Auditory oddball responses in the human subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata.

The auditory oddball is a mainstay in research on attention, novelty, and sensory prediction. How this task engages subcortical structures like the subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata is unclear. We administered an auditory OB task while recording single unit activity (35 units) and local field potentials (57 recordings) from the subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata of 30 patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery. We found tone modulated and oddball modulated units in both regions. Population activity differentiated oddball from standard trials from 200 ms to 1000 ms after the tone in both regions. In the substantia nigra, beta band activity in the local field potential was decreased following oddball tones. The oddball related activity we observe may underlie attention, sensory prediction, or surprise-induced motor suppression.

Altered hierarchical auditory predictive processing after lesions to the orbitofrontal cortex.

Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is classically linked to inhibitory control, emotion regulation, and reward processing. Recent perspectives propose that the OFC also generates predictions about perceptual events, actions, and their outcomes. We tested the role of the OFC in detecting violations of prediction at two levels of abstraction (i.e., hierarchical predictive processing) by studying the event-related potentials (ERPs) of patients with focal OFC lesions (n = 12) and healthy controls (n = 14) while they detected deviant sequences of tones in a local-global paradigm. The structural regularities of the tones were controlled at two hierarchical levels by rules defined at a local (i.e., between tones within sequences) and at a global (i.e., between sequences) level. In OFC patients, ERPs elicited by standard tones were unaffected at both local and global levels compared to controls. However, patients showed an attenuated mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a to local prediction violation, as well as a diminished MMN followed by a delayed P3a to the combined local and global level prediction violation. The subsequent P3b component to conditions involving violations of prediction at the level of global rules was preserved in the OFC group. Comparable effects were absent in patients with lesions restricted to the lateral PFC, which lends a degree of anatomical specificity to the altered predictive processing resulting from OFC lesion. Overall, the altered magnitudes and time courses of MMN/P3a responses after lesions to the OFC indicate that the neural correlates of detection of auditory regularity violation are impacted at two hierarchical levels of rule abstraction.

Multiple Concurrent Predictions Inform Prediction Error in the Human Auditory Pathway.

The key assumption of the predictive coding framework is that internal representations are used to generate predictions on how the sensory input will look like in the immediate future. These predictions are tested against the actual input by the so-called prediction error units, which encode the residuals of the predictions. What happens to prediction errors, however, if predictions drawn by different stages of the sensory hierarchy contradict each other? To answer this question, we conducted two fMRI experiments while female and male human participants listened to sequences of sounds: pure tones in the first experiment and frequency-modulated sweeps in the second experiment. In both experiments, we used repetition to induce predictions based on stimulus statistics (stats-informed predictions) and abstract rules disclosed in the task instructions to induce an orthogonal set of (task-informed) predictions. We tested three alternative scenarios: neural responses in the auditory sensory pathway encode prediction error with respect to (1) the stats-informed predictions, (2) the task-informed predictions, or (3) a combination of both. Results showed that neural populations in all recorded regions (bilateral inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, and primary and secondary auditory cortices) encode prediction error with respect to a combination of the two orthogonal sets of predictions. The findings suggest that predictive coding exploits the non-linear architecture of the auditory pathway for the transmission of predictions. Such non-linear transmission of predictions might be crucial for the predictive coding of complex auditory signals like speech.Significance Statement Sensory systems exploit our subjective expectations to make sense of an overwhelming influx of sensory signals. It is still unclear how expectations at each stage of the processing pipeline are used to predict the representations at the other stages. The current view is that this transmission is hierarchical and linear. Here we measured fMRI responses in auditory cortex, sensory thalamus, and midbrain while we induced two sets of mutually inconsistent expectations on the sensory input, each putatively encoded at a different stage. We show that responses at all stages are concurrently shaped by both sets of expectations. The results challenge the hypothesis that expectations are transmitted linearly and provide for a normative explanation of the non-linear physiology of the corticofugal sensory system.

Comportamento Auditivo e Validação no Diagnóstico Audiológico e Intervenção em Bebês e Crianças com Deficiência Auditiva / Auditory Behavior and Validation in Audiological Diagnosis and Intervention in Infants and Children with Hearing Impairment / Comportamiento auditivo y validación en el diagnóstico e intervención audiológicos en bebés y niños con deficiencia auditiva

