No AccessJournal of Speech, Language, and Hearing ResearchResearch Article1 Oct 2006

The Development of Temporal Resolution: Between-Channel Gap Detection in Infants and Adults

McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Purpose

Infants have a good ability to detect brief silent gaps between 2 short identical sound markers (within-channel gap detection), with thresholds between 2 and 11 ms. The present experiment traces the development of temporal resolution for between-channel gaps (i.e., gaps delineated by spectrally disparate markers). This ability appears crucial for the perception of complex stimuli such as speech and is thought to reflect more central auditory processing.

Method

Infants age 6–7.5 months and adults were tested in a between-channel gap detection task using a conditioned head-turn procedure. Gaps were marked by 1- and 4-kHz Gaussian-enveloped sine-tone markers.

Results

Infant gap thresholds were between 30 and 40 ms under conditions in which adult thresholds were between 10 and 20 ms.

Conclusions

Unlike within-channel gap detection, the central temporal processing required for between-channel gap detection is still immature at 6 months of age.

References

Bargones, J. Y., & Werner, L. A. (1994). Adults listen selectively; infants do not.Psychological Science, 5, 170–174.
Crossref Google Scholar
Benasich, A. A., & Tallal, P. (2002). Infant discrimination of rapid auditory cues predicts later language impairment.Behavioural Brain Research, 136, 31–49.
Crossref Medline Google Scholar
Berg, K. M., & Smith, M. C. (1983). Behavioral thresholds for tones during infancy.Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 35, 409–425.
Google Scholar
Davis, S. M., & McCroskey, R. L. (1980). Auditory fusion in children.Child Development, 51, 75–80.
Crossref Medline Google Scholar
Eggermont, J. J., Brown, D. K., Ponton, C. W., & Kimberley, B. P. (1996). Comparison of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and auditory brain stem response (ABR) traveling wave delay measures suggests frequency-specific synapse maturation.Ear and Hearing, 17, 386–394.
Google Scholar
Farmer, M. E., & Klein, R. M. (1995). The evidence for a temporal processing deficit linked to dyslexia: A review.Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2, 460–493.
Crossref Medline Google Scholar
Fitzgibbons, P. J., Pollatsek, A., & Thomas, I. B. (1974). Detection of temporal gaps within and between perceptual tonal groups.Perception & Psychophysics, 16, 522–528.
Google Scholar
Fitzgibbons, P. J., & Wightman, F. L. (1982). Gap detection in normal and hearing impaired listeners.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 72, 761–765.
Google Scholar
Formby, C., Gerber, M. J., Sherlock, L. P., & Magder, L. S. (1998). Evidence for an across-frequency, between-channel process in asymptotic monaural temporal gap detection.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 103, 3554–3560.
Google Scholar
Formby, C., Sherlock, L. P., & Li, S. (1998). Temporal gap detection measured with multiple sinusoidal markers: Effects of marker number, frequency, and temporal position.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 104, 984–998.
Google Scholar
Grose, J. H., Hall, J. W., Buss, E., & Hatch, D. (2001). Gap detection for similar and dissimilar gap markers.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 109, 1587–1595.
Google Scholar
Grose, J. H., Hall, J. W., & Gibbs, C. (1993). Temporal analysis in children.Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 36, 351–356.
ASHAWire Google Scholar
Hall, J. W., & Grose, J. H. (1994). Development of temporal resolution in children as measured by the temporal modulation transfer function.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 96, 150–154.
Google Scholar
Hanekom, J. J., & Shannon, R. V. (1998). Gap detection as a measure of electrode interaction in cochlear implants.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 104, 2372–2384.
Google Scholar
Harris, D. M., & Dallos, P. (1979). Forward masking of auditory nerve fiber responses.Journal of Neurophysiology, 42, 1083–1107.
