Computations in the Auditory Periphery -- Physiological Foundations and Comparative Modeling

Computational modeling is an essential tool for hearing research. Auditory periphery models help us understand the fundamental functions of the first stages in the auditory system and enable us to simulate how and what sort of acoustic information is transferred to the brain to form a perception of sounds. Currently available auditory periphery models have been developed and tuned mostly with neurophysiological data from cats and psychoacoustic data from humans. In experimental auditory neuroscience, however, rodent species such as gerbils, chinchillas, and guinea pigs are now much more frequently used than cats. It is unclear how precisely the auditory functions of these lab animals can be simulated by existing models. Towards the development of an auditory periphery model applicable to rodents, here we hold a two-day workshop. The first day focuses on comparative auditory nerve physiology and aims to reveal the similarities and differences among animal species, which serve as the bases for computational modeling. The second day is about previous and on-going modeling approaches to review existing techniques and to identify current and future challenges of auditory periphery models. During the workshop, we will have enough time for in-depth discussions to devise a set of physiological criteria that a good auditory periphery model should satisfy. We hope that this workshop will facilitate collaborations between auditory physiologists, model developers, and model users.