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• Simultaneous hand/foot lift exhibits different EMG timing depending on control mode. • We occasionally signaled a change from the default predictive to a reactive mode. • When signaled 250 ms prior to initiation, control mode switching did not occur. • When signaled 500 ms prior to initiation, switching caused large reaction time costs. • Task switching between control modes incurs greater costs than programming de novo. When performing synchronous hand and foot movements, the way the limbs are synchronized differs depending on the mode of control. When performed in a reaction time (RT) paradigm (reactive control), EMG onsets become synchronized resulting in asynchronous displacement onset. However, when the same movement is performed as an anticipation-timing task (predictive control), displacement onset is synchronized by unconsciously introducing a small delay between EMG onsets. The present experiment investigated the reprogramming costs associated with switching between predictive and reaction control modes. Participants (N = 12, 6F) were asked to simultaneously lift their right heel and right hand in an anticipation-timing task when a rotating clock hand reached a specified target. On some trials, an auditory stimulus was presented either 250 ms or 500 ms before the target and participants were instructed to execute the synchronous movement as quickly as possible after the signal (i.e., switch to reactive mode). Results showed that when the auditory stimulus was delivered 250 ms before the target, participants were unable to switch to a reactive control mode but did switch when the auditory stimulus was presented 500 ms before the target. As expected, the RT on switch trials was substantially longer (∼230 ms) than a simple RT control condition but was also significantly longer (∼130 ms) than a choice RT control condition. These results indicate that switching between control modes for a task involving the same musculature incurs reprogramming costs that are even greater than the time required to program the response de novo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In stochastic resonance, optimal noise enhances the performance of a system. • The applications of stochastic resonance have been demonstrated in medical devices to improve sensory function. • Stochastic resonance can help improve existing technologies in the medical field. Noise is generally considered to be detrimental. In the right conditions, however, noise can improve signal detection or information transmission. This counterintuitive phenomenon is called stochastic resonance (SR). SR has generated significant interdisciplinary interest, particularly in physics, engineering, and medical and environmental sciences. In this review, we discuss a growing empirical literature that suggests that noise at the right intensity may improve the detection and processing of auditory, sensorimotor, and visual stimuli. We focus particularly on applications of SR in sensory biology and investigate whether SR-based technologies present a pathway to improve outcomes for individuals living with sensory impairments. We conclude that there is considerable evidence supporting the application of SR in developing sensory prosthetics. However, the progression of SR-based technologies is variable across the sensory modalities. We suggest opportunities for further advancements in each modality, considering the best approaches to maximise benefits and capitalise on progress already made. Overall, SR can offer opportunities to improve existing technologies or to motivate innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To adapt to threats in the environment, animals must predict them and engage in defensive behavior. While the representation of a prediction error signal for reward has been linked to dopamine, a neuromodulatory prediction error for aversive learning has not been identified. We measured and manipulated norepinephrine release during threat learning using optogenetics and a novel fluorescent norepinephrine sensor. We found that norepinephrine response to conditioned stimuli reflects aversive memory strength. When delays between auditory stimuli and footshock are introduced, norepinephrine acts as a prediction error signal. However, temporal difference prediction errors do not fully explain norepinephrine dynamics. To explain noradrenergic signaling, we used an updated reinforcement learning model with uncertainty about time and found that it explained norepinephrine dynamics across learning and variations in temporal and auditory task structure. Norepinephrine thus combines cognitive and affective information into a predictive signal and links time with the anticipation of danger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mismatch negativity (MMN) amplitude is attenuated in schizophrenia patients (SZ). However, variability in illness course among SZ samples and types of deviant stimuli used in MMN paradigms have contributed to inconsistent findings across studies. Though MMN is suggested to be impaired in schizotypy, the potential link between the two is yet to be systematically examined in unaffected first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients (FDR). The SZ sample had twenty-two drug-naïve or drug-free patients (dSZ) and thirty chronic/medicated patients (cSZ). dSZ and cSZ patients were compared with thirty-six unaffected FDR and thirty-two healthy controls (HC) using a two-tone passive auditory oddball MMN paradigm in an event-related potential experiment with two conditions (presented as separate blocks)–duration-deviant (duration-MMN) and frequency-deviant (frequency-MMN). Schizotypy scores and MMN indices were examined for correlation in FDR. Duration-MMN amplitude was significantly attenuated in both dSZ and cSZ compared to other groups. dSZ and cSZ did not differ on MMN indices. Psychopathology scores and features of illness (illness duration, medication dosage, etc.) did not correlate with MMN indices. In FDR, Schizotypal trait measures did not correlate with MMN indices. Duration-MMN emerged as a more robust indicator of prediction error signalling deficit in SZ. Frequency-MMN amplitude did not significantly differ among the groups, and MMN indices did not correlate with state and trait measures of schizophrenia-related psychopathology. These findings reiterates that auditory sensory processing captured by MMN is likely reflective of dynamic cognitive functions at the point of testing, and is unlikely to be an expression of enduring symptomatology. • Duration-MMN amplitude is attenuated in chronic/medicated (cSZ) and drug-naïve/free (dSZ) schizophrenia patients in comparison to FDR and HC. • Frequency-deviant mismatch negativity (frequency-MMN) amplitude did not significantly differ between the groups. • Duration-MMN and frequency-MMN indices did not significantly differ between medicated/chronic SZ patients and drug-naïve or drug-free/early-course SZ patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sensorimotor adaptation in response to perturbed visual and auditory stimuli. • Evidence of implicit audiomotor aftereffects following adapted reaching. • Auditory aftereffects observed with both loudspeaker and headphones presentation. • Adaptation may attenuate with rapid targets and non-veridical baseline feedback. Sensorimotor adaptation alters mappings between motor commands and their predicted outcomes. Such remapping has been extensively studied in the visual domain, but the degree to which it occurs in modalities other than vision remains less well understood. Here, we manipulated the modality of reach target presentation to compare sensorimotor adaptation in response to perturbations of visual and auditory feedback location. We compared the extent of adaptation to perturbed sensory feedback for visual and auditory sensory modalities, and the magnitude of reach-direction aftereffects when the perturbation was removed. To isolate the contribution of implicit sensorimotor recalibration to adaptation in reach direction, we held sensory prediction errors and task-performance errors constant via a task-irrelevant clamp of sensory feedback. Seventy-two participants performed one of three experiments in which target location information and endpoint reach direction feedback were presented by loudspeakers (n = 24), headphones (n = 24), or a visual display (n = 24). Presentation durations for target stimuli (500 ms) and (non-veridical) endpoint feedback of reach direction (100 ms) were matched for visual and auditory modalities. For all three groups, when endpoint feedback was perturbed, adaptation was evident: reach-directions increased significantly in the direction opposite the clamped feedback, and a significant aftereffect persisted after participants were instructed that the perturbation had been removed. This study provides new evidence that implicit sensorimotor adaptation occurs in response to perturbed auditory feedback of reach direction, suggesting that an implicit neural process to recalibrate sensory to motor maps in response to sensory prediction errors may be ubiquitous across sensory modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are a disabling symptom for people with schizophrenia (SCZ), and do not always respond to antipsychotics. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown efficacy for medication-refractory AVH, though the underlying neural mechanisms by which rTMS produces these effects remain unclear. This systematic review evaluated the structural and functional impact of rTMS for AVH in SCZ, and its association with clinical outcomes. A systematic search was conducted in Medline, PsychINFO, and PubMed using terms for four key concepts: AVH, SCZ, rTMS, neuroimaging. Using PRISMA guidelines, 18 studies were identified that collected neuroimaging data of an rTMS intervention for AVH in SCZ. Risk of bias assessments was conducted. Low frequency (<5 Hz) rTMS targeting left hemispheric language processing regions may normalize brain abnormalities in AVH patients at structural, functional, electrophysiological, and topological levels, with concurrent symptom improvement. Amelioration of aberrant neural activity in frontotemporal networks associated with speech and auditory processing was commonly observed, as well as in cerebellar and emotion regulation regions. Neuroimaging analyses identified neural substrates with direct correlations to post-rTMS AVH severity, propounding their use as therapeutic targets. Combined rTMS-neuroimaging highlights the multidimensional alterations of rTMS on brain activity and structure in treatment-resistant AVH, which may be used to develop more efficacious therapies. Larger randomized, sham-controlled studies are needed. Future studies should explore alternate stimulation targets, investigate the neural effects of high-frequency rTMS and evaluate long-term neuroimaging outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of auditory training with synthesized voices on intra- and inter-rater agreement of the auditory-perceptual voice analysis of roughness and breathiness. This was an experimental study consisting of four auditory training