The layering of auditory experiences in driving experience-dependent subcortical plasticity

Erika Skoe; Bharath Chandrasekaran

doi:10.1016/j.heares.2014.01.002

The layering of auditory experiences in driving experience-dependent subcortical plasticity

Hear Res. 2014 May:311:36-48. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2014.01.002. Epub 2014 Jan 18.

Authors

Erika Skoe¹, Bharath Chandrasekaran²

Affiliations

¹ 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.
² 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.

PMID: 24445149
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2014.01.002

Abstract

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>.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Acoustic Stimulation
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Age Factors
Animals
Auditory Pathways / physiology*
Auditory Perception*
Brain Stem / physiology*
Child
Child Language
Hearing Disorders / physiopathology
Hearing Disorders / psychology
Humans
Memory
Multilingualism
Music
Neuronal Plasticity*
Speech Perception
Time Factors