Introdução: A atuação profissional com bebês e crianças pequenas com deficiência auditiva exige conhecimento e técnica específica no que diz respeito à prescrição e adaptação do aparelho de amplificação sonora individual (AASI) e ao processo de desenvolvimento de linguagem. Limitações e imprecisões ao longo do processo diagnóstico poderão comprometer todos os procedimentos subsequentes do processo de intervenção. Objetivo: Analisar a validação do processo de diagnóstico audiológico e intervenção em bebês e crianças com deficiência auditiva a partir da análise comparativa de exames audiológicos, comportamento auditivo e aplicação do princípio de verificação cruzada após adaptação de AASI. Método: Foram sujeitos da pesquisa 12 crianças de até 36 meses de idade, com diagnóstico de perda auditiva neurossensorial bilateral, selecionados a partir da disponibilidade de acesso ao serviço para a avaliação e agrupados em G1 (sujeitos com Índice de Inteligibilidade de Fala - SII 65 dB até 35%) e G2 (sujeitos com Índice de Inteligibilidade de Fala - SII 65 dB acima de 54%). Resultados: A média de idade do diagnóstico audiológico foi de 4,33 meses. Os resultados audiológicos de todas as crianças tiveram correspondência entre si, com exceção de dois sujeitos do G2. Conclusão: O comportamento auditivo não só permitiu a validação dos processos de diagnóstico e intervenção auditiva dos sujeitos da pesquisa, como também permitiu a identificação de comportamentos não compatíveis com a audibilidade devido ao uso inconsistente dos AASI. A aplicação dos instrumentos de acompanhamento de desenvolvimento mostrou-se adequada para o monitoramento do desenvolvimento de habilidades de audição e linguagem em crianças pequenas. (AU)

Introduction: Professional work with infants and young children with hearing impairment requires specific knowledge and technique regarding the prescription and adaptation of the individual sound amplification device (PSAD) and the language development process. Limitations and inaccuracies throughout the diagnostic process may compromise all subsequent procedures of the intervention process. Purpose: To analyze the validation of the process of audiological diagnosis and intervention in infants and children with hearing impairment based on the comparative analysis of audiological tests, auditory behavior and application of the cross-checking principle after adaptation of hearing aids. Method: The research subjects were 12 children aged up to 36 months, with a diagnosis of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, selected from the availability of access to the service for the evaluation and grouped into G1 (subjects with Speech Intelligibility Index - SII 65 dB up to 35%) and G2 (subjects with Speech Intelligibility Index - SII 65 dB above 54%). Results: The average age of the audiological diagnosis was 4.33 months. The audiological results of all children corresponded to each other, except for two subjects from G2. Conclusion: The auditory behavior not only allowed the validation of the processes of diagnosis and auditory intervention of the research subjects, but also allowed the identification of behaviors that are not compatible with audibility due to the inconsistent use of hearing aids. The application of developmental monitoring instruments proved to be adequate for monitoring the development of hearing and language skills in young children. (AU)

Introducción: El trabajo profesional con lactantes y niños pequeños con discapacidad auditiva requiere conocimientos y técnica específicos respecto a la prescripción y adaptación del dispositivo individual de amplificación del sonido (PSAD) y el proceso de desarrollo del lenguaje. Las limitaciones e imprecisiones a lo largo del proceso de diagnóstico pueden comprometer todos los procedimientos posteriores del proceso de intervención. Propósito: Analizar la validación del proceso de diagnóstico e intervención audiológica en lactantes y niños con discapacidad auditiva a partir del análisis comparativo de pruebas audiológicas, conducta auditiva y aplicación del principio de cruce tras adaptación de audífonos. Método: Los sujetos de investigación fueron 12 niños de hasta 36 meses, con diagnóstico de hipoacusia neurosensorial bilateral, seleccionados de la disponibilidad de acceso al servicio para la evaluación y agrupados en G1 (sujetos con Índice de inteligibilidade del Habla - SII 65 dB hasta 35%) y G2 (sujetos com Índice de inteligibilidade del Habla - SII 65 dB por encima del 54%). Resultados:La edad promedio del diagnóstico audiológico fue de 4,33 meses. Los resultados audiológicos de todos los niños se correspondieron entre sí, a excepción de dos sujetos del G2. Conclusión: La conducta auditiva no sólo permitió validar los procesos de diagnóstico e intervención auditiva de los sujetos de investigación, sino que también permitió identificar conductas no compatibles con la audibilidad debido al uso inconsistente de audífonos. La aplicación de instrumentos de seguimiento del desarrollo demostró ser adecuada para controlar el desarrollo de las habilidades auditivas y lingüísticas en niños pequeños. (AU)

Benefits of intervention in the Central Auditory Nervous System in individuals with Neurofibromatosis Type 1.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the effectiveness of acoustically controlled auditory training in individuals with Neurofibromatosis Type 1. METHODS: The sample consisted of individuals with Neurofibromatosis Type 1, randomly distributed into two groups, making up the intervention group: individuals undergoing formal auditory training; and the comparison group: individuals who were not submitted to the intervention. Behavioral assessment of central auditory processing and electrophysiological evaluation, composed by Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential and Long Latency-P300 Auditory Evoked Potential, were evaluated in three moments of evaluations: initial evaluation, reevaluation and after four months of reevaluation and comparing the performance between the groups. RESULTS: Better performances in central auditory processing were observed after the formal auditory training in the intervention group with significant differences between the evaluations and performance maintenance four months after the end of the training. Significant differences were observed between the groups in the evaluations after the intervention. The electrophysiological evaluation shows unsystematic variation in the short latency potentials and changes in the long latency potentials with the appearance of the P3 wave after the intervention. The behavioral and electrophysiological evaluation in group that was not submitted to the intervention demonstrated that there is no improvement without the intervention, with deterioration of performance. Significant differences were observed in the behavioral and electrophysiological evaluations, in favor of the group submitted to formal auditory training. CONCLUSIONS: Formal auditory training is effective in rehabilitation in individuals with Neurofibromatosis Type 1. DESCRIPTORS/KEYWORDS: Neurofibromatosis 1; Hearing Disorders; Auditory Perceptual Disorders; Acoustic Stimulation; Evoked Potentials, Auditory.

