Amplitude‐modulation detection in reproducible modulation maskers: Correlation between Behavioral and Physiological Responses.

The use of reproducible noise maskers in studies of detection has proven useful to extend our understanding of coding and processing of complex sounds. In an effort to reveal potential neural mechanisms for the detection of amplitude‐modulation (AM) in the presence of modulation maskers, tetrode recordings were made from inferior colliculus neurons of awake rabbits using reproducible stimuli. Both rabbit and human behavioral data have been collected for the same set of reproducible maskers. The target AM and maskers were applied to the envelope of a 5 kHz carrier signal. Neural responses were recorded to stimuli with the level of target AM slightly above masked threshold for both rabbit and human. Neural detection thresholds were estimated based on average discharge rate and several temporal metrics, such as synchrony to the target AM, temporal reliability, and rapid fluctuation in the peri‐stimulus time histogram (PSTH) of responses. The hit and false‐alarm rates for neural detection of AM were estimated...