Neural correlates of auditory streaming in an objective behavioral task

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2014-07, Vol.111 (29), p.10738-10743
• Main Authors: Itatani, Naoya, Klump, Georg M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Animals; Auditory cortex; Auditory Perception - physiology; Auditory Threshold - physiology; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Behavioral neuroscience; Biological Sciences; Bird songs; Birds; Brain; Correlation analysis; Europe; Figure ground; Forebrain; Mental stimulation; Neurons; Neurons - physiology; Perception; Starlings - physiology; Streaming; Sturnus vulgaris; Task Performance and Analysis; Time Factors; Triplets
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1321487111

Segregating streams of sounds from sources in complex acoustic scenes is crucial for perception in real world situations. We analyzed an objective psychophysical measure of stream segregation obtained while simultaneously recording forebrain neurons in the European starlings to investigate neural correlates of segregating a stream of A tones from a stream of B tones presented at one-half the rate. The objective measure, sensitivity for time shift detection of the B tone, was higher when the A and B tones were of the same frequency (one stream) compared with when there was a 6- or 12-semitone difference between them (two streams). The sensitivity for representing time shifts in spiking patterns was correlated with the behavioral sensitivity. The spiking patterns reflected the stimulus characteristics but not the behavioral response, indicating that the birds’ primary cortical field represents the segregated streams, but not the decision process.