Detección de novedad y codificación predictiva en el sistema auditivo: Impacto clínico en disfunciones auditivas y vestibulares. Revisión de la literatura / Deviance detection and predictive coding in the auditory system: Clinical impact in auditory and vestibular dysfunctions

Una propiedad fundamental de los sistemas sensoriales es su capacidad para detectar estímulos novedosos en el entorno. El sistema nervioso posee neuronas que disminuyen su respuesta a los estímulos sonoros que se repiten a lo largo del tiempo y otras neuronas que aumentan su frecuencia de disparo ante estímulos novedosos, siendo la diferencia entre ambas respuestas conocida como adaptación-específica a estímulos. En las últimas décadas, se ha propuesto que el cerebro establece, continuamente, predicciones de los estímulos novedosos y del entorno basándose en sus experiencias previas y en modelos de representación internos, teoría denominada codificación predictiva. En esta revisión, abordaremos algunos conceptos de la adaptación-específica a estímulos y codificación predictiva, centrándonos principalmente en el sistema auditivo. Por último, propondremos una explicación teórica basada en el marco de la codificación predictiva para algunas disfunciones neuropsiquiátricas, auditivas y vestibulares.

A fundamental property of sensory systems is their ability to detect novel stimuli in the environment. The nervous system possesses neurons that decrease their response to sound stimuli that are repeated over time and other neurons that increase their firing rate to novel stimuli, the difference between the two responses being known as stimulus-specific adaptation. In recent decades, it has been proposed that the brain continuously makes predictions of novel stimuli and the environment based on its previous experiences and internal representational models, a theory called predictive coding. In this review, we will address some concepts of stimulus-specific adaptation and predictive coding, focusing mainly on the auditory system. Finally, we will propose a theoretical explanation based on the predictive coding framework for some neuropsychiatric, auditory, and vestibular dysfunctions.

Precisión diagnóstica de una versión abreviada de las pruebas de patrones de frecuencia y patrones de duración para la evaluación del ordenamiento auditivo temporal / Diagnostic accuracy of an abbreviated version of the frequency pattern and duration pattern tests for the evaluation of auditory temporal ordering

Introducción: Las pruebas de patrones de frecuencia y patrones de duración son consideradas los gold standard de evaluación del ordenamiento auditivo temporal. A pesar de su amplia difusión, la extensión y duración de estas pruebas dificultan su utilización dentro de baterías de evaluación del procesamiento auditivo. Sin embargo, dadas sus características estructurales, pareciera ser posible reducirlas sin perder su precisión diagnóstica. Objetivo: Determinar las propiedades diagnósticas de versiones abreviadas de las pruebas de patrones de frecuencia y patrones de duración. Material y Método: Se realizó un estudio transversal de diseño observacional analítico. Se evaluaron 166 oídos de 88 sujetos con edades entre 18 y 33 años, los cuales fueron clasificados con normalidad o alteración del ordenamiento auditivo temporal. Se utilizaron las pruebas originales de Auditec de 30 ítems por oído como referencia y los primeros 10 ítems de cada oído como versión abreviada. Resultados: La versión abreviada de la prueba de patrones de frecuencia obtuvo una sensibilidad de un 94,33%, una especificidad del 94,29% y un área bajo la curva ROC de 0,980. La versión abreviada de la prueba de patrones de duración obtuvo una sensibilidad de un 89,58%, especificidad del 71,88% y un área bajo la curva ROC de 0,916. Ambas versiones tuvieron un índice de concordancia adecuado. Conclusiones: Las versiones abreviadas de la prueba de patrones de frecuencia y patrones de duración cuentan con excelentes propiedades diagnósticas para la evaluación del ordenamiento auditivo temporal y pueden ser utilizadas de manera intercambiable con las versiones originales.

