The purpose of this study was to determine the physical elements which experienced trombonists associate with selected descriptors in characterizing the tone quality of that instrument. Stimuli sampled from live trombone tones and synthesized into musical phrases represented 17 variations in (1) presence/absence of attack transient, (2) rise time, (3) duration, (4) number of harmonics, (5) upper limit of harmonicity (6) spectral envelope shape, and (7) frequency.

This study compared auditory behavioral and physiologic measures in normal control subjects and subjects prescribed with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) who were yet to take the drug and those currently taking an SSRI. Test measures used were pure tone averages (PTA), acoustic reflex thresholds, uncomfortable loudness levels (UCL), otoacoustic emissions, masking level difference, temporal integration, amplitude resolution, and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in the amplitude resolution of the unmedicated group when compared to the medicated and the control group. There was also a significant positive correlation between dynamic range (difference between UCL and PTA) and amplitude resolution. The BDI-II revealed a significant difference between the scores of the unmedicated and the control group as well as the medicated and the control group. Although other test measures indicated differences between the groups, the differences were not statistically significant.

A fim de avaliar a confiabilidade de alguns dos testes que avaliam o Processamento Auditivo (PA), foi realizado um estudo do tipo teste-reteste desta avaliação, em um intervalo de uma semana e um mês entre as duas situações. O desempenho de 40 indivíduos foi analisado em relação à situação de teste e reteste, normalidade versus alteração e orelha testada. Verificou-se que os testes do PA, utilizados neste estudo, demonstraram sua confiabilidade por meio do teste-reteste / In order to verify the reliability of some Auditory Processing (AP) tests was carried out a test-retest study in a break of a week and a month between the two situations. The performance of 40 individuals was analyzed regarding the situation (test-retest), normality versus alteration and tested ear. It was confirmed that the AP tests used in this study indicated their reliability through the test-retest

OBJETIVOS: Estudar o efeito da atenção e do silêncio sustentado no aparecimento de percepções auditivas fantasma em adultos normo-ouvintes e a relação com características sócio-demográficas. MÉTODOS: Dentro de uma cabina acústica, 66 voluntários (18 a 65 anos, média etária 37,3 anos) realizaram três experimentos de cinco minutos cada, apresentados consecutivamente e em ordem aleatória. Dois desviavam a atenção do sistema auditivo (Hanói - H e Atenção Visual - AV) e outro a direcionava para ele (Atenção Auditiva - AA). Os sujeitos foram questionados sobre suas percepções auditivas e visuais. Em nenhum momento foram apresentados quaisquer sons ou mudanças na iluminação. RESULTADOS: 19,7% dos sujeitos experimentaram alguma percepção auditiva durante o experimento H, 68,2% durante o experimento AV e 68,2% durante o experimento AA, enquanto percepções visuais foram relatadas por 6,1%, 15,2% e 4,5% dos sujeitos para os mesmos três experimentos. A diferença na freqüência de percepções auditivas e visuais foi estatisticamente significativa, assim com a diferença na freqüência de percepções auditivas nos três experimentos. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa para o aparecimento de percepções auditivas ou visuais em relação às variáveis estudadas (idade, gênero, nível de instrução, hipertensão arterial, diabetes, história de tontura, história prévia de zumbido ou de exposição a níveis de pressão sonora elevados). Um maior número de percepções auditivas foi referido no experimento AA. Enquanto nos experimentos H e AV a maioria das percepções auditivas foi descrita como sons típicos de zumbido (apito, chiado, \"hum\", som de insetos ou de água corrente), no experimento AA 39,9% dos sujeitos (n=26) relataram a percepção de sons atípicos, mais compatíveis com vivências alucinatórias que com zumbido. CONCLUSÕES: Zumbido e alucinação auditiva podem ocorrer na população normal em ambiente silencioso, independente de idade, gênero, nível de instrução, hipertensão arterial, diabetes, história de tontura, zumbido, ou exposição prévia a níveis de pressão sonora elevados. A ativação concomitante da atenção auditiva contribuiu de maneira importante na quantidade e na qualidade das percepções auditivas fantasma. / OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of attention and sustained silence on the emergence of auditory phantom perception in normal hearing adults and social-demographics relations. METHODS: sitting in a sound booth, 66 volunteers (age range 18-65, mean age 37.3) performed three experiments of five minutes each, consecutively and randomly presented. Two deviated attention from auditory system, called Hanoi (H) and Visual Attention (VA) experiments and one drove attention to the auditory system, called Auditory Attention (AA). After each experiment, subjects were asked about their auditory and visual perception. No sound or light change was given at any moment. RESULTS: 19.7% of the subjects experienced auditory perceptions during H, 45.5% during VA and 68.2% during AA, while visual perceptions were experienced by 6.1%, 15.2% and 4.5% of the subjects for the same three experiments. The frequency of auditory and visual perception was statistically different, as well as the frequency of auditory perception among experiments. No significant differences for auditory perceptions emergence for studied variables were found (age, gender, instructional level, hypertension, diabetes, history of dizziness, history of tinnitus, previous exposure to high sound pressure levels). A higher prevalence of auditory perceptions was found on AA experiment. While on H and VA experiments most of the auditory perceptions were described as typical tinnitus sounds (whistle, buzzing, hum, insects and running water), on AA experiment 39,9% of the subjects (n=26) experienced non-typical tinnitus sounds, closer to hallucinatory experiences than to tinnitus. CONCLUSION: Tinnitus and auditory hallucination may occur in a non-clinical population in a silent environment, with no influences from age, gender, instructional level, hypertension, diabetes, history of dizziness, history of tinnitus, previous exposure to high sound pressure levels. Concomitant auditory attention seems to play an important role on the emergence of tinnitus.

