Auditory processing and categorization : development, organization and reorganization
(2025)
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- Authors
- Supervisors
- Collignon, Olivier
- Abstract
- Humans possess a remarkable ability to effortlessly categorize natural sounds into ecologically relevant domains. But how does the brain transform sound into meaning? Does this process rely primarily on low-level acoustic features specific to sound categories, or are higher-order auditory mechanisms at play that support categorization and guide behaviour? In this thesis, I use electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate auditory processing and categorization across different populations. First, I show that neurotypical adults can automatically categorize affective vocalizations into discrete emotion categories, the representations of which are at least partially independent of their acoustic properties. Next, I explore how auditory processes and sound categorization of natural sounds emerge in early development by comparing EEG responses of infants aged 4 to 7 months with those of adults. Finally, I present how congenital blindness impacts auditory function showing that while early acoustic processing remains intact, blindness enhances the representations of intermediate stages of auditory processing and, critically, sharpen their brain’s categorical and behavioural representation. Collectively, these studies provide new insights into auditory processing and categorization across developing (infants), typical (neurotypical adults), and reorganized (congenitally blind) brains.
- Affiliations
Citations
Talwar, S. (2025). Auditory processing and categorization : development, organization and reorganization. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/244191