Intrinsic Noise Improves Speech Recognition in a Computational Model of the Auditory Pathway

Schilling A, Gerum R, Metzner C, Maier A, Krauß P (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Frontiers in Neuroscience Frontiers Research Foundation / Frontiers Media

Book Volume: 16

Article Number: 908330

DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.908330

Abstract

Noise is generally considered to harm information processing performance. However, in the context of stochastic resonance, noise has been shown to improve signal detection of weak sub- threshold signals, and it has been proposed that the brain might actively exploit this phenomenon. Especially within the auditory system, recent studies suggest that intrinsic noise plays a key role in signal processing and might even correspond to increased spontaneous neuronal firing rates observed in early processing stages of the auditory brain stem and cortex after hearing loss. Here we present a computational model of the auditory pathway based on a deep neural network, trained on speech recognition. We simulate different levels of hearing loss and investigate the effect of intrinsic noise. Remarkably, speech recognition after hearing loss actually improves with additional intrinsic noise. This surprising result indicates that intrinsic noise might not only play a crucial role in human auditory processing, but might even be beneficial for contemporary machine learning approaches.

Authors with CRIS profile

Achim Schilling Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (HNO-Klinik) Claus Metzner Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (HNO-Klinik) Andreas Maier Lehrstuhl für Informatik 5 (Mustererkennung) Patrick Krauß Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (HNO-Klinik)

Involved external institutions

York University CA Canada (CA)

How to cite

APA:

Schilling, A., Gerum, R., Metzner, C., Maier, A., & Krauß, P. (2022). Intrinsic Noise Improves Speech Recognition in a Computational Model of the Auditory Pathway. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.908330

MLA:

Schilling, Achim, et al. "Intrinsic Noise Improves Speech Recognition in a Computational Model of the Auditory Pathway." Frontiers in Neuroscience 16 (2022).

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