New pathways in brain’s amygdala discovered
Study provides evidence of the existence of a long-rage inhibitory pathway from the auditory cortex to the amygdala in the brains of mice. ... Read More...
auditory neuroscience
Enjoyment of pop music classics linked to combination of uncertainty and surprise
Combining neuroimaging data with machine learning, researchers report musical pleasure depends on a dynamic interplay between prospective and retrospective states of expectation.... Read More...
Drug combination reverses hypersensitivity to noise
Summary: Treating mouse models of autism with modafinil and EBIO reduced hypersensitivity to noise.Source: MITPeople with autism often experience hypers... Read More...
How background noise affects brain activity
Researchers noted alterations in brain activity during cognitive tasks when playing outdoor sounds in the background. Findings shed light on how the environment affects how we perceive the world around us and how we tune out to background noises.... Read More...
How the brain dials up the volume to hear someone in a crowd
When a person listens to another person talking, their brain waves alter to select specific features of the speaker's voice and tune out other voices.... Read More...
The propensity to hear ‘voices’ in Schizophrenia may be established by infancy
People with schizophrenia who experience auditory hallucinations have greater activation in specific areas of the auditory cortex in response to sound frequencies. The mapping of sound frequency in the auditory cortex is scrambled in those with schizophrenia, suggesting a disruption in the normal processes for organized sound representation in the brain. As the tonotopic map is established during infancy and remains stable throughout life, the findings suggest vulnerability for auditory hallucinations is linked to defects in the organization of the auditory system during infantile development. This precedes speech development and the onset of psychiatric symptoms.... Read More...
Mild-to-moderate hearing loss in children leads to changes in how brain processes sound
The brain activity response to sound in older children with hearing loss was lower than their peers with normal hearing.... Read More...
How the brain repurposes unused regions
There is an underlying organization that dictates how the visual cortex is repurposed in blind people, which is not random. ... Read More...
Why is the brain disturbed by harsh sounds?
Harsh noises, such as alarm bells and sirens, hold the brain's attention by stimulating its aversion networks. ... Read More...
Did a common childhood illness take down the Neanderthals?
First anatomical reconstruction of the Neanderthal cartilaginous Eustachian tube (CET) indicates the tubal morphology may have predisposed them to high rates of otitis media, a common childhood ear infection. The susceptibility to ear infections may have compromised their fitness and ability to compete within their niche. This may have contributed to their rapid extinction.... Read More...
Perception of musical pitch varies across cultures
How people interpret musical notes depends on the type of music they are culturally accustomed to.... Read More...
Brain imaging shows how nonverbal children with autism have slower response to sounds
Nonverbal children on the autism spectrum have a slower response to auditory stimulation. The longer response times were associated with poor communication skills. Brain imaging of the auditory cortex could serve as a biomarker for measuring the likelihood of language impairment in those with ASD.... Read More...