Project description
How expectations shape the human brain
Our brain is a complex organ that is capable of processing relevant sound from the acoustic content of sounds using extensive feedback (FB). The findings of current studies suggest FB provides flexibility to auditory perception. However, limitations in coverage and spatial resolution of non-invasive imaging methods have hindered the mapping of contextual sound processing into the fundamental computational units of the human brain. The EU-funded PrAud project will use ultra-high-field (UHF) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the way expectations form the human brain. The project will reveal the neurobiological mechanisms supporting hearing to determine how aberrant contextual processing occurs in phantom hearing (tinnitus and auditory hallucinations).
Objective
How do we understand the complex, noisy, and often incomplete sounds that reach our ears? Sounds are not perceived in isolation. The context in which we encounter them allows predicting what we may hear next. How is contextual sound processing implemented in the brain? From the sensory periphery to the cortex, complex information is extracted from the acoustic content of sounds. This feedforward processing is complemented by extensive feedback (FB) processing. Current research suggests that FB confers flexibility to auditory perception, by generating predictions of the input and supplementing noisy or missing information with contextual information. So far, limitations in coverage and spatial resolution of non-invasive imaging methods have prohibited grounding contextual sound processing onto the fundamental computational units of the human brain, resulting in an incomplete understanding of its biological underpinnings. Here, I propose to use ultra-high-field (UHF) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study how expectations shape human hearing. The high spatial resolution and coverage of UHF-fMRI will allow examining fundamental brain units: small subcortical structures and layers of cortex. I will investigate how responses change when acoustic information needs to be prioritized in an uncertain or noisy soundscape. Complementing UHF-fMRI measurements with magnetoencephalography (MEG), I will derive a neurobiological model of contextual sound processing at high spatial and temporal resolution. By comparing this model to state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, I will generalize it to naturalistic settings. This project links algorithmic and at a mesoscopic implementation levels to reveal the neurobiological mechanisms supporting hearing in context. The resulting model will allow testing hypotheses of aberrant contextual processing in phantom hearing (tinnitus and auditory hallucinations).
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2020-COG
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6200 MD Maastricht
Netherlands
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