Our long-term goal is to elucidate the relationship between neural activity, sound processing, perception and behavior. We specifically propose to establish the relationship of neural activity to discriminating and detecting sound features in the primary auditory cortex (A1) and lateral belt of non-human subjects with the goal of reveling the transformations occurring as the auditory cortical hierarchy is ascended. We address the question: How do neuronal responses in auditory cortex relate to non-human subjects' psychophysical and behavioral performance in detecting the presence of sound modulation? The three aims are designed to compare three fundamental aspects related to these issues in A1 and in two lateral belt areas of auditory cortex to determine the changing emphasis of processing along the ascending cortical pathway.
Aim 1 is to determine the neural basis of modulation detection.
Aim 2 is to determine how neuron responses from auditory cortex are related to perception and behavioral choices.
Aim 3 is to determine the effect of behavioral state and task-engagement on neurons ability to encode sound features. To achieve these aims, we will establish the quantitative relationships between single unit auditory cortical activity and the ability of neurons and non-human subjects to discriminate sounds, and determine what codes most likely underlie perceptual ability. We will also record from single units while non-human subjects discriminate sound to determine the role of primary and secondary sensory cortical areas in the transformation from sensation to task performance. This will give insight into how active engagement in a task improves neural processing ability at the single neuron level and whether primary sensory cortex receives information or is involved in the processes that lead to action. Because the proposal relates brain function to different parts of the brain it is relevant for a better understanding about how punctate brain damage such as that cause by stroke affects auditory function. The results of these studies will help us to better understand how attending sound modulates auditory activity and thus makes this basic science have relevance for the spectrum disorders (that include, but are not limited to attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, etc). The results also could have relevance in helping to guide approaches to coding for hearing aids and cochlear implants since both neural coding and the ability to focus on sounds are relevant for designing these devices.

Public Health Relevance

Because this basic science proposal relates how different parts of the auditory cortex participate in the perception of specific features of sounds, the work is relevant to increasing the understanding about how restricted brain damage such as that caused by stroke affects auditory function. The results of these studies will help us to better understand how attention modulates auditory activity and thus has relevance for the spectrum disorders (that include, but are not limited to attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, etc). The results also could have relevance in helping to guide approaches to coding for hearing aids and cochlear implants since both neural coding and the ability to attend sounds are relevant for designing these devices.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC002514-22
Application #
9382871
Study Section
Auditory System Study Section (AUD)
Program Officer
Poremba, Amy
Project Start
1996-02-01
Project End
2021-11-30
Budget Start
2017-12-01
Budget End
2018-11-30
Support Year
22
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Davis
Department
Otolaryngology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
047120084
City
Davis
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
95618
Downer, Joshua D; Rapone, Brittany; Verhein, Jessica et al. (2017) Feature-Selective Attention Adaptively Shifts Noise Correlations in Primary Auditory Cortex. J Neurosci 37:5378-5392
Downer, Joshua D; Niwa, Mamiko; Sutter, Mitchell L (2017) Hierarchical differences in population coding within auditory cortex. J Neurophysiol 118:717-731
Downer, Joshua D; Niwa, Mamiko; Sutter, Mitchell L (2015) Task engagement selectively modulates neural correlations in primary auditory cortex. J Neurosci 35:7565-74
Johnson, Jeffrey S; O'Connor, Kevin N; Sutter, Mitchell L (2015) Segregating two simultaneous sounds in elevation using temporal envelope: Human psychophysics and a physiological model. J Acoust Soc Am 138:33-43
Niwa, Mamiko; O'Connor, Kevin N; Engall, Elizabeth et al. (2015) Hierarchical effects of task engagement on amplitude modulation encoding in auditory cortex. J Neurophysiol 113:307-27
Niwa, Mamiko; Johnson, Jeffrey S; O'Connor, Kevin N et al. (2013) Differences between primary auditory cortex and auditory belt related to encoding and choice for AM sounds. J Neurosci 33:8378-95
Johnson, Jeffrey S; Yin, Pingbo; O'Connor, Kevin N et al. (2012) Ability of primary auditory cortical neurons to detect amplitude modulation with rate and temporal codes: neurometric analysis. J Neurophysiol 107:3325-41
Niwa, Mamiko; Johnson, Jeffrey S; O'Connor, Kevin N et al. (2012) Active engagement improves primary auditory cortical neurons' ability to discriminate temporal modulation. J Neurosci 32:9323-34
Niwa, Mamiko; Johnson, Jeffrey S; O'Connor, Kevin N et al. (2012) Activity related to perceptual judgment and action in primary auditory cortex. J Neurosci 32:3193-210
Petkov, Christopher I; Sutter, Mitchell L (2011) Evolutionary conservation and neuronal mechanisms of auditory perceptual restoration. Hear Res 271:54-65

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