Testing the Cocktail Party Problem in an Ethological Pup Retrieval Task Restricted; Files Only
Costello, Maya (Spring 2025)
Abstract
Background: In communication, the listener plays the critical role of receiving and processing sounds. Some environments can hinder sound detection and comprehension, though. Largely implemented in psychoacoustic studies, the cocktail party problem examines the issue of how sounds are distinguished from background noise. The specific neural mechanisms of this process remain unclear, though, encouraging exploration of the problem in animal models.
Goal: In this study, we aim to develop a complex spatial and auditory task in which the cocktail party problem can be assessed behaviorally and later neurologically.
Methods: Pup-naïve female mice were trained on a dagger maze pup retrieval task using a sound cue predictive of future pup location. Once the subject learned the retrieval task, their ability to discern the target cue amidst a distracting sound was assessed.
Results: In training auditory performance increased and usage of an innate spatial strategy decreased. Across testing, auditory performance increased, with high performance when the distractor and sound cue were equal in sound level. Auditory performance was also higher when the sound cue was delivered on the side arms and when the target sound and distracting sound occurred on the same speaker.
Conclusion: The introduction of a distractor at an equal decibel level was consistently associated with higher auditory performance. The center arm auditory performance, though, was consistently low, potentially caused by the dagger maze spatial configuration. In consideration of spatial and auditory complexity, the distracting sound may be perceived as a secondary, non-predictive cue in this task.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Materials and Methods 7
Animals 7
Sound Parameters 7
Behavioral Paradigm 9
Experimental Design 9
Habituation 10
Training 11
Testing 12
Incomplete Sessions and Breaks 13
Data Analysis and Statistical Testing 13
Results 14
Training Performance 14
Testing Performance 16
Effect of Distractor on Choice and Performance 16
Effect of Target Sound Side 20
Discussion 21
Confirming Effects of DIS 24
Potential Explanation 26
Alternative Explanation 28
TGS Arm Spatial Discrepancy 29
Conclusion 31
References 33
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File download under embargo until 22 May 2027 | 2025-04-09 11:59:30 -0400 | File download under embargo until 22 May 2027 |
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