OBJETIVOS: Estudar o efeito da atenção e do silêncio sustentado no aparecimento de percepções auditivas fantasma em adultos normo-ouvintes e a relação com características sócio-demográficas. MÉTODOS: Dentro de uma cabina acústica, 66 voluntários (18 a 65 anos, média etária 37,3 anos) realizaram três experimentos de cinco minutos cada, apresentados consecutivamente e em ordem aleatória. Dois desviavam a atenção do sistema auditivo (Hanói - H e Atenção Visual - AV) e outro a direcionava para ele (Atenção Auditiva - AA). Os sujeitos foram questionados sobre suas percepções auditivas e visuais. Em nenhum momento foram apresentados quaisquer sons ou mudanças na iluminação. RESULTADOS: 19,7% dos sujeitos experimentaram alguma percepção auditiva durante o experimento H, 68,2% durante o experimento AV e 68,2% durante o experimento AA, enquanto percepções visuais foram relatadas por 6,1%, 15,2% e 4,5% dos sujeitos para os mesmos três experimentos. A diferença na freqüência de percepções auditivas e visuais foi estatisticamente significativa, assim com a diferença na freqüência de percepções auditivas nos três experimentos. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa para o aparecimento de percepções auditivas ou visuais em relação às variáveis estudadas (idade, gênero, nível de instrução, hipertensão arterial, diabetes, história de tontura, história prévia de zumbido ou de exposição a níveis de pressão sonora elevados). Um maior número de percepções auditivas foi referido no experimento AA. Enquanto nos experimentos H e AV a maioria das percepções auditivas foi descrita como sons típicos de zumbido (apito, chiado, \"hum\", som de insetos ou de água corrente), no experimento AA 39,9% dos sujeitos (n=26) relataram a percepção de sons atípicos, mais compatíveis com vivências alucinatórias que com zumbido. CONCLUSÕES: Zumbido e alucinação auditiva podem ocorrer na população normal em ambiente silencioso, independente de idade, gênero, nível de instrução, hipertensão arterial, diabetes, história de tontura, zumbido, ou exposição prévia a níveis de pressão sonora elevados. A ativação concomitante da atenção auditiva contribuiu de maneira importante na quantidade e na qualidade das percepções auditivas fantasma. / OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of attention and sustained silence on the emergence of auditory phantom perception in normal hearing adults and social-demographics relations. METHODS: sitting in a sound booth, 66 volunteers (age range 18-65, mean age 37.3) performed three experiments of five minutes each, consecutively and randomly presented. Two deviated attention from auditory system, called Hanoi (H) and Visual Attention (VA) experiments and one drove attention to the auditory system, called Auditory Attention (AA). After each experiment, subjects were asked about their auditory and visual perception. No sound or light change was given at any moment. RESULTS: 19.7% of the subjects experienced auditory perceptions during H, 45.5% during VA and 68.2% during AA, while visual perceptions were experienced by 6.1%, 15.2% and 4.5% of the subjects for the same three experiments. The frequency of auditory and visual perception was statistically different, as well as the frequency of auditory perception among experiments. No significant differences for auditory perceptions emergence for studied variables were found (age, gender, instructional level, hypertension, diabetes, history of dizziness, history of tinnitus, previous exposure to high sound pressure levels). A higher prevalence of auditory perceptions was found on AA experiment. While on H and VA experiments most of the auditory perceptions were described as typical tinnitus sounds (whistle, buzzing, hum, insects and running water), on AA experiment 39,9% of the subjects (n=26) experienced non-typical tinnitus sounds, closer to hallucinatory experiences than to tinnitus. CONCLUSION: Tinnitus and auditory hallucination may occur in a non-clinical population in a silent environment, with no influences from age, gender, instructional level, hypertension, diabetes, history of dizziness, history of tinnitus, previous exposure to high sound pressure levels. Concomitant auditory attention seems to play an important role on the emergence of tinnitus.

