Book Chapters
Herrmann B, Butler BE (2021) Aging auditory cortex: The impact of reduced inhibition on function. In Martin CR, Preedy VR, Rajendram R (Eds). Assessments, Treatments and Modelling in Aging and Neurological Disease: The Neuroscience of Aging. (pp. 183-192). Academic Press.
Pre-print
Publications
Ren Y, Cui ME, Herrmann B (2025) Attentional disengagement during external and internal distractions reduces neural speech tracking in background noise. BioRxiv.
Slade K, Pepper JL, Oosterhuis EJ, Herrmann B, Johnsrude IS, Nuttall HE (2025) The rhythm of life: Individualised rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation to auditory cortex entrains alpha oscillators in older adults during listening. PsyArXiv.
Herrmann B, Motala A, Panela RA, Johnsrude IS (2025) Neural signatures of engagement and event segmentation during story listening in background noise. BioRxiv.
Mathiesen SL, Grenier A, Wittich W, Sukhai M, Herrmann B (2025) Age, vision loss, and audiobooks: Experiences of the transition to a new medium. SocArXiv.
Ren Y, Weineck K, Henry MJ, Herrmann B (2025) Reduced neural sensitivity to musical tempo despite enhanced neural tracking of musical features in older adults. BioRxiv.
Biba TM, Decker A, Herrmann B, Fukuda K, Katz C, Valiante TA, Duncan K (2024) Memory’s pulse: episodic memory formation is theta-rhythmic. PsyArXiv.
Peer-reviewed
Publications
2025 & in press
Cui ME, Verno-Lavigne E, Saxena S, Fink LK, Herrmann B (in press) Mobile eye-tracking glasses capture ocular and head markers of listening effort. JASA Express Letters.
Panela RA, Barnett AJ, Barense MD, Herrmann B (2025) Event segmentation applications in large language model enabled automated recall assessments. Communications Psychology.
Mathiesen SL, Grenier A, Wittich W, Sukhai M, Herrmann B (2025) Narrative engagement in story listening: The challenge of age and vision loss. Journal of Aging Studies 75:101355.
Herrmann B, Scharf F, Widmann A (2025) Eye movements of younger and older adults decrease during story listening in background noise. Hearing Research 468:109447.
Henry MJ, …, Herrmann B, et al. (2025) How strong is the rhythm of perception? A registered replication of Hickok, Farahbod, and Saberi (2015). Royal Society Open Science 12:220497.
Herrmann B (2025) Age-related differences in the impact of background noise on neural speech tracking. Neurobiology of Aging 153:10-20.
Herrmann B (2025) Language-agnostic, automated assessment of listeners' speech recall using large language models. Trends in Hearing 29:1-22.
Pandey PR, Herrmann B (2025) The influence of semantic context on the intelligibility benefit from speech glimpses in younger and older adults. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 68:2499-2516.
Herrmann B (2025) Enhanced neural speech tracking through noise indicates stochastic resonance in humans. eLife 13:RP100830.
Herrmann B, Cui ME (2025) Impaired prosodic processing but not hearing function is associated with reduced recognition of AI speech in older adults. Audiology Research 15:14.
Widