Module 3 APD questions & answers
graded A+ 2025/2026
bottom-up processing - correct answer ✔✔extraction of basic acoustic information (pitch,
temporal components, spatial information, phonemes, etc.)
top-down processing - correct answer ✔✔using knowledge of the language/experience of the
world to fill in missing parts (aural rehab approach)
which (top-down/bottom-up) is used more? - correct answer ✔✔generally both are used
equally, but some situations use one more than the other
ANFs represent tonotopicity through phase locking, up to _______ Hz - correct answer ✔✔4000
Hz
ANFs represent intensity via - correct answer ✔✔increases and decreases in firing rate
how is the AN able to contribute to speech perception? - correct answer ✔✔phase locking can
identify formant frequencies to differentiate vowels
continuous speech can be characterized by rapid changes in: - correct answer ✔✔-amplitude
envelope (strong/weak syllables)
-spectral envelope (frequency changes)
-fine spectral structures (periodic vs. aperiodic components- vowels and consonants)
, adaptation - correct answer ✔✔when a signal exhibits a rapid change in amplitude, the ANF
displays a maximal discharge rate shortly after the onset of the stimulus, and the rate decays
gradually
suppression - correct answer ✔✔reductions of the response of the ANF in response to the
presence of another signal to enhance the contrast between the signal of interest and
background noise
AN physiology - correct answer ✔✔-breaks down incoming signal into components
-relays information to higher centers (bottleneck region)
CN physiology - correct answer ✔✔-enhances features of the neural signal
-first place where processing of the signal occurs (through divergence and convergence)
______ is the most caudal structure of the brainstem - correct answer ✔✔CN
CN anatomy - correct answer ✔✔-AVCN: relay
-PVCN/DCN: extract information from the stimulus through the different cell types
*KEY FUNCTIONS* off the CN - correct answer ✔✔-contrast enhancement and feature
extraction
-also amplitude modulation, rate/place coding for vowels, possibly consonant encoding
What percentage of fibers leaving the CN decussate to project contralaterally? - correct answer
✔✔80%
graded A+ 2025/2026
bottom-up processing - correct answer ✔✔extraction of basic acoustic information (pitch,
temporal components, spatial information, phonemes, etc.)
top-down processing - correct answer ✔✔using knowledge of the language/experience of the
world to fill in missing parts (aural rehab approach)
which (top-down/bottom-up) is used more? - correct answer ✔✔generally both are used
equally, but some situations use one more than the other
ANFs represent tonotopicity through phase locking, up to _______ Hz - correct answer ✔✔4000
Hz
ANFs represent intensity via - correct answer ✔✔increases and decreases in firing rate
how is the AN able to contribute to speech perception? - correct answer ✔✔phase locking can
identify formant frequencies to differentiate vowels
continuous speech can be characterized by rapid changes in: - correct answer ✔✔-amplitude
envelope (strong/weak syllables)
-spectral envelope (frequency changes)
-fine spectral structures (periodic vs. aperiodic components- vowels and consonants)
, adaptation - correct answer ✔✔when a signal exhibits a rapid change in amplitude, the ANF
displays a maximal discharge rate shortly after the onset of the stimulus, and the rate decays
gradually
suppression - correct answer ✔✔reductions of the response of the ANF in response to the
presence of another signal to enhance the contrast between the signal of interest and
background noise
AN physiology - correct answer ✔✔-breaks down incoming signal into components
-relays information to higher centers (bottleneck region)
CN physiology - correct answer ✔✔-enhances features of the neural signal
-first place where processing of the signal occurs (through divergence and convergence)
______ is the most caudal structure of the brainstem - correct answer ✔✔CN
CN anatomy - correct answer ✔✔-AVCN: relay
-PVCN/DCN: extract information from the stimulus through the different cell types
*KEY FUNCTIONS* off the CN - correct answer ✔✔-contrast enhancement and feature
extraction
-also amplitude modulation, rate/place coding for vowels, possibly consonant encoding
What percentage of fibers leaving the CN decussate to project contralaterally? - correct answer
✔✔80%