Magister Educationis - MEd / This study investigated the factors that impacted positively or militated against the implementation of a learning support programme (ISP) in grade R classes at two primary schools located in the same poor socio-economic area within the Cape Metropole of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Learner Support Teachers used this programme to enhance learning in grade R and was called an Intervention Support Programme (ISP). The purpose of the ISP was to improve the school readiness skills of the Grade R learners in four domains: language development, gross and fine motor skills, auditory perceptual skills and visual perception. The study followed a qualitative research approach and was guided by a case study research design. The sample comprised both designers as well as implementers of the ISP who were school-based as well as education district-based officials to explore their views and/or experiences of the ISP. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews after all ethical protocols were followed. The data was analysed using a thematic approach. The findings highlighted, that despite the learners experiencing barriers to learning, they improved by participating in the ISP. The study identified the following factors that facilitated the successful implementation of the ISP: the grade R teachers and LSTs’ work experience and qualifications, their positive attitudes and commitment towards teaching, the designers, implementers and grade one teachers’ positive views about the ISP, the constant review of the ISP, and adapting the ISP to suit local learning and teaching contexts of the schools. The study also identified the following factors that militated against the successful implementation of the ISP: the non- involvement of the ISP implementers (grade R teachers and LSTs) in the input and design of the ISP, the nonalignment of the school curriculum (CAPS) with the ISP, the manner in which ISP leaners were selected, time constraints regarding the delivery of the curriculum, the non- or under-involvement of parents and the community in their children’s schooling, the non-involvement of principals in the ISP and the unrealistic expectations of the district- based officials with regard to the ISP. The study also makes recommendations about how the ISP could be improved to enhance its effectiveness.

Vocal communicators such as humans and songbirds rely on their auditory systems to learn, recognize, and encode acoustic features of communication vocalizations. Yet it remains unclear how varying behavioral, experimental, and developmental contexts impact neural coding in the songbird auditory system. In this dissertation I demonstrate that experimental and behavioral contexts relating to arousal are sufficient to alter neural excitability in a way that has implications for neural coding in the songbird auditory system. First I show that urethane, a common anesthetic used in neurophysiological studies of songbird and mammalian auditory neurons, suppresses neural excitability but does not alter spectrotemporal tuning or neural discrimination in single auditory midbrain neurons. Next, I demonstrate that neurons in the songbird primary auditory cortical region Field L are sensitive to local concentrations of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter involved mediating changes in arousal and behavioral state. Lastly, I report the results of a developmental study that demonstrates experience-dependent changes in temporal and spectral tuning in songbird auditory cortical neurons during vocal learning. These developmental effects were found to have region and cell-type specificity, and highlight potential functional roles for dorsal and ventral auditory cortical neurons in the songbird auditory cortex. The findings reported here have important implications for future studies into the neurophysiology of vocal learning.

