Cortical Circuits for Dynamic Auditory Perception
The long-term goal of our research is to identify the neuronal circuits and neuronal codes that support hearing and auditory memory and learning in complex acoustic environments. Auditory perception is shaped by the interaction of sensory inputs with our experiences, emotions, and cognitive states. Decades of research have characterized how neuronal response properties to basic sounds, such as tones or whistles, are transformed in the auditory pathway of passively listening subjects. Much less well-understood is how the brain creates a perceptual representation of a complex auditory scene, i.e., one that is composed of a myriad of sounds, and how this representation is shaped by learning and experience. Over the last six years, our laboratory has made transformative progress in the quantitative understanding of neuronal circuits supporting dynamic auditory perception, through a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological, optogenetic and computational approaches. Specifically, we have:
(1) Discovered a novel role for the auditory cortex in learning-driven changes in auditory acuity;
(2) Discovered a novel intra-cortical circuit supporting adaptation to temporal regularities in sounds;
(3) Identified computational mechanisms for encoding of complex sounds in the auditory cortex;
(4) Identified neural mechanisms underlying development of perception of environmental sounds and speech perception.
With these findings, our laboratory is positioned to make a breakthrough in the computational and theoretical understanding of audition over the next few years. Whereas the specific research projects in the laboratory focus on investigating distinct circuits involved in specific auditory functions, our aspiration is to develop a comprehensive computational framework for understanding neuronal dynamics in perception and memory. Our focus on the function these circuits in audition will pave the way for understanding processing across sensory modalities and brain regions.
Cortical Circuits for Dynamic Auditory Perception
The long-term goal of our research is to identify the neuronal circuits and neuronal codes that support hearing and auditory memory and learning in complex acoustic environments. Auditory perception is shaped by the interaction of sensory inputs with our experiences, emotions, and cognitive states. Decades of research have characterized how neuronal response properties to basic sounds, such as tones or whistles, are transformed in the auditory pathway of passively listening subjects. Much less well-understood is how the brain creates a perceptual representation of a complex auditory scene, i.e., one that is composed of a myriad of sounds, and how this representation is shaped by learning and experience. Over the last six years, our laboratory has made transformative progress in the quantitative understanding of neuronal circuits supporting dynamic auditory perception, through a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological, optogenetic and computational approaches. Specifically, we have:
(1) Discovered a novel role for the auditory cortex in learning-driven changes in auditory acuity;
(2) Discovered a novel intra-cortical circuit supporting adaptation to temporal regularities in sounds;
(3) Identified computational mechanisms for encoding of complex sounds in the auditory cortex;
(4) Identified neural mechanisms underlying development of perception of environmental sounds and speech perception.
With these findings, our laboratory is positioned to make a breakthrough in the computational and theoretical understanding of audition over the next few years. Whereas the specific research projects in the laboratory focus on investigating distinct circuits involved in specific auditory functions, our aspiration is to develop a comprehensive computational framework for understanding neuronal dynamics in perception and memory. Our focus on the function these circuits in audition will pave the way for understanding processing across sensory modalities and brain regions.
