PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SEMINAR WILL BEGIN AT 1pm IN ERB 203

Dr. Christoph E. Schreiner; Department of Otolaryngology & Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences; University of California

Title: Emergence of multidimensional sound processing in the central auditory system

Abstract:

The main goal of computational neuroscience of the auditory system is to quantitatively describe information processing in auditory centers.  Successful descriptions will link, and eventually account for, the principles of auditory processing from synaptic, cellular, network, and behavioral perspectives. Since processing is highly nonlinear, it precludes a single approach that can account for all naturally occurring stimulus configurations.  By using parametrically characterized sounds with some natural sound features, multi-dimensional linear/nonlinear processing models may reveal significant characteristics of central auditory behavior. We will discuss these models within the framework of spectro-temporal receptive fields and how they may be used to reveal transformations in sound processing between the auditory midbrain, thalamus, and cortex. These spectro-temporal receptive field models reveal that the nature of interacting receptive field components and the prevalence of nonlinear stimulus combination responses changes along the lemniscal pathway: compared to the mesencephalon and diencephalon, cortical processing showed significant increases in processing complexity, STRF cooperativity, and nonlinearity. Potential implications of these processing changes for the identification of auditory cortical functions and tasks will be discussed.

Seminar Information

Seminars are generally held on Fridays at 10:30 AM in Room 203 of 44 Cummington Street. (Exceptions in time or location will be noted for any talks that are different).