sessions. The sample consisted of twenty raters, students from a Speech-Language Pathology course, who had previous experience with auditory-perceptual assessment. The raters participated in the four training sessions with a seven-day break in between sessions. Each training consisted of three tasks: 1) Pre-training activity: Participants were asked to rate 20 natural voices, normal and dysphonic, from zero to three, according to the parameters of roughness and breathiness; 2) Training activity: Synthesized voice anchor stimuli were presented, and participants were asked to rate them from zero to three. Four stimuli were related to roughness and four to breathiness. Participants heard 20 voice stimuli and were instructed to pair the natural voice with the synthesized anchor stimulus that most resembled it; and 3) Post-training activity: the 20 voices from the pre-training activity were randomized and participants rated the same voices, without prior knowledge that these were repeated. Statistical analysis of data was performed using the AC 2 test, to assess the extent of agreement between raters, and the Friedman test to compare the training sessions. A 5% significance level was considered. For the auditory-perceptual voice analysis of roughness, intra-rater agreement results ranged from 79% to 86% between the first and fourth auditory training session, with improvement in intra-rater agreement from the fourth session forward (P = 0.005). For the analysis of breathiness, results ranged from 88% to 92% between the first and fourth auditory training sessions, with improvement from the fourth session forward (P = 0.036). Inter-rater agreement results for the auditory-perceptual analysis of roughness ranged from 23% to 34%, and from 48% to 61% for breathiness, with no differences regarding training (P = 0.855). The auditory-perceptual breathiness parameter had a higher AC 2 indicator compared to the roughness parameter, suggesting better agreement. The intra-rater agreement showed improvement starting from the fourth auditory training session for the assessment of roughness and breathiness. The auditory training program did not show a positive inter-rater agreement impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology has changed customer preferences, such as cashless transactions. E-wallets like OVO have grown rapidly due to these tendencies. This Indonesian e-wallet promotes its services and lets users voice their perceptions on Instagram. This study measured customer perceived value (CPV) for OVO e-wallet service using PERVAL dimensions on the official Instagram accounts OVO (ovo id). Topic modelling-Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) analyzes 10.054 customer perception rows from January to June 2021. OVO customer perception data showed nine Instagram topics. The OVO customer perception dataset included topic-related emotional, social, and quality values. This study may improve OVO's services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micrographia, or small handwriting, is a common symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). Weighted pens have previously been recommended to improve handwriting, but there is limited research supporting their effectiveness. Additionally, previous research has demonstrated that music as an auditory cue can reduce variability in fine motor movements, but its effect on handwriting in people with PD remains unknown. This study explored potential handwriting interventions for people with PD by evaluating the effectiveness of weighted pens and auditory cues on handwriting. This was a pilot cohort study. Eight older adults with PD used a standard pen and a weighted pen to write continuous cursive " l "s on 1.5-cm-lined paper for a total of 10 seconds while listening to auditory cues in 4 conditions: control (silence), metronome, activating music, and relaxing music. Kinematic data were measured with sensors attached to the tip of each pen, and muscle activity was measured with electromyography sensors adhered to the extensor digitorum communis and first dorsal interosseous. When writing with the standard pen, peak-to-peak time was reduced in the metronome (control = 0.807 ± 0.121 seconds, metronome = 0.701 ± 0.100 seconds, p = 0.024) and activating (control = 0.807 ± 0.121 seconds, activating = 0.691 ± 0.113 seconds , p = 0.009) conditions compared to the control condition. Furthermore, the weighted pen increased the variability of distance between letter peaks (standard = 0.187 ± 0.010, weighted = 0.482 ± 0.065, p = 0.033) and the variability of time needed to complete each letter (standard = 0.176 ± 0.010, weighted = 0.187 ± 0.016, p = 0.042) compared to the standard pen. Finally, area under the curve of the extensor digitorum communis was reduced in the metronome (metronome = 66.03 ± 25.74 mV, control = 88.98 ± 30.40 mV, p = 0.034) and activating music (activating = 66.49 ± 26.02 mV , control = 88.98 ± 30.40 mV , p = 0.012) conditions compared to control when writing with the standard pen. These results suggest that weighted pens may not improve handwriting in novice users, but auditory cues appear beneficial. This can inform future directions in the research and clinical application of handwriting interventions for persons with PD. • Weighted pens increase handwriting variability in novice users with PD. • Metronome and activating cues reduce writing time with a standard pen. • Metronome and activating cues reduce muscle activity with a standard pen. • Weighted pens wash out the benefits of auditory cueing on handwriting in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caudate functional abnormalities have been identified as one critical neural substrate underlying sensory gating impairments that lead to auditory phantom hallucinations in both patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and tinnitus, characterized by the perception of internally generated sounds in the absence of external environmental auditory stimuli. In this study, we tested the hypothesis as to whether functional connectivity abnormalities in distinct caudate subdivisions implicated in sensory gating and auditory phantom percepts in tinnitus, which are currently being localized for neuromodulation targeting using deep brain stimulation techniques, would be associated with auditory phantom hallucination severity in SZ. Twenty five SZ and twenty eight demographically-matched healthy control (HC) participants, completed this fMRI resting-state study and clinical assessments. Between-group seed-to-voxel analyses revealed only one region, the caudate anterior head, which showed reduced functional connectivity with the thalamus that survived whole-brain multiple comparison corrections. Importantly, connectivity between the caudate anterior head with thalamus negatively correlated with hallucination severity. In the present study, we deliver the first evidence of caudate subdivision specificity for the neural pathophysiology underlying hallucinations in schizophrenia within a sensory gating framework that has been developed for auditory phantoms in patients with tinnitus. Our findings provide transdiagnostic convergent evidence for the role of the caudate in the gating of auditory phantom hallucinations, observed across patients with SZ and tinnitus by specifying the anterior caudate division is key to mediation of hallucinations, and creating a path towards personalized treatment approaches to arrest auditory phantom hallucinations from reaching perceptual awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the perceived onset of postural instability, a critical aspect of balance. Prior research using Temporal Order Judgment (TOJ) tasks revealed that postural perturbations must occur significantly earlier than an auditory reference stimulus for individuals to perceive them as simultaneous. However, there are methodological concerns with this previous work, particularly an unbalanced stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) distribution. Does the point of subjective simultaneity (PSS) between postural perturbation onset and an auditory reference stimulus differ between SOA distributions unequally (distribution 1) and equally (distribution 2) distributed around true simultaneity (0 ms)? A repeated measures design was employed, presenting two different SOA distributions to 10 participants using a TOJ task during both distribution 1 (88 trials) and distribution 2 (72 trials) SOA distributions. Paired t-tests were used to determine if there was a significant difference between the PSS of distribution 1 and 2. One-sample t-tests were also performed on the PSS values of both conditions in comparison to 0 ms (defined as true simultaneity) to determine if perceptual responses were delayed. Distribution 1 led to a perceived delay of postural instability onset by 20.34 ms, while distribution 2 resulted in a perceived delay of the auditory stimulus of 3.52 ms. However, neither condition was significantly different from each other nor from true simultaneity. These findings suggest that the perception of postural instability onset is not slow, contrary to previous beliefs, and emphasize the importance of controlling methodological parameters when examining sensory cues. This understanding will help inform falls prevention strategies. • We investigated perceived postural instability onset using Temporal Order Judgments. • Our prior research reported that the perceived onset of postural perturbations is slow. • We replicated and falsified this claim by better controlling methodological parameters. • We find perception of postural instability onset is not slow compared to sound onset. • These new results have the potential to help inform falls prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There was a decreasing trend in absolute power spectral density of EEG changes induced by auditory stimuli with decreasing levels of consciousness. • This cortical response was effective in distinguishing between good and bad prognoses for patients with consciousness disorders. • Cortical responses to auditory stimulation may be a significant electrophysiological indicator of prognosis in patients with disorders of consciousness. This study aimed to assess the prognosis of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) using auditory stimulation with electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. We enrolled 72 patients with DoC in the study, which involved subjecting patients to auditory stimulation while EEG responses were recorded. Coma Recovery Scale–Revised (CRS-R) scores and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) were determined for each patient and followed up for three months. A frequency spectrum analysis was performed on the EEG recordings. Finally, the power spectral density (PSD) index was used to predict the prognosis of patients with DoC based on a support vector machine (SVM) model. Power spectral analyses revealed that the cortical response to auditory stimulation showed a decreasing trend with decreasing consciousness levels. Auditory stimulation-induced changes in absolute PSD at the delta and theta bands were positively correlated with the CRS-R and GOS scores. Furthermore, these cortical responses to auditory stimulation had a good ability to discriminate between good and poor prognoses of patients with DoC. Auditory stimulation-induced changes in the PSD were highly predictive of DoC outcomes. Our findings showed that cortical responses to auditory stimulation may be an important electrophysiological indicator of prognosis in patients with DoC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spike-based perception brings up a new research idea in the field of neuromorphic engineering. A high-performance biologically inspired flexible spiking neural network (SNN) architecture provides a novel method for the exploration of perception mechanisms and the development of neuromorphic computing systems. In this article, we present a biological-inspired spike-based SNN perception digital system that can realize robust perception. The system employs a fully paralleled pipeline scheme to improve the performance and accelerate the processing of feature extraction. An auditory perception system prototype is realized on ten Intel Cyclone field-programmable gate arrays, which can reach the maximum frequency of 107.28 MHz and the maximum throughput of 5364 Mbps. Our design also achieves the power of 5. 