Processing of Complex Sounds in the Macaque Nonprimary Auditory Cortex

Rauschecker, Josef P.; Tian, Baofeng; Hauser, Marc D.

doi:10.1126/science.7701330

Cited by 862 publications

(717 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…A hierarchical processing along core, belt, and parabelt has been suggested (Kaas et al, 1999). This hierarchical order has been partially confirmed by an electrophysiological study, showing that neurons in the belt area prefer certain complex stimuli, in contrast to neurons in the core area (Rauschecker et al, 1995). While A1 corresponds to the core area (Pandya and Sanides, 1973), the belt area corresponds to A2, though a subdivision has been suggested (Hackett et al, 1998).…”

Section: Functional Anatomy Of Multiple Auditory Areasmentioning

confidence: 70%

Functional Differentiation in the Human Auditory and Language Areas Revealed by a Dichotic Listening Task

et al. 2000

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The human auditory cortex plays a special role in speech recognition. It is therefore necessary to clarify the functional roles of individual auditory areas. We applied functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine cortical responses to speech sounds, which were presented under the dichotic and diotic (binaural) listening conditions. We found two different response patterns in multiple auditory areas and language-related areas. In the auditory cortex, the medial portion of the secondary auditory area (A2), as well as a part of the planum temporale (PT) and the superior temporal gyrus and sulcus (ST), showed greater responses under the dichotic condition than under the diotic condition. This dichotic selectivity may reflect acoustic differences and attention-related factors such as spatial attention and selective attention to targets. In contrast, other parts of the auditory cortex showed comparable responses to the dichotic and diotic conditions. We found similar functional differentiation in the inferior frontal (IF) cortex. These results suggest that multiple auditory and language areas may play a pivotal role in integrating the functional differentiation for speech recognition.

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Section: Functional Anatomy Of Multiple Auditory Areasmentioning

confidence: 70%

Functional Differentiation in the Human Auditory and Language Areas Revealed by a Dichotic Listening Task

et al. 2000

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“…Although call-responsive units could be classified as ''generalists,'' ''specialists,'' or in between according to the number of vocalizations to which they responded (33,34), no clear effect of reversing the communication calls was found (31), and it was not possible to single out precisely the acoustic features determining a cell's response (32,33). Studies in the macaque auditory cortex (35) have provided promising results that may lead to a more detailed understanding of time domain processing of primate communication calls. However, it is still too early to make generalized conclusions from these experiments (35).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies in the macaque auditory cortex (35) have provided promising results that may lead to a more detailed understanding of time domain processing of primate communication calls. However, it is still too early to make generalized conclusions from these experiments (35).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Syntax processing by auditory cortical neurons in the FM–FM area of the mustached batPteronotus parnellii

