Experience-related changes in the adult auditory system
Abstract
Changes in the auditory environment, as a result of deprivation or stimulation, modify our sensory experience and may result in experience-related or learning-induced reorganisation within the central nervous system. Electrophysiological and imaging techniques have revealed reorganisation of the adult human auditory map, for example, after sudden unilateral hearing loss. In parallel to these studies, there is behavioural evidence that auditory function can be modified by changing the acoustic environment; for example, experience with amplification may have consequences for long-term performance. Future studies could usefully unite these behavioural and advanced objective techniques in order to provide a direct link between changes in perception and reorganisation of the auditory system. In this paper, we summarise our work investigating changes in perceptual and physiological measures, in adult humans, after the sensory environment has been modified by: (i) amplification, (ii) short-term sound treatment, and (iii) unilateral deafness. The findings are consistent with the growing body of literature that shows that the mature central auditory system is malleable and is modified by experience.References
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Dawes, P., Munro, K.J., Kalluri, S., and Edwards, B. (2013a). “Unilateral and bilateral hearing aids, spatial release from masking and auditory acclimatization,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 134, 596-606.
Dawes, P., Munro, K.J., Kalluri, S., and Edwards, B. (2013b). “Brainstem processing following unilateral and bilateral hearing-aid amplification,” NeuroReport, 24, 271-275.
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Gatehouse, S., and Noble, W. (2004). “The Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ),” Int. J. Audiol., 43, 85-99.
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Hine, J., Thornton, R., Davis, A., and Debener, S. (2008). “Does long-term unilateral deafness change auditory evoked potential asymmetries?,” Clin. Neurophysiol., 119, 576-586.
Langers, D.R., van Dijk, P., and Backes, W.H. (2005). “Lateralization, connectivity and plasticity in the human central auditory system,” Neuroimage, 28, 490-499.
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Maslin, M.R., Munro, K.J., and El-Deredy, W. (2013b). “Source analysis reveals plasticity in the auditory cortex: evidence for reduced hemispheric asymmetries following unilateral deafness,” Clin. Neurophysiol., 124, 391-399.
Maslin, M.R., Munro, K.J., and El-Deredy, W. (2013c). “Evidence for multiple mechanisms of cortical plasticity: A study of humans with late-onset profound unilateral deafness,” Clin. Neurophysiol., 124, 1414-1421.
Moore, D.R., and King, A.J. (2004). “Plasticity of binaural systems,” in Springer Handbook of Auditory Research. Edited by T.N. Parks, E.W. Rubel, R.R. Fay, and A.N. Popper (Springer-Verlag, New York), pp. 96-172.
Munro, K.J., and Lutman, M.E. (2003). “The effect of speech presentation level on measurement of auditory acclimatization to amplified speech,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 114, 484-495.
Munro, K.J., Pisareva, N.Y., Parker, D.J., and Purdy, S.C. (2007). “Asymmetry in the auditory brainstem response following experience of monaural amplification,” NeuroReport, 18, 1871-1874.
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Munro, K.J., and Blount, J. (2009). “Adaptive plasticity in brainstem of adult listeners following earplug-induced deprivation (L),” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 126, 568-571.
Munro, K.J., and Merrett, J.F. (2013). “Brainstem plasticity and modified loudness following short-term use of hearing aids,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 133, 343-349.
Munro, K.J., Turtle, C., and Schaette, R. (submitted). “Sub-cortical plasticity and modified loudness following short-term unilateral deprivation: evidence of multiple neural gain mechanisms within the auditory system,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
Palmer, C.V., Nelson, C.T., and Lindley, G.A. (1998). “The functionally and physiologically plastic adult auditory system,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 103, 1705-1721.
Ramachandran, V.S., Stewart, M., and Rogers-Ramachandran, D.S. (1992). “Perceptual correlates of massive cortical reorganization,” Neuroreport, 3, 583-586.
Reber, M.B., and Komopis, M. (2005). “Acclimatization in first-time hearing aid users using three different fitting protocols,” Auris Nasis Larynx, 32, 345-351.
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Schaette, R., Turtle, C., and Munro K.J. (2012). “Reversible induction of phantom auditory sensations through simulated unilateral hearing loss,” PLos ONE, 7, e35238.
Scheffler, K., Bilecen, D., Schmid, N., Tschopp, K., and Seelig, J. (1998). “Auditory cortical responses in hearing subjects and unilateral deaf patients as detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging,” Cereb. Cortex, 8, 156-163.