Google Scholar
Hill, P. R., Hartley, D. E. H., Glasberg, B. R., Moore, B. C. J., & Moore, D. R. (2004). Auditory processing efficiency and temporal resolution in children and adults.Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47, 1022–1029.
ASHAWire Google Scholar
Irwin, R. J., Ball, A. K. R., Kay, N., Stillman, J. A., & Rosser, J. (1985). The development of auditory temporal acuity in children.Child Development, 56, 614–620.
Crossref Medline Google Scholar
Moore, B. C. J., Peters, R. W., & Glasberg, B. R. (1993). Detection of temporal gaps in sinusoids: Effects of frequency and level.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 93, 1563–1570.
Google Scholar
Nozza, R. J., & Wilson, W. R. (1984). Masked and unmasked pure-tone thresholds of infants and adults: Development of auditory frequency selectivity and sensitivity.Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 27, 613–622.
ASHAWire Google Scholar
Olsho, L. W., Koch, E. G., Carter, E. A., Halpin, C. F., & Spetner, N. B. (1988). Pure tone sensitivity of human infants.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 84, 1316–1324.
Google Scholar
Oxenham, A. J. (2000). Influence of spatial and temporal coding on auditory gap detection.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 107, 2215–2223.
Google Scholar
Penner, M. J. (1977). Detection of temporal gaps in noise as a measure of the decay of auditory sensation.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 61, 552–557.
Google Scholar
Phillips, D. P. (1999). Auditory gap detection, perceptual channels and temporal resolution in speech perception.Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 10, 343–354.
Medline Google Scholar
Phillips, D. P., & Hall, S. E. (2000). Independence of frequency channel in auditory temporal gap detection.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 108, 2957–2963.
Google Scholar
Phillips, D. P., & Smith, J. C. (2004). Correlation among within-channel and between-channel auditory gap-detection thresholds in normal listeners.Perception, 33, 371–378.
Google Scholar
Phillips, D. P., Taylor, T. L., Hall, S. E., Carr, M. M., & Mossop, J. E. (1997). Detection of silent intervals between noises activating different perceptual channels: Some properties of “central” auditory gap detection.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 101, 3694–3705.
Google Scholar
Plomp, R. (1964). Rate of decay of auditory sensation.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 36, 277–282.
Google Scholar
Ponton, C. W., Eggermont, J. J., Coupland, S. G., & Winkelaar, R. (1992). Frequency specific maturation of the eighth nerve and brainstem auditory pathway: Evidence from derived auditory brain-stem response (ABRs).Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 91, 1576–1586.
Google Scholar
Ponton, C. W., Eggermont, J. J., Kwong, B., & Don, M. (2000). Maturation of human central auditory system activity: Evidence from multi-channel evoked potentials.Clinical Neurophysiology, 111, 220–236.
Crossref Medline Google Scholar
Robinson, D. W., & Dadson, R. S. (1956). A re-determination of the equal–loudness relations for pure tones.British Journal of Applied Physics, 7, 166–181.
Google Scholar
Schneider, B. A., Bull, D., & Trehub, S. E. (1988). Binaural unmasking in infants.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 83, 1124–1132.
Google Scholar
Schneider, B. A., Pichora-Fuller, M. K., Kowalchuk, D., & Lamb, M. (1994). Gap detection and the precedence effect in young and old adults.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 95, 980–991.
Medline Google Scholar
Schneider, B. A., Trehub, S. E., Morrongiello, B. A., & Thorpe, L. A. (1989). Developmental changes in masked thresholds.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 86, 1733–1742.
Medline Google Scholar
Shahin, A., Roberts, L. E., & Trainor, L. J. (2004). Enhancement of auditory cortical development by musical experience in children.NeuroReport, 15, 1917–1921.
Crossref Medline Google Scholar
