The layering of auditory experiences in driving experience-dependent subcortical plasticity.
In this review article, we focus on recent studies of experiential influences on brainstem function. Using these studies as scaffolding, we then lay the initial groundwork for the Layering Hypothesis, which explicates how experiences combine to shape subcortical auditory function. Our hypothesis builds on the idea that the subcortical auditory system reflects the collective auditory experiences of an individual, including interactions with sound that occurred in the distant past. Our goal for this article is to begin to shift the field away from examining the effect of single experiences to examining how different auditory experiences layer or superimpose on each other. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled <Annual Reviews 2014>.
Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, 850 Bolton Street, Unit 1085, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Department of Psychology, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Cognitive Science Program, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA. Electronic address: erika.skoe@uconn.edu.
Erika
E
Skoe
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A1100, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Mental Health Research, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A1100, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A1100, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A1100, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Linguistics, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A1100, Austin, TX 78712, USA. Electronic address: bchandra@utexas.edu.
Bharath
B
Chandrasekaran
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D019303:Multilingualism; D009146:Music; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D013067:Speech Perception; D013997:Time Factors