The proposed research is an evaluation of spectral locus and temporal stimulus factors as they affect several aspects of binaural information processing. One area of concern is the laterality of the images generated by signals with interaural differences of time (as seen in the envelope and/or microstructure) and intensity. Narrow bands of noise and sinusoidally-amplitude-modulated tones will allow separate parametric control of these stimulus features. An """"""""acoustic pointer"""""""" is proposed as a means by which listeners can report the positions of perceived images. A prime motivation for this research is contained in preliminary data which show easily-detectable interaural differences in high-frequency stimuli generating only small image displacements. A second subset of experiments will use the lateral position data as calibration for a study of sensitivity to interaural differences in off-midline stimuli, again examining both varieties of temporal disparities and undertaking a major attempt to examine intensitive disparities in isolation. Finally, we will look at detectability and lateralization in the context of a single experiment that attempts to separate those stimulus aspects which merely are detectable when interaurally-discrepant from those which cause image movement. In addition to contributing to our understanding of normal hearing, this program of research should also elucidate how people with sensorineural hearing losses process sounds binaurally.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS020174-02
Application #
3400381
Study Section
Hearing Research Study Section (HAR)
Project Start
1983-12-01
Project End
1986-11-30
Budget Start
1984-12-01
Budget End
1985-11-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1985
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
041544081
City
Champaign
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
61820
Trahiotis, C; Bernstein, L R; Buell, T N et al. (1990) On the use of adaptive procedures in binaural experiments. J Acoust Soc Am 87:1359-61
Trahiotis, C; Bernstein, L R (1990) Detectability of interaural delays over select spectral regions: effects of flanking noise. J Acoust Soc Am 87:810-3
Trahiotis, C; Stern, R M (1989) Lateralization of bands of noise: effects of bandwidth and differences of interaural time and phase. J Acoust Soc Am 86:1285-93
Stern, R M; Zeiberg, A S; Trahiotis, C (1988) Lateralization of complex binaural stimuli: a weighted-image model. J Acoust Soc Am 84:156-65
Schiano, J L; Trahiotis, C (1987) A programmable-delay line. Hear Res 26:165-70
Schiano, J L; Trahiotis, C; Bernstein, L R (1986) Lateralization of low-frequency tones and narrow bands of noise. J Acoust Soc Am 79:1563-70
Smoski, W J; Trahiotis, C (1986) Discrimination of interaural temporal disparities by normal-hearing listeners and listeners with high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. J Acoust Soc Am 79:1541-7
Trahiotis, C; Bernstein, L R (1986) Lateralization of bands of noise and sinusoidally amplitude-modulated tones: effects of spectral locus and bandwidth. J Acoust Soc Am 79:1950-7
Bernstein, L R; Trahiotis, C (1985) Lateralization of low-frequency, complex waveforms: the use of envelope-based temporal disparities. J Acoust Soc Am 77:1868-80
Bernstein, L R; Trahiotis, C (1985) Lateralization of sinusoidally amplitude-modulated tones: effects of spectral locus and temporal variation. J Acoust Soc Am 78:514-23