# Neural processing of communication sounds: acoustic features and semantic content

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2022 · $249,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Acoustic communication is crucial for social interactions in many species, including humans.
Understanding the neural underpinnings that govern the production and processing of communication sounds is
paramount to advance the fields of auditory neuroscience and social behavior. Studies investigating speech and
sound processing in humans have mostly implemented non-invasive methods, leaving a gap in knowledge about
underlying neural mechanisms. My project bridges this gap by exploiting scientific advantages of echolocating
bats, mammals that produce and process a rich repertoire of acoustic signals, to investigate the circuits that
contribute to the discrimination of complex sounds that carry different meanings. Bats are social mammals with
well-developed audio-vocal systems and produce ultrasonic vocalizations for navigation and social
communication, providing a distinct opportunity to study the pathways, molecules and brain regions, which
enable complex sound processing. Aim 1 combines behavior and neurophysiology to investigate the specific
acoustic features of communication calls that are key to evoke behavioral responses and the neural systems
involved in sound discrimination. Aim 2 combines psychophysical, neurophysiological, and pharmacological
inactivation methods to study the midbrain-amygdala circuit's role in mediating discrimination of sounds that
show overlap in spectro-temporal features but carry different semantic content. Aim 3 investigates circuit
phenomena in a social context by combining neurophysiological recordings and targeted pharmacological
inactivation in freely interacting bats. The overarching hypothesis of this research program is that social-
emotional processing of auditory stimuli through a midbrain-amygdala circuit mediates the discrimination of
sounds that carry different meaning. The significance of this project resides in the extraordinary scientific
opportunities to bridge studies of auditory behaviors, single neuron recordings, circuit dissection and
computational modeling in a mammalian model. This work will contribute key new knowledge of natural sound
processing mechanisms in mammals that could inform a deeper understanding of human auditory
communication disorders. Johns Hopkins University offers an outstanding environment to conduct this project,
as it provides access to world class research facilities, seminars and workshops offered by the Center for Hearing
and Balance, the Center for Language and Speech Processing; along with an extraordinary network of mentors
and collaborators who will provide training and guidance to ensure the success of this project.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10652150
- **Project number:** 4R00DC019145-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Angeles Salles
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $249,000
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10652150

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10652150, Neural processing of communication sounds: acoustic features and semantic content (4R00DC019145-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10652150. Licensed CC0.

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