A method for behavioral evaluation of the "hypersonic effect"

Yagi, Reiko; Nishina, Emi; Oohashi, Tsutomu

doi:10.1250/ast.24.197

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 7 publications

(11 reference statements)

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“…Nevertheless, when both the LFC and HFC were simultaneously presented through speakers not only to the conventional air-conducting auditory system but also to the entire body surface, which might have another sensing system, the power of the spontaneous EEG activity of the alpha 2 range was significantly enhanced and the subjects spontaneously adjusted the sound to a significantly greater magnitude for more comfortable listening than when LFC alone was presented through the speakers, indicating the emergence of the hypersonic effect in the given experimental setting. These results are in complete agreement with our previous reports (Oohashi et al, 2000, Oohashi et al, 1991, Oohashi et al, 2001, Yagi et al, 2003a, Yagi et al, 2002, Yagi et al, 2003b.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

“…Nevertheless, a non-stationary sound containing significant quantities of fluctuating high-frequency components (HFC) beyond the human audible range evokes a significant increase in the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the brainstem and thalamus and in the occipital alpha frequency component of the spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) as compared with an otherwise identical sound from which the HFC are removed (Oohashi et al, 1991, Oohashi et al, 2000, Oohashi et al, 2001, Yagi et al, 2002, Yagi et al, 2003a. In addition, the inclusion of HFC makes a sound more pleasant to hear and evokes a specific behavior, that is, the listeners spontaneously adjust the comfortable listening level (CLL) of the sound to a greater magnitude (Oohashi et al, 1991, Oohashi et al, 2001, Yagi et al, 2002, Yagi et al, 2003a, Yagi et al, 2003b. We call such phenomena collectively "the hypersonic effect."…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the present study, therefore, we selected two differing measurements that are free from the above limitations and were clearly able to detect the emergence of the hypersonic effect in the previous studies: (1) physiological measurement of spontaneous EEG using a portable multi-channel telemetry system and (2) behavioral measurements on CLL (Yagi et al, 2003a, Yagi et al, 2003b, Oohashi et al, 2001, Yagi et al, 2002. These measurement are based on differing principles and independent of each other.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of biological system other than auditory air-conduction in the emergence of the hypersonic effect

et al. 2006

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Although human beings cannot perceive elastic vibrations in the frequency range above 20 kHz, nonstationary sounds containing a wealth of inaudible high-frequency components (HFC) above the human audible range activate deep-lying brain structures, including the brainstem and thalamus and evoke various physiological, psychological, and behavioral responses. In the previous reports, we have called these phenomena collectively "the hypersonic effect." It remains unclear, however, if vibratory stimuli above the audible range are transduced and perceived solely via the conventional air-conducting auditory system or if other mechanisms also contribute to mediate transduction and perception. In the present study, we have examined the emergence of the hypersonic effect when inaudible HFC and audible low-frequency components (LFC) were presented selectively to the ears, the entrance of an air-conducting auditory system, or to the body surface including the head which might contain some unknown vibratory sensing mechanisms. We used two independent measurements based on differing principles; one physiological (alpha 2 frequency of spontaneous electroencephalogram [alpha-EEG]) and the other behavioral (the comfortable listening level [CLL]). Only when the listener's entire body surface was exposed to HFC, but not when HFC was presented exclusively to the air-conducting auditory system, did both the alpha-EEG and the CLL significantly increase compared to the presentation of LFC alone, that is to say, there was an evident emergence of the hypersonic effect. The present findings suggest that the conventional air-conducting auditory system alone does not bring about the hypersonic effect. We may need to consider the possible involvement of a biological system distinct from the conventional air-conducting auditory nervous system in sensing and transducing high-frequency elastic vibration above the human audible range.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of biological system other than auditory air-conduction in the emergence of the hypersonic effect

et al. 2006

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“…A PET study showed that brainstem and thalamus areas were more activated when hearing full-range sounds as compared with high-cut sounds [4]. Moreover, full-range sounds were perceived to be comfortable at a higher level of sound intensity than high-cut sounds [5][6][7]. Some studies have shown that full-range sounds produce better subjective ratings of sound quality (e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

High-resolution music with inaudible high-frequency components produces a lagged effect on human electroencephalographic activities

Kuribayashi

Yamamoto²,

Nittono

2014

NeuroReport

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High-quality digital sound sources with inaudible high-frequency components (above 20 kHz) have become available because of recent advances in information technology. Listening to such sounds has been shown to increase the α-band power of an electroencephalogram (EEG). The present study scrutinized the time course of this effect by recording EEG along with autonomic measures (skin conductance level and heart rate) and facial electromyograms (corrugator supercilii and zygomaticus major). Twenty university students (19-24 years old) listened to two types of a 200-s musical excerpt (J. S. Bach's French Suite No. 5) with or without inaudible high-frequency components using a double-blind method. They were asked to rate the sound quality and to judge which excerpt contained high-frequency components. High-α EEG power (10.5-13 Hz) was larger for the excerpt with high-frequency components than for the excerpt without them. This effect was statistically significant only in the last quarter of the period (150-200 s). Participants were not able to distinguish between the excerpts, which did not produce any discernible differences in subjective, autonomic, and facial muscle measures. This study shows that inaudible high-frequency components have an impact on human brain activity without conscious awareness. Unlike a standard test for sound quality, at least 150 s of exposure is required to examine this effect in future research.

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“…In the present study, every participant was exposed to both natural cry sounds with intact ultrasonic components and scrambled cry sounds whose ultrasonic components were destroyed in its frequency structure. Considering the previous studies indicating the unconscious effect of inaudible components on behaviour [45,46] and neural activation [21,22,31], the neural system may have detected subtle "unnaturalness" in the scrambled cries due to a contrast effect induced by the presentation of high-fidelity natural cry sounds. This design might have attenuated physiological responses to scrambled cries in the present study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Inaudible components of the human infant cry influence haemodynamic responses in the breast region of mothers

et al. 2019

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Distress vocalizations are fundamental for survival, and both sonic and ultrasonic components of such vocalizations are preserved phylogenetically among many mammals. On this basis, we hypothesized that ultrasonic inaudible components of the acoustic signal might play a heretofore hidden role in humans as well. By investigating the human distress vocalization (infant cry), here we show that, similar to other species, the human infant cry contains ultrasonic components that modulate haemodynamic responses in mothers, without the mother being consciously aware of those modulations. In two studies, we measured the haemodynamic activity in the breasts of mothers while they were exposed to the ultrasonic components of infant cries. Although mothers were not aware of ultrasounds, the presence of the ultrasounds in combination with the audible components increased oxygenated haemoglobin concentration in the mothers' breast region. This modulation was observed only when the body surface was exposed to the ultrasonic components. These findings provide the first evidence indicating that the ultrasonic components of the acoustic signal play a role in human mother-infant interaction.

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A method for behavioral evaluation of the "hypersonic effect"

Cited by 17 publications

References 7 publications

The role of biological system other than auditory air-conduction in the emergence of the hypersonic effect

The role of biological system other than auditory air-conduction in the emergence of the hypersonic effect

High-resolution music with inaudible high-frequency components produces a lagged effect on human electroencephalographic activities

Inaudible components of the human infant cry influence haemodynamic responses in the breast region of mothers

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