148 W/system and energy efficiency of 845.85 μ J. Our auditory perception implementation is also proved to have superior robustness compared with other SNN systems. We use TIMIT digit speech in noise in accuracy testing. Result shows that it achieves up to 85.75% speech recognition accuracy under obvious noise conditions (signal-to-noise ratio of 20 dB) and maintain small accuracy attenuation with the decline of the signal-to-noise ratio. The overall performance of our proposed system outperforms the state-of-the-art perception system on SNN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speech production in adults requires a real-time control loop between speech motor control and speech perception, such that both auditory and sensorimotor feedforward and feedback signals modulate ongoing production. Neuroimaging studies show that, during adult auditory speech perception, audiomotor connectivity along the dorsal speech pathway is functionally enhanced. At or shortly after birth, the dorsal speech pathway is present, and rapidly matures during early postnatal months, a period that precedes infants' production of speech-like vocalizations. Infant speech perception functionally engages the frontal-motor areas, and is supported by a combinatorial neural code that represents phonetic features along articulatory dimensions. Animal research shows that sensory and sensorimotor development starts prenatally, with spontaneous movements, such as twitches, forming sensorimotor maps. The perceptual system for speech is highly organized from early infancy. This organization bootstraps young human learners' ability to acquire their native speech and language from speech input. Here, we review behavioral and neuroimaging evidence that perceptual systems beyond the auditory modality are also specialized for speech in infancy, and that motor and sensorimotor systems can influence speech perception even in infants too young to produce speech-like vocalizations. These investigations complement existing literature on infant vocal development and on the interplay between speech perception and production systems in adults. We conclude that a multimodal speech and language network is present before speech-like vocalizations emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Songbirds use auditory feedback to memorize a tutor song in juveniles and to maintain it in adults. In Bengalese finches, electrophysiological studies showed the auditory responses in the premotor area HVC remained active regardless of asleep/awake status, in contrast to auditory gating phenomenon identified in zebra finches. We investigated the correlations in auditory activity between the brain regions and differences in the activity during wakefulness and sleeping in Bengalese finches. We used the immediate early gene egr-1 as a marker of neural activity that can detect regions responding to auditory stimuli in the whole brain. Results showed that auditory response, as measured by egr-1 expression to the bird's own song while sleeping and awake, was similar in HVC and NCM. Higher activity during awake than sleep was found only in the lower auditory area MLd. Analyses showed egr-1 expressions between brain regions induced by the bird's own song playback in awake/sleep conditions, suggesting that auditory information correlated with the inter part, not the outer part, of MLd with the higher song-related regions. Furthermore, the sleep condition suppressed the spontaneous activity, but not the song-induced activity in Area X. Altogether, this study presents a new attempt to explore the auditory-motor network using a molecular tool to map neurons of the nearly whole brain. • We detected auditory response using the immediate early gene expression in the Bengalese finch brain. • We compared auditory response during wakefulness and sleeping. • We found the flow of auditory information from the midbrain to the song motor system. • We explored the auditory-motor network using a molecular tool in the whole brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and a history of experiencing auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) exhibit poor pitch discrimination relative to those with an SSD but no AVH history. The present study extended this research, asking if a lifetime history, and the current presence, of AVH exacerbated the pitch discrimination challenges that are seen in SSD. Participants completed a pitch discrimination task, where the tones presented differed in pitch by either 2 %, 5 %, 10 %, 25 % or 50 %. Pitch discrimination accuracy, sensitivity, reaction time (RT) and intra-individual RT variability (IIV) were examined in individuals with SSD and AVHs (AVH+; n = 46), or without AVHs (AVH-; n = 31), and healthy controls (HC; n = 131). Secondary analyses split the AVH+ group into state (i.e., actively experiencing AVH; n = 32) and trait hallucinators (i.e., a history of, but not actively experiencing, AVH; n = 16). Relative to HC, significantly poorer accuracy and sensitivity was detected in individuals with SSD at 2 % and 5 % pitch deviants, and in hallucinators at 10 %; however, no significant differences in accuracy, sensitivity, RT nor IIV were found between AVH+ and AVH- groups. No differences between state and trait hallucinators were observed. A general SSD deficit drove the current findings. The findings may inform future research into the auditory processing capabilities of AVH+ individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sound vibrations caused by chewing herbivores are used by plants as a general cue to activate their defense machinery, prompting the suggestion that other ecological sound cues exist (e.g., in mutualistic plant–animal interactions). Similar to animals, plant species may operate within a set frequency and sound intensity range. Sound frequencies and intensities outside this range may potentially have negative effects on plants. Sound produced by humans (i.e., highway or industrial noise) can prevent plants from perceiving important environmental information. Noise pollution could therefore be a factor that should be taken into account both in ecological and agronomic settings. Some data suggest involuntary sound-based plant–plant communication, but a deliberate sound production and sound-based communication mechanism may also exist. In addition to positive effects on plant growth and resilience, sound alerts plants of potential danger and aids in defense. Sound guides plants towards essential resources, like water, through phonotropic root growth. Sound also facilitates mutualistic interactions such as buzz pollination. Molecularly, sound induces Ca2+ signatures, K+ fluxes, and an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in a mechanosensitive ion channel-dependent fashion. We review the two major open questions in the field of plant acoustics: (i) what is the ecological relevance of sound in plant life, and (ii) how is sound sensed and transduced to evoke a morphophysiological response? We highlight the clear need to combine the ecological and molecular perspectives for a more holistic approach to better understand plant behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• For children with cochlear implants, language and literacy outcomes remain highly variable, despite early implantation. • Cortical auditory evoked potentials in a short oddball paradigm (applicable to the clinic) may help explain this variability. • MMN and P3 had lower amplitudes in implanted children with poor outcomes, and P3 was particularly promising as a predictor. Although children with cochlear implants (CI) achieve remarkable success with their device, considerable variability remains in individual outcomes. Here, we explored whether auditory evoked potentials recorded during an oddball paradigm could provide useful markers of auditory processing in this pediatric population. High-density electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded in 75 children listening to standard and odd noise stimuli: 25 had normal hearing (NH) and 50 wore a CI, divided between high language (HL) and low language (LL) abilities. Three metrics were extracted: the first negative and second positive components of the standard waveform (N1-P2 complex) close to the vertex, the mismatch negativity (MMN) around Fz and the late positive component (P3) around Pz of the difference waveform. While children with CIs generally exhibited a well-formed N1-P2 complex, those with language delays typically lacked reliable MMN and P3 components. But many children with CIs with age-appropriate skills showed MMN and P3 responses similar to those of NH children. Moreover, larger and earlier P3 (but not MMN) was linked to better literacy skills. Auditory evoked responses differentiated children with CIs based on their good or poor skills with language and literacy. This short paradigm could eventually serve as a clinical tool for tracking the developmental outcomes of implanted children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cntnap2−/− rats show higher startle and disrupted prepulse inhibition. • Increased activity in startle-mediating brainstem neurons in Cntnap2−/− females explain higher startle. • Males do not show this increased activity, despite higher startle, indicating sex-specific effects. • PPI deficits do not correlate with altered signaling in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus. • Mechanisms and structures outside primary startle pathway contribute to Cntnap2 phenotype. The contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) gene encodes for the CASPR2 protein, which plays an essential role in neurodevelopment. Mutations in CNTNAP2 are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Rats with a loss of function mutation in the Cntnap2 gene show increased acoustic startle response (ASR) and decreased prepulse inhibition (PPI). The neural basis of this altered auditory processing in Cntnap2 knock-out rats is currently