The effects of low- and high-frequency suppressors on psychophysical estimates of basilar-membrane compression and gain

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Physiological studies suggest that the increase in suppression as a function of suppressor level is greater for a suppressor below than above the signal frequency. This study investigated the pattern of gain reduction underlying this increase in suppression. Temporal masking curves (TMCs) were obtained by measuring the level of a 2.2-kHz sinusoidal off-frequency masker or 4-kHz on-frequency sinusoidal masker required to mask a brief 4-kHz sinusoidal signal at 10 dB SL, for masker-signal intervals of 20-100 ms. TMCs were also obtained in the presence of a 3- or 4.75-kHz sinusoidal suppressor gated with the 4-kHz masker, for suppressor levels of 40-70 dB SPL. The decrease in gain (increase in suppression) as a function of suppressor level was greater with a 3-kHz suppressor than with a 4.75-kHz suppressor, in line with previous findings. Basilar membrane input-output (I/O) functions derived from the TMCs showed a shift to higher input (4-kHz masker) levels of the low-level (linear) portion of the I/O function with the addition of a suppressor, with partial linearization of the function, but no reduction in maximum compression. © 2007 Acoustical Society of America.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)2832-2841
    Number of pages9
    JournalJournal of the Acoustical Society of America
    Volume121
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2007

    Keywords

    • physiology: Auditory Perception
    • physiology: Basilar Membrane
    • Humans
    • physiology: Perceptual Masking
    • physiology: Pitch Perception
    • Pressure
    • methods: Psychophysics

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'The effects of low- and high-frequency suppressors on psychophysical estimates of basilar-membrane compression and gain'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this