Evaluating the perceived affective qualities of urban soundscapes through audiovisual experiments.

The study of the perceived affective qualities (PAQs) in soundscape assessments have increased in recent years, with methods varying from in-situ to laboratory. Through technological advances, virtual reality (VR) has facilitated evaluations of multiple locations in the same experiment. In this paper, VR reproductions of different urban sites were presented in an online and laboratory environment testing three locations in Greater Manchester ('Park', 'Plaza', and pedestrian 'Street') in two population densities (empty and busy) using ISO/TS 12913-2 (2018) soundscape PAQs. The studied areas had audio and video recordings prepared for 360 video and binaural audio VR reproductions. The aims were to observe population density effects within locations (Wilcoxon test) and variations between locations (Mann-Whitney U test) within methods. Population density and comparisons among locations demonstrated a significant effect on most PAQs. Results also suggested that big cities can present homogenous sounds, composing a 'blended' urban soundscape, independently of functionality. These findings can support urban design in a low-cost approach, where urban planners can test different scenarios and interventions.

Wireless electrocochleography in awake chinchillas: A model to study crossmodal modulations at the peripheral level.

The discovery and development of electrocochleography (ECochG) in animal models has been fundamental for its implementation in clinical audiology and neurotology. In our laboratory, the use of round-window ECochG recordings in chinchillas has allowed a better understanding of auditory efferent functioning. In previous works, we gave evidence of the corticofugal modulation of auditory-nerve and cochlear responses during visual attention and working memory. However, whether these cognitive top-down mechanisms to the most peripheral structures of the auditory pathway are also active during audiovisual crossmodal stimulation is unknown. Here, we introduce a new technique, wireless ECochG to record compound-action potentials of the auditory nerve (CAP), cochlear microphonics (CM), and round-window noise (RWN) in awake chinchillas during a paradigm of crossmodal (visual and auditory) stimulation. We compared ECochG data obtained from four awake chinchillas recorded with a wireless ECochG system with wired ECochG recordings from six anesthetized animals. Although ECochG experiments with the wireless system had a lower signal-to-noise ratio than wired recordings, their quality was sufficient to compare ECochG potentials in awake crossmodal conditions. We found non-significant differences in CAP and CM amplitudes in response to audiovisual stimulation compared to auditory stimulation alone (clicks and tones). On the other hand, spontaneous auditory-nerve activity (RWN) was modulated by visual crossmodal stimulation, suggesting that visual crossmodal simulation can modulate spontaneous but not evoked auditory-nerve activity. However, given the limited sample of 10 animals (4 wireless and 6 wired), these results should be interpreted cautiously. Future experiments are required to substantiate these conclusions. In addition, we introduce the use of wireless ECochG in animal models as a useful tool for translational research.

Auditory and academic skills self-perception in adults. / Autopercepção sobre habilidades auditivas e acadêmicas de adultos.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and analyze auditory and academic complaints of students and employees of a federal public university. METHODS: The study was carried out using a non-probabilistic. The EAPAC Scale with adaptations was used to fulfill the research objectives. It has 14 questions about complaints related to listening skills and 12 questions related to the academic environment. Descriptive data analysis was performed through the frequency distribution of categorical variables and Pearson's chi-square test was used for association analyses. RESULTS: 646 individuals aged between 17 and 67 years old participated in the research. The most prevalent complaints were academic difficulty related to memory, concentration, and planning, hearing and understanding speech in noise, and memorization of tasks that were only heard. There was an association with bidirectional statistical significance between academic and auditory complaints. CONCLUSION: It was possible to observe that there is an association between auditory and academic complaints in adults, marked by the relationship between cognitive and auditory aspects. It is relevant that these factors are considered when performing assessments of Central Auditory Processing when intervening in patients with auditory complaints, and in student life.

