A proposed neural mechanism underlying auditory continuity illusions.
A numerical thought experiment was conducted to assess whether stimulus-specific, short-term changes in auditory neural responsiveness could explain the formation of auditory objects underlying the auditory continuity illusion. A tonotopic, two-layer feedforward network model with one time constant for synaptic weight augmentation based on firing rate, and an independent time constant for synaptic weight decay was presented with classical continuity illusion stimuli. The results suggest that the continuity illusion could, in principle, be explained by basic, duration-dependent auditory circuit behavior, which could emerge at either early or later stages of processing.
Vinnik
Ekaterina
E
Cognitive Neuroscience Sector, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Bonomea 265, Trieste 34136, Italy. lulswinnik@gmail.com
Itskov
Pavel
P
Balaban
Evan
E
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D001307:Auditory Perception; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D007088:Illusions; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D013997:Time Factors