Dynamic Range Adaptation to Sound Level Statistics in the Auditory Nerve
The auditory system operates over a vast range of sound pressure levels (100–120 dB) with nearly constant discrimination ability across most of the range, well exceeding the dynamic range of most auditory neurons (20–40 dB). Dean et al. (2005) have reported that the dynamic range of midbrain auditor...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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Society for Neuroscience
2010
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/55979 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1349-9608 |
| _version_ | 1811090971034648576 |
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| author | Dean, Isabel Wen, Bo Wang, Grace I. Delgutte, Bertrand |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Dean, Isabel Wen, Bo Wang, Grace I. Delgutte, Bertrand |
| author_sort | Dean, Isabel |
| collection | MIT |
| description | The auditory system operates over a vast range of sound pressure levels (100–120 dB) with nearly constant discrimination ability across most of the range, well exceeding the dynamic range of most auditory neurons (20–40 dB). Dean et al. (2005) have reported that the dynamic range of midbrain auditory neurons adapts to the distribution of sound levels in a continuous, dynamic stimulus by shifting toward the most frequently occurring level. Here, we show that dynamic range adaptation, distinct from classic firing rate adaptation, also occurs in primary auditory neurons in anesthetized cats for tone and noise stimuli. Specifically, the range of sound levels over which firing rates of auditory nerve (AN) fibers grows rapidly with level shifts nearly linearly with the most probable levels in a dynamic sound stimulus. This dynamic range adaptation was observed for fibers with all characteristic frequencies and spontaneous discharge rates. As in the midbrain, dynamic range adaptation improved the precision of level coding by the AN fiber population for the prevailing sound levels in the stimulus. However, dynamic range adaptation in the AN was weaker than in the midbrain and not sufficient (0.25 dB/dB, on average, for broadband noise) to prevent a significant degradation of the precision of level coding by the AN population above 60 dB SPL. These findings suggest that adaptive processing of sound levels first occurs in the auditory periphery and is enhanced along the auditory pathway. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:55:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/55979 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:55:04Z |
| publishDate | 2010 |
| publisher | Society for Neuroscience |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/559792022-09-29T11:23:42Z Dynamic Range Adaptation to Sound Level Statistics in the Auditory Nerve Dean, Isabel Wen, Bo Wang, Grace I. Delgutte, Bertrand Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Research Laboratory of Electronics Delgutte, Bertrand Wen, Bo Wang, Grace I. Delgutte, Bertrand The auditory system operates over a vast range of sound pressure levels (100–120 dB) with nearly constant discrimination ability across most of the range, well exceeding the dynamic range of most auditory neurons (20–40 dB). Dean et al. (2005) have reported that the dynamic range of midbrain auditory neurons adapts to the distribution of sound levels in a continuous, dynamic stimulus by shifting toward the most frequently occurring level. Here, we show that dynamic range adaptation, distinct from classic firing rate adaptation, also occurs in primary auditory neurons in anesthetized cats for tone and noise stimuli. Specifically, the range of sound levels over which firing rates of auditory nerve (AN) fibers grows rapidly with level shifts nearly linearly with the most probable levels in a dynamic sound stimulus. This dynamic range adaptation was observed for fibers with all characteristic frequencies and spontaneous discharge rates. As in the midbrain, dynamic range adaptation improved the precision of level coding by the AN fiber population for the prevailing sound levels in the stimulus. However, dynamic range adaptation in the AN was weaker than in the midbrain and not sufficient (0.25 dB/dB, on average, for broadband noise) to prevent a significant degradation of the precision of level coding by the AN population above 60 dB SPL. These findings suggest that adaptive processing of sound levels first occurs in the auditory periphery and is enhanced along the auditory pathway. 2010-06-28T15:12:36Z 2010-06-28T15:12:36Z 2009-11 2009-09 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1529-2401 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/55979 Wen, Bo et al. “Dynamic Range Adaptation to Sound Level Statistics in the Auditory Nerve.” J. Neurosci. 29.44 (2009): 13797-13808. © 2009 The Society for Neuroscience https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1349-9608 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.5610-08.2009 Journal of Neuroscience Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf Society for Neuroscience Society for Neuroscience |
| spellingShingle | Dean, Isabel Wen, Bo Wang, Grace I. Delgutte, Bertrand Dynamic Range Adaptation to Sound Level Statistics in the Auditory Nerve |
| title | Dynamic Range Adaptation to Sound Level Statistics in the Auditory Nerve |
| title_full | Dynamic Range Adaptation to Sound Level Statistics in the Auditory Nerve |
| title_fullStr | Dynamic Range Adaptation to Sound Level Statistics in the Auditory Nerve |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dynamic Range Adaptation to Sound Level Statistics in the Auditory Nerve |
| title_short | Dynamic Range Adaptation to Sound Level Statistics in the Auditory Nerve |
| title_sort | dynamic range adaptation to sound level statistics in the auditory nerve |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/55979 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1349-9608 |
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