On the auditory-evoked potential in relation to the IACC of sound field.

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation is to examine effects of the interaural crosscorrelation (IACC), relating to subjective diffuseness of sound field, on the auditory-evoked potential (AEP). Using a one-third octave bandpass-filtered noise with the center frequency of 500 Hz as a source signal, IACC ranging from 0.95 to 0.1 was controlled. AEPs to a pair of sounds, i.e., reference sound (IACC =0.95) and test sound (IACC =0.95, 0.75, 0.50, and 0.1), which were presented alternately, in order to compare the result with the subjective diffuseness function [Y. Ando and Y. Kurihara, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 80, 833-836 (1986)], were recorded from temporal areas. The information related to the IACC in response to test sounds appeared in latency components, in which a tendency of increasing latency with decreasing the magnitude of IACC was observed. It is noteworthy that the relationship between IACC and latency of AEP is found to be linear. These results may evidence of the existence of a set of neurons or a mechanism in the auditory brain system which respond to the IACC of sound field.