OBJETIVO: Descrever e analisar queixas auditivas e acadêmicas de universitários e funcionários de uma universidade pública federal. MÉTODOS: O estudo foi realizado por amostra não-probabilística. A Escala de Autopercepção de Habilidades do Processamento Auditivo Central com adaptações foi utilizada para cumprir os objetivos da pesquisa. Esta possui 14 questões sobre queixas relacionadas às habilidades auditivas e 12 relacionadas ao ambiente acadêmico. Foi realizada a análise descritiva dos dados por meio da distribuição de frequência das variáveis categóricas e, para as análises de associação, foi utilizado o teste Qui-quadrado de Pearson. RESULTADOS: Participaram da pesquisa 646 indivíduos com faixa etária entre 17 e 67 anos. As queixas mais prevalentes foram: dificuldade acadêmica relacionada à memória, concentração e planejamento, ouvir e compreender a fala no ruído, e memorização de tarefas que foram apenas ouvidas. Houve associação com significância estatística bidirecional entre as queixas acadêmicas e auditivas. CONCLUSÃO: Foi possível observar que há associação entre queixas auditivas e acadêmicas em adultos, marcada pela relação de aspectos cognitivos com aspectos auditivos. É relevante que esses fatores sejam considerados ao realizar avaliações do Processamento Auditivo Central, ao se intervir em pacientes com queixas auditivas, e na vida estudantil.

Development and Evaluation of the Italian Version of the Dichotic Digit Test: Insights from 39 Normal-Hearing Children Aged 11 to 13 years.

BACKGROUND The dichotic digit test (DDT) is one of the tests for the behavioral assessment of central auditory processing. Dichotic listening tests are sensitive ways of assessing cortical structures, the corpus callossum, and binaural integration mechanisms, showing strong correlations with learning difficulties. The DDT is presently available in a number of languages, each appropriate for the subject's native language. However, there is presently no test in the Italian language. The goal of this study was to develop an Italian version of the one-pair dichotic digit test (DDT-IT) and analyze results in 39 normal-hearing Italian children 11 to 13 years old. We used 2 conditions of presentation: free recall and directed attention (left or right ear), and looked at possible effects of sex and ear side. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study involved 3 steps: creation of the stimuli, checking their quality with Italian speakers, and assessment of the DDT-IT in our subject pool. The study involved 39 children (26 girls and 13 boys), aged 11-13 years. All participants underwent basic audiological assessment, auditory brainstem response, and then DDT-IT. RESULTS Results under free recall and directed attention conditions were similar for right and left ears, and there were no sex or age effects. CONCLUSIONS The Italian version of DDT (DDT-IT) has been developed and its performance on 39 normal-hearing Italian children was assessed. We found there were no age or sex effects for either the free recall condition or the directed attention condition.

Theta and alpha oscillations may underlie improved attention and working memory in musically trained children.

INTRODUCTION: Attention and working memory are key cognitive functions that allow us to select and maintain information in our mind for a short time, being essential for our daily life and, in particular, for learning and academic performance. It has been shown that musical training can improve working memory performance, but it is still unclear if and how the neural mechanisms of working memory and particularly attention are implicated in this process. In this work, we aimed to identify the oscillatory signature of bimodal attention and working memory that contributes to improved working memory in musically trained children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited children with and without musical training and asked them to complete a bimodal (auditory/visual) attention and working memory task, whereas their brain activity was measured using electroencephalography. Behavioral, time-frequency, and source reconstruction analyses were made. RESULTS: Results showed that, overall, musically trained children performed better on the task than children without musical training. When comparing musically trained children with children without musical training, we found modulations in the alpha band pre-stimuli onset and the beginning of stimuli onset in the frontal and parietal regions. These correlated with correct responses to the attended modality. Moreover, during the end phase of stimuli presentation, we found modulations correlating with correct responses independent of attention condition in the theta and alpha bands, in the left frontal and right parietal regions. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that musically trained children have improved neuronal mechanisms for both attention allocation and memory encoding. Our results can be important for developing interventions for people with attention and working memory difficulties.

