AUDICON · Neural mechanisms of spectral context effects on auditory processing
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2015-03-01 → 2017-02-28
- EU contribution
- €172,800
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Neural mechanisms of spectral context effects on auditory processing
Please note that the actual end date of the project was November 10, 2016 The auditory system has evolved to process natural sounds efficiently and robustly, even under adverse acoustic conditions. Humans can detect, localize, and identify speech embedded in background noise in reverberant environments. The general aim of this research was to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying such processing and study their functions in realistic environments. In particular, we were concerned with hearing in adverse conditions i.e. when a sound scene is corrupted with many other distracting sounds. To that end we studied how auditory sensory processing adapts to the acoustical context in which it happens. Understanding the neural origin of such effects is of fundamental importance in neuroscience and will guide the design of human auditory brainstem prostheses. Hearing impairment is a public health priority and each research that moves forward the understanding of the healthy auditory is critical. The overall scientific objective was to determine the site of neural emergence and understand the neural mechanism of a perceptual effect where a sound pops out out of a mixture because of the context in which it happens. The goals of this project were reached. On the scientific side, the results convincingly support the hypothesis. Dissemination have taken place during invited talk and conferences and a paper his on its way. On the learning side, the fellow is now trained as a neurophysiologist and can design and undertake independently electrophysiology experiments in the mammalian auditory system.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
We perceive the outside world through different senses which we see as recording devices that provide us an accurate representation of reality. Nevertheless, how a sound is heard or a light is seen depends on the context in which they occur. How well we understand speech can greatly vary depending on the presence of other sounds. For instance, a single tone in a complex sound mixture can pop out if it is preceded by a sound with certain properties. This effect is thought to be fundamental in helping people to efficiently detect novelty in a stream of acoustical information. In other situations our perception can fool us, like when we hear sounds that are not there. Someone will perceive a phantom tone after having listened to a certain synthesized stimulus. This phenomenon is related to tinnitus -the perception of a permanent sound, a pathology that debilitates 2% of the population. While those effects are well documented in human psychology, where and how they originate in the brain is currently not known. Our goal is to perform in vivo intra-cellular recordings in the mammalian auditory system to seek the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of context in auditory processing. Beside the fundamental importance of relating perception to neural processing, this research could lead to a better understanding of the mechanism underlying tinnitus induction.Advancing the knowledge on brain processing is critical for European excellence. The results could serve medical research, a priority for the EU. The main research training objective is managing the challenging technique of patch clamp in vivo in which the host lab has expertise. This top-notch technique will complete the applicant’s scientific armentarium and make him very competitive in the multidisciplinary field of neuroscience. After this project the applicant will start his own team. The training objectives will thus focus on management and teaching/supervision skills.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN · LeuvenCoordinatorBelgium
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/655137
- http://gbiomed.kuleuven.be/english/research/50000666/50000669/50488670/people.htm
Data: CORDIS, © European Union