AUDITORY SELECTIVE ATTENTION IN THE HUMAN COCHLEA

According to current theories, auditory selective attention alters the sensory analysis of acoustic inputs only in the central auditory syst em. Despite numerous attempts, no evidence of attentional selection ha s been found in the auditory periphery. Measurements of evoked otoacou stic emissions (EOAEs) during a selective dichotic listening task show ed that the EOAEs to tones in one ear had larger amplitude when attent ion was directed to this ear than when attention was directed to the o pposite ear. The results indicate that genuine effects of auditory sel ective attention can be observed at the cochlear receptor.