title: Characteristics of spectro-temporal modulation frequency selectivity in humans.
abstract: There is increasing evidence that the auditory system shows frequency selectivity for spectro-temporal modulations. A recent study of the authors has shown spectro-temporal modulation masking patterns that were in agreement with the hypothesis of spectro-temporal modulation filters in the human auditory system [Oetjen and Verhey (2015). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 137(2), 714-723]. In the present study, that experimental data and additional data were used to model this spectro-temporal frequency selectivity. The additional data were collected to investigate to what extent the spectro-temporal modulation-frequency selectivity results from a combination of a purely temporal amplitude-modulation filter and a purely spectral amplitude-modulation filter. In contrast to the previous study, thresholds were measured for masker and target modulations with opposite directions, i.e., an upward pointing target modulation and a downward pointing masker modulation. The comparison of this data set with previous corresponding data with the same direction from target and masker modulations indicate that a specific spectro-temporal modulation filter is required to simulate all aspects of spectro-temporal modulation frequency selectivity. A model using a modified Gabor filter with a purely temporal and a purely spectral filter predicts the spectro-temporal modulation masking data.
authors.affiliation: Acoustics group, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky Strasse 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oetjen
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Audiology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jesko L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Verhey
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D010898:Pitch Perception; D013997:Time Factors; D013998:Time Perception