Tuning of human modulation filters is carrier-frequency dependent

Andrew J R Simpson; Joshua D. Reiss; David McAlpine

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073590

Tuning of human modulation filters is carrier-frequency dependent

Andrew J R Simpson, Joshua D. Reiss, David McAlpine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

13 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Recent studies employing speech stimuli to investigate 'cocktail-party' listening have focused on entrainment of cortical activity to modulations at syllabic (5 Hz) and phonemic (20 Hz) rates. The data suggest that cortical modulation filters (CMFs) are dependent on the sound-frequency channel in which modulations are conveyed, potentially underpinning a strategy for separating speech from background noise. Here, we characterize modulation filters in human listeners using a novel behavioral method. Within an 'inverted' adaptive forced-choice increment detection task, listening level was varied whilst contrast was held constant for ramped increments with effective modulation rates between 0.5 and 33 Hz. Our data suggest that modulation filters are tonotopically organized (i.e., vary along the primary, frequency-organized, dimension). This suggests that the human auditory system is optimized to track rapid (phonemic) modulations at high sound-frequencies and slow (prosodic/syllabic) modulations at low frequencies.

Original language	English
Article number	e73590
Pages (from-to)	1-9
Number of pages	9
Journal	PLoS ONE
Volume	8
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073590
Publication status	Published - 29 Aug 2013
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Access to Document

10.1371/journal.pone.0073590

Publisher version (open access).pdfFinal published version, 804 KB

Cite this

@article{4f0f6a0bc3954691a31f88b1060de5fd,

title = "Tuning of human modulation filters is carrier-frequency dependent",

abstract = "Recent studies employing speech stimuli to investigate 'cocktail-party' listening have focused on entrainment of cortical activity to modulations at syllabic (5 Hz) and phonemic (20 Hz) rates. The data suggest that cortical modulation filters (CMFs) are dependent on the sound-frequency channel in which modulations are conveyed, potentially underpinning a strategy for separating speech from background noise. Here, we characterize modulation filters in human listeners using a novel behavioral method. Within an 'inverted' adaptive forced-choice increment detection task, listening level was varied whilst contrast was held constant for ramped increments with effective modulation rates between 0.5 and 33 Hz. Our data suggest that modulation filters are tonotopically organized (i.e., vary along the primary, frequency-organized, dimension). This suggests that the human auditory system is optimized to track rapid (phonemic) modulations at high sound-frequencies and slow (prosodic/syllabic) modulations at low frequencies.",

author = "Simpson, {Andrew J R} and Reiss, {Joshua D.} and David McAlpine",

note = "Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2013",

month = aug,

day = "29",

doi = "10.1371/journal.pone.0073590",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

pages = "1--9",

journal = "PLoS ONE",

issn = "1932-6203",

publisher = "Public Library of Science",

number = "8",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Tuning of human modulation filters is carrier-frequency dependent

AU - Simpson, Andrew J R

AU - Reiss, Joshua D.

AU - McAlpine, David

N1 - Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2013/8/29

Y1 - 2013/8/29

N2 - Recent studies employing speech stimuli to investigate 'cocktail-party' listening have focused on entrainment of cortical activity to modulations at syllabic (5 Hz) and phonemic (20 Hz) rates. The data suggest that cortical modulation filters (CMFs) are dependent on the sound-frequency channel in which modulations are conveyed, potentially underpinning a strategy for separating speech from background noise. Here, we characterize modulation filters in human listeners using a novel behavioral method. Within an 'inverted' adaptive forced-choice increment detection task, listening level was varied whilst contrast was held constant for ramped increments with effective modulation rates between 0.5 and 33 Hz. Our data suggest that modulation filters are tonotopically organized (i.e., vary along the primary, frequency-organized, dimension). This suggests that the human auditory system is optimized to track rapid (phonemic) modulations at high sound-frequencies and slow (prosodic/syllabic) modulations at low frequencies.

AB - Recent studies employing speech stimuli to investigate 'cocktail-party' listening have focused on entrainment of cortical activity to modulations at syllabic (5 Hz) and phonemic (20 Hz) rates. The data suggest that cortical modulation filters (CMFs) are dependent on the sound-frequency channel in which modulations are conveyed, potentially underpinning a strategy for separating speech from background noise. Here, we characterize modulation filters in human listeners using a novel behavioral method. Within an 'inverted' adaptive forced-choice increment detection task, listening level was varied whilst contrast was held constant for ramped increments with effective modulation rates between 0.5 and 33 Hz. Our data suggest that modulation filters are tonotopically organized (i.e., vary along the primary, frequency-organized, dimension). This suggests that the human auditory system is optimized to track rapid (phonemic) modulations at high sound-frequencies and slow (prosodic/syllabic) modulations at low frequencies.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84883231118&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0073590

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0073590

M3 - Article

C2 - 24009759

AN - SCOPUS:84883231118

VL - 8

SP - 1

EP - 9

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

SN - 1932-6203

IS - 8

M1 - e73590

ER -

Tuning of human modulation filters is carrier-frequency dependent

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this