Introduction: The frequency and duration pattern tests are considered the gold standard for assessing auditory temporal ordering. Despite their wide dissemination, the length and duration of these tests make it difficult to use them within auditory processing assessment batteries. However, given their structural characteristics, reducing them without losing their diagnostic accuracy seems possible. Aim: Determine the diagnostic properties of abbreviated versions of the Frequency Patterns and Duration Patterns tests. Material and Method: A cross-sectional study with an analytical observational design was carried out. 166 ears of 88 subjects aged between 18 and 33 years were evaluated, classified as normal or altered in temporal auditory order. The original Auditec tests of 30 items per ear were used as a reference, and the first 10 items of each ear as an abbreviated version. Results: The abbreviated version of the frequency patterns test obtained a sensitivity of 94.33%, a specificity of 94.29%, and an area under the ROC curve of 0.980. The abbreviated version of the duration pattern test obtained a sensitivity of 89.58%, a specificity of 71.88%, and an area under the ROC curve of 0.916. Both versions had an adequate concordance index. Conclusion: The abbreviated versions of the frequency patterns and duration patterns test have excellent diagnostic properties for assessing auditory temporal ordering and can be used interchangeably with the original versions.

Neuromagnetic 40 Hz Auditory Steady-State Response in the left auditory cortex is related to language comprehension in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Language impairment is comorbid in most children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but its neural mechanisms are still poorly understood. Some studies hypothesize that the atypical low-level sensory perception in the auditory cortex accounts for the abnormal language development in these children. One of the potential non-invasive measures of such low-level perception can be the cortical gamma-band oscillations registered with magnetoencephalography (MEG), and 40 Hz Auditory Steady-State Response (40 Hz ASSR) is a reliable paradigm for eliciting auditory gamma response. Although there is research in children with and without ASD using 40 Hz ASSR, nothing is known about the relationship between this auditory response in children with ASD and their language abilities measured directly in formal assessment. In the present study, we used MEG and individual brain models to investigate 40 Hz ASSR in primary-school-aged children with and without ASD. It was also used to assess how the strength of the auditory response is related to language abilities of children with ASD, their non-verbal IQ, and social functioning. A total of 40 children were included in the study. The results demonstrated that 40 Hz ASSR was reduced in the right auditory cortex in children with ASD when comparing them to typically developing controls. Importantly, our study provides the first evidence of the association between 40 Hz ASSR in the language-dominant left auditory cortex and language comprehension in children with ASD. This link was domain-specific because the other brain-behavior correlations were non-significant.

The Use of Binaural Based Spatial Audio in the Reduction of Auditory Hypersensitivity in Autistic Young People.

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterised as experiencing impairments in social-emotional interaction and communication, alongside frequently displaying repetitive behaviours and interests. Further to this, they are often described as experiencing difficulties in processing sensory information, with particular prevalence within the auditory modality. Provoked by common environmental sounds, auditory hypersensitivity can result in self-regulatory fear responses. Rather than a physiological pain reaction, literature suggests that these hypersensitivities are resulting through irrational fear of the sounds. This investigation evaluates the use of binaural based spatial audio as a rendering technique for delivering realistic simulations of averse stimuli within a virtual reality (VR) exposure based computer game intervention for auditory hypersensitivity in autism. Over multiple experimental sessions, 20 autistic participants experiencing auditory hypersensitivity were exposed to either spatial audio or stereo renders of target stimuli during the intervention. Measurements of self-reported emotions displayed significant reductions in associated negative emotional reactions to target stimuli for all participants. However, significant improvements were experienced by those listening to spatial audio simulations. Moreover, tracked voluntary interactions with exposure based game-mechanics increased as the study progressed. Providing further evidence of increased tolerance towards averse auditory stimuli.

Sound-Induced Flash Illusions Support Cortex Hyperexcitability in Fibromyalgia.

Objectives: Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by spontaneous chronic widespread pain in combination with hyperalgesia to pressure stimuli. Sound-induced flash illusions (SIFIs) reflect cross-modal interactions between senses allowing to assess a visual cortical hoerexcitability (VCH) by evaluating the fission and fusion illusions disruption. The aims of the present study were to explore whether SIFIs are perceived differently in patients with fibromyalgia as compared to healthy controls (HCs) and how migraine affects fission and fusion illusions in fibromyalgia. Methods: A single flash (F) accompanied by 0 to 4 beeps (B) was presented to induce the fission illusion while multiple flash (i.e., 2 to 4) accompanied by 0 or 1 beep was presented to induce fusion illusion. The mean number of perceived flashes in fission and fusion illusion trials was compared between the groups (i.e., FM, FM with migraine, and HCs) using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Medication history was recorded along with the administration of Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety and Depression scales. Results: Twenty-four patients with FM (mean age 51, 2 ± 10, 6 years; 22 females), seventeen patients with FM and migraine without aura (mean age 47.8 ± 11.4 years; 16 females; 13 chronic, 4 episodic migraine), and forty-one age- and sex-matched HCs (mean age 47.3 ± 6.9 years; 34 females) participated in the study. Fission and fusion illusory effects were detected in all the participants. However, in FM patients, the fission illusion was reduced and almost abolished as compared to HCs (1F1B, p = 0.02; 1F2B, p < 0.0001; 1F3B, p < 0.0001; 1F4B, p = 0.0001), while there were no differences between groups in fusion trials. Migraine did not affect the fission and the fusion illusions. Conclusion: Results from this study confirm that patients with FM have a VCH suggesting that the pathological changes in cortical excitability might have important roles in the pathophysiology of FM. SIFI represents a noninvasive behavioral tool for the exploration of cross-sensory functional interplay.

