Neural Correlates of the Binaural Masking Level Difference in Human Frequency-Following Responses

摘要

The binaural masking level difference (BMLD) is an auditory phenomenon where binaural tone-in-noise detection is improved when the phase of either signal or noise is inverted in one of the ears (S pi No or SoN pi, respectively), relative to detection when signal and noise are in identical phase at each ear (SoNo). Processing related to BMLDs and interaural time differences has been confirmed in the auditory brainstem of non-human mammals; in the human auditory brainstem, phase-locked neural responses elicited by BMLD stimuli have not been systematically examined across signal-to-noise ratio. Behavioral and physiological testing was performed in three binaural stimulus conditions: SoNo, S pi No, and SoN pi. BMLDs at 500 Hz were obtained from 14 young, normal-hearing adults (ages 21-26). Physiological BMLDs used the frequency-following response (FFR), a scalp-recorded auditory evoked potential dependent on sustained phase-locked neural activity; FFR tone-in-noise detection thresholds were used to calculate physiological BMLDs. FFR BMLDs were significantly smaller (poorer) than behavioral BMLDs, and FFR BMLDs did not reflect a physiological release from masking, on average. Raw FFR amplitude showed substantial reductions in the S pi No condition relative to SoNo and SoN pi conditions, consistent with negative effects of phase summation from left and right ear FFRs. FFR amplitude differences between stimulus conditions (e.g., SoNo amplitude-S pi No amplitude) were significantly predictive of behavioral S pi No BMLDs; individuals with larger amplitude differences had larger (better) behavioral B MLDs and individuals with smaller amplitude differences had smaller (poorer) behavioral B MLDs. These data indicate a role for sustained phase-locked neural activity in BMLDs of humans and are the first to show predictive relationships between behavioral BMLDs and human brainstem responses.