Esser

Condon

Suga

et al. 1997

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

128

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Syntax denotes a rule system that allows one to predict the sequencing of communication signals. Despite its significance for both human speech processing and animal acoustic communication, the representation of syntactic structure in the mammalian brain has not been studied electrophysiologically at the single-unit level. In the search for a neuronal correlate for syntax, we used playback of natural and temporally destructured complex species-specific communication calls-socalled composites-while recording extracellularly from neurons in a physiologically well defined area (the FM-FM area) of the mustached bat's auditory cortex. Even though this area is known to be involved in the processing of target distance information for echolocation, we found that units in the FM-FM area were highly responsive to composites. The finding that neuronal responses were strongly affected by manipulation in the time domain of the natural composite structure lends support to the hypothesis that syntax processing in mammals occurs at least at the level of the nonprimary auditory cortex.From a linguist's point of view (1-3), ''syntax'' denotes a rule system that accounts for the ability to produce an infinite variety of sequences (i.e., words and sentences) from a fixed number of phonemes (i.e., vowels and consonants). Apart from human speech, rule systems for the sequencing of speciesspecific vocalizations have been found repeatedly in both birds (4, 5) and nonhuman mammals (6, 7). Thus, more generally, ''syntax'' can be understood as any system of rules that allows one to predict the sequencing of communication signals (3).Our present report of syntax processing by auditory cortical neurons in the mustached bat Pteronotus parnellii is founded on several previous studies in this species by employing both neurophysiological and behavioral methods. First, in the context of intraspecific acoustic communication, mustached bats frequently combine otherwise independently emitted simple syllables to form either isosyllabic trains or heterosyllabic composites. The syntactical rules for the generation of the last-mentioned higher order constructs have been revealed in detail (8). Second, the auditory cortex of P. parnellii is arguably the most intensively studied and best understood of all mammals (9). Thus, established representational maps (e.g., ref. 10) can be used as a reference to record from defined areas and functional subtypes of auditory cortical neurons. Third, neurons in the FM-FM area of the mustached bat auditory cortex were shown recently to respond facilitatively to isosyllabic pairs (11). Presumably, these neurons mediate acoustic communication (11) in addition to their primary (i.e., first discovered) function in echolocation (12).FM-FM neurons exhibit heteroharmonic combinationsensitivity for paired stimuli mimicking the FM components of the bats' echolocation sounds (pulse and echo) (12) and often respond well to communication calls (11). Thus, we hypothesized that FM-FM neurons may also show combination-sensit...

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“…One mechanism involves specialized neurons that are tuned to relevant aspects of sensory input, or attenuate irrelevant aspects [e.g., Gordon and O'Neil, 2000;Rauschecker et al, 1995;Wong et al, 2007b]. In the auditory system, which subserves both speech and music processing, evidence suggests that low-level neurons are tuned to basic acoustic properties such as center frequency (CF) and frequency modulation (FM) (''information-bearing elements'' or IBEs), while high-level neurons are sensitive to relevant parts and combinations of IBEs, which carry species-specific communicative functions [Suga, 1995;Suga et al, 2000].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selective neurophysiologic responses to music in instrumentalists with different listening biographies

Margulis

Mlsna

Uppunda

et al. 2007

Human Brain Mapping

108

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To appropriately adapt to constant sensory stimulation, neurons in the auditory system are tuned to various acoustic characteristics, such as center frequencies, frequency modulations, and their combinations, particularly those combinations that carry species-specific communicative functions. The present study asks whether such tunings extend beyond acoustic and communicative functions to auditory self-relevance and expertise. More specifically, we examined the role of the listening biographyan individual's long term experience with a particular type of auditory input-on perceptual-neural plasticity. Two groups of expert instrumentalists (violinists and flutists) listened to matched musical excerpts played on the two instruments (J.S. Bach Partitas for solo violin and flute) while their cerebral hemodynamic responses were measured using fMRI. Our experimental design allowed for a comprehensive investigation of the neurophysiology (cerebral hemodynamic responses as measured by fMRI) of auditory expertise (i.e., when violinists listened to violin music and when flutists listened to flute music) and nonexpertise (i.e., when subjects listened to music played on the other instrument). We found an extensive cerebral network of expertise, which implicates increased sensitivity to musical syntax (BA 44), timbre (auditory association cortex), and sound-motor interactions (precentral gyrus) when listening to music played on the instrument of expertise (the instrument for which subjects had a unique listening biography). These findings highlight auditory self-relevance and expertise as a mechanism of perceptual-neural plasticity, and implicate neural tuning that includes and extends beyond

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Processing of Complex Sounds in the Macaque Nonprimary Auditory Cortex

Cited by 862 publications

References 30 publications

Functional Differentiation in the Human Auditory and Language Areas Revealed by a Dichotic Listening Task

Functional Differentiation in the Human Auditory and Language Areas Revealed by a Dichotic Listening Task

Syntax processing by auditory cortical neurons in the FM–FM area of the mustached batPteronotus parnellii

Selective neurophysiologic responses to music in instrumentalists with different listening biographies

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