Abstract

This request for an ADAMHA Research Scientist Development Award is to support research on the mechanisms of spatial perception in the sonar of bats. The general aim is to determine the perceptual events which occur during the interception of flying insects by bats and to identify the role of neural spatial maps located in the auditory system for mediating aspects of perception of targets. Behavioral experiments will measure the accuracy with which bats track sonar targets with the aim of the head. They will exploit the bat's head-aim reaction as an index of target selection, echo signal-processing, and decision-making by the bat. Other experiments will measure the masking effect of one echo's presence on detection of another echo, as a means of directly studying the function of the neural map of range in the bat's auditory cortex. Physiological experiments will measure the accuracy of coding of echo delay in the auditory nerve and the display of target range in the auditory cortex to gather data for integration with behavioral data. Lesion experiments will determine the relative importance of auditory cortical maps of target range for tracking targets and for fine range resolution.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research (K02)
Project #
5K02MH000521-05
Application #
3069910
Study Section
Research Scientist Development Review Committee (MHK)
Project Start
1987-02-01
Project End
1990-01-31
Budget Start
1989-02-01
Budget End
1990-01-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1989
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Brown University
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
001785542
City
Providence
State
RI
Country
United States
Zip Code
02912

  Publications

Saillant, Prestor A; Simmons, James A; Bouffard, Frederick H et al. (2007) Biosonar signals impinging on the target during interception by big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus. J Acoust Soc Am 121:3001-10
Simmons, James A; Neretti, Nicola; Intrator, Nathan et al. (2004) Delay accuracy in bat sonar is related to the reciprocal of normalized echo bandwidth, or Q. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:3638-43
Simmons, J A; Ferragamo, M J; Sanderson, M I (2003) Echo delay versus spectral cues for temporal hyperacuity in the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 189:693-702
Simmons, James A; Wotton, Janine M; Ferragamo, Michael J et al. (2002) Transformation of external-ear spectral cues into perceived delays by the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. J Acoust Soc Am 111:2771-82
Wotton, J M; Simmons, J A (2000) Spectral cues and perception of the vertical position of targets by the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. J Acoust Soc Am 107:1034-41
Simmons, J A; Ferragamo, M J; Moss, C F (1998) Echo-delay resolution in sonar images of the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 95:12647-52
Ferragamo, M J; Haresign, T; Simmons, J A (1998) Frequency tuning, latencies, and responses to frequency-modulated sweeps in the inferior colliculus of the echolocating bat, Eptesicus fuscus. J Comp Physiol A 182:65-79
Wotton, J M; Haresign, T; Ferragamo, M J et al. (1996) Sound source elevation and external ear cues influence the discrimination of spectral notches by the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. J Acoust Soc Am 100:1764-76
Simmons, J A; Dear, S P; Ferragamo, M J et al. (1996) Representation of perceptual dimensions of insect prey during terminal pursuit by echolocating bats. Biol Bull 191:109-21
Wotton, J M; Haresign, T; Simmons, J A (1995) Spatially dependent acoustic cues generated by the external ear of the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. J Acoust Soc Am 98:1423-45

Showing the most recent 10 out of 21 publications