Towards a neurophysiological correlate of the precedence effect: from psychoacoustics to electroencephalography

The general goal of this thesis was to find a neurophysiological correlate of the precedence effect in humans and to shed light on the question on which stage of the auditory pathway information related to the precedence effect is processed. Investigations were made by means of psychoacoustics and auditory evoked potentials (AEPs). Elaborate preparative psychoacoustical measurements were performed in order to investigate the perception of stimuli that evoke the precedence effect under conditions of AEP recordings, i.e., investigating adaptation effects employing continuous stimulation. Several and partly opposing adaptation effects could be separated which occur in dependence on the stimulus presentation mode and the paradigm. The precedence effect in AEP was examined by recording auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) as well as cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEP). Results show that ABR rather represent stimulus features while the perception of the stimulus, i.e., the precedence effect, is represented in the amplitude of the mismatch negativity, a component of the CAEP. This supports the hypothesis that the precedence effect is not generated at the brainstem level, but rather is a cortical phenomenon related to (pre-)cognitive processing. By combining two means of audiological research the present work succeeds in finding a neurophysiological correlate of a cognitive effect - the precedence effect - in the human auditory system.

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis.doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher

Universität Oldenburg

Year

2004

Author dc:creator

• Damaschke, Jörg

• [Keine Schlagwörter von Autor/in vergeben.]

Repository record source_url

http://oops.uni-oldenburg.de/169

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:oops.uni-oldenburg.de:169