Athleticism and sex impact neural processing of sound.

Biology and experience both influence the auditory brain. Sex is one biological factor with pervasive effects on auditory processing. Females process sounds faster and more robustly than males. These differences are linked to hormone differences between the sexes. Athleticism is an experiential factor known to reduce ongoing neural noise, but whether it influences how sounds are processed by the brain is unknown. Furthermore, it is unknown whether sports participation influences auditory processing differently in males and females, given the well-documented sex differences in auditory processing seen in the general population. We hypothesized that athleticism enhances auditory processing and that these enhancements are greater in females. To test these hypotheses, we measured auditory processing in collegiate Division I male and female student-athletes and their non-athlete peers (total n = 1012) using the frequency-following response (FFR). The FFR is a neurophysiological response to sound that reflects the processing of discrete sound features. We measured across-trial consistency of the response in addition to fundamental frequency (F0) and harmonic encoding. We found that athletes had enhanced encoding of the harmonics, which was greatest in the female athletes, and that athletes had more consistent responses than non-athletes. In contrast, F0 encoding was reduced in athletes. The harmonic-encoding advantage in female athletes aligns with previous work linking harmonic encoding strength to female hormone levels and studies showing estrogen as mediating athlete sex differences in other sensory domains. Lastly, persistent deficits in auditory processing from previous concussive and repetitive subconcussive head trauma may underlie the reduced F0 encoding in athletes, as poor F0 encoding is a hallmark of concussion injury.

Neural responses in human superior temporal cortex support coding of voice representations.

The ability to recognize abstract features of voice during auditory perception is an intricate feat of human audition. For the listener, this occurs in near-automatic fashion to seamlessly extract complex cues from a highly variable auditory signal. Voice perception depends on specialized regions of auditory cortex, including superior temporal gyrus (STG) and superior temporal sulcus (STS). However, the nature of voice encoding at the cortical level remains poorly understood. We leverage intracerebral recordings across human auditory cortex during presentation of voice and nonvoice acoustic stimuli to examine voice encoding at the cortical level in 8 patient-participants undergoing epilepsy surgery evaluation. We show that voice selectivity increases along the auditory hierarchy from supratemporal plane (STP) to the STG and STS. Results show accurate decoding of vocalizations from human auditory cortical activity even in the complete absence of linguistic content. These findings show an early, less-selective temporal window of neural activity in the STG and STS followed by a sustained, strongly voice-selective window. Encoding models demonstrate divergence in the encoding of acoustic features along the auditory hierarchy, wherein STG/STS responses are best explained by voice category and acoustics, as opposed to acoustic features of voice stimuli alone. This is in contrast to neural activity recorded from STP, in which responses were accounted for by acoustic features. These findings support a model of voice perception that engages categorical encoding mechanisms within STG and STS to facilitate feature extraction.

Controlled audio-visual stimulation for anxiety reduction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recent clinical data suggest that 75% of patients undergoing surgery are anxious, despite pharmacological measures to relieve anxiety. As an alternative to the administration of drugs, the scientific literature reports the relevant psychophysiological effects of auditory and visual stimulation in reducing preoperative anxiety. The main objective of this study is the development of a portable computer-controlled device for the simultaneous combined administration of audio-visual stimuli and the evaluation of this device through the collection and the statistical analysis of psychophysiological parameters strictly related to the state of anxiety. METHODS: A new algorithmic approach for the real-time association of sounds and colours is proposed and implemented in a low-cost architectural platform. The combined administration of auditory and visual stimuli is tested on 220 subjects undergoing dental surgery; in particular, psychophysiological parameters are collected and evaluated in four experimental conditions, in order to demonstrate the efficacy of cross-modal stimulation (auditory and visual) compared to non-pharmacological treatments based on monomodal stimuli (auditory or visual). RESULTS: Non-parametric statistical techniques applied to the recorded experimental data show that the experimental conditions considered significantly differ. Pairwise comparisons between experimental groups show that the combined administration of sounds and colors significantly reduces the level of anxiety, systolic blood pressure and heart rate to a greater extent than monomodal stimulation. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates the potential benefits of a device for the combined administration of auditory and visual stimuli. The developed device has proven effective in reducing preoperative anxiety levels, becoming a serious candidate for non-pharmacological therapies. The study also encourages a deeper investigation of models capable of better capturing the potential of cross-modal stimulation, maximizing the desired effects (relaxation, arousal) on patients awaiting specific medical treatments.

Developmental organization of neural dynamics supporting auditory perception.