unknown. Auditory brainstem recordings previously revealed no differences between the genotypes. The next step is to investigate brainstem structures outside of the primary auditory pathway that mediate ASR and PPI, which are the pontine reticular nucleus (PnC) and pedunculopontine tegmentum (PPTg), respectively. Multi-unit responses from the PnC and PPTg in vivo of the same rats revealed sex-specific effects of loss of CASPR2 expression on PnC activity, but no effects on PPTg activity. Female Cntnap2−/− rats showed considerably increased PnC firing rates compared with female wildtypes, whereas the difference between the genotypes was modest in male rats. In contrast, for both females and males we found meager differences between the genotypes for PPTg firing rates and inhibition of PnC firing rates, indicating that altered firing rates of these brainstem structures are not responsible for decreased PPI in Cntnap2−/− rats. We conclude that the auditory processing changes seen in Cntnap2−/− rats are associated with, but cannot be fully explained by, differences in PnC firing rates, and that a loss of function mutation in the Cntnap2 gene has differential effects depending on sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has suggested that fear of flying, which is defined as a situational, specific phobia, could overlap with depressive and anxiety disorders. Whether the neuronal dysfunctions including altered serotonergic activity in the brain and altered neural oscillations observed for depressive and anxiety disorders also overlap with alterations in fear of flying is unclear. Here, thirty-six participants with self-reported fear of flying (FF) and forty-one unaffected participants (NFF) were recruited. The participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the State-trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Fear of Flying Scale (FFS). EEG-recording was conducted during resting-state and during presentation of auditory stimuli with varying loudness levels for analysis of the Loudness Dependence of Auditory Evoked Potentials (LDAEP), which is suggested to be inversely related to central serotonergic activity. Participants with fear of flying did not differ from the control group with regard to BDI-II and STAI data. The LDAEP was higher over F4 electrode in the FF group compared to controls, whereas exploratory analysis suggest that differences between groups were conveyed by female participants. Moreover, the FF group showed relatively higher right frontal alpha activity compared to the control group, whereas no difference in frequency power (alpha, beta and theta) was observed. Thus, this study brought the first hint for reduced serotonergic activity in individuals with fear of flying and relatively higher right frontal activity. Thus, based on the preliminary findings, future research should aim to examine the boundaries with anxiety and depressive disorders and to clarify the distinct neural mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory gating P50 (SG-P50) may be involved in the pathophysiological mechanisms of impaired cognition in schizophrenia (SCZ). Comorbid depressive symptoms are common in SCZ patients and are also found to be associated with their cognitive impairment. However, it is unclear whether SG-P50 is abnormal in first episode antipsychotics naïve (FEAN) SCZ patients with depressive symptoms. Our aimed to investigate the relationships between SG-P50, depressive symptoms and neurocognition in FEAN-SCZ patients. We recruited 103 FEAN-SCZ patients (depression: n = 63; non-depression: n = 40) and 55 healthy controls. SG-P50 was measured using the standard auditory dual-click (S1&S2) paradigm. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HDRS-17). Cognitive performance was evaluated using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Compared with non-depressive patients, depressive patients had a significantly larger S2 amplitude (p = 0.005) and a higher S2/S1 ratio at trend level (p = 0.075) after corrected. There were significant differences in the scores of CPT-IP and Mazes (NAB) between depressive and non-depressive FEAN-SCZ patients (both p values < 0.05). For all patients, the SG-P50 S2/S1 ratio was significantly correlated with HDRS-17 score (r = 0.23, p = 0.020) and MCCB-Symbol coding (r = −0.16, p = 0.043). For depressive FEAN-SCZ patients, S2 amplitude was an independent predictor of the MCCB-Mazes (NAB) (β = −0.31, t = −2.52, p = 0.015). SG-P50 deficit may be an informational biomarker for depressive symptoms and neurocognitive impairments in FEAN-SCZ patients. • Depressive first episode antipsychotics naïve (FEAN) patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) showed larger P50 S2 amplitude. • Worse attention and problem-solving occurred in FEAN-SCZ patients with than without depression. • S2 amplitude was inversely associated with problem-solving in depressive FEAN-SCZ patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auditory interfaces play a vital role in many applications, informing users about both urgent and routine information critical to safety. Unfortunately, problems related to high alarm rates, low reliability, and sound annoyance create barriers to optimising the quality of patient care in perioperative medicine and critical care. Here, we explore how to reduce annoyance and improve detection by manipulating a sound's temporal envelope or the way its energy changes over time. In the first experiment, participants were asked to detect a series of percussive and flat tones presented at six signal-to-noise ratios while performing a concurrent speech comprehension task. In the second experiment, different participants were asked to evaluate the relative annoyance of these same sounds. Relative to industry-standard flat tones, percussive tones were significantly less annoying and more detectable. Although more detectable, percussive tones did not impair concurrent speech comprehension. Temporal variation in amplitude envelope represents a promising path towards improving auditory interfaces for patient monitoring. By using temporally variable sounds, auditory interfaces can be more effective in alerting users. This is important for safety-critical areas, such as medical alarms, where annoyance often limits efficacy. As this manipulation can preserve the pitch and rhythm of tone sequences, it is compatible with users' pre-existing knowledge of current alarms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational approaches have an important role to play in understanding the complex process of speech acquisition , in general, and have recently been popular in studies of vocal learning in particular. In this article we suggest that two significant problems associated with imitative vocal learning of spoken language, the speaker normalisation and phonological correspondence problems, can be addressed by linguistically grounded auditory perception. In particular, we show how the articulation of consonant–vowel syllables may be learnt from auditory percepts that can represent either individual utterances by speakers with different vocal tract characteristics or ideal phonetic realisations. The result is an optimisation-based implementation of vocal exploration – incorporating semantic, auditory, and articulatory signals – that can serve as a basis for simulating vocal learning beyond imitation. • Computational study of vocal learning produces intelligible consonant–vowel syllables. • Goal-oriented articulatory exploration based on language-oriented speech perception. • Novel methodology for quantitative evaluation of vocal learning of spoken language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We proposed frontal distance models of auditory warning and examined the effects of a SLAS on driving performance. • The SLAS received and transmitted the speed limit warning information from roadside infrastructure to specific driver. • The SLAS led to smooth and effective deceleration, particularly in gradient audio-visual mode. • The SLAS was particularly effective for drivers with low driving age (<10 years) and got a satisfactory evaluation. • Apart from a safety benefit, the SLAS did not distract drivers or had any adverse effects on driving performance. In-vehicle HMI (Human Machine Interface) systems are well studied due to their great application prospect, but the recent development of connected technologies raises more possibilities that this technology provides more accurate speed limit warnings to ensure driver safety according to specific vehicle and road parameters. To capitalize on the potential of in-vehicle HMI systems to provide auditory and visual warnings to drivers and to improve adoption and utilization of this warning information. To this end, we designed a speed limit advisory system (SLAS) that recommended reduced speeds for hazardous sections of road, communicated to drivers by their in-vehicle HMI systems. Frontal distance models of single and gradient auditory warning were implanted into the systems to determine the warning timing. We then tested these SLASs in a high-fidelity simulator in order to evaluate their utility. 70 participants (mean age = 28.7 years; 36 male) drove through a simulated 15 km stretch of one-way two-lane rural road. We evaluated five different warning modes: single visual (SV), single audio visual (SAV), gradient visual (GV), gradient audio visual (GAV) or control (roadside sign). Participants using the SLAS slowed down significantly compared to the control group before entering the curve, with drivers receiving GAV warnings driving lowest speeds. Less experienced drivers exhibited higher compliance with GAMs (GV or GAV). The SLAS was generally considered useful though not by drivers with>10 years of driving experience. Drivers tended to prefer singular warnings to gradated warnings, which were rated as equally preferable to roadside signage. Eye tracking data indicated that none of the SLAS modes were overly distracting to the drivers. Overall, we find that the SLAS improves driver safety while producing no obvious distraction. The main difficulty lies in persuading experienced drivers to use the system. In a word, the results of this study provide validation for the concept of HMI warning system using connected technology in hazardous road areas and help determine the appropriate timing of in-vehicle warnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alertness is an important part of attention in human development and behavior. This system allows us to have different behaviors depending on the stimuli and the environment around us. Within the area of cognitive architectures, alertness is a system that in many cases is not explicitly developed or is not addressed; for many of these architectures, attention is simply a filtering of information. In this work a model of the alert system was made taking into account the biological processes within the human brain, that is, the brain areas involved and their interconnections. This system modulates the state of alertness in which it is, depending on the circadian rhythm and auditory stimuli. The results obtained through experimentation both with humans and with different