Cepstral Peak Prominence Smoothed - CPPS and Acoustic Voice Quality Index - AVQI in healthy and altered children's voices: comparation, relationship with auditory-perceptual judgment and cut-off points. / Cepstral Peak Prominence Smoothed - CPPS e Acoustic Voice Quality Index - AVQI em vozes infantis saudáveis e alteradas: comparação, relação com julgamento perceptivo-auditivo e pontos de corte.

PURPOSE: To compare the acoustic measurements of Cepstral Peak Prominence Smoothed (CPPS) and Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) of children with normal and altered voices, to relationship with auditory-perceptual judgment (APJ) and to establish cut-off points. METHODS: Vocal recordings of the sustained vowel and number counting tasks of 185 children were selected from a database and submitted to acoustic analysis with extraction of CPPS and AVQI measurements, and to APJ. The APJ was performed individually for each task, classified as normal or altered, and for the tasks together defining whether the child would pass or fail in a situation of vocal screening. RESULTS: Children with altered APJ and who failed the screening had lower CPPS values and higher AVQI values, than those with normal APJ and who passed the screening. The APJ of the sustained vowel task was related to CPPS and AVQI, and APJ of the number counting task was related only to AVQI and CPPS numbers. The cut-off points that differentiate children with and without vocal deviation are 14.07 for the vowel CPPS, 7.62 for the CPPS numbers and 2.01 for the AVQI. CONCLUSION: Children with altered voices, have higher AVQI values and lower CPPS values, when detected in children with voices within the normal range. The acoustic measurements were related to the auditory perceptual judgment of vocal quality in the sustained vowel task, however, the number counting task was related only to the AVQI and CPPS. The cut-off points that differentiate children with and without vocal deviation are 14.07 for the CPPS vowel, 7.62 for the CPPS numbers and 2.01 for the AVQI. The three measures were similar in identifying voices without deviation and dysphonic voices.

OBJETIVO: Comparar as medidas acústicas de Cepstral Peak Prominence Smoothed (CPPS) e Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) de crianças com vozes normais e alteradas, relacionar com o julgamento perceptivo-auditivo (JPA) da voz e estabelecer pontos de corte. MÉTODO: Gravações vocais das tarefas de vogal sustentada e contagem de números de 185 crianças foram selecionadas em um banco de dados e submetidas a análise acústica com extração das medidas de CPPS e AVQI, e ao JPA. O JPA foi realizado individualmente para cada tarefa e as amostras foram classificadas posteriormente como normal ou alterada, e para as tarefas em conjunto definindo-se se a criança passaria ou falharia em uma situação de triagem vocal. RESULTADOS: Crianças com JPA alterado e que falharam na triagem apresentaram valores menores de CPPS e maiores de AVQI, do que as com JPA normal e que passaram na triagem. O JPA da tarefa de vogal sustentada se relacionou ao CPPS e AVQI, e da tarefa de contagem de números relacionou-se apenas ao AVQI e CPPS números. Os pontos de corte que diferenciam crianças com e sem desvio vocal são 14,07 para o CPPS vogal, 7,62 para o CPPS números e 2,01 para o AVQI. CONCLUSÃO: Crianças com JPA alterado apresentaram maiores valores de AVQI e menores valores de CPPs. O JPA da tarefa de vogal previu todas as medidas acústicas, porém, de contagem previu apenas as medidas extraídas dela. As três medidas foram semelhantes na identificação de vozes sem desvio e vozes disfônicas.

Central auditory processing and self-perception questionnaire after acoustically controlled auditory training in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury. / Processamento auditivo central e questionário de autopercepção pós-treinamento auditivo acusticamente controlado em indivíduos com traumatismo cranioencefálico leve.