In Experiment I, I tested for the demonstration of Naming after presentation of Naming experiences that included an additional sensory experience (i.e., auditory non-speech stimulus) not presented during previous Naming studies. Probes were then conducted to test for the 4 dependent variables: 1) presence of listener half of Naming to visual stimuli, 2) the presence of the speaker half of Naming to visual stimuli, 3) the presence of the listener half of Naming to auditory non-speech stimuli, and 4) the presence of the speaker half of Naming to auditory non-speech stimuli. Following the first round of probes, all 6 participants demonstrated the listener half of Naming for visual stimuli, indicating that visual stimuli functioned as conditioned reinforcement for observing. In addition, following 3-4 probe sessions with the same set of stimuli, all participants emitted criterion-level responses for each of the four dependent variables. In Experiment II, using a multiple probe design across participants with participants who demonstrated conditioned reinforcement for observing visual stimuli, I tested whether repeated probes with sets of stimuli as an intervention would function to establish conditioned reinforcement for spoken and non-spoken auditory stimuli. In addition, I conducted two sets of probes during each pre and post- intervention probe session, one using a non-contrived stimuli set and another using a contrived stimuli set, to test whether there is a difference in the demonstration of Naming when assessed with non-contrived versus contrived stimuli. Results indicated overall increases in correct untaught listener and speaker responses during post-intervention probe sessions to novel sets of both contrived and non-contrived visual and auditory non-speech stimuli across all participants. In Experiment III, using a multiple probe design across participants, I tested the effects of the repeated probe procedure on the emergence of Naming for contrived visual and auditory stimuli, with 6 participants who demonstrated full Naming with non-contrived stimuli. During pre-intervention probes, all 6 participants demonstrated the listener half of Naming for contrived visual stimuli, but did not demonstrate the listener half of Naming for contrived auditory stimuli nor the speaker half of Naming for both contrived visual and auditory stimuli. Intervention was conducted in the same way as in Experiment II, but with only contrived stimuli sets. During post-intervention probes, all participants demonstrated criterion-level or close to criterion-level responding for untaught listener and speaker responses with a novel set of contrived visual and auditory stimuli. Results of the three studies combined suggested that simply having the listener component of Naming for visual stimuli and repeated exposures to visual and auditory stimuli may establish stimulus control for spoken and non-spoken contrived auditory stimuli. These increases in stimulus control are educationally significant, as they allow individuals to contact new stimuli in the environment, allowing for possibilities of learning multiple responses as well as multiple features of stimuli. Results also suggested that the demonstration of Naming with contrived stimuli may be a type of Naming cusp that is not necessarily present in individuals who demonstrate Naming with non-contrived stimuli. Educational implications of these findings, limitations, and future research are then discussed.

Vocal communication relies on the ability of listeners to identify, process, and respond to vocal sounds produced by others in complex environments. In order to accurately recognize these signals, animals’ auditory systems must robustly represent acoustic features that distinguish vocal sounds from other environmental sounds. In this dissertation, I describe experiments combining acoustic, behavioral, and neurophysiological approaches to identify behaviorally relevant vocalization features and understand how they are represented in the brain. First, I show that vocal responses to communication sounds in songbirds depend on the presence of specific spectral signatures of vocalizations. Second, I identify an anatomically localized neural population in the auditory cortex that shows selective responses for behaviorally relevant sounds. Third, I show that these neurons’ spectral selectivity is robust to acoustic context, indicating that they could function as spectral signature detectors in a variety of listening conditions. Last, I deconstruct neural selectivity for behaviorally relevant sounds and show that it is driven by a sensitivity to deep fluctuations in power along the sound frequency spectrum. Together, these results show that the processing of behaviorally relevant spectral features engages a specialized neural population in the auditory cortex, and elucidate an acoustic driver of vocalization selectivity.

