Document Detail


Neural correlates of binaural masking level difference in the inferior colliculus of the barn owl (Tyto alba).
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20618828     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Humans and animals are able to detect signals in noisy environments. Detection improves when the noise and the signal have different interaural phase relationships. The resulting improvement in detection threshold is called the binaural masking level difference. We investigated neural mechanisms underlying the release from masking in the inferior colliculus of barn owls in low-frequency and high-frequency neurons. A tone (signal) was presented either with the same interaural time difference as the noise (masker) or at a 180 degrees phase shift as compared with the interaural time difference of the noise. The changes in firing rates induced by the addition of a signal of increasing level while masker level was kept constant was well predicted by the relative responses to the masker and signal alone. In many cases, the response at the highest signal levels was dominated by the response to the signal alone, in spite of a significant response to the masker at low signal levels, suggesting the presence of occlusion. Detection thresholds and binaural masking level differences were widely distributed. The amount of release from masking increased with increasing masker level. Narrowly tuned neurons in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus had detection thresholds that were lower than or similar to those of broadly tuned neurons in the external nucleus of the inferior colliculus. Broadly tuned neurons exhibited higher masking level differences than narrowband neurons. These data suggest that detection has different spectral requirements from localization.
Authors:
Ali Asadollahi; Frank Endler; Israel Nelken; Hermann Wagner
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2010-07-06
Journal Detail:
Title:  The European journal of neuroscience     Volume:  32     ISSN:  1460-9568     ISO Abbreviation:  Eur. J. Neurosci.     Publication Date:  2010 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-08-19     Completed Date:  2010-11-30     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8918110     Medline TA:  Eur J Neurosci     Country:  France    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  606-18     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen, Mies-van-der-Rohe Strasse 15, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Acoustic Stimulation / methods
Animals
Auditory Perception / physiology*
Auditory Threshold / physiology
Humans
Inferior Colliculi / physiology*
Neurons / physiology
Noise
Perceptual Masking / physiology*
Strigiformes* / anatomy & histology,  physiology

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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