PURPOSE: To correlate behavioral assessment results of central auditory processing and the self-perception questionnaire after acoustically controlled auditory training. METHODS: The study assessed 10 individuals with a mean age of 44.5 years who had suffered mild traumatic brain injury. They underwent behavioral assessment of central auditory processing and answered the Formal Auditory Training self-perception questionnaire after the therapeutic intervention - whose questions address auditory perception, understanding orders, request to repeat statements, occurrence of misunderstandings, attention span, auditory performance in noisy environments, telephone communication, and self-esteem. Patients were asked to indicate the frequency with which the listed behaviors occurred. RESULTS: Figure-ground, sequential memory for sounds, and temporal processing correlated with improvement in following instructions, fewer requests to repeat statements, increased attention span, improved communication, and understanding on the phone and when watching TV. CONCLUSION: Auditory closure, figure-ground, and temporal processing had improved in the assessment after the acoustically controlled auditory training, and there were fewer auditory behavior complaints.

OBJETIVO: Correlacionar os resultados da avaliação comportamental do processamento auditivo central e do questionário de autopercepção após o treinamento auditivo acusticamente controlado. MÉTODO: Foram avaliados dez indivíduos com média de idade de 44,5 anos, que sofreram traumatismo cranioencefálico de grau leve. Os indivíduos foram submetidos a avaliação comportamental do processamento auditivo central e também responderam ao questionário de autopercepção "Treinamento Auditivo Formal" após a intervenção terapêutica. O questionário foi composto por questões referentes a percepção auditiva, compreensão de ordens, solicitação de repetição de enunciados, ocorrência mal-entendidos, tempo de atenção, desempenho auditivo em ambiente ruidoso, comunicação ao telefone e autoestima e os pacientes foram solicitados a assinalar a frequência de ocorrência dos comportamentos listados. RESULTADOS: As habilidades auditivas de figura-fundo e memória para sons em sequência e processamento temporal correlacionaram-se com melhora para seguir instruções, diminuição das solicitações de repetições e aumento do tempo de atenção e melhora da comunicação e da compreensão ao telefone e para assistir TV. CONCLUSÃO: Observou-se adequação das habilidades auditivas de fechamento auditivo, figura fundo, e processamento temporal na avaliação pós-treinamento auditivo acusticamente controlado, além de redução das queixas quanto ao comportamento auditivo.

Stroke in children and adolescents: Analysis of electrophysiological and behavioral assessment findings of auditory processing.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the auditory processing behavior of children and adolescents diagnosed with stroke and compare it with that of typically developing individuals. METHODS: This was an analytical cross-sectional study involving 48 participants aged between 7 and 17 years with adequate schooling for age and grade, allocated equally to two groups: Stroke (SG) and Control Groups (CG). For the SG, cases identified between 2003 and 2018 were considered. In the CG, school-aged participants with typical development were randomized. After screening for differential audiological assessment and confirmation of auditory pathway integrity at the brainstem level, binaural analyses of the auditory processing behavior were conducted using the Dichotic Digit Test (DDT), Frequency Pattern Test (FPT), and electrophysiological assessment (P300). The Shapiro-Wilk test for normality was conducted, followed by the T and Mann-Whitney tests, with a 95 % confidence level and significance offset at p < 0.05, using the SPSS software (IBM®, v. 22.) RESULTS: The CG performed better in terms of auditory processing. These differences were significant (p < 0.0001) for the binaural integration of DDT, FPT humming and Labeling, and P300 latency. The P300 results were similar; however, with a greater amplitude in the SG. CONCLUSION: This study showed that children and adolescents with stroke performed worse in electrophysiological and behavioral tests of auditory processing assessed using the auditory evoked potentials. These data reinforce the hypothesis that stroke-related lesions compromise the neural mechanisms underlying auditory processing.

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)

Affective Neural Responses Sonified through Labeled Correlation Alignment.

