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J Neurophysiol (April 8, 2009). doi:10.1152/jn.91333.2008
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Submitted on December 18, 2008
Revised on March 24, 2009
Accepted on March 31, 2009

Auditory streaming of amplitude modulated sounds in the songbird forebrain

Naoya Itatani1* and Georg M. Klump2

1 Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg
2 University of Oldenburg

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: naoya.itatani{at}uni-ildenburg.de.

Streaming in auditory scene analysis refers to the perceptual grouping of multiple interleaved sounds having similar characteristics while sounds with different characteristics are segregated. In human perception auditory streaming occurs on the basis of temporal features of sounds such as the rate of amplitude modulation. We present results from multi-unit recordings in the auditory forebrain of awake European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) on the representation of sinusoidally amplitude modulated (SAM) tones to investigate the effect of temporal envelope structure on neural stream segregation. Different types of rate modulation transfer functions in response to SAM tones were observed. The strongest responses were found for modulation frequencies (fmod) below 160 Hz. The streaming stimulus consisted of sequences of alternating SAM tones with the same carrier frequency but differing in fmod (ABA-ABA-ABA- ...). A signals had a modulation frequency evoking a large excitation while the fmod of B signals was up to 4 octaves higher. Synchrony of B signal responses to the modulation decreased as fmod increased. Spike rate in response to B signals dropped as fmod increased. Faster signal repetition resulted in fewer spikes suggesting the contribution of forward suppression to the response that may be due to both signals having similar spectral energy and that is not related to the temporal pattern of modulation. These two effects are additive and may provide the basis for a more separated representation of A and B signals by two populations of neurons that can be viewed as a neuronal correlate of segregated streams.







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