Abstract
We report the results of behavioral studies in cats conducted first, to demonstrate the presence of a monaural mechanism for the enhancement of signal to noise; and then to examine the necessity or sufficiency of the acoustic striae for this mechanism. The results show that cats do indeed have a monaural mechanism for enhancing the detection of tones in co-located background noise for noise levels at least as high as 60 dB SPL. The ablation-behavior results show that surgical section of the dorsal (DAS) and most of the intermediate (IAS) striae has no measurable effect on this mechanism. In sharp contrast, even partial section of the trapezoid body results in a profound and permanent deficit and this deficit is not accounted for by hearing loss alone. It is concluded that the ascending and descending fibers in the dorsal and intermediate acoustic striae are neither necessary nor sufficient for enhancing the detection of salient sounds in a noisy environment while the ascending or descending fibers in the ventral acoustic stria are sufficient and probably necessary.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.