Zwicker tone illusion and noise reduction in the auditory system.
The Zwicker tone is an auditory aftereffect. For instance, after switching off a broadband noise with a spectral gap, one perceives it as a lingering pure tone with the pitch in the gap. It is a unique illusion in that it cannot be explained by known properties of the auditory periphery alone. Here we introduce a neuronal model explaining the Zwicker tone. We show that a neuronal noise-reduction mechanism in conjunction with dominantly unilateral inhibition explains the effect. A pure tone's "hole burning" in noisy surroundings is given as an illustration.
Franosch
Jan-Moritz P
JM
Physik Department, TU München, 85747 Garching bei München, Munich, Germany.
Kempter
Richard
R
Fastl
Hugo
H
van Hemmen
J Leo
JL
D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009622:Noise