Objective: This present study aimed to evaluate whether cochlear implant (CI) surgery influences the patients’ postoperative work ability. Additionally, the influence of demographic, audiometric, and psychometric parameters on postoperative work ability was determined. This study also explored the contrasting relationship between the postoperative work ability of employed as well as pensioned patients and the above-mentioned influencing factors. Methods: In this prospective study, 79 patients were included. They responded to questionnaires and audiometric testing preoperatively and twelve months postoperatively. Work ability was evaluated with the Work Ability Index (WAI). Disease-specific health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) was determined using the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) and generic HRQoL was analyzed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life: Best Available Techniques Reference (WHO-QOL-BREF). Mental disorders (depression, somatoform disorder, stress) were assessed with the German Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D). The patient’s personality was reviewed with the Big Five Personality Test (B5T). Speech comprehension was evaluated in noise with the Oldenburger sentence test. Results: The patients’ postoperative work ability was not significantly (p>0.05) affected by CI-treatment. However, employed patients displayed significantly (p<0.001) higher postoperative work ability than pensioners. The generic HRQoL, personality, and mental disorders were unaffected by CI-treatment (p>0.05). Instead, speech comprehension and disease-specific HRQoL displayed significant improvements (p<0.001) postoperatively. As shown through multiple regression analysis, age (ß = -0.275*, p<0.05) and the subdomain physical health of the patient’s generic HRQoL (ß = 0.471**, p<0.01) were significantly associated with postoperative WAI outcome scores. The influencing factors stress (ß = - 0.744**, p<0.01) and age (ß = -0.571*, p<0.05) displayed significant correlations with the postoperative work ability of employed patients. In contrast, the subdomain physical health of the patient’s generic HRQoL (ß = 0.805**, p<0.01) was significantly associated with the postoperative work ability of pensioned patients. Conclusions: Perceived stress, age, and physical health are strong predictive parameters for the patient’s postoperative work ability. The results indicate that preliminary multiprofessional and individualized counseling, the promotion of work accommodations, and physical activity during CI-(re)habilitation may contribute positively to the patient’s postoperative work ability. Additionally, a differentiated therapeutic approach between employed and pensioned CI- recipients is fundamental to bringing about better WAI outcome scores post-implant for each subgroup.

No description available.

A natural auditory scene contains many sound sources each of which produces complex sounds. These sounds overlap and reach our ears at the same time, but they also change constantly. To still be able to follow the sound source of interest, the auditory system must decide where each individual tone belongs to and integrate this information over time. For well-controlled investigations on the mechanisms behind this challenging task, sound sources need to be simulated in the lab. This is mostly done with sine tones arranged in certain spectrotemporal patterns. The vast majority of studies simply interleave two sub-sequences of sine tones. Participants report how they perceive these sequences or they perform a task whose performance measure allows hints on how the scene was perceived. While many important insights have been gained with this procedure, the questions that can be addressed with it are limited and the commonly used response methods are partly susceptible to distortions or only indirect measures. The present thesis enlarged the complexity of the tone sequences and the diversity of perceptual measures used for investigations on auditory scene analysis. These changes are intended to open up new questions and give