A Toy Model for the Auditory System that exploits Stochastic Resonance

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simplified model of the auditory system demonstrating how stochastic resonance can enhance sound perception and explain frequency-dependent hearing thresholds.

Contribution

The work presents a toy model showing how stochastic resonance may play a role in the auditory transduction process, highlighting its potential importance in hearing.

Findings

Stochastic resonance can improve signal detection in the auditory system.

The model explains the frequency dependence of hearing thresholds.

Noise can have a beneficial role in auditory signal processing.

Abstract

The transduction process that occurs in the inner ear of the auditory system is a complex mechanism which requires a non-linear dynamical description. In addition to this, the stochastic phenomena that naturally arise in the inner ear during the transduction of an external sound into an electro-chemical signal must also be taken into account. The presence of noise is usually undesirable, but in non-linear systems a moderate amount of noise can improve the system's performance and increase the signal-to-noise ratio. The phenomenon of stochastic resonance combines randomness with non-linearity and is a natural candidate to explain at least part of the hearing process which is observed in the inner ear. In this work, we present a toy model of the auditory system which shows how stochastic resonance can be instrumental to sound perception, and suggests an explanation of the frequency dependence of the hearing threshold.