PURPOSE: A prominent view of language acquisition involves learning to ignore irrelevant auditory signals through functional reorganization, enabling more efficient processing of relevant information. Yet, few studies have characterized the neural spatiotemporal dynamics supporting rapid detection and subsequent disregard of irrelevant auditory information, in the developing brain. To address this unknown, the present study modeled the developmental acquisition of cost-efficient neural dynamics for auditory processing, using intracranial electrocorticographic responses measured in individuals receiving standard-of-care treatment for drug-resistant, focal epilepsy. We also provided evidence demonstrating the maturation of an anterior-to-posterior functional division within the superior-temporal gyrus (STG), which is known to exist in the adult STG. METHODS: We studied 32 patients undergoing extraoperative electrocorticography (age range: eight months to 28 years) and analyzed 2,039 intracranial electrode sites outside the seizure onset zone, interictal spike-generating areas, and MRI lesions. Patients were given forward (normal) speech sounds, backward-played speech sounds, and signal-correlated noises during a task-free condition. We then quantified sound processing-related neural costs at given time windows using high-gamma amplitude at 70-110 Hz and animated the group-level high-gamma dynamics on a spatially normalized three-dimensional brain surface. Finally, we determined if age independently contributed to high-gamma dynamics across brain regions and time windows. RESULTS: Group-level analysis of noise-related neural costs in the STG revealed developmental enhancement of early high-gamma augmentation and diminution of delayed augmentation. Analysis of speech-related high-gamma activity demonstrated an anterior-to-posterior functional parcellation in the STG. The left anterior STG showed sustained augmentation throughout stimulus presentation, whereas the left posterior STG showed transient augmentation after stimulus onset. We found a double dissociation between the locations and developmental changes in speech sound-related high-gamma dynamics. Early left anterior STG high-gamma augmentation (i.e., within 200 ms post-stimulus onset) showed developmental enhancement, whereas delayed left posterior STG high-gamma augmentation declined with development. CONCLUSIONS: Our observations support the model that, with age, the human STG refines neural dynamics to rapidly detect and subsequently disregard uninformative acoustic noises. Our study also supports the notion that the anterior-to-posterior functional division within the left STG is gradually strengthened for efficient speech-sound perception after birth.

Neural processing of poems and songs is based on melodic properties.

The neural processing of speech and music is still a matter of debate. A long tradition that assumes shared processing capacities for the two domains contrasts with views that assume domain-specific processing. We here contribute to this topic by investigating, in a functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) study, ecologically valid stimuli that are identical in wording and differ only in that one group is typically spoken (or silently read), whereas the other is sung: poems and their respective musical settings. We focus on the melodic properties of spoken poems and their sung musical counterparts by looking at proportions of significant autocorrelations (PSA) based on pitch values extracted from their recordings. Following earlier studies, we assumed a bias of poem-processing towards the left and a bias for song-processing on the right hemisphere. Furthermore, PSA values of poems and songs were expected to explain variance in left- vs. right-temporal brain areas, while continuous liking ratings obtained in the scanner should modulate activity in the reward network. Overall, poem processing compared to song processing relied on left temporal regions, including the superior temporal gyrus, whereas song processing compared to poem processing recruited more right temporal areas, including Heschl's gyrus and the superior temporal gyrus. PSA values co-varied with activation in bilateral temporal regions for poems, and in right-dominant fronto-temporal regions for songs. Continuous liking ratings were correlated with activity in the default mode network for both poems and songs. The pattern of results suggests that the neural processing of poems and their musical settings is based on their melodic properties, supported by bilateral temporal auditory areas and an additional right fronto-temporal network known to be implicated in the processing of melodies in songs. These findings take a middle ground in providing evidence for specific processing circuits for speech and music in the left and right hemisphere, but simultaneously for shared processing of melodic aspects of both poems and their musical settings in the right temporal cortex. Thus, we demonstrate the neurobiological plausibility of assuming the importance of melodic properties in spoken and sung aesthetic language alike, along with the involvement of the default mode network in the aesthetic appreciation of these properties.

Context-Dependent Inhibitory Control of Stimulus-Specific Adaptation.

Stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) is the reduction in responses to frequent stimuli (standards) that does not generalize to rare stimuli (deviants). We investigated the contribution of inhibition in auditory cortex to SSA using two-photon targeted cell-attached recordings and optogenetic manipulations in male mice. We characterized the responses of parvalbumin (PV)-, somatostatin (SST)-, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-expressing interneurons of layer 2/3, and of serotonin receptor 5HT3a-expressing interneurons of layer 1. All populations showed early-onset SSA. Unexpectedly, the PV, SST, and VIP populations exhibited a substantial late component of evoked activity, often stronger for standard than for deviant stimuli. Optogenetic suppression of PV neurons facilitated pyramidal neuron responses substantially more (approximately ×10) for deviants than for standards. VIP suppression decreased responses of putative PV neurons, specifically for standard but not for deviant stimuli. Thus, the inhibitory network does not generate cortical SSA, but powerfully controls its expression by differentially affecting the responses to deviants and to standards.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) reflects the growing complexity of auditory processing along the ascending auditory system. In the presence of SSA, neuronal responses depend not only on the stimulus itself but also on the history of stimulation. Strong SSA in the fast, ascending auditory pathway first occurs in cortex. Here we studied the role of the cortical inhibitory network in shaping SSA, showing that while cortical inhibition does not generate SSA, it powerfully controls its expression. We deduce that the cortical network contributes in crucial ways to the properties of SSA.