configurations of the model show that there is a similar behavior between the responses of the model and those of humans. In conclusion, the model presented can produce behavior in a manner similar to human behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work explores the use of constant-Q transform based modulation spectral features (CQT-MSF) for speech emotion recognition (SER). The human perception and analysis of sound comprise of two important cognitive parts: early auditory analysis and cortex-based processing. The early auditory analysis considers spectrogram-based representation whereas cortex-based analysis includes extraction of temporal modulations from the spectrogram. This temporal modulation representation of spectrogram is called modulation spectral feature (MSF). As the constant-Q transform (CQT) provides higher resolution at emotion salient low-frequency regions of speech, we find that CQT-based spectrogram, together with its temporal modulations, provides a representation enriched with emotion-specific information. We argue that CQT-MSF when used with a 2-dimensional convolutional network can provide a time-shift invariant and deformation insensitive representation for SER. Our results show that CQT-MSF outperforms standard mel-scale based spectrogram and its modulation features on two popular SER databases, Berlin EmoDB and RAVDESS. We also show that our proposed feature outperforms the shift and deformation invariant scattering transform coefficients, hence, showing the importance of joint hand-crafted and self-learned feature extraction instead of reliance on complete hand-crafted features. Finally, we perform Grad-CAM analysis to visually inspect the contribution of constant-Q modulation features over SER. • Use of modulation spectral feature that represents cortical processing of speech in humans. • Introduction of constant-Q transform-based modulation spectrum feature. • Performance comparison showing large improvement with the proposed feature over standard features. • Transform domain analysis confirming the importance of low-frequency speech information for emotion recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Children with hearing loss process speech faster with visual cues. • Audio-visual benefits are similar to those of children with normal hearing. • Overall processing speed remains slower than that of children with normal hearing. • Hearing device type may be associated with processing speed. Children with hearing loss (HL) can generally achieve functional speech perception with the assistance of hearing aids and/or cochlear implants. However, their speech processing may be less efficient than that of their peers with normal hearing (NH), which may have academic and psychosocial consequences. This study investigated whether providing visual speech cues (movements of the speaker's face) would allow children with HL to process spoken language faster. Twenty-six primary-school children with HL completed a phoneme monitoring task, as well as several tasks assessing cognitive and language skills. Their performance was compared to existing data from 19 children with NH. Overall, children with HL processed spoken language slower than their NH peers. However, the addition of visual speech cues did improve processing speed for children with HL, to the same extent as for those with NH. This suggests that visual speech information allows children with HL to process speech more rapidly, which may have positive effects on classroom and social interactions. Effects of different hearing device configurations on processing speed are highlighted as a direction for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we are exposed to stress on a daily basis, it is important to detect and treat stress during the subclinical period. However, methods to quantify and confirm stress are currently unavailable, and the detection of subclinical stressors is difficult. This study aimed to determine whether manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) could be used to assess stress in rat brains. We exposed male Wistar/ST rats bred in a specific pathogen-free environment to ultrasound stimuli (22 kHz and 55 kHz) for 10 days and then assessed brain activities using MEMRI, the light/dark box test, and ΔFosB immunohistochemical staining. In the MEMRI assessments, exposure at 22 kHz activated the periaqueductal gray, while exposure at 55 kHz specifically enhanced activity in the nucleus accumbens core and the orbitofrontal cortex. The exploratory behavior of the 55-kHz group increased sharply, while that of the 22-kHz group showed a lower exploratory value. ΔFosB expression increased in the orbitofrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, periaqueductal gray, and amygdaloid nucleus in the 22-kHz group. Ultrasound stimuli at 22 kHz suppressed weight gain in rats and excessive ΔFosB induction in the nucleus accumbens caused excessive sensitization of the neural circuit, thereby contributing to pathological behavior. We thus demonstrated that MEMRI can be useful to objectively assess the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Misophonia is a complex syndrome in which selective auditory stimuli, such as sounds of breathing, sniffing or eating, trigger an intense, negative emotional response. Previous studies have shown that the symptoms of misophonia coexist with a number of mental disorders, such as OCD, depression and anxiety. However, still little is known about other mental states that may be present in this context. A total of 312 people from the non-clinical sample participated in an online correlational study, which aimed at investigating whether there is a significant association between misophonia symptoms and paranoia-like thoughts, as well as to examine what factors might underlie this potential relationship. The results revealed that misophonia positively correlates with paranoia-like thoughts. A serial mediation analysis showed that difficulties in regulating emotions, anxiety and hostile attributions are significant mediators in the relationship between misophonia and paranoia-like thoughts. Importantly, these mediators, above all, form a potential coherent explanatory mechanism underlying this association. Hence, our results highlight the important role of socio-cognitive factors in the conceptualization of misophonia and its relation to paranoia-like thoughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Behavior patterns and fNIRS were used to investigate neurocognitive mechanisms of distraction affecting pedestrian response. • Pedestrians responded more slowly when distracted by phone calls or texting compared to when undistracted or listening to music. • Higher cognitive load distraction impacted pedestrians' response and resulted in higher activation in cortices related to the mode of distraction. • Pedestrian's response to traffic lights were impaired by visual distraction, resulting in higher activation in occipital and prefrontal cortices. • Pedestrian's responses to car horns were impaired by auditory distraction, resulting in higher activation in temporal areas. Distracted walking is a major cause of pedestrian road traffic injuries, but little is known about how distraction affects pedestrian safety. The study was designed to explore how visual and auditory distraction might influence pedestrian safety. Three experiments were conducted to explore causal mechanisms from two theoretical perspectives, increased cognitive load from the distraction task and resource competition in the same sensory modality. Pedestrians' behavior patterns and cortex oxyhemoglobin changes were recorded while they performed a series of dual tasks. Four primary results emerged: (a) participants responded more slowly to both visual and auditory stimuli in traffic, as well as walked more slowly, while talking on the phone or text messaging compared to when undistracted or listening to music; (b) when participants completed pedestrian response tasks while distracted with a high cognitive load, their response was significantly slower and poorer than when they carried out a lower cognitive load distraction task, (c) participants had higher levels of oxy-Hb change in cortices related to visual processing and executive function while distracted with a higher cognitive load; and (d) participants' responses to traffic lights were slower and resulted in a higher activation in prefrontal cortex and occipital areas when distracted by a visual distraction task compared to when distracted with an auditory task; similarly, brain activation increased significantly in temporal areas when participants responded to an auditory car horn task compared to when they responded to visual traffic lights. Both distracting cognitive load demands and the type of distraction task significantly affect young adult pedestrian performance and threaten pedestrian safety. Pedestrian injury prevention efforts should consider the effects of the type of distracting task and its cognitive demands on pedestrian safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subjective chronic tinnitus is a prevalent auditory perception characterized by an absence of a corresponding acoustic source. It is often accompanied by hearing deficits and may lead to various psychological problems including sleep disorder, depression and anxiety. To investigate the differential neuronal profile of patients with severe and less severe chronic tinnitus, 34 tinnitus patients were distributed in two groups and their EEG resting state activity was compared. Using standardized Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (sLORETA) a significant and substantial frontal increase in theta wave activity was found in the group with severe tinnitus (p =.013). The correlated severity of depression and anxiety had no influence on the electrophysiological metric. These results support a tinnitus-related global network change in which prefrontal areas are part of a network which exerts a top-down influence on the auditory cortices. The demonstrated slowing of oscillations in the responsible network may constitute a neuronal marker for the prefrontal brain network lacking the capacity to inhibit overexcitation. The magnitude of this influence is linked to the subjective strength of the tinnitus distress. • Brain mechanisms responsible for severe tinnitus reside in a large prefrontal network. • The network lacks the capacity to inhibit overexcitation of the central auditory system. • The neurophysiological basis of tinnitus is not related to psychological disturbances. • Mood disorders are a secondary consequence of the primary neurophysiological pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new character-speech materials is proposed to study the audio-visual competition. • Validating Mandarin has a modality advantages in processing audio-visual information. • Clarifying the dominance of auditory processing in Chinese audio-visual competition. Language is a remarkable cognitive ability that can be expressed through visual (written language) or auditory (spoken language) modalities. When visual characters and auditory speech convey conflicting information, individuals may selectively