludes that the proposed causal chains between the presumed auditory processing deficits and the observed behavioural manifestation of the disorders are vague and not well established empirically. Several problems and limitations are identified. Most data concern correlations between distantly related tasks, and there is considerable heterogeneity and variability in performance as well as concerns about reliability and validity. Little attention is paid to the distinction between ostensibly perceptual and metalinguistic tasks or between implicit and explicit modes of performance, yet measures are assumed to be pure indicators of underlying processes or representations. The possibility that diagnostic categories do not refer to causally and behaviourally homogeneous groups needs to be taken seriously, taking into account genetic and neurodevelopmental studies to construct multiple-risk models. To make progress in the field, cognitive models of each task must be specified, including performance domains that are predicted to be deficient versus intact, testing multiple indicators of latent constructs and demonstrating construct reliability and validity.
Topics: Cognition; Humans; Language Development Disorders; Models, Psychological; Psychoacoustics; Time Factors
PubMed: 24324245
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0090 -
Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 2018Tinnitus is a difficult to treat symptom, with different responses in patients. It is classified in different ways, according to its origin and associated diseases.
INTRODUCTION
Tinnitus is a difficult to treat symptom, with different responses in patients. It is classified in different ways, according to its origin and associated diseases.
OBJECTIVE
to propose a single and measurable classification of persistent tinnitus, through its perception as sounds of nature or of daily life and its comparison with pure tone or noise, of high or low pitch, presented to the patient by audiometer sound.
METHODS
A total of 110 adult patients, of both genders, treated at the Tinnitus Outpatient Clinic, were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Otorhinolaryngologic and Audiological, Pitch Matching and Loudness, Visual Analog Scale, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Minimum Masking Level assessments were performed.
RESULTS
In these 110 patients, 181 tinnitus complaints were identified accordingly to type and ear, with 93 (51%) Pure Tone, and 88 (49%) Noise type; 19 at low and 162 at high frequency; with a mean in the Pure Tone of 5.47 in the Visual Analog Scale and 12.31 decibel in the Loudness and a mean in the Noise of 6.66 and 10.51 decibel. For Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Minimum Masking Level, the 110 patients were separated into three groups with tinnitus, Pure Tone, Noise and multiple. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory higher in the group with multiple tinnitus, of 61.38. Masking noises such as White Noise and Narrow Band were used for the Minimum Masking Level at the frequencies of 500 and 6000Hz. There was a similarity between the Pure Tone and Multiple groups. In the Noise group, different responses were found when Narrow Band was used at low frequency.
CONCLUSION
Classifying persistent tinnitus as pure tone or noise, present in high or low frequency and establishing its different characteristics allow us to know its peculiarities and the effects of this symptom in patients' lives.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Adult; Audiometry, Pure-Tone; Auditory Perception; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Psychoacoustics; Tinnitus
PubMed: 28826945
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2017.07.005