Synchronization and firing mode transition of two neurons in a bilateral auditory system driven by a high–low frequency signal

The FitzHugh–Nagumo neuron circuit integrates a piezoelectric ceramic to form a piezoelectric sensing neuron,which can capture external sound signals and simulate the auditory neuron system.Two piezoelectric sensing neurons are coupled by a parallel circuit consisting of a Josephson junction and a linear resistor,and a binaural auditory system is established.Considering the non-singleness of external sound sources,the high–low frequency signal is used as the input signal to study the firing mode transition and synchronization of this system.It is found that the angular frequency of the high–low frequency signal is a key factor in determining whether the dynamic behaviors of two coupled neurons are synchronous.When they are in synchronization at a specific angular frequency,the changes in physical parameters of the input signal and the coupling strength between them will not destroy their synchronization.In addition,the firing mode of two coupled auditory neurons in synchronization is affected by the characteristic parameters of the high–low frequency signal rather than the coupling strength.The asynchronous dynamic behavior and variations in firing modes will harm the auditory system.These findings could help determine the causes of hearing loss and devise functional assistive devices for patients.

Impact of auditory stimulation nursing protocol on auditory response in cerebrovascular stroke patients

Objectives:The objective of the study was to explore the impact of auditory stimulation protocol on auditory response in cerebrovascular stroke(CVS)patients.Materials and Methods:A pre-posttest nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental study was conducted at Al Mainal Hospital at Al Kars Einy Hospital,Cairo University,among 60 CVS patients,and the sample was randomly assigned through a coin to allocate subjects to study or control group(30 for each group).Auditory stimulation techniques were applied three times per week for the study group for two consecutive weeks.Patients in the control group received only routine hospital care during the study period.The Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS)score for assessing the neurological function and level of arousal and the auditory subscale score of Western Neuro Sensory Stimulation Profile(WNSSP)for assessing auditory response were recorded and compared between the two groups before and after the intervention.Results:There were statistically significant differences between the study group and the control group regarding third reading of GCS score(11.5±0.3 vs.10.6±0.9,t=4.676,P=0.000).The scores of all auditory subscales of WNSSP in the study groups increased after implementing the auditory stimulation protocol(P<0.05).Conclusion:Utilizing the auditory stimulation protocol by nurse proves to be an effective method for enhancing hearing responses in individuals with CVS.

Radio Sound and Auditory Nostalgia in Toni Morrison’s Love

Radio sound is a key signal sound in Toni Morrison’s 2003 novel Love.The intertwining of memories and radio music constitutes an intriguing window on how radio sound serves as a vehicle for exploring the cultural and historical implications of African American women’s listening experiences with home radio,as is presented by Toni Morrison in her first new millennium novel Love.Far from a simple sonic link with the larger external world,radio sound in is a primary means for individual nostalgia,collective memory,and expression of auditory aesthetics.It is a mechanical sound which conveys a particular“black restorative nostalgia.”

Adaptive Multi-Feature Fusion for Vehicle Micro-Motor Noise Recognition Considering Auditory Perception

The deployment of vehicle micro-motors has witnessed an expansion owing to the progression in electrification and intelligent technologies.However,some micro-motors may exhibit design deficiencies,component wear,assembly errors,and other imperfections that may arise during the design or manufacturing phases.Conse-quently,these micro-motors might generate anomalous noises during their operation,consequently exerting a substantial adverse influence on the overall comfort of drivers and passengers.Automobile micro-motors exhibit a diverse array of structural variations,consequently leading to the manifestation of a multitude of distinctive auditory irregularities.To address the identification of diverse forms of abnormal noise,this research presents a novel approach rooted in the utilization of vibro-acoustic fusion-convolutional neural network(VAF-CNN).This method entails the deployment of distinct network branches,each serving to capture disparate features from the multi-sensor data,all the while considering the auditory perception traits inherent in the human auditory sys-tem.The intermediary layer integrates the concept of adaptive weighting of multi-sensor features,thus affording a calibration mechanism for the features hailing from multiple sensors,thereby enabling a further refinement of features within the branch network.For optimal model efficacy,a feature fusion mechanism is implemented in the concluding layer.To substantiate the efficacy of the proposed approach,this paper initially employs an augmented data methodology inspired by modified SpecAugment,applied to the dataset of abnormal noise sam-ples,encompassing scenarios both with and without in-vehicle interior noise.This serves to mitigate the issue of limited sample availability.Subsequent comparative evaluations are executed,contrasting the performance of the model founded upon single-sensor data against other feature fusion models reliant on multi-sensor data.The experimental results substantiate that the suggested methodology yields heightened recognition accuracy and greater resilience against interference.Moreover,it holds notable practical significance in the engineering domain,as it furnishes valuable support for the targeted management of noise emanating from vehicle micro-motors.