Shailer, M. J., & Moore, B. C. J. (1983). Gap detection as a function of frequency, bandwidth, and level.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 74, 467–473.
Google Scholar
Shailer, M. J., & Moore, B. C. J. (1985). Detection of temporal gaps in bandlimited noise: Effects of variation in bandwidth and signal-to-masker ratio.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 77, 635–639.
Google Scholar
Shailer, M. J., & Moore, B. C. J. (1987). Gap detection and the auditory filter: Phase effects using sinusoidal stimuli.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 81, 1110–1117.
Google Scholar
Sinnott, J. M., & Aslin, R. N. (1985). Frequency and intensity discrimination in human infants and adults.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 78, 1986–1992.
Google Scholar
Sinnott, J. M., Pisoni, D. B., & Aslin, R. N. (1983). A comparison of pure tone auditory thresholds in human infants and adults.Infant Behavior and Development, 6, 3–17.
Google Scholar
Tallal, P., Stark, R., & Mellits, D. (1985). Identification of language impaired children on the basis of rapid perception and production skills.Brain and Language, 25, 314–322.
Google Scholar
Taylor, T. L., Hall, S. E., Boehnke, S. E., & Phillips, D. P. (1999). Additivity of perceptual channel-crossing effects in auditory gap detection.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 105, 563–566.
Google Scholar
Thorpe, L. A., Trehub, S. E., Morrongiello, B. A., & Bull, D. (1988). Perceptual grouping by infants and preschool children.Developmental Psychology, 24, 484–491.
Google Scholar
Trainor, L. J., Samuel, S. S., Desjardins, R. N., & Sonnadara, R. R. (2001). Measuring temporal resolution in infants using mismatch negativity.NeuroReport, 12, 2443–2448.
Crossref Medline Google Scholar
Trehub, S. E., Bull, D., Schneider, B. A., & Morrongiello, B. A. (1986). PESTI: A procedure for estimating individual thresholds in infant listeners.Infant Behavior and Development, 9, 107–118.
Google Scholar
Trehub, S. E., & Henderson, J. L. (1996). Temporal resolution in infancy and subsequent language development.Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 39, 1315–1320.
ASHAWire Google Scholar
Trehub, S. E., Schneider, B. A., & Endman, M. (1980). Developmental changes in infants' sensitivity to octave band noises.Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 29, 282–293.
Google Scholar
Trehub, S. E., Schneider, B. A., & Henderson, J. L. (1995). Gap detection in infants, children and adults.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 98, 2532–2541.
Medline Google Scholar
Warren, R. M. (1985). Criterion shift rule and perceptual homeostasis.Psychological Review, 92, 574–584.
Google Scholar
Werker, J. F., & Tees, R. C. (1984). Cross-language speech perception: Evidence for perceptual reorganization during the first year of life.Infant Behavior and Development, 7, 49–63.
Crossref Google Scholar
Werner, L. A. (1999). Forward masking among infant and adult listeners.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 105, 2447–2453.
Google Scholar
Werner, L. A., & Bargones, J. Y. (1991). Sources of auditory masking in infants: Distraction effects.Perception & Psychophysics, 50, 405–412.
Crossref Medline Google Scholar
Werner, L. A., Folsom, R. C., Mancl, L. R., & Syapin, C. L. (2001). Human auditory brainstem response to temporal gaps in noise.Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 44, 737–750.
ASHAWire Google Scholar
Werner, L. A., Marean, G. C., Halpin, C. F., Spetner, N. B., & Gillenwater, J. M. (1992). Infant auditory temporal acuity: Gap detection.Child Development, 63, 260–272.
Crossref Medline Google Scholar
Westerman, L. A., & Smith, R. L. (1984). Rapid and short-term adaptation in auditory nerve responses.Hearing Research, 15, 249–260.
Google Scholar
Williams, K. N., & Perrot, D. R. (1972). Temporal resolution of tonal pulses.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 51, 644–647.
Google Scholar
Zhang, W., Salvi, R. J., & Saunders, S. S. (1990). Neural correlates of gap detection in auditory nerve fibers of the chinchilla.Hearing Research, 46, 181–200.
Google Scholar