[Diagnostic value of IT-MAIS scores by logistic regression and ROC curve in predicting the degree of hearing loss in infants and toddlers aged 0-36 months].

Objective:This study is inorder to compare the early prelingual auditory development trajectory of infants and toddlers with normal hearing and different degrees of hearing loss, and to explore the value of the Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale （IT-MAIS） scores in the diagnosis of hearing loss severity in infants and toddlers aged 0-36 months. Methods:Eight hundred and forty-two cases of infant-toddler from March 2009 to March 2021 were selected as participants, including 231 cases with normal hearing and 611 cases with hearing loss. The IT-MAIS scores of participants with different degrees of hearing loss were fitted with nonlinear regression with age. By respectively constructing three logistic regression models of IT-MAIS total scores, perception scores, discrimination scores and evaluation age, the ROC curve was drawn to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy. Results:The IT-MAIS scores of children with mild, moderate, severe, and profound hearing loss participants changes with age are similar to the development of infants with normal hearing, and they all increase with age. And the more severe the hearing loss, the slower the growth rate, and the lower the peak value that can be reached. The logistic model constructed by combining IT-MAIS total score and evaluation age is the best to distinguish mild and above, moderate and above, severe and above, and profound hearing loss, whose AUC are 0.827, 0.889, 0.948, 0.946. The diagnostic efficiency is the best for infant-toddlers with profound hearing loss, with a sensitivity of 89.6% and a specificity of 88.4%. The more severe the hearing loss, the higher the discrimination accuracy of IT-MAIS and the better the diagnostic efficiency. Conclusion:The logistic model based on the IT-MAIS scale and the ROC curve method have a good efficiency in the diagnosis of hearing loss severity in infants and toddlers aged 0-36 months. When the child cannot cooperate with behavioral audiometry, the results of behavioral audiometry are unreliable, and there is no electrophysiological condition, the IT-MAIS scale is expected to evaluate the degree of infants' hearing loss as an auxiliary tool. It can understand the children's auditory function state more and provides a basis for the subsequent formulation of rehabilitation intervention strategies with certain clinical application value.

The mismatch negativity responses of individuals with tinnitus with normal extended high-frequency hearing-is it possible to use mismatch negativity in the evaluation of tinnitus?

OBJECTIVE: This study uses the multi-feature paradigm to compare the MMN responses of individuals with normal hearing thresholds, including the high frequencies with and without tinnitus. METHODS: Sixteen subjects with chronic subjective idiopathic tinnitus and twenty matched healthy controls were included in the study. Participants with hearing thresholds (0.125-16 kHz) less than 20 dB HL and MoCA test scores above 21 were included in the study. MMN responses and topographical maps of the responses resulting from the multi-feature MMN paradigm were recorded from 22 surface scalp electrodes. Amplitude and latency parameters of the MMN responses of five different deviants, consisting of frequency, intensity, duration, location, and silent gap, were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The amplitudes of MMN responses were lower in the tinnitus group than in the control group at Fz electrode for all deviant types. At the same time, there was no difference between the groups for MMN latencies and, no correlation was found between THI and MMN. CONCLUSION: According to our results, the MMN might indicate a possible impairment in pre-attentive and automatic central auditory processing for chronic tinnitus patients. Since MMN responses in the tinnitus group differ from those of healthy individuals, it might be used as a reference for evaluating the central auditory pathways of tinnitus patients.

Desempenho em leitura, ordenação temporal, motivação e queixas escolares: estudo preliminar / Reading performance, temporal ordering, motivation and school complaints: preliminary study

RESUMO Objetivo verificar a associação entre o desempenho em leitura de crianças e adolescentes e a presença de queixas escolares, habilidade auditiva de ordenação temporal e motivação escolar. Métodos estudo observacional analítico transversal, com amostra de conveniência composta por 36 participantes. Os instrumentos de coleta foram questionário de caracterização, Critério de Classificação Econômica do Brasil, avaliação auditiva, testes de Memória para Sons Verbais, Não Verbais em Sequência, Padrão de Frequência e de Duração, Desempenho Escolar, as Provas de Avaliação dos Processos de Leitura e a Escala para Avaliação da Motivação Escolar Infantojuvenil. A variável resposta deste estudo foi "processos de leitura". Os testes Qui-quadrado de Pearson e Exato de Fisher foram utilizados para as análises de associação. Resultados as análises de associação revelaram que a maioria dos participantes com alteração nas tarefas de leitura apresentou, também, adequação da ordenação temporal simples e inadequação da ordenação temporal complexa. Não houve associação com significância estatística entre o desempenho em leitura e a presença de queixas escolares, habilidade auditiva de ordenação temporal e motivação escolar. Contudo, observou-se que a maioria dos participantes com alteração na leitura apresentou queixa de dificuldades escolares, baixo desempenho acadêmico e motivação escolar média. Conclusão embora não tenha indicado significância estatística na maioria das associações realizadas, o presente estudo evidenciou que há relação entre o desempenho em leitura de crianças e adolescentes e a presença de queixas escolares, habilidade auditiva de ordenação temporal e motivação escolar.