Congenital stapes suprastructure fixation presenting with fluctuating auditory symptoms:A case report

BACKGROUND Stapes ankylosis is a rare cause of conductive hearing loss,and stapes suprastructure fixation is extremely rare with fewer than 30 reported cases.Patients usually visit the clinic with non-progressive conductive hearing loss that typically began in the early years of life.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we report a case of a 37-year-old female with an isolated stapedial suprastructure fixation.The patient presented with unusual fluctuating auditory symptoms of tinnitus,ear fullness and mixed hearing loss.Pre-operative temporal bone computed tomography findings and operative findings revealed an isolated stapedial suprastructure fixation with monopod stapes caused by elongated pyramidal eminence.The hearing threshold recovered completely,and fluctuating auditory symptoms disappeared after the surgery.CONCLUSION This is the first report of stapedial suprastructure fixation with fluctuating auditory symptoms.Successful results are expected with surgical treatment.

The dual-pathway model of auditory signal processing

Similar to the visual dual-pathway model, neurophysiological studies in non-human primates have suggested that the dual-pathway model is also applicable for explaining auditory cortical processing, including the ventral ＂what＂ pathway for object identification and the dorsal ＂where＂ pathway for spatial localization. This review summarizes evidence from human neuroimaging studies supporting the dual-pathway model for auditory cortical processing in humans.

Circadian Rhythm and Intersexual Differences in Auditory Frequency Sensitivity in Emei Music Frogs

In anurans, calling behaviour is strongly seasonal and circadian. Previous studies have revealed that a uditory sensitivity in frogs exhibits seasonal plasticity, and electroencephalographic signals exhibit highly correlated circadian patterns;of which, the circadian rhythm remains unknown. In this study,the circadian rhythm and intersexual differences of auditory sensitivity were tested in the Emei music frog(Nidirana daunchina). This was achieved by comparing thresholds and latencies of auditory brainstem responses(ABRs) evoked by tones and clicks stimuli between male and female frogs during the day and at night,respectively. Our results revealed that both auditory thresholds and latencies had no differences between day and night except the la tencies in 3.5–4.0 kHz frequencies. However, the thresholds of tone pip evoked ABRs differed significantly between male and female frogs from 2.5 to 5.0 kHz. This demonstrated that the auditory sensitivity of Emei music frogs exhibits sexual dimorphism at high frequencies, with female frogs exhibiting greater auditory sensitivity than that of male frogs. Simultaneously, the power spectra of male advertisement calls are matched well with the frequency range of auditory sensitivity in male and female frogs,which supports the matched filter hypothesis. Our study enhances the understanding of circadian plasticity and sexual dimorphism of auditory sensitivity in frogs.

Research progress on the application of transcranial electrical stimulation in auditory disorders

Transcranial electrical stimulation(tES)is a non-invasive nerve stimulation technique that modulates changes in neural activities in cerebral cortex through a weak current of specific intensity(and frequency).It has become a valuable tool for the study of human behavior and cognitive neurophysiological processes.As a brain stimulation technology with broad development prospects,it is not mature enough in the field of human auditory research.However,the research on tES has obtained preliminary results in regulating motor ability.This article mainly introduces the effects of tES and auditory steady state response on auditory,and the applications of tES in auditory diseases.By summarizing and discussing tES during auditory processing as comprehensively as possible,the potential application value of tES in the treatment of auditory diseases could be illustrated.

Auditory-model-based Feature Extraction Method for Mechanical Faults Diagnosis

It is well known that the human auditory system possesses remarkable capabilities to analyze and identify signals. Therefore, it would be significant to build an auditory model based on the mechanism of human auditory systems, which may improve the effects of mechanical signal analysis and enrich the methods of mechanical faults features extraction. However the existing methods are all based on explicit senses of mathematics or physics, and have some shortages on distinguishing different faults, stability, and suppressing the disturbance noise, etc. For the purpose of improving the performances of the work of feature extraction, an auditory model, early auditory（EA） model, is introduced for the first time. This auditory model transforms time domain signal into auditory spectrum via bandpass filtering, nonlinear compressing, and lateral inhibiting by simulating the principle of the human auditory system. The EA model is developed with the Gammatone filterbank as the basilar membrane. According to the characteristics of vibration signals, a method is proposed for determining the parameter of inner hair cells model of EA model. The performance of EA model is evaluated through experiments on four rotor faults, including misalignment, rotor-to-stator rubbing, oil film whirl, and pedestal looseness. The results show that the auditory spectrum, output of EA model, can effectively distinguish different faults with satisfactory stability and has the ability to suppress the disturbance noise. Then, it is feasible to apply auditory model, as a new method, to the feature extraction for mechanical faults diagnosis with effect.

