The head turn paradigm to assess auditory laterality in cats: influence of ear position and repeated sound presentation
In most humans, speech is predominantly processed by the left hemisphere. This auditory laterality was formerly thought to be an exclusive human characteristic, but is now suggested to have pre-human origins. In studies on auditory laterality in nonhuman animals, the head turn paradigm has become ve...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
PeerJ Inc.
2017-10-01
|
| Series: | PeerJ |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/3925.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797420800544866304 |
|---|---|
| author | Wiebke S. Konerding Elke Zimmermann Eva Bleich Hans-Jürgen Hedrich Marina Scheumann |
| author_facet | Wiebke S. Konerding Elke Zimmermann Eva Bleich Hans-Jürgen Hedrich Marina Scheumann |
| author_sort | Wiebke S. Konerding |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In most humans, speech is predominantly processed by the left hemisphere. This auditory laterality was formerly thought to be an exclusive human characteristic, but is now suggested to have pre-human origins. In studies on auditory laterality in nonhuman animals, the head turn paradigm has become very popular due to its non-invasive character. Although there are implications that the head turn direction indicates functional dominance of the contralateral hemisphere in processing a given sound, the validity of the paradigm is under debate. To validate the paradigm via comparison with imaging or electrophysiological methods, it is first necessary to establish turning biases at the individual level. Recently, the domestic cat, a common model in hearing research, has been found to show turning biases at the group level. To assess individual turning asymmetries in cats, we repeatedly presented kitten isolation calls and assessed whether differences in conveyed arousal changed the previously described left-wards lateralisation of conspecific vocalizations. Based on responses to 50 playback presentations (25 of high and 25 of low arousal), we calculated individual head turn indices. Based on the total data set, we found no consistent individual turning bias, irrespective of call category or sex of the receiver. Although the playback paradigm was chosen carefully to reduce any effects of lateralized loudness perception or changes in motivation due to habituation, individual head turn biases changed significantly in concordance with habituation to repeated playback-presentations and was predictable by small deflections in ear position prior to listening. When splitting the data set according to a decline in responsiveness after seven playback presentations, we revealed an initial left turning bias for most of our subjects (i.e., significant at the group level). We propose that this left turning bias is related to right hemisphere dominance in processes like vigilance behaviour or general arousal rather than on auditory processing, as such. Our findings suggest that both the experimental sequence and sound level differences, induced by asymmetric ear positions, strongly influence the outcome of the head turn paradigm and should be taken into account when evaluating auditory laterality at the behavioural level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:06:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e27688ec4f504e78a884120712430724 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:06:44Z |
| publishDate | 2017-10-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-e27688ec4f504e78a8841207124307242023-12-03T09:30:55ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592017-10-015e392510.7717/peerj.3925The head turn paradigm to assess auditory laterality in cats: influence of ear position and repeated sound presentationWiebke S. Konerding0Elke Zimmermann1Eva Bleich2Hans-Jürgen Hedrich3Marina Scheumann4Institute of AudioNeuro Technology and Department of Experimental Otology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyInstitute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, GermanyInstitute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyInstitute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, GermanyInstitute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, GermanyIn most humans, speech is predominantly processed by the left hemisphere. This auditory laterality was formerly thought to be an exclusive human characteristic, but is now suggested to have pre-human origins. In studies on auditory laterality in nonhuman animals, the head turn paradigm has become very popular due to its non-invasive character. Although there are implications that the head turn direction indicates functional dominance of the contralateral hemisphere in processing a given sound, the validity of the paradigm is under debate. To validate the paradigm via comparison with imaging or electrophysiological methods, it is first necessary to establish turning biases at the individual level. Recently, the domestic cat, a common model in hearing research, has been found to show turning biases at the group level. To assess individual turning asymmetries in cats, we repeatedly presented kitten isolation calls and assessed whether differences in conveyed arousal changed the previously described left-wards lateralisation of conspecific vocalizations. Based on responses to 50 playback presentations (25 of high and 25 of low arousal), we calculated individual head turn indices. Based on the total data set, we found no consistent individual turning bias, irrespective of call category or sex of the receiver. Although the playback paradigm was chosen carefully to reduce any effects of lateralized loudness perception or changes in motivation due to habituation, individual head turn biases changed significantly in concordance with habituation to repeated playback-presentations and was predictable by small deflections in ear position prior to listening. When splitting the data set according to a decline in responsiveness after seven playback presentations, we revealed an initial left turning bias for most of our subjects (i.e., significant at the group level). We propose that this left turning bias is related to right hemisphere dominance in processes like vigilance behaviour or general arousal rather than on auditory processing, as such. Our findings suggest that both the experimental sequence and sound level differences, induced by asymmetric ear positions, strongly influence the outcome of the head turn paradigm and should be taken into account when evaluating auditory laterality at the behavioural level.https://peerj.com/articles/3925.pdfOrienting asymmetryHead-turn pradigmAuditory lateralityAcoustic communicationArousalHabituation |
| spellingShingle | Wiebke S. Konerding Elke Zimmermann Eva Bleich Hans-Jürgen Hedrich Marina Scheumann The head turn paradigm to assess auditory laterality in cats: influence of ear position and repeated sound presentation PeerJ Orienting asymmetry Head-turn pradigm Auditory laterality Acoustic communication Arousal Habituation |
| title | The head turn paradigm to assess auditory laterality in cats: influence of ear position and repeated sound presentation |
| title_full | The head turn paradigm to assess auditory laterality in cats: influence of ear position and repeated sound presentation |
| title_fullStr | The head turn paradigm to assess auditory laterality in cats: influence of ear position and repeated sound presentation |
| title_full_unstemmed | The head turn paradigm to assess auditory laterality in cats: influence of ear position and repeated sound presentation |
| title_short | The head turn paradigm to assess auditory laterality in cats: influence of ear position and repeated sound presentation |
| title_sort | head turn paradigm to assess auditory laterality in cats influence of ear position and repeated sound presentation |
| topic | Orienting asymmetry Head-turn pradigm Auditory laterality Acoustic communication Arousal Habituation |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/3925.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wiebkeskonerding theheadturnparadigmtoassessauditorylateralityincatsinfluenceofearpositionandrepeatedsoundpresentation AT elkezimmermann theheadturnparadigmtoassessauditorylateralityincatsinfluenceofearpositionandrepeatedsoundpresentation AT evableich theheadturnparadigmtoassessauditorylateralityincatsinfluenceofearpositionandrepeatedsoundpresentation AT hansjurgenhedrich theheadturnparadigmtoassessauditorylateralityincatsinfluenceofearpositionandrepeatedsoundpresentation AT marinascheumann theheadturnparadigmtoassessauditorylateralityincatsinfluenceofearpositionandrepeatedsoundpresentation AT wiebkeskonerding headturnparadigmtoassessauditorylateralityincatsinfluenceofearpositionandrepeatedsoundpresentation AT elkezimmermann headturnparadigmtoassessauditorylateralityincatsinfluenceofearpositionandrepeatedsoundpresentation AT evableich headturnparadigmtoassessauditorylateralityincatsinfluenceofearpositionandrepeatedsoundpresentation AT hansjurgenhedrich headturnparadigmtoassessauditorylateralityincatsinfluenceofearpositionandrepeatedsoundpresentation AT marinascheumann headturnparadigmtoassessauditorylateralityincatsinfluenceofearpositionandrepeatedsoundpresentation |