ABSTRACT Purpose To verify the association between reading performance of children and adolescents and the presence of school complaints, hearing ordering ability and school motivation. Methods Cross-sectional observational study with a convenience sample composed of 36 participants. The instruments used were the Sociodemographic and School Characterization Questionnaire, the Economic Classification Criterion of Brazil, the auditory evaluation, the Memory Tests for Verbal and Non-verbal Sounds in Sequence, the Frequency and Duration Pattern Tests, the School Performance Test, the Assessment of Reading Processes and the Scale for Assessing Children's School Motivation. The response variable in this study was the reading process. Pearson's Chi-square and Fisher's Exact tests were used for association analyzes. Results The association analysis revealed that most participants who presented changes in reading tasks also presented adequacy of simple temporal ordering and inadequacy in complex temporal ordering. There was no statistically significant association between reading performance and the presence of school complaints, temporal ordering auditory ability and school motivation. However, it was observed that most participants with reading disorders complained of school difficulties, poor academic performance, average school motivation, adequacy of simple temporal ordering and inadequacy of complex temporal ordering. Conclusion Although it did not show statistical significance in most of the associations performed, the present study showed that there is an relationship between the reading performance of children and adolescents and the presence of school complaints, temporal ordering auditory ability and school motivation.

Aparelhos de amplificação sonora individual: quais são as queixas mais recorrentes dos usuários e suas possíveis relações com ajustes finos? / Hearing aids: what are the most recurrent complaints from users and their possible relationship with fine tuning?

RESUMO Objetivo identificar as queixas mais recorrentes dos usuários de aparelhos de amplificação sonora individual (AASI) e estabelecer possíveis relações que auxiliem a busca de soluções de problemas no processo de adaptação desses dispositivos. Métodos estudo transversal, descritivo e quantitativo, realizado mediante questionário on-line, respondido por 176 fonoaudiólogos. Após computação e organização das respostas, realizou-se uma codificação e foram descritos 30 termos mais recorrentes, referentes às queixas dos usuários. Foram estabelecidas quatro categorias para verificar cada termo relatado e sua correspondência com o problema apontado em cada questão. Para o direcionamento das possíveis relações entre as queixas e suas resoluções, os termos foram divididos nos seguintes aspectos principais do processo de adaptação de AASI: adaptação física, ajuste das características eletroacústicas e características intrínsecas do usuário. Resultados foram descritos 30 termos representativos das queixas, com maior número de ocorrências para o termo "Aparelho muito alto/Som muito alto", que apareceu 223 vezes. O termo "Não escuta nada" apareceu com menor número de ocorrências, 25 vezes. No total, foram encontradas seis queixas relacionadas a aspectos físicos, 17 a ajustes de características eletroacústicas, quatro que poderiam estar relacionadas a ambos os aspectos e duas a características intrínsecas do indivíduo. Conclusão foi possível elencar as queixas mais referidas pelos usuários de AASI. Observou-se que é viável, a partir de uma queixa, direcionar um suposto aspecto relacionado à adaptação e auxiliar os fonoaudiólogos a levantar soluções, apesar de ser clara a necessidade de um olhar individualizado para cada paciente e situação.

ABSTRACT Purpose To identify the most frequent complaints from hearing-aid users and establish possible relationships that might help audiologists solve some problems. Methods Cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative study, carried out through an online questionnaire, answered by 176 audiologists. After analyzing the responses and computing the terms, coding was performed and the 30 most frequent complaints were described. Four categories were established to verify each reported term and its correspondence with the problem pointed out in each question. To address the possible relationships between complaints and their solutions, the terms were divided into the following main aspects of the hearing aid fitting process: physical adaptation, adjustment of electroacoustic characteristics and user's intrinsic characteristics. Results 30 representative terms of complaint were described due to their high number of occurrences : the term "very loud device / very loud sound" appeared 223 times whereas the term "I cannot hear anything" had the fewest number of occurrences, 25 appearances. In total, there were six complaints related to physical aspects, 17 to adjustments of electroacoustic characteristics, four that could be related to both aspects and two to intrinsic characteristics of the individual. Conclusion It was possible to identify the most frequently reported complaints of hearing aid users. . It was observed that it is feasible, based on a complaint, to address a supposedly related aspect of adaptation and help audiologists find solutions. However, each particular patient and situation must be given individualized attention.