new perspectives on our knowledge about auditory scene analysis. In detail, the thesis established three-tone sequences as a tool for specific investigations on the perceptual foreground and background processing in complex auditory scenes. In addition, it modifies an already established approach for indirect measures of auditory perception in a way that enables detailed and univocal investigations on background processing. Finally, a new response method, namely a no-report method for auditory perception that might also serve as a method to validate subjective report measures, was developed. This new methodological approach uses eye movements as a measurement tool for auditory perception. With the aid of all these methodological improvements, the current thesis shows that auditory foreground formation is actually more complex than previously assumed since listeners hold more than one auditory source in the foreground without being forced to do so. In addition, it shows that the auditory system prefers a limited number of specific source configurations probably to avoid combinatorial explosion. Finally, the thesis indicates that the formation of the perceptual background is also quite complex since the auditory system holds perceptual organization alternatives in parallel that were basically assumed to be mutually exclusive. Thus, both the foreground and the background follow different rules than expected based on two-tone sequences. However, one finding seems to be true for both kinds of sequences: the impact of the tone pattern on the subjective perception is marginal, be it in two- or three-tone sequences. Regarding the no-report method for auditory perception, the thesis shows that eye movements and the reported auditory foreground formations were in good agreement and it seems like this approach indeed has the potential to become a first no-report measure for auditory perception.:Abstract 3 Acknowledgments 5 List of Figures 8 List of Tables 9 Collaborations 11 1 General Introduction 13 1.1 The auditory foreground 13 1.1.1 Attention and auditory scene analysis 13 1.1.2 Investigating auditory scene analysis with two-tone sequences 16 1.1.3 Multistability 18 1.2 The auditory background 21 1.2.1 Investigating auditory background processing 22 1.3 Measures of auditory perception 23 1.3.1 Report procedures 23 1.3.2 Performance-based measures 26 1.3.3 Psychophysiological measures 27 1.4 Summary and goals of the thesis 30 2 The auditory foreground 33 2.1 Study 1: Foreground formation in three-tone sequences 33 2.1.1 Abstract 33 2.1.2 Introduction 33 2.1.3 Methods 37 2.1.4 Results 43 2.1.5 Discussion 48 2.2 Study 2: Pattern effects in three-tone sequences 53 2.2.1 Abstract 53 2.2.2 Methods 53 2.2.3 Results 54 2.2.4 Discussion 58 2.3 Study 3: Pattern effects in two-tone sequences 59 2.3.1 Abstract 59 2.3.2 Introduction 59 2.3.3 General Methods 63 2.3.4 Experiment 1 – Methods and Results 65 2.3.5 Experiment 2 – Methods and Results 67 2.3.6 Experiment 3 – Methods and Results 70 2.3.7 Discussion 72 3 The auditory background 74 3.1 Study 4: Background formation in three-tone sequences 74 3.1.1 Abstract 74 3.1.2 Introduction 74 3.1.3 Methods 77 3.1.4 Results 82 3.1.5 Discussion 86 4 Audio-visual coupling for investigations on auditory perception 90 4.1 Study 5: Using Binocular Rivalry to tag auditory perception 90 4.1.1 Abstract 90 4.1.2 Introduction 90 4.1.3 Methods 92 4.1.4 Results 100 4.1.5 Discussion 108 5 General Discussion 113 5.1 Short review of the findings 113 5.2 The auditory foreground 114 5.2.1 Auditory foreground formation and attention theories 114 5.2.2 The role of tone pattern in foreground formation 116 5.2.3 Methodological considerations and continuation 117 5.3 The auditory background 118 5.3.1 Auditory object formation without attention 120 5.3.2 Multistability without attention 121 5.3.3 Methodological considerations and continuation 122 5.4 Auditory scene analysis by audio-visual coupling 124 5.4.1 Methodological considerations and continuation 124 5.5 Artificial listening situations and conclusions on natural hearing 126 6 Conclusions 128 References 130