attend to either one of them. However, the dominant modality in such a competing situation and the neural mechanism underlying it are still unclear. Here, we presented participants with Chinese sentences in which the visual characters and auditory speech convey conflicting information, while behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) responses were recorded. Results showed a prominent auditory dominance when audio-visual competition occurred. Specifically, higher accuracy (ACC), larger N400 amplitudes and more linkages in the posterior occipital-parietal areas were demonstrated in the auditory mismatch condition compared to that in the visual mismatch condition. Our research illustrates the superiority of the auditory speech over the visual characters, extending our understanding of the neural mechanisms of audio-visual competition in Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We provide a publicly available spoken word stimulus set designed to evoke the N400. • Both semantic and syntactic errors can be assayed using this public stimulus set. • We provide 20 high-density neurotypical adult electrophysiological datasets. • The utility of these stimuli is demonstrated through robust evocation of the N400. • Cloze probability values for each stimulus are provided. During speech comprehension, the ongoing context of a sentence is used to predict sentence outcome by limiting subsequent word likelihood. Neurophysiologically, violations of context-dependent predictions result in amplitude modulations of the N400 event-related potential (ERP) component. While the N400 is widely used to measure semantic processing and integration, no publicly-available auditory stimulus set is available to standardize approaches across the field. Here, we developed an auditory stimulus set of 442 sentences that utilized the semantic anomaly paradigm, measured cloze probability for all stimuli, and was made for both children and adults. With 20 neurotypical adults, we validated that this set elicits robust N400′s, as well as two additional semantically-related ERP components: the recognition potential (∼ 250 ms) and the late positivity component (∼ 600 ms). This stimulus set (https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9ghx3ffkg) and the 20 high-density (128-channel) electrophysiological datasets (https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6wwpzgmx4) are made publicly available to promote data sharing and reuse. Future studies that use this stimulus set to investigate sentential semantic comprehension in both control and clinical populations may benefit from the increased comparability and reproducibility within this field of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some children with severe microcephaly related to Zika virus infection show affective social-like behavior, such as smiling and rejection to a stranger's lap. Our objective was to check the association between this behavior and the occurrence of Mismatch Response (MMR) in event-related potentials. Twenty eight microcephalic children, aged 1–3 years, were divided in Affect(+) and Affect(−) groups, according to either the presence or absence of affective social-like behavior, respectively, and underwent the OddBall paradigm with vowels as auditory stimuli. MMR was statistically estimated comparing MMR sample means between both groups. The Affect(+) group significantly differed from the Affect(−) group and, as opposed to the latter, showed MMR as Mismatch Negativity (MMN) in the left occipital, left and right posterior temporal, and (especially) the right and median parietal leads. The relationship observed between MMN and affective social-like behavior suggests that these children may have cognitive mechanisms capable of providing some social interaction, despite their profound neurological dysfunction. MMN diagnostic techniques seem to be promising for the triage of microcephalic subjects regarding cognitive functions and for choosing a strategy for some social adaptation. • Microcephalic children are capable of MMN responses to verbal phonemes. • The presence of affective social-like behavior is associated with MMN to vowels. • The topography of MMN is altered and shifted towards the posterior regions. • There were fewer calcifications in temporal lobes in children with affective reactions. • MMN can be used in triage of microcephalic subjects regarding cognitive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The auditory N100 is an event related potential (ERP) that is reduced in schizophrenia, but its status in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR) and its ability to predict conversion to psychosis remains unclear. We examined whether N100 amplitudes are reduced in CHR subjects relative to healthy controls (HC), and this reduction predicts conversion to psychosis in CHR.Methods: Subjects included CHR individuals (n = 552) and demographically similar HC subjects (n = 236) from the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study. Follow-up assessments identified CHR individuals who converted to psychosis (CHRC; n = 73) and those who did not (CHR-NC; n = 225) over 24 months. Electroencephalography data were collected during an auditory oddball task containing Standard, Novel, and Target stimuli. N100 peak amplitudes following each stimulus were measured at electrodes Cz and Fz.Results: The CHR subjects had smaller N100 absolute amplitudes than HC subjects at Fz (F(1,786) = 4.00, p 0.046). A model comparing three groups (CHRC, CHR-NC, HC) was significant for Group at the Cz electrode (F(2,531) = 3.58, p = 0.029). Both Standard (p = 0.019) and Novel (p = 0.017) stimuli showed N100 absolute amplitude reductions in CHR-C relative to HC. A smaller N100 amplitude at Cz predicted conversion to psychosis in the CHR cohort (Standard: p = 0.009; Novel: p = 0.001) and predicted shorter time to conversion (Standard: p = 0.013; Novel: p = 0.001).Conclusion: N100 amplitudes are reduced in CHR individuals which precedes the onset of psychosis. N100 deficits in CHR individuals predict a greater likelihood of conversion to psychosis. Our results highlight N100's utility as a biomarker of psychosis risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of frequency range on auditory stream segregation acuity in older individuals was investigated using behavioral and brain measures. • Lower frequency tones facilitated auditory stream segregation acuity in older adults. • Frequency range had no impact on auditory stream segregation acuity in younger adults. The current study investigated the effect of lower frequency input on stream segregation acuity in older, normal hearing adults. Using event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and perceptual performance measures, we previously showed that stream segregation abilities were less proficient in older compared to younger adults. However, in that study we used frequency ranges greater than 1500 Hz. In the current study, we lowered the target frequency range below 1500 Hz and found similar stream segregation abilities in younger and older adults. These results indicate that the perception of complex auditory scenes is influenced by the spectral content of the auditory input and suggest that lower frequency ranges of input in older adults may facilitate listening ability in complex auditory environments. These results also have implications for the advancement of prosthetic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Acoustic change complex (ACC) measurements are feasible in infants and children. • ACC: a useful objective measure of sound discrimination in hearing impaired infants. • Consider age-related maturational effects on ACC responses. • Shorter and more efficient ACC test procedures would benefit children. • ACC shows promising performance versus behavioural measures; more research is needed. The acoustic change complex (ACC) is a cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) and can be elicited by a change in an otherwise continuous sound. The ACC has been highlighted as a promising tool in the assessment of sound and speech discrimination capacity, and particularly for difficult-to-test populations such as infants with hearing loss, due to the objective nature of ACC measurements. Indeed, there is a pressing need to develop further means to accurately and thoroughly establish the hearing status of children with hearing loss, to help guide hearing interventions in a timely manner. Despite the potential of the ACC method, ACC measurements remain relatively rare in a standard clinical settings. The objective of this study was to perform an up-to-date systematic review on ACC measurements in children, to provide greater clarity and consensus on the possible methodologies, applications, and performance of this technique, and to facilitate its uptake in relevant clinical settings. Original peer-reviewed articles conducting ACC measurements in children (< 18 years). Data were extracted and summarised for: (1) participant characteristics; (2) ACC methods and auditory stimuli; (3) information related to the performance of the ACC technique; (4) ACC measurement outcomes, advantages, and challenges. The systematic review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines for reporting and the methodological quality of included articles was assessed. A total of 28 studies were identified (9 infant studies). Review results show that ACC responses can be measured in infants (from < 3 months), and there is evidence of age-dependency, including increased robustness of the ACC response with increasing childhood age. Clinical applications include the measurement of the neural capacity for speech and non-speech sound discrimination in children with hearing loss, auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) and central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). Additionally, ACCs can be recorded in children with hearing aids, auditory brainstem implants, and cochlear implants, and ACC results may guide hearing intervention/rehabilitation strategies. The review identified that the time taken to perform ACC measurements was often lengthy; the development of more efficient ACC test procedures for children would be beneficial. Comparisons between objective ACC measurements and behavioural measures of sound discrimination showed significant correlations for some, but not all, included studies. ACC measurements of the neural capacity to discriminate between speech and non-speech sounds are feasible in infants and children, and a wide range of possible clinical applications exist, although more time-efficient procedures would be advantageous for clinical uptake. A consideration of age and maturational effects is recommended, and further research is required to investigate the relationship between objective ACC measures and behavioural measures of sound and speech perception for effective clinical implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cochlear implant surgery is a cornerstone in the treatment of severe to profound hearing impairment. Despite comprising a significant proportion of the deaf population, children with additional needs have only been included