Auditory training alters the cortical representation of complex sounds

Journal article

Auditory learning is supported by long-term changes in the neural processing of sound. We examined these task-depend changes in auditory cortex by mapping neural sensitivity to timbre, pitch and location cues in cues in trained (n = 5), and untrained control female ferrets (n = 5). Trained animals either identified vowels in a two-alternative forced choice task (n = 3) or discriminated when a repeating vowel changed in identity or pitch (n = 2). Neural responses were recorded under anesthesia in two primary auditory cortical fields and two tonotopically organized non-primary fields. In trained animals, the overall sensitivity to sound timbre was reduced across three cortical fields compared to control animals, but maintained in a non-primary field (the posterior pseudosylvian field). While training did not increase sensitivity to timbre across auditory cortex, it did change the way in which neurons integrated spectral information with neural responses in trained animals increasing their sensitivity to first and second formant frequencies, whereas in control animals’ cortical sensitivity to spectral timbre depends mostly on the second formant. Animals trained on timbre identification were required to generalize across pitch when discriminating timbre and their neurons became less modulated by fundamental frequency relative to control animals. Finally, both trained groups showed increased spatial sensitivity and an enhanced response to sound source locations close to the midline, where the loudspeaker was located in the training chamber. These results demonstrate that training elicited widespread alterations in the cortical representation of complex sounds.

Authors: Atilgan, H; Walker, KM; King, AJ; Schnupp, JW; Bizley, JK

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Society for Neuroscience
• Journal: Journal of Neuroscience
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 18
• Article number: e0989242025
• Publication date: 2025-04-03
• Acceptance date: 2025-03-03
• DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0989-24.2025
• EISSN: 1529-2401
• ISSN: 0270-6474
• Language: English