In der vorliegenden Studie verbinden sich kulturgeschichtliche und analytische Erwägungen zum »art-song reworking« im späten 15. Jahrhundert. Am Beispiel verschiedener Malheur me bat-Bearbeitungen von Agricola, Josquin und Obrecht werden vor allem inhaltliche Aspekte der Bezugnahme auf die Chanson-Vorlage thematisiert. In einem imaginären Dialog mit einem vergangenen ›Expertenhörer‹ steht dabei die Frage im Vordergrund, auf welche Weise der Schöpfer der betreffenden Chansonmessen bestimmte Eigenarten der zugrunde liegenden Vorlage in seiner Bearbeitung hervorkehrte, abschwächte oder gar zuspitzte. / The present article combines both cultural-historical and analytical reflections on »art-song reworking« of the late fifteenth century. Using the example of several reworkings of Malheur me bat – from Agricola, Josquin, and Obrecht – references are discussed primarily from the point of view of the content. In an imaginary dialog with »expert listeners« of the past, the question is raised, in which manner the composer of the respective chanson masses either highlighted, weakened or exaggerated specific idiosyncrasies of the underlying original.

Das impedanzwandelnde Hören ist eine wichtige Verfeinerung des Gehörsystems der Tetrapoden indem es einen Energieverlust während der Schallübertragung vermeidet. Anatomisch ist es durch eine Unterteilung des Foramen Metoticum in eine vordere Fenestra Pseudorotunda und ein hinteres Vagus Foramen charakterisiert. Dieses System trat mehrmals unabhängig in Amniota auf, und obwohl schon vorher vermutet wurde, dass es eine Homoplasie für Archosauria darstellt, wurde diese Hypothese bisher noch nicht geprüft. Demnach wurden 17 Hirnschädel Merkmale für 111 Taxa kodiert und auf einem informellen Supertrees optimiert. Die Analyse ergab, dass die Fenestra Pseudorotunda unbhängig acht Mal in Archosauria auftrat, mit fünf Umkehrungen. Während dieses Merkmal plastisch für Dinosauria ist, es trat nur einmal in Pseudosuchia auf. Eine Tree Shape-Analyse ergab, dass sechs Verschiebungen in den Diversifizierungsraten in Pseudosuchia und sieben in Dinosauria zu finden sind, von denen nur die der Ornithischia mit der Fenestra Pseudorotunda in Beziehung stehen. Viele Zustandsveränderungen erfolgen an der Basis der Dinosauria aber bei Pseudosuchia sind diese vor der Entstehung der Crocodyliformes und an der Basis der Notosuchia und Thalattosuchia konzentriert. Die Korrelationen zwischen Zustandsveränderungen und Verschiebungen sind höher in Dinosauria, während bei Pseudosuchia nur Mesoeucrocodylia eine ähnliche Anzahl aufweist. Daraus folgt, dass das impedanzwandelnde Hören nicht homolog in Archosauria ist, und dass es nicht als Schlüsselinnovation zur Erklärung der Vielfalt betrachtet werden kann, obwohl es eine Rolle in der Diversifizierung der Ornithischia spielte. Insgesamt ist die Anatomie des Hirnschädels der Dinosauria plastischer als die der Pseudosuchia. Die Positionierung des Pterygoid-Quadratum-Komplexes an die Seitenwand des Hirnschädels in Crocodyliformes stellt eine anatomische Beschränkung dar, welche nur von Notosuchia und Thalattosuchia durchbrochen wurde. / Impedance-matching hearing is considered an important refinement of the auditory system of tetrapods because it reduces energy loss during sound transmission. Anatomically, it is characterized by the sub-division of the metotic foramen into a posterior vagus foramen and an anterior fenestra pseudorotunda. Impedance-matching hearing has evolved independently in several tetrapod groups including archosaurs and although it has been suggested that it represents a homoplasy, this hypothesis has never been tested. Therefore, 17 braincase characters were coded for 111 taxa and mapped on an informal supertree. Optimization of the characters revealed that the fenestra pseudorotunda appeared eight times independently in Archosauria, with five reversals. While this character is plastic in dinosaurs, it appeared only once in pseudosuchians. A tree-shape analysis revealed that pseudosuchians had six shifts in diversification rates, while dinosaurs had seven. Of these, only ornithischian ones are correlated to the appearance of impedance-matching hearing. Many of the overall state changes occur at the origin of major dinosaurian clades, but for pseudosuchians they are concentrated prior to the origin of Crocodyliformes and at the origin of Notosuchia and Thalattosuchia. The overall number of correspondences between character state changes and shifts in diversification rates is higher for dinosaurs, whereas in Pseudosuchia only Mesoeucrocodylia has a similar amount. It is thus possible to conclude that impedance-matching hearing is not homologous for archosaurs, and that it cannot be considered a key innovation triggering diversification. However, it may have played some role in ornithischian diversification. In general, the braincase anatomy of dinosaurs is more plastic than that of pseudosuchians. The abutting of the pterygo-quadrate complex against the lateral braincase wall was a strong anatomical constraint for crocodyliforms broken only by notosuchians and thalatosuchians.

No description available.

Predictive coding theorizes the capacity of neural structures to form predictions about forthcoming sensory events based on previous sensory input. This concept increasingly gains attention within experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience. In auditory research, predictive coding has become a useful model that elegantly explains different aspects of auditory sensory processing and auditory perception. Many of these aspects are backed up by experimental evidence. However, certain fundamental features of predictive auditory processing have not been addressed so far by experimental investigations, like correlates of neural predictions that show up before the onset of an expected event. Four experiments were designed to investigate the proposed mechanism under more realistic conditions as compared to previous studies by manipulating different aspects of predictive (un)certainty, thereby examining the ecological validity of predictive processing in audition. Moreover, predictive certainty was manipulated gradually across five conditions from unpredictable to fully predictable in linearly increasing steps which drastically decreases the risk of discovering incidental findings. The results obtained from the conducted experiments partly confirm the results from previous studies by demonstrating effects of predictive certainty on ERPs in response to omissions of potentially predictable stimuli. Furthermore, results partly suggest that the auditory system actively engages in stimulus predictions in a literal sense as evidenced by gradual modulations of pre-stimulus ERPs associated with different degrees of predictive certainty. However, the current results remain inconsistent because the observed effects were relatively small and could not consistently be replicated in all follow-up experiments. The observed effects could be regained after accumulating the data across all experiments in order to increase statistical power. However, certain questions remain unanswered regarding a valid interpretation of the results in terms of predictive coding. Based on the current state of results, recommendations for future investigations are provided at the end of the current thesis in order to improve certain methodological aspects of investigating predictive coding in audition, including considerations on the design of experiments, possible suitable measures to investigate predictive coding in audition, recommendations for data acquisition and data analysis as well as recommendations for publication of results.