Sound synthesis refers to the creation of original acoustic signals with broad applications in artistic innovation, such as music creation for games and videos. Nonetheless, machine learning architectures face numerous challenges when learning musical structures from arbitrary corpora. This issue involves adapting patterns borrowed from other contexts to a concrete composition objective. Using Labeled Correlation Alignment (LCA), we propose an approach to sonify neural responses to affective music-listening data, identifying the brain features that are most congruent with the simultaneously extracted auditory features. For dealing with inter/intra-subject variability, a combination of Phase Locking Value and Gaussian Functional Connectivity is employed. The proposed two-step LCA approach embraces a separate coupling stage of input features to a set of emotion label sets using Centered Kernel Alignment. This step is followed by canonical correlation analysis to select multimodal representations with higher relationships. LCA enables physiological explanation by adding a backward transformation to estimate the matching contribution of each extracted brain neural feature set. Correlation estimates and partition quality represent performance measures. The evaluation uses a Vector Quantized Variational AutoEncoder to create an acoustic envelope from the tested Affective Music-Listening database. Validation results demonstrate the ability of the developed LCA approach to generate low-level music based on neural activity elicited by emotions while maintaining the ability to distinguish between the acoustic outputs.

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.

Spectro-temporal acoustic elements of music interact in an integrated way to modulate emotional responses in pigs.

Music is a complex stimulus, with various spectro-temporal acoustic elements determining one of the most important attributes of music, the ability to elicit emotions. Effects of various musical acoustic elements on emotions in non-human animals have not been studied with an integrated approach. However, this knowledge is important to design music to provide environmental enrichment for non-human species. Thirty-nine instrumental musical pieces were composed and used to determine effects of various acoustic parameters on emotional responses in farm pigs. Video recordings (n = 50) of pigs in the nursery phase (7-9 week old) were gathered and emotional responses induced by stimuli were evaluated with Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA). Non-parametric statistical models (Generalized Additive Models, Decision Trees, Random Forests, and XGBoost) were applied and compared to evaluate relationships between acoustic parameters and pigs' observed emotional responses. We concluded that musical structure affected emotional responses of pigs. The valence of modulated emotions depended on integrated and simultaneous interactions of various spectral and temporal structural components of music that can be readily modified. This new knowledge supports design of musical stimuli to be used as environmental enrichment for non-human animals.

The corticofugal oscillatory modulation of the cochlear receptor during auditory and visual attention is preserved in tinnitus.

Introduction: The mechanisms underlying tinnitus perception are still under research. One of the proposed hypotheses involves an alteration in top-down processing of auditory activity. Low-frequency oscillations in the delta and theta bands have been recently described in brain and cochlear infrasonic signals during selective attention paradigms in normal hearing controls. Here, we propose that the top-down oscillatory activity observed in brain and cochlear signals during auditory and visual selective attention in normal subjects, is altered in tinnitus patients, reflecting an abnormal functioning of the corticofugal pathways that connect brain circuits with the cochlear receptor. Methods: To test this hypothesis, we used a behavioral task that alternates between auditory and visual top-down attention while we simultaneously measured electroencephalogram (EEG) and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) signals in 14 tinnitus and 14 control subjects. Results: We found oscillatory activity in the delta and theta bands in cortical and cochlear channels in control and tinnitus patients. There were significant decreases in the DPOAE oscillatory amplitude during the visual attention period as compared to the auditory attention period in tinnitus and control groups. We did not find significant differences when using a between-subjects statistical approach comparing tinnitus and control groups. On the other hand, we found a significant cluster in the delta band in tinnitus when using within-group statistics to compare the difference between auditory and visual DPOAE oscillatory power. Conclusion: These results confirm the presence of top-down infrasonic low-frequency cochlear oscillatory activity in the delta and theta bands in tinnitus patients, showing that the corticofugal suppression of cochlear oscillations during visual and auditory attention in tinnitus patients is preserved.

The prefrontal cortex of the Mexican free-tailed bat is more selective to communication calls than primary auditory cortex.

