IMPACT OF AUDITORY ATTENTION ON THE EFFERENT AUDITORY SYSTEM IN THE ABSENCE OF REAL AUDITORY TARGETS.

Authors

  • Wing Yiu Stephanie Wong University of Toronto
  • Aravind Kumar Namasivayam University of Toronto
  • Pascal H. H. M. van Lieshout <p>University of Toronto</p>

Abstract

Previous studies have compared visual and auditory attention to no task conditions and have demonstrated an attention driven modulation of the efferent auditory system (De Boer & Thornton, 2007; Maison et al., 2001). However, it is unclear whether these effects are modality-specific or a result of a generalized attentional processes. In the present study, 16 young adults observed facial speech gestures related to productions of vowels /a/ and /u/ in the presence of contralateral noise under two instructions: (a) visually count the number of /a/ productions and ignore contralateral noise (visual attention) and (b) to listen carefully and detect target sound /a/ embedded in contralateral noise (sham condition; auditory attention). These "œsham" trials did not have any acoustic targets and investigated the effect of auditory attention even when there was no real target. The influence of visual and auditory attention on the efferent auditory system were indirectly assessed by examining the effects of Contralateral Suppression on Transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CS-TEOAE paradigm; Collet et al., 1990). The Mean (S.D.) change from baseline for visual attention and auditory attention were 2.19 (1.98) and 1.88 (1.82), respectively. Cohen's d for the mean difference between the two conditions yielded a moderate positive effect size = 0.52. 12 out of 16 (75%; exact binomial test significant at one tailed p = 0.03) participants demonstrated a greater suppression of TEOAEs (mean difference = 0.31 dB SPL) in the sham/auditory attention condition relative to the visual attention condition. These effects are similar to those reported in the literature, wherein attention to stimuli in the contralateral ear increased OAE suppression (Harkrider & Bowers, 2009). Our results show that these effects are obtainable even in the absence of real auditory targets (i.e. without stimulus confound). Overall, these findings suggest a modality-specific attentional modulation of the efferent auditory system.

Author Biographies

Wing Yiu Stephanie Wong, University of Toronto

Research AssistantDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology

Aravind Kumar Namasivayam, University of Toronto

Adjunct LecturerDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology

Pascal H. H. M. van Lieshout, <p>University of Toronto</p>

ProfessorDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology

Additional Files

Published

2014-08-18

How to Cite

1.
Wong WYS, Namasivayam AK, van Lieshout PHHM. IMPACT OF AUDITORY ATTENTION ON THE EFFERENT AUDITORY SYSTEM IN THE ABSENCE OF REAL AUDITORY TARGETS. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2014 Aug. 18 [cited 2024 Nov. 23];42(3). Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/2701

Issue

Vol. 42 No. 3 (2014)

Section

Proceedings of the Acoustics Week in Canada

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