Slattery, W.H., 3rd, and Middlebrooks, J.C. (1994). “Monaural sound localization: acute versus chronic unilateral impairment," Hear. Res., 75, 38-46.
Taylor, K.S. (1993). “Self-perceived and audiometric evaluations of hearing aid benefit in the elderly,” Ear Hearing, 14, 390-394.
Turner, C.W., Humes, L.E., Bentler, R.A., and Cox, R.M. (1996). “A review of past research on changes in hearing aid benefit over time,” Ear Hearing, 17, 14S-25S.
Turner, C.W., and Bentler, R.A. (1998). “Does hearing aid benefit increase over time?” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 104, 3673-3674.
Turrigano, G.G. (1999). “Homeostatic plasticity in neuronal networks: the more things change, the more they stay the same,” Trends Neurosci., 22, 221-227.
Vasama, J.P., Marttila, T., Lahin, T., and Makela, J.P. (2001). “Auditory pathway function after vestibular schwannoma surgery,” Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 121, 378-383.
Weir Mitchell, S., (1871). “Phantom Limbs,” Lippincott’s Mag., 8, 563-569.
Yang, T.T., Gallen, C., Schwartz, B., Bloom, F.E., Ramachandran, V.S., and Cobb, S. (1994), “Sensory maps in the human brain,” Nature, 368, 592-593.
Bentler, R.A., Neibuhr, D.P., and Getta, J.P. (1993). “Longitudinal study of hearing aid effectiveness. I Objective measures,” J. Speech Lang. Hear. Res., 36, 808-819.
Bertoli, S., Probst, R., and Bodmer, D. (2011). “Late auditory evoked potentials in elderly long-term hearing-aid users with unilateral or bilateral fittings,” Hear. Res., 280, 58-69.
Borg, E. (1973). “On the neural organisation of the acoustic middle ear reflex,” Brain Res., 49, 101-123.
Cox, R.M., Alexander, G.C., Taylor, I.M., and Gray, C.A. (1997). “The contour test of loudness perception,” Ear. Hearing, 18, 338-400.
Dawes, P., Munro, K.J., Kalluri, S., and Edwards, B. (2013a). “Unilateral and bilateral hearing aids, spatial release from masking and auditory acclimatization,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 134, 596-606.
Dawes, P., Munro, K.J., Kalluri, S., and Edwards, B. (2013b). “Brainstem processing following unilateral and bilateral hearing-aid amplification,” NeuroReport, 24, 271-275.
Dawes, P., Munro, K.J., Kalluri, S., and Edwards, B. (submitted). “Hearing aid use-related auditory acclimatization: Late auditory evoked potentials and speech recognition following unilateral and bilateral hearing-aid amplification”, J. Assoc. Res. Oto.
Dawes, P., Munro, K.J., Kalluri, S., and Edwards, B. (in press). “Acclimatization to hearing aids,” Ear Hearing.
Gatehouse, S. (1989). “Apparent auditory deprivation effects of late onset: The role of presentation level,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 86, 2103-2106.
Gatehouse, S. (1992). “The time course and magnitude of perceptual acclimatization to frequency responses: Evidence from monaural fitting of hearing aids,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 92, 1258-1268.
Gatehouse, S., and Noble, W. (2004). “The Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ),” Int. J. Audiol., 43, 85-99.
Gatehouse, S., and Robinson, K. (1996). “Acclimatization to monaural hearing aid fitting – effects on loudness functions and preliminary evidence for parallel electrophysiological and behavioural effects,” in Psychoacoustics, Speech and Hearing Aids. Edited by B. Kollmeier (World Scientific, Singapore), pp. 319-330.
Hine, J., Thornton, R., Davis, A., and Debener, S. (2008). “Does long-term unilateral deafness change auditory evoked potential asymmetries?,” Clin. Neurophysiol., 119, 576-586.
Langers, D.R., van Dijk, P., and Backes, W.H. (2005). “Lateralization, connectivity and plasticity in the human central auditory system,” Neuroimage, 28, 490-499.
Maslin, M.R.D., Munro, K.J., Lim, V.K., Purdy, S.C., and Hall, A.D. (2013a). “Investigation of cortical and sub-cortical plasticity following short-term unilateral auditory deprivation in normal hearing adults,” NeuroReport, 24, 287-291.
Maslin, M.R., Munro, K.J., and El-Deredy, W. (2013b). “Source analysis reveals plasticity in the auditory cortex: evidence for reduced hemispheric asymmetries following unilateral deafness,” Clin. Neurophysiol., 124, 391-399.
