Title: "Neural Encoding of Complex Acoustic Cues: Implications for Spatial Hearing"

Speaker: Aditi Gargeshwari, Ph.D.

Understanding speech and locating sound sources are fundamental to everyday communication, yet these abilities are often profoundly disrupted in individuals with hearing loss, even when sounds are made audible through amplification or cochlear implants. In this talk, I examine how temporal fine structure (TFS) and envelope (ENV) cues support sound localization, and how limitations in their neural encoding constrain these abilities. Although both cues can convey binaural information, converging evidence from my work indicates that when temporal fine structure is available and robustly encoded, it provides a more precise and effective substrate for spatial hearing than envelope cues alone. Using electrophysiological measures at cortical levels, I characterize neural representations of binaural cues in normal-hearing listeners and individuals with bilateral cochlear implants. Across these studies, stronger encoding of temporal fine structure is consistently associated with more accurate binaural discrimination, highlighting its dominant role in supporting spatial perception. Building on these findings, I outline my future research program focused on understanding how subcortical temporal fidelity shapes cortical discrimination of binaural cues, particularly in cochlear implant users.

Attendees are encouraged to join in person in HSAB 2004. Seating is limited (first-come, first-served, ~50 seats), but the seminar will also be available via Zoom.