Human Frequency Following Response Correlates of Spatial Release From Masking.

Purpose Speech recognition in complex listening environments is enhanced by the extent of spatial separation between the speech source and background competing sources, an effect known as spatial release from masking (SRM). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the phase-locked neural activity in the central auditory pathways, reflected in the frequency following response (FFR), exhibits SRM. Method Eighteen normal-hearing adults (8 men and 10 women, ranging in age from 20 to 42 years) with no known neurological disorders participated in this study.

Spatial hearing processing: electrophysiological documentation at subcortical and cortical levels.

Recognition of target signal improves when the target and distracted sources are spatially separated, an effect defined as 'spatial release from masking' (SRM). The neural mechanisms underpinning SRM are complicated and still need to be identified. The aim of this study was to identify whether objective correlates of SRM can be recorded in either the brainstem or cortex (or both).