Predictive coding theorizes the capacity of neural structures to form predictions about forthcoming sensory events based on previous sensory input. This concept increasingly gains attention within experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience. In auditory research, predictive coding has become a useful model that elegantly explains different aspects of auditory sensory processing and auditory perception. Many of these aspects are backed up by experimental evidence. However, certain fundamental features of predictive auditory processing have not been addressed so far by experimental investigations, like correlates of neural predictions that show up before the onset of an expected event. Four experiments were designed to investigate the proposed mechanism under more realistic conditions as compared to previous studies by manipulating different aspects of predictive (un)certainty, thereby examining the ecological validity of predictive processing in audition. Moreover, predictive certainty was manipulated gradually across five conditions from unpredictable to fully predictable in linearly increasing steps which drastically decreases the risk of discovering incidental findings. The results obtained from the conducted experiments partly confirm the results from previous studies by demonstrating effects of predictive certainty on ERPs in response to omissions of potentially predictable stimuli. Furthermore, results partly suggest that the auditory system actively engages in stimulus predictions in a literal sense as evidenced by gradual modulations of pre-stimulus ERPs associated with different degrees of predictive certainty. However, the current results remain inconsistent because the observed effects were relatively small and could not consistently be replicated in all follow-up experiments. The observed effects could be regained after accumulating the data across all experiments in order to increase statistical power. However, certain questions remain unanswered regarding a valid interpretation of the results in terms of predictive coding. Based on the current state of results, recommendations for future investigations are provided at the end of the current thesis in order to improve certain methodological aspects of investigating predictive coding in audition, including considerations on the design of experiments, possible suitable measures to investigate predictive coding in audition, recommendations for data acquisition and data analysis as well as recommendations for publication of results.:1. Introduction ... 5 1.1 An introduction to predictive coding theory ... 9 1.2 Predictive coding in audition ... 11 1.3 Electrophysiological correlates of predictive auditory processing ... 14 1.4 Limitations of previous research and aims of the thesis ... 21 2. Traditional correlates of auditory prediction ... 24 2.1 Experiment 1: Reliability of auditory predictions ... 25 2.2 Experiment 2: Accuracy of auditory predictions ... 39 3. Pre-stimulus correlates of auditory prediction ...47 3.1 Pre-stimulus effects in Experiment 1 and 2 ... 48 3.2 Experiment 3: Temporal dynamics of auditory prediction ... 56 3.3 Experiment 4: The influence of omissions on stimulus processing ... 64 4 Results across experiments ... 74 4.1 Methods ... 76 4.2 Results ... 80 4.3 Discussion ... 82 5. General Discussion ... 87 5.1 Implications for current research ... 89 5.2 Recommendations for future investigations ... 93 5.3 Future prospects ... 101 5.4 Conclusion ... 104 References ...106 Appendix ... 116

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Dieses Buch versucht ein in der Musik des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts zunehmend an Bedeutung gewinnendes Verständnis von „Musik als Wahrnehmungskunst“ (Helmut Lachenmann) für die Musikwissenschaft fruchtbar zu machen: Die ineinander verschränkten Konzepte der performativen Analyse und des performativen Hörens rücken Wahrnehmungsprozesse ins Zentrum musikologischer Methodik. Zum einen wird dabei die zentrale Stellung von Klang, Zeit und Raum in der neuen Musik seit 1900 in breite musikhistorische und -ästhetische Diskurse eingebettet, zum anderen wird mit dem Prinzip der musikalischen Morphosyntax klangliche Materialität als Ausgangspunkt hörend-analytischer Forschung begriffen. Wahrnehmung posttonaler Musik ist als performative Aktivität durch die Erfahrungen des Alltags- und Musikhörens vielfältig ausgestaltbar und dabei durch eine Verflechtung von morphologischen und metaphorischen Schichten geprägt. Die Analysen werfen so neue Perspektiven auf ein breites Spektrum posttonaler Instrumentalmusik von Arnold Schönberg, Edgard Varèse, Giacinto Scelsi, Bernd Alois Zimmermann, György Ligeti, Pierre Boulez, Morton Feldman, György Kurtág, Helmut Lachenmann, Brian Ferneyhough, Gérard Grisey, Salvatore Sciarrino und Isabel Mundry. / This book tries to produce an understanding of “music as an art of perception” (Helmut Lachenmann) – which is becoming increasingly important in the music of the 20th and 21st centuries – in a way that is fruitful for musicology: the intertwined concepts of performative analysis and performative listening move perception processes into the centre of musicological methodology. On the one hand, Christian Utz embeds the central position of sound, time, and space in new music since 1900 in broad music-historical and music-aesthetic discourses, on the other hand, he understands sounding materiality as the starting point for listening-based analytical research, grounded in the principle of musical morphosyntax. As a performative activity, the perception of post-tonal music can be shaped in a variety of ways through the experiences of everyday auditory perception and musical listening and is characterized by an interweaving of morphological and metaphorical layers. The analyses reveal new perspectives on a broad spectrum of post-tonal instrumental music by Arnold Schoenberg, Edgard Varèse, Giacinto Scelsi, Bernd Alois Zimmermann, György Ligeti, Pierre Boulez, Morton Feldman, György Kurtág, Helmut Lachenmann, Brian Ferneyhough, Gérard Grisey, Salvatore Sciarrino, and Isabel Mundry.