In this study, we examined the auditory responses of a prefrontal area, the frontal auditory field (FAF), of an echolocating bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) and presented a comparative analysis of the neuronal response properties between the FAF and the primary auditory cortex (A1). We compared single-unit responses from the A1 and the FAF elicited by pure tones, downward frequency-modulated sweeps (dFMs), and species-specific vocalizations. Unlike the A1, FAFs were not frequency tuned. However, progressive increases in dFM sweep rate elicited a systematic increase of response precision, a phenomenon that does not take place in the A1. Call selectivity was higher in the FAF versus A1. We calculated the neuronal spectrotemporal receptive fields (STRFs) and spike-triggered averages (STAs) to predict responses to the communication calls and provide an explanation for the differences in call selectivity between the FAF and A1. In the A1, we found a high correlation between predicted and evoked responses. However, we did not generate reasonable STRFs in the FAF, and the prediction based on the STAs showed lower correlation coefficient than that of the A1. This suggests nonlinear response properties in the FAF that are stronger than the linear response properties in the A1. Stimulating with a call sequence increased call selectivity in the A1, but it remained unchanged in the FAF. These data are consistent with a role for the FAF in assessing distinctive acoustic features downstream of A1, similar to the role proposed for primate ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, we examined the neuronal responses of a frontal cortical area in an echolocating bat to behaviorally relevant acoustic stimuli and compared them with those in the primary auditory cortex (A1). In contrast to the A1, neurons in the bat frontal auditory field are not frequency tuned but showed a higher selectivity for social signals such as communication calls. The results presented here indicate that the frontal auditory field may represent an additional processing center for behaviorally relevant sounds.

Temporal auditory processing in people exposed to musical instrument practice. / Processamento auditivo temporal em indivíduos expostos à prática musical instrumental.

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of musical instrument practice on temporal auditory abilities and on the results of cortical potentials related to auditory events (P300) in a group of young musicians compared to individuals without experience in musical practice. METHODS: This is a prospective cross-sectional observational study. In total, 34 individuals between 18 and 30 years old, of both sexes, took part and were divided in two groups: Group I (GI), composed of musicians (n=16), and Group II (GII), composed of non-musicians (n=18). All participants underwent behavioral evaluation of temporal auditory processing, composed of Duration Pattern Sequence Test (DPS), Pitch Pattern Sequence Test (PPS), Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT) and electrophysiological evaluation - Long Latency Auditory Evoked Potential - P300. GI also answered a specific questionnaire to characterize musical practice. RESULTS: We observed statistically significant differences with superior performance of GI compared with GII in all behavioral tests (p<0.001*). The groups' performance was similar regarding the latency and amplitude parameters analyzed from LLAEP-300 data (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings show a positive influence of musical practice toward the improvement of auditory abilities of temporal ordering and resolution. All participants presented adequate cortical functioning of the central auditory nervous system, without significant differences between musicians and non-musicians when considering P300 amplitude and latency.

OBJETIVO: Investigar a influência da prática musical instrumental nas habilidades auditivas temporais e nos resultados de potenciais corticais relacionados a eventos auditivos (P300) em um grupo de jovens músicos em comparação com indivíduos sem experiência prática musical. MÉTODO: Trata-se de um estudo prospectivo, observacional, analítico e transversal. Participaram 34 indivíduos entre 18 a 30 anos, de ambos os sexos, divididos em dois grupos: Grupo I (GI), composto por indivíduos músicos (n=16) e Grupo II (GII), composto por indivíduos não músicos (n=18). Todos os participantes realizaram avaliação comportamental do processamento auditivo temporal, composta pelos testes de Padrão de Duração (TPD), Padrão de Frequência (TPF), Random Gap Detection (RGDT) e avaliação eletrofisiológica - Potencial Evocado Auditivo de Longa Latência (PEALL) - P300. O GI respondeu também a um questionário específico para caracterização da prática musical. RESULTADOS: Foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significantes com desempenho superior do GI em relação ao GII em todos os testes comportamentais aplicados (p<0,001*). Não foram encontradas diferenças significantes entre os grupos com relação aos parâmetros de latência e amplitude analisados a partir da obtenção do PEALL-300 (p>0,05). CONCLUSÃO: Os achados demonstraram influência positiva da prática musical em relação ao aprimoramento de habilidades auditivas de ordenação e resolução temporal. Todos os participantes apresentaram adequado funcionamento cortical do sistema nervoso auditivo central, sem diferenças significantes entre músicos e não músicos nos parâmetros de amplitude e latência do P300.