Este estudo teve por objetivo avaliar o site Curso de Sistema de Frequência Modulada para Professores, como instrumento de capacitação de professores que tenham em sala de aula alunos com deficiência auditiva usuários de Aparelho de Amplificação Sonora Individual (AASI) e/ou Implante Coclear (IC) acoplados ao Sistema de Frequência Modulada (FM). O site foi avaliado por professores da Rede Estadual e Privada da cidade de Bauru e também por professores do Colégio do Serviço Social da Indústria (SESI), quanto aos aspectos de qualidade técnica e de conteúdo. Participaram, no total, 65 professores com idade média de 40 anos e todos com curso superior em sua formação. Os professores após navegarem no site preencheram anonimamente um questionário online disponível no site com questões sobre dados demográficos, conhecimento do professor sobre o seu aluno, formação complementar e uso da internet. Também responderam às questões sobre a qualidade técnica do site por meio do questionário Emory, que compreende as subescalas precisão, autores, atualizações, público, navegação, links e estrutura e conteúdo do site. Os professores não manifestaram dificuldades para responder ao questionário, tendo como média de preenchimento do questionário 33 minutos e 14 segundos. Os mesmos também demonstraram não ter experiência com as questões da deficiência auditiva de um modo geral (perda auditiva, localização, grau da perda, acústica em sala, uso do sistema de FM, dentre outras). Foi possível verificar que 53,84% dos professores utilizam a internet frequentemente. O site obteve como pontuação geral 87,64% no questionário Emory, considerado como sendo adequado. No estudo das subescalas isoladamente foi verificado que os aspectos \"conteúdo\", \"autores\", \"atualizações\", \"público\" e \"links\" relacionados ao questionário Emory tiveram pontuação como sendo excelente (acima de 90%). As subescalas \"navegação\" e \"estrutura\" foram classificadas como sendo adequadas (pontuação 76,53% e 78,84%, respectivamente). O aspecto \"precisão\" do site obteve a pontuação de 68,2%, revelando necessidade de revisão. Os professores avaliaram o seu conhecimento prévio antes de navegar no conteúdo do site como sendo ruim e satisfeito e após navegarem no site eles avaliaram que o site ajudou muito e também estavam muito satisfeitos com o conteúdo. O site foi considerado pelos participantes como sendo uma ferramenta importante para ajudá-los no dia a dia com o aluno com a deficiência auditiva. / This study aimed to evaluate the site \"Course Frequency Modulation System for Teachers \", as a tool for teachers who have students in the classroom for hearing -impaired users Individual hearing aids (HA) and cochlear implants (CI) coupled to the Frequency Modulation (FM) System. The site was evaluated by teachers of state and private systems of Bauru city and also by teachers of the Colégio do Serviço Social da Indústria (SESI), on the aspects of technical quality and content. A total of 65 teachers, whose average age was 40 years old and all of them were college graduated, participated in the evaluation. After navigating the site, anonymously filled an online questionnaire about demographic data, teacher´s knowledge about his/her student, complementary training and internet usage. They also answered the questions about technical quality of the site through the questionnaire Emory, which includes the subscales accuracy, authors, updates, public, navigation, links and the site structure and content. The teachers did not have problems to answer the questionnaire, and the average time of filling it was 33 minutes and 14 seconds. They also demonstrated to have no experience with hearing impairment questions in general (hearing loss, location, hearing loss degree, classroom acoustics, usage of FM System, and others). It was possible to verify that 53,84% of teachers use the internet frequently. The site obtained as 87,64% general score on the questionnaire Emory, considered to be appropriate. Analyzing the subscales separately, the aspect \"content\", \"author\", \"update\", \"public\" and \"links\" related to the questionnaire Emory scored as excellent (above 90%). The subscales \"navigation\" and \"structure\" were classified appropriate (score 76.53% and 78.84%, respectively). The aspect of \"accuracy\" of the site received a score of 68.2%, revealing a need for review. Before navigating the site content, teachers rated their previous knowledge as \"poor\" and \"satisfied\"; after navigating the site, they assessed the site \"helped a lot\" and \"helped\", and they were very satisfied about the content. The site was considered by the participants as an important tool to help them in day-to-day to work with hearing-impaired students.