Maslin, M.R., Munro, K.J., and El-Deredy, W. (2013c). “Evidence for multiple mechanisms of cortical plasticity: A study of humans with late-onset profound unilateral deafness,” Clin. Neurophysiol., 124, 1414-1421.
Moore, D.R., and King, A.J. (2004). “Plasticity of binaural systems,” in Springer Handbook of Auditory Research. Edited by T.N. Parks, E.W. Rubel, R.R. Fay, and A.N. Popper (Springer-Verlag, New York), pp. 96-172.
Munro, K.J., and Lutman, M.E. (2003). “The effect of speech presentation level on measurement of auditory acclimatization to amplified speech,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 114, 484-495.
Munro, K.J., Pisareva, N.Y., Parker, D.J., and Purdy, S.C. (2007). “Asymmetry in the auditory brainstem response following experience of monaural amplification,” NeuroReport, 18, 1871-1874.
Munro, K.J. (2008). “Reorganization of the adult auditory system: Perceptual and physiological evidence from monaural fitting of hearing aids,” Trends Ampl., 12, 254-271.
Munro, K.J., and Blount, J. (2009). “Adaptive plasticity in brainstem of adult listeners following earplug-induced deprivation (L),” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 126, 568-571.
Munro, K.J., and Merrett, J.F. (2013). “Brainstem plasticity and modified loudness following short-term use of hearing aids,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 133, 343-349.
Munro, K.J., Turtle, C., and Schaette, R. (submitted). “Sub-cortical plasticity and modified loudness following short-term unilateral deprivation: evidence of multiple neural gain mechanisms within the auditory system,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
Palmer, C.V., Nelson, C.T., and Lindley, G.A. (1998). “The functionally and physiologically plastic adult auditory system,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 103, 1705-1721.
Ramachandran, V.S., Stewart, M., and Rogers-Ramachandran, D.S. (1992). “Perceptual correlates of massive cortical reorganization,” Neuroreport, 3, 583-586.
Reber, M.B., and Komopis, M. (2005). “Acclimatization in first-time hearing aid users using three different fitting protocols,” Auris Nasis Larynx, 32, 345-351.
Saunders, G.H., and Cienkowski, K.M. (1997). “Acclimatization to hearing aids,” Ear Hearing, 18, 129-139.
Schaette, R., Turtle, C., and Munro K.J. (2012). “Reversible induction of phantom auditory sensations through simulated unilateral hearing loss,” PLos ONE, 7, e35238.
Scheffler, K., Bilecen, D., Schmid, N., Tschopp, K., and Seelig, J. (1998). “Auditory cortical responses in hearing subjects and unilateral deaf patients as detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging,” Cereb. Cortex, 8, 156-163.
Slattery, W.H., 3rd, and Middlebrooks, J.C. (1994). “Monaural sound localization: acute versus chronic unilateral impairment," Hear. Res., 75, 38-46.
Taylor, K.S. (1993). “Self-perceived and audiometric evaluations of hearing aid benefit in the elderly,” Ear Hearing, 14, 390-394.
Turner, C.W., Humes, L.E., Bentler, R.A., and Cox, R.M. (1996). “A review of past research on changes in hearing aid benefit over time,” Ear Hearing, 17, 14S-25S.
Turner, C.W., and Bentler, R.A. (1998). “Does hearing aid benefit increase over time?” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 104, 3673-3674.
Turrigano, G.G. (1999). “Homeostatic plasticity in neuronal networks: the more things change, the more they stay the same,” Trends Neurosci., 22, 221-227.
Vasama, J.P., Marttila, T., Lahin, T., and Makela, J.P. (2001). “Auditory pathway function after vestibular schwannoma surgery,” Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 121, 378-383.
Weir Mitchell, S., (1871). “Phantom Limbs,” Lippincott’s Mag., 8, 563-569.
Yang, T.T., Gallen, C., Schwartz, B., Bloom, F.E., Ramachandran, V.S., and Cobb, S. (1994), “Sensory maps in the human brain,” Nature, 368, 592-593.
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Published
2013-12-15
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Munro, K. J., Dawes, P., & Maslin, M. (2013). Experience-related changes in the adult auditory system. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research, 4, 159–169. Retrieved from https://proceedings.isaar.eu/index.php/isaarproc/article/view/2013-17
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2013/3. Plasticity and auditory disorders
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