Auditory cortical stimulability in non habilitated individuals-An evidence from CAEPs

Objective:The effect of long term auditory deprivation on Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials(CAEPs)especially in human models is not well explored.Hence,the current study was aimed to investigate the effects of long-term auditory deprivation and stimulability of auditory cortex in non habilitated congenitally deaf adolescents and adults using CAEPs.Methods and Results:A total of 27 non-habilitated congenitally deaf adolescents/adults with age and gender matched normal hearing adolescents/adults participated in the study.The congenitally deaf group was fitted with high gain hearing aids(first fit).Further,the CAEPs were recorded.The obtained CAEP components were assessed for group effect,source and topographical differences.The between group analysis for CAEP responses showed a significant difference only for P2 latency and amplitude.The source analysis revealed that,in the normal hearing group for CAEPs,the sources were within the temporal regions.However,in the congenitally deaf group,along with the temporal cortex,the bilateral prefrontal cortex also was activated.Conclusion:The findings revealed that it is possible to stimulate and evoke a matured CAEP response from a long deprived auditory system with adequate acoustic stimulation.The presence of CAEP responses is indicative of the functionality of the innate auditory pathway and the crossmodal plasticity in long auditory deprived individuals.

40 Hz Auditory Steady State Response to Linguistic Features of Stimuli during Auditory Hallucinations

The auditory steady state response （ASSR） may reflect activity from different regions of the brain, depending on the modulation frequency used. In general, responses induced by low rates （_〈40 Hz） emanate mostly from central structures of the brain, and responses from high rates （〉80 Hz） emanate mostly from the peripheral auditory nerve or brainstem structures. Besides, it was reported that the gamma band ASSR （30-90 Hz） played an important role in working memory, speech understanding and recognition. This paper investigated the 40 Hz ASSR evoked by modulated speech and reversed speech. The speech was Chinese phrase voice, and the noise-like reversed speech was obtained by temporally reversing the speech. Both auditory stimuli were modulated with a frequency of 40 Hz. Ten healthy subjects and 5 patients with hallucination symptom participated in the experiment. Results showed re- duction in left auditory cortex response when healthy subjects listened to the reversed speech compared with the speech. In contrast, when the patients who experienced auditory hallucinations listened to the reversed speech, the auditory cortex of left hemispheric responded more actively. The ASSR results were consistent with the behavior results of patients. Therefore, the gamma band ASSR is expected to be helpful for rapid and objective diagnosis of hallucination in clinic.

Effect of Noise on the Function of Auditory Brainstem Center

The amplitudes and latencies of auditory brainstem evoked response(ABR)were recorded at both high(50/s)and low(10/s)click rates as sound stimuli before andafter the guinea pigs were exposed to variant intensity noise.The maximum amplitude ofwave V increased significantly,but those of wave Ⅰ,Ⅲ,and Ⅳ decreased significantly afterexposure to 110 dB noise for 20 or 30 min.The wave Ⅴ latency recorded at 50/s clickrate was shorter in every group after exposure.The changes of wave V latency recordedat 10/s click rate were complex,it was shorter after exposure to 95 dB or 105 dB for 10min;no change was found after exposure to 110 dB for 10 min,but it was longer initiallyand then became shorter after exposure to 110 dB noise for 30 min.The difference valueof wave V latency from 10/s to 50/s was negatively correlated with the noise intensityand exposure time.The more intense noise stimuli and the longer time,the less the differ-ence value became.The results indicate that the auditory bralnstem center was affectedby intense noise,and it is helpful to use difference value of wave V latency to analysis thefunction of brainstem center after exposure to noise.

AUDITORY BRAINSTEM RESPONSES IN SENILE PRESBYCUSIS PATIENTS OVER 90 YEARS

Objective To analyze the characteristics of auditory brainstem response (ABR) in presbycusis patients el-der than 90 years. Methods Fourteen presbycusis patients elder than 90 years (presbycusis group, 91.1.4 ± 1.3 years, 26 ears) and 9 normal-hearing young adults (control group, 22.7 ± 1.2 years, 18 ears) participated in the study. Alternative click-evoked ABRs were recorded in both groups. The peak latency (PL) of peak I,Ⅲ, and V, and the inter-peak latency (IPI) of I-Ⅲ,Ⅲ-V, and I-V were compared between groups. Results In elder presbycusis patients, the occurrence rate of peak I andⅢwere both 76.9%, and that of peak V was 84.6%. In presbycusis group, the peak latencies of I, Ⅲ, V were significantly longer than that of control group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between groups in the IPI of peak I-IⅢ (P=0.298, peakⅢ-V (P=0.254) and peak I-V (P=0.364). Conclusions Auditory brainstem responses in presbycusis pa-tients elder than 90 years showed worse wave differentiation.

