The frequency-following response (FFR) is a scalp-recorded evoked potential which faithfully mimics an auditory stimulus waveform. Some research has attempted to relate the FFR to pitch perception based on FFR spectral peaks which correspond to the perceived pitch of the evoking stimulus, but these explanations are not definitive because the pitch of the evoking stimulus is often equal to the waveform envelope frequency or nonlinear distortion products also represented in the FFR. The experiments herein attempt to clarify the relevance of the FFR to pitch perception and as an assay of nonlinear distortion in the auditory system. Using harmonic and inharmonic "missing fundamental" complex tone stimuli, it is demonstrated that: (a) missing fundamental pitch is not represented as a spectral peak in the FFR, (b) the FFR contains energy at the stimulus envelope frequency, primary tone frequencies, and nonlinear distortion product frequencies, and (c) human pitch perception can be predicted by a weighted average of envelope-locked and phase-locked neural activity in the FFR. The origin and properties of nonlinear distortion products measured in the FFR are also investigated.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.99212 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Wile, Daryl J. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Psychology.) |
| Rights | © Daryl J. Wile, 2006 |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002574155, proquestno: AAIMR28537, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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