for cochlear implant candidacy in recent years. This paper aims to evaluate the long-term progress of children with additional needs post-implantation compared to children without additional and assess how this trend changes over time. This is a longitudinal cohort study comparing the outcomes between children with no additional needs, children with a single additional need, and children with multiple additional needs. The five outcome measures used assessed both auditory perception and expressive and receptive language. For each outcome measure, subjects were assessed pre implant and one-, three-, and five-years post-implant. The total cohort consisted of 334 subjects: 181 with no additional needs, 116 with a single additional need, and 37 with multiple additional needs. The results showed that children with additional needs performed significantly poorer in all outcome measures compared to those without additional needs, with a greater negative effect associated with multiple additional needs. In auditory perception, both additional needs groups increased in rate of progress over time, in contrast to language capabilities for which the rate plateaued at a significantly lower level than children without additional needs. Once again, both of these effects were greater for the multiple additional needs group. It is clear that there is reduced progress in children with additional needs compared to those without, and that the number of additional needs present is an important factor in this. Despite initial delays, it seems as though children with additional needs may catch up over time in auditory perception scores, however for language skills, this cohort may achieve limited scores even as time progresses. It is important to investigate this further to gauge the factors that are causing this discrepancy to see if any can be limited to maximise outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study's main objective was to compare Listening Effort (LE) in children with central auditory processing disorder [(C)APD] and typically developing children in quiet and at −2 and −6 dB SNR conditions. And to determine the relationship between LE and auditory processing abilities in children with (C)APD. The study included 30 children (15 typically developing children and 15 diagnosed with (C)APD) aged 10–12 years. LE was measured using a dual-tasking paradigm. The primary task required the child to repeat the words. The second task required the child to click the mouse based on the image displayed on the laptop's screen. The primary task was done at quiet, −2 dB SNR, and −6 dB SNR conditions. LE was correlated with dichotic CV, duration pattern test, speech perception in noise - Indian English, and gap detection test in children with (C)APD. A mixed ANOVA was performed with LE in various conditions as the within-subject factor and group as the between-subject factor for both repetition and reaction time. The study found that LE repetition and reaction time had a significant main effect across conditions and groups. The correlation results revealed a significant relationship between LE reaction time with dichotic scores and GDT thresholds only at −2 dB SNR and −6 dB SNR conditions. There was no significant correlation between other auditory processing abilities and LE under different conditions, such as quiet, SPIN-IE, and DPT at −2 dB SNR and −6 dB SNR. The study emphasizes the importance of cognitive abilities for adequate listening comprehension in challenging situations. As a result, assessing LE in this population may provide additional information for developing therapeutic activities and assisting the child in overcoming listening difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inferior colliculus (IC), a midbrain hub for integration of auditory information, receives dense cholinergic input that could modulate nearly all aspects of hearing. A key step in understanding cholinergic modulation is to identify the source(s) and termination patterns of cholinergic input. These issues have not been addressed for the IC in mice, an increasingly important model for study of hearing. We examined cholinergic inputs to the IC in adult male and female mice. We used retrograde tracing and immunochemistry to identify three sources of cholinergic innervation of the mouse IC: the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPT), the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) and the lateral paragigantocellular nucleus (LPGi). We then used Cre-dependent labeling of cholinergic neurons in normal-hearing ChAT-Cre mice to selectively label the cholinergic projections to the IC from each of the cholinergic sources. Labeling of cholinergic projections from the PPT and LDT revealed cholinergic axons and boutons terminating throughout the IC, with the ipsilateral projection being denser. Electron microscopic examination showed that these cholinergic axons can form traditional synaptic junctions with IC neurons. In separate experiments, selective labeling of cholinergic projections from the LPGi revealed bilateral projections to the IC. The LPGi axons exhibited relatively equal densities on ipsilateral and contralateral sides, but on both sides the terminations were largely restricted to the non-lemniscal regions of the IC (i.e., the dorsal cortex, lateral cortex and intercollicular tegmentum). We conclude first that cholinergic axons can form traditional synapses in the IC. In addition, lemniscal and non-lemniscal regions of the IC receive different patterns of cholinergic innervation. The lemniscal IC (IC central nucleus) is innervated by cholinergic neurons in the PPT and the LDT whereas the non-lemniscal "shell" areas of the IC are innervated by the PPT and LDT and by cholinergic neurons in the LPGi. Data will be made available on request. [Display omitted] • The inferior colliculus receives cholinergic input from multiple sources. • Cholinergic fibers can form traditional synapses in the inferior colliculus. • Lemniscal vs. non-lemniscal areas receive different patterns of ACh input. • Pontomesencephalic projections could modulate all aspects of hearing. • Medullary projections focus on regions concerned with context-dependent hearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circuitry and pathways in the brains of humans and other species have long inspired researchers and system designers to develop accurate and efficient systems capable of solving real-world problems and responding in real-time. We propose the Syllable-Specific Temporal Encoding (SSTE) to learn vocal sequences in a reservoir of Izhikevich neurons, by forming associations between exclusive input activities and their corresponding syllables in the sequence. Our model converts the audio signals to cochleograms using the CAR-FAC model to simulate a brain-like auditory learning and memorization process. The reservoir is trained using a hardware-friendly approach to FORCE learning. Reservoir computing could yield associative memory dynamics with far less computational complexity compared to RNNs. The SSTE-based learning enables competent accuracy and stable recall of spatiotemporal sequences with fewer reservoir inputs compared with existing encodings in the literature for similar purpose, offering resource savings. The encoding points to syllable onsets and allows recalling from a desired point in the sequence, making it particularly suitable for recalling subsets of long vocal sequences. The SSTE demonstrates the capability of learning new signals without forgetting previously memorized sequences and displays robustness against occasional noise, a characteristic of real-world scenarios. The components of this model are configured to improve resource consumption and computational intensity, addressing some of the cost-efficiency issues that might arise in future implementations aiming for compactness and real-time, low-power operation. Overall, this model proposes a brain-inspired pattern generation network for vocal sequences that can be extended with other bio-inspired computations to explore their potentials for brain-like auditory perception. Future designs could inspire from this model to implement embedded devices that learn vocal sequences and recall them as needed in real-time. Such systems could acquire language and speech, operate as artificial assistants, and transcribe text to speech, in the presence of natural noise and corruption on audio data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Children with cochlear implants had below average information processing speed. • Information processing speed was associated with speech-language outcomes after implantation. • This association was greater in children with implants than in hearing peers. • The processing speed-language association was not explained by executive functioning or nonverbal intelligence. Spoken language development after pediatric cochlear implantation requires rapid and efficient processing of novel, degraded auditory signals and linguistic information. These demands for rapid adaptation tax the information processing speed ability of children who receive cochlear implants. This study investigated the association of speed of information processing ability with spoken language outcomes after cochlear implantation in prelingually deaf children aged 4–6 years. Two domain-general (visual, non-linguistic) speed of information processing measures were administered to 21 preschool-aged children with cochlear implants and 23 normal-hearing peers. Measures of speech recognition, language (vocabulary and comprehension), nonverbal intelligence, and executive functioning skills were also obtained from each participant. Speed of information processing was positively associated with speech recognition and language skills in preschool-aged children with cochlear implants but not in normal-hearing peers. This association remained significant after controlling for hearing group, age, nonverbal intelligence, and executive functioning skills. These findings are consistent with models suggesting that domain-general, fast-efficient information processing speed underlies adaptation to speech perception and language learning following implantation. Assessment and intervention strategies targeting speed of information processing may provide better understanding and development of speech-language skills after cochlear implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Persons with tinnitus might display altered auditory predictions for unexpected auditory input. • Position predictions did not differ between persons with tinnitus and without. • Temporal predictability facilitated deviance processing for the P50-like activity. • Parallel assessment of three sound predictability levels can be disentangled by tsPCA. Tinnitus denotes the perception of a non-environmental sound and might result from aberrant auditory prediction. Successful prediction of formal (e.g., type) and temporal sound characteristics facilitates the filtering of irrelevant information, also labelled as 'sensory gating' (SG). Here, we explored if and how parallel manipulations of formal prediction violations and temporal predictability affect SG in persons with and