Effects of glutamate on distortion-product otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem responses in guinea pigs

Objectives To investigate changes in evoked potentials and structure of the guinea pig cochleae during whole cochlear perfusion with glutamate. Methods CM, CAP, DPOAE, and ABR were recorded as indicators of cochlear functions during whole cochlear perfusion. The morphology of the cochlea was studied via transmission electron microscopy. Results There were no significant changes in DPOAE amplitude before and after glutamate perfusion. CM I/O function remained nonlinear during perfusion. ABR latencies were delayed following glutamate perfusion. The average CAP threshold was elevated 35 dB SPL following glutamate perfusion.. The OHCs appeared normal, but the IHCs and afferent dendrites showed cytoplasmic blebs after glutamate perfusion. Conclusions While being a primary amino acid neurotransmitter at the synapses between hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons, excessive glutamate is neurotoxic and can destroy IHCs and spiral ganglion neurons. The technique used in this study can also be used to build an animal model of auditory neuropathy.

Neurophysiological characteristics in infants and young children with auditory neuropathy

Objective:To analyze neurophysiological characteristics in infants and young children with auditory neuropathy(AN) and explore their clinical significance.Methods: Audiological measurements(acoustic immittance, EOAEs, ABR, CM, MLR and ERPs) and peripheral neurological tests were conducted and evaluated in 13 infants and young children with AN. Six of them received high-resolution temporal bone CT scans and/or cerebral MRI examinations.Results: All of the children showed type “A” tympanograms with abseatation of stapedial reflexes. EOAEs were normal in 12 of 13 subjects. In one child who had a history of anoxia during the birth,the EOAEs were not elicited. Click-evoked ABRs were absent in 12 of 13 subjects when maximum output of the instrument was reached. The CM potentials were presented bilaterally in all individuals,which were independent of the EOAEs and ABR. Of eight cases tested,all had clear MLR and six showed normal ERPs(P300 and MMN). Peripheral neurological tests and radiological findings were within the normal ranges. Conclusion: The diagnosis of AN in infants and young children should focus on analyzing their neurophysiological characteristics,especially on CM,MLR and ERPs. Combined use of EOAEs, ABR and CM was recommended for hearing screening on newborns with high risk factors.

Building for Capturing Public Mind Through Ears： Evolution of Architectural Typology as a Mechanism of Auditory Deception and Urban Control

The paper takes the notion of soundscape and its relation to power relations within the scope of architecture. Indeed, sound has long been devised as a tool so as to control people and urban realm. The paper discusses the politics, aesthetics and social character of urban soundscape by elucidating the materialized shape of sound, that is to say; the close relationship between architecture and sound, between materiality of the physical form and its audio-spatial experience to understand how soundscape is controlled by architectural means for establishing power over masses and class segregation in various contexts. Similar to the case of physical-landscape, the soundscape in various types of buildings also manifests the idealized power relationships in any society through the control of sound in architectural space. Therefore, the auditory characteristics of these spatial precedents are elucidated in this study. It is argued that sound is a very political entity and auditory mechanisms are utilized for the purposes of both surveillance and suppression of political opponents. The paper intends to demonstrate that sound has a very dark history under the disguise of grandiose aesthetics, and thus, it is very important in establishing power. Spatial typologies are classified according to their auditory functions in relation to establishing power in urban realm.

Cerebral processing of auditory stimuli in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

AIM： To determine by brain functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI） whether cerebral processing of non-visceral stimuli is altered in irritable bowel syndrome （IBS） patients compared with healthy subjects. To circumvent spinal viscerosomatic convergence mechanisms, we used auditory stimulation, and to identify a possible influence of psychological factors the stimuli differed in their emotional quality. METHODS： In 8 IBS patients and 8 controls, fMRI measurements were performed using a block design of 4 auditory stimuli of different emotional quality （pleasant sounds of chimes, unpleasant peep （2000 Hz）, neutral words, and emotional words）. A gradient echo T2＊weighted sequence was used for the functional scans. Statistical maps were constructed using the general linear model. RESULTS： To emotional auditory stimuli, IBS patients relative to controls responded with stronger deactivations in a greater variety of emotional processing regions, while the response patterns, unlike in controls, did not differentiate between distressing or pleasant sounds. To neutral auditory stimuli, by contrast, only IBS patients responded with large significant activations. CONCLUSION： Altered cerebral response patterns to auditory stimuli in emotional stimulus-processing regions suggest that altered sensory processing in IBS may not be specific for visceral sensation, but might reflect generalized changes in emotional sensitivity and affectire reactivity, possibly associated with the psychological comorbidity often found in IBS patients.

