Perceptual hearing sensitivity during vocal production.
iScience 2022;
25:105435. [PMID:
36388966 PMCID:
PMC9650033 DOI:
10.1016/j.isci.2022.105435]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocalization, such as speaking, inevitably generates sensory feedback that can cause self-generated masking. However, perceptual hearing sensitivity during vocal production is poorly understood. Using an adaptive psychophysical method, we measured the perceptual hearing sensitivity of an echolocating bat, Hipposideros pratti, in a passive listening (PL) task to detect pure tones, an active listening (AL) task to detect pure tones triggered by its vocalization, and a phantom echo task. We found that hanging H. pratti had the best hearing sensitivity of approximately 0 dB sound pressure level (SPL) in the PL task but much lower hearing sensitivity (nearly 40 dB worse) in the echo task. In the AL task, all bats gradually increased call frequency by 0.8–1.1 kHz, which improved their hearing sensitivity by 25–29 dB. This study underscores the need for studying the sensory capability of subjects engaged in active behaviors.
Vocal production strongly affects the perceptual hearing sensitivity of bats
Forward masking explains the reduced hearing sensitivity during vocalization
Long-term vocal plasticity enables bats to overcome self-generated auditory masking
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