EarLab: A Virtual Laboratory for Auditory Experimentation
David Mountain1,
David Anderson1,
Glenn Bresnahan2,
Andrew Brughera1,
Socrates Deligeorges1,
Allyn Hubbard1,3,
David Lancia1, and
Viktor Vajda1
1 Hearing Research Center, Boston University
2 Scientific Computing and Visualization group, Boston University
3 Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University
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EarLab System Conceptual Architecture
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Project Overview
The long-range goal of the EarLab project is to create realistic, large-scale
computational models capable of predicting human auditory responses to a wide
range of acoustic stimuli or environmental insults. Applications range from
improved design of cochlear implants to explaining how humans are able to
function in complex acoustic environments. The simulation architecture is
designed to be extensible to other physiological systems or groups of systems.
EarLab simulations are based on interchangeable building blocks or
modules. Each module represents a component of the physiological system being
studied. The simulation modules are designed to be species independent with the
species dependent parameters loaded from a parameter database at run
time. Additional data and analysis modules may be included in the simulation to
provide stimuli, e.g. sound sources, data collection, data analysis or
visualization.
The system architecture provides a general framework for continuous-time
simulation that is capable of exploiting parallel computing. The software may
be run in a distributed heterogeneous computing environment with the individual
modules running on different machines. The modules communicate with each other
via a transport layer and the overall simulation is managed by the control
layer. These two layers insulate the simulation modules from all of the
synchronization, control and communication details. The current Earlab system
contains both shared memory and network-based transports for running on a
single machine or across a computational grid. Web, GUI and command-line
interfaces are offered.
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Ascending Auditory Pathways
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Abbreviations |
| Cochlear Nucleus: |
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| DCN | dorsal |
| PVCN | postereoventral |
| AVCN | anteroventral |
| Superior Olivary (SO) Complex: |
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| LSO | lateral |
| MSO | medial |
| MTB | medial trapezoid body |
| Midbrain: |
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| NLL | nuclei of the lateral lemniscus |
| IC | inferior colliculus |
| Thalmus: |
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| MGB | medial geniculate body |
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Simulation Description
The model being demonstrated simulates the neural pathway involved in the
localization of low frequency sounds in mammals. The model includes processing
by the auditory periphery [1,2,3], the cochlear nucleus [4], and the medial
superior olive (MSO) in the auditory brainstem [5]. In the auditory periphery,
frequency-selective vibrations occur along the basilar membrane, and the inner
hair cells convert these nanometer-scale vibrations into electrical signals
that drive the neural impulses of the auditory nerve. These impulses tend to
phase-lock to low-frequency auditory inputs. Bushy cells in the anteroventral
cochlear nucleus (AVNC) preserve or enhance the phase-locking of their inputs
from the auditory nerve, and relay these neural signals to the MSO. MSO neurons
receive inputs from left and right cochlear nuclei, and have discharge patterns
that are sensitive to the interaural time delay of the acoustic input, which is
an important psychophysical cue for sound localization.
References
[1] Lopez-Poveda EA, Meddis R (2001). A human nonlinear cochlear filterbank. J
Acoust Soc Am, 110(6):3107-18.
[2] Deligeorges S, Mountain DC (1997). Computational Neuroscience (A model for
periodicity coding in the auditory system: 609-615). Bower, Ed. Plenum Press,
New York.
[3] Gaumond RP, Molnar CE, Kim DO (1982). Stimulus and recovery dependence of
cat cochlear nerve fiber spike discharge probability. J Neurophysiol,
48(3):856-73.
[4] Rothman JS, Young ED, Manis PB (1993). Convergence of auditory nerve fibers
onto bushy cells in the ventral cochlear nucleus: implications of a
computational model. J. Neurophysiol. 70(6), 2563-2583.
[5] Brughera AR, Stutman ER, Carney LH, Colburn HS (1996). A model with
excitation and inhibition for cells in the medial superior olive. Auditory
Neurosci. 2, 219-233.
Acknowledgments
This research is supported by NIDCD and NIMH, award DC04731.
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