Effect of Acupuncture on the Auditory Evoked Brain Stem Potential in Parkinson's Disease

Under the auditory evoked brain stem potential (ABP) examination, the latent period of V wave and the intermittent periods of III-V peak and I-V peak were significantly shortened in Parkinson's disease patients of the treatment group (N=29) after acupuncture treatment. The difference of cumulative scores in Webster's scale was also decreased in correlation analysis. The increase of dopamine in the brain and the excitability of the dopamine neurons may contribute to the therapeutic effects, in TCM terms, of subduing the pathogenic wind and tranquilizing the mind.……

Positive effects of music therapist's selected auditory stimulation on the autonomic nervous system of patients with disorder of consciousness: a randomized controlled trial

The current randomized controlled trial was performed at the China Rehabilitation Science Institute, China to test the hypothesis that musical auditory stimulation has positive effects on the autonomic nervous system of patients with disorder of consciousness.Although past studies have recommended that patients with disorder of consciousness listen to patient-preferred music, this practice is not universally accepted by researchers.Twenty patients with severe disorder of consciousness listened to either therapist-selected(n = 10, 6 males and 4 females;43.33 ± 18.76 years old) or patient-preferred(n = 10, 5 males and 5 females, 48.83 ± 18.79 years old) musical therapy, 30 minutes/day, 5 times/week for 6 weeks.The results showed no obvious differences in heart rate variability-related parameters including heart rate, standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals, and the root-mean-square of successive heartbeat interval differences of successive heartbeat intervals between the two groups of patients.However, percentage of differences exceeding 50 ms between adjacent normal number of intervals, low-frequency power/high-frequency power, high-frequency power norm, low-frequency power norm, and total power were higher in patients receiving therapist-selected music than in patients receiving their own preferred music.In contrast, this relationship was reversed for the high-frequency power and very-low-frequency band.These results suggest that compared with preferred musical stimulation, therapist-selected musical stimulation resulted in higher interactive activity of the autonomic nervous system.Therefore, therapist-selected musical stimulation should be used to arouse the autonomic nervous system of patients with disorder of consciousness.This study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of China Rehabilitation Research Center, China(approval No.2018-022-1) on March 12, 2018 and registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration number Chi CTR1800017809) on August 15, 2018.

Transcranial direct current stimulation for auditory verbal hallucinations:a systematic review of clinical trials

Transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)has been reportedly beneficial for different neurodegenerative disorders.tDCS has been reported as a potential adjunctive or alternative treatment for auditory verbal hallucination(AVH).This study aims to review the effects of tDCS on AVH in patients with schizophrenia through combining the evidence from randomized clinical trials(RCTs).The databases of PsycINFO(2000–2019),PubMed(2000–2019),EMBASE(2000–2019),CINAHL(2000–2019),Web of Science(2000–2019),and Scopus(2000–2019)were systematically searched.The clinical trials with RCT design were selected for final analysis.A total of nine RCTs were eligible and included in the review.Nine RCTs were included in the final analysis.Among them,six RCTs reported a significant reduction of AVH after repeated sessions of tDCS,whereas three RCTs did not show any advantage of active tDCS over sham tDCS.The current studies showed an overall decrease of approximately 28%of AVH after active tDCS and 10%after sham tDCS.The tDCS protocols targeting the sensorimotor frontal-parietal network showed greater treatment effects compared with the protocols targeting other regions.In this regard,cathodal tDCS over the left temporoparietal area showed inhibitory effects on AVHs.The most effective tDCS protocol on AVHs was twice-daily sessions(2 mA,20-minute duration)over 5 consecutive days(10 sessions)with the anode over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the cathode over the left temporal area.Some patient-specific and diseasespecific factors such as young age,nonsmoking status,and higher frequencies of AVHs seemed to be the predictors of treatment response.Taken together,the results of tDCS as an alternative treatment option for AVH show controversy among current literatures,since not all studies were positive.However,the studies targeting the same site of the brain showed that the tDCS could be a promising treatment option to reduce AVH.Further RCTs,with larger sample sizes,should be conducted to reach a conclusion on the efficacy of tDCS for AVH and to develop an effective therapeutic protocol for clinical setting.