without tinnitus. Age-, education- and sex-matched persons with and without tinnitus (N = 52) participated and listened to paired-tone oddball sequences, varying in formal (standard vs. deviant pitch) and temporal predictability (isochronous vs. random timing). EEG was recorded from 128 channels and data were analyzed by means of temporal spatial principal component analysis (tsPCA). SG was assessed by amplitude suppression for the 2nd tone in a pair and was observed in P50-like activity in both timing conditions and groups. Correspondingly, deviants elicited overall larger amplitudes than standards. However, only persons without tinnitus displayed a larger N100-like deviance response in the isochronous compared to the random timing condition. This result might imply that persons with tinnitus do not benefit similarly as persons without tinnitus from temporal predictability in deviance processing. Thus, persons with tinnitus might display less temporal sensitivity in auditory processing than persons without tinnitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses a risk to auditory temporal resolution skill. • T2DM individuals often exhibit reduced dichotic listening skill. • T2DM may lead to poor speech understanding at central auditory processing (CAP). • Diabetes duration, eGFR, blood glucose, and HDL-C relate to CAP skills. • Complications like retinopathy and carotid plaque impact CAP skills. The study aimed to explore the auditory temporal resolution and dichotic listening skills in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and identify associated health-related factors. Using a cross-sectional design, 87 adults with T2DM and 48 non-diabetic controls, all with normal hearing, participated. The two central auditory processing (CAP) skills were assessed through the Gaps-In-Noise (GIN) and Dichotic-Digits Listening (DDL) tests. T2DM participants underwent blood tests to measure various health-related factors. In the GIN test, the shortest gap threshold (GapTh) obtained across both ears was significantly higher in the diabetic group (9.1 ± 2.4 ms) compared to the non-diabetic group (7.5 ± 1.5 ms), and the score of correctly identified gaps (GapSc) in the diabetic group (45±11 %) was significantly lower than GapSc in the non-diabetic group (52±9 %), p < 0.001. In the DDL test, the free-recall score (73.8 ± 18.5 %) across both ears and the right-ear advantage (-1.3 ± 20.6 %) in the diabetic group were significantly lower than the free-recall score (85.8 ± 11.9 %) and right-ear advantage (6.9 ± 11.9 %) in the non-diabetic group, p < 0.005. Furthermore, the duration of diabetes, eGFR level, retinopathy, carotid plaque, fasting blood glucose level, and HDL-C (good cholesterol) level were factors significantly associated with performances in the GIN and/or DDL tests for T2DM participants. In conclusion, individuals with T2DM are at risk of reduced auditory processing skills in temporal resolution and dichotic listening, impacting their speech understanding. Six health-related factors were identified as significantly associated with CAP skills in T2DM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to predict and respond to upcoming stimuli is a critical skill for all animals, including humans. Prediction operates largely below conscious awareness to allow an individual to recall previously encountered stimuli and prepare an appropriate response, especially in language. The ability to predict upcoming words within typical speech patterns aids fluent comprehension, as conversational speech occurs quickly. Individuals with certain neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and dyslexia have deficits in their ability to generate and use predictions. Rodent models are often used to investigate specific aspects of these disorders, but there is no existing behavioral paradigm that can assess prediction capabilities with complex stimuli like speech sounds. Thus, the present study modified an existing rapid speech sound discrimination paradigm to assess whether rats can form predictions of upcoming speech sound stimuli and utilize them to improve task performance. We replicated prior work showing that rats can discriminate between speech sounds presented at rapid rates. We also saw that rats responded exclusively to the target at slow speeds but began responding to the predictive cue in anticipation of the target as the speed increased, suggesting that they learned the predictive value of the cue and adjusted their behavior accordingly. This prediction task will be useful in assessing prediction deficits in rat models of various neurodevelopmental disorders through the manipulation of both genetic and environmental factors. • Sprague-Dawley rats can predict upcoming speech sounds using a cue. • Rats anticipate the target in the presence of a predictive cue. • Novel behavioral task could be used for rat models of prediction impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New ERP method to study children's language comprehension in naturalistic context. • Child and adult N400 responses reflect word predictability given the context. • Like adults, child N400s in a connected discourse are not modulated by frequency. • ERP responses to low frequency words show a prolonged anterior negativity. • Results show top-down cues play a substantial role in children's lexical processes. When listening to speech, adults rely on context to anticipate upcoming words. Evidence for this comes from studies demonstrating that the N400, an event-related potential (ERP) that indexes ease of lexical-semantic processing, is influenced by the predictability of a word in context. We know far less about the role of context in children's speech comprehension. The present study explored lexical processing in adults and 5–10-year-old children as they listened to a story. ERPs time-locked to the onset of every word were recorded. Each content word was coded for frequency, semantic association, and predictability. In both children and adults, N400s reflect word predictability, even when controlling for frequency and semantic association. These findings suggest that both adults and children use top-down constraints from context to anticipate upcoming words when listening to stories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tinnitus is a multifaceted complex disorder. • Treatment development is hindered by the lack of an objective test. • Electrophysiological measurements are discussed as objective tests for tinnitus. Tinnitus, the perception of sound with no external auditory stimulus, is a complex, multifaceted, and potentially devastating disorder. Despite recent advances in our understanding of tinnitus, there are limited options for effective treatment. Tinnitus treatments are made more complicated by the lack of a test for tinnitus based on objectively measured physiological characteristics. Such an objective test would enable a greater understanding of tinnitus mechanisms and may lead to faster treatment development in both animal and human research. This review makes the argument that an objective tinnitus test, such as a non-invasive electrophysiological measure, is desperately needed. We review the current tinnitus assessment methods, the underlying neural correlates of tinnitus, the multiple tinnitus generation theories, and the previously investigated electrophysiological measurements of tinnitus. Finally, we propose an alternate objective test for tinnitus that may be valid in both animal and human subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior studies have extensively examined modality-general representation of affect across various sensory modalities, particularly focusing on auditory and visual stimuli. However, little research has explored the modality-general representation of affect between gustatory and other sensory modalities. This study aimed to investigate whether the affective responses induced by tastes and musical pieces could be predicted within and across modalities. For each modality, eight stimuli were chosen based on four basic taste conditions (sweet, bitter, sour, and salty). Participants rated their responses to each stimulus using both taste and emotion scales. The multivariate analyses including multidimensional scaling and classification analysis were performed. The findings revealed that auditory and gustatory stimuli in the sweet category were associated with positive valence, whereas those from the other taste categories were linked to negative valence. Additionally, auditory and gustatory stimuli in sour taste category were linked to high arousal, whereas stimuli in bitter taste category were associated with low arousal. This study revealed the potential mapping of gustatory and auditory stimuli onto core affect space in everyday experiences. Moreover, it demonstrated that emotions evoked by taste and music could be predicted across modalities, supporting modality-general representation of affect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eyes are active in memory recall and visual imagination, yet our grasp of the underlying qualities and factors of these internally coupled eye movements is limited. To explore this, we studied 50 participants, examining how workload, spatial reference availability, and imagined movement direction influence internal coupling of eye movements. We designed a visuospatial working memory task in which participants mentally moved a black patch along a path within a matrix and each trial involved one step along this path (presented via speakers: up, down, left, or right). We varied workload by adjusting matrix size (3 × 3 vs. 5 × 5), manipulated availability of a spatial frame of reference by presenting either a blank screen (requiring participants to rely solely on their mental representation of the matrix) or spatial reference in the form of an empty matrix, and contrasted active task performance to two control conditions involving only active or passive listening. Our findings show that eye movements consistently matched the imagined movement of the patch in the matrix, not driven solely by auditory or semantic cues. While workload influenced pupil diameter, perceived demand, and performance, it had no observable impact on internal coupling. The availability of spatial reference enhanced coupling of eye movements, leading more frequent, precise, and resilient saccades against noise and bias. The absence of workload effects on coupled saccades in our study, in combination with the relatively high degree of coupling observed even in the invisible matrix condition, indicates that eye movements align with shifts in attention across both visually and internally represented information. This suggests that coupled eye movements are not merely strategic efforts to reduce workload, but rather a natural response to where attention is directed. • Eyes followed imagined movement in a visuospatial working memory task. • This Coupling was not triggered by auditory or semantic processing of directions. • Workload in the form of matrix size did not affect coupling of eye movements. • Availability of spatial reference strengthened the coupling effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]