Neural responses to sensory novelty with and without conscious access.

Detection of novel stimuli that violate statistical regularities in the sensory scene is of paramount importance for the survival of biological organisms. Event-related potentials, phasic increases in pupil size, and evoked changes in oscillatory power have been proposed as markers of sensory novelty detection. However, how conscious access to novelty modulates these different brain responses is not well understood. Here, we studied the neural responses to sensory novelty in the auditory modality with and without conscious access. We identified individual thresholds for conscious auditory discrimination and presented to our participants sequences of tones, where the last stimulus could be another standard, a subthreshold target or a suprathreshold target. Participants were instructed to report whether the last tone of each sequence was the same or different from those preceding it. Results indicate that attentional orientation to behaviorally relevant stimuli and overt decision-making mechanisms, indexed by the P3 event-related response and reaction times, best predict whether a novel stimulus will be consciously accessed. Theta power and pupil size do not predict conscious access to novelty, but instead reflect information maintenance and unexpected sensory uncertainty. These results highlight the interplay between bottom-up and top-down mechanisms and how the brain weights neural responses to novelty and uncertainty during perception and goal-directed behavior.

Audiovisual integration in the Mauthner cell enhances escape probability and reduces response latency.

Fast and accurate threat detection is critical for animal survival. Reducing perceptual ambiguity by integrating multiple sources of sensory information can enhance perception and reduce response latency. However, studies addressing the link between behavioral correlates of multisensory integration and its underlying neural basis are rare. Fish that detect an urgent threat escape with an explosive behavior known as C-start. The C-start is driven by an identified neural circuit centered on the Mauthner cell, an identified neuron capable of triggering escapes in response to visual and auditory stimuli. Here we demonstrate that goldfish can integrate visual looms and brief auditory stimuli to increase C-start probability. This multisensory enhancement is inversely correlated to the salience of the stimuli, with weaker auditory cues producing a proportionally stronger multisensory effect. We also show that multisensory stimuli reduced C-start response latency, with most escapes locked to the presentation of the auditory cue. We make a direct link between behavioral data and its underlying neural mechanism by reproducing the behavioral data with an integrate-and-fire computational model of the Mauthner cell. This model of the Mauthner cell circuit suggests that excitatory inputs integrated at the soma are key elements in multisensory decision making during fast C-start escapes. This provides a simple but powerful mechanism to enhance threat detection and survival.

Children with developmental language disorder: a frequency following response in the noise study.

INTRODUCTION: Children with developmental language disorder have been reported to have poor temporal auditory processing. This study aimed to examine the frequency following response. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to investigate speech processing in quiet and in noise. METHODS: Two groups of children were included in this work: the control group (15 children with normal language development) and the study group (25 children diagnosed with developmental language disorder). All children were submitted to intelligence scale, language assessment, full audiological evaluation, and frequency following response in quiet and noise (+5QNR and +10QNR). RESULTS: Results showed no statically significant difference between both groups as regards IQ or PTA. In the study group, the advanced analysis of frequency following response showed reduced F0 and F2 amplitudes. Results also showed that noise has an impact on both the transient and sustained components of the frequency following response in the same group. CONCLUSION: Children with developmental language disorder have difficulty in speech processing especially in the presence of background noise. Frequency following response is an efficient procedure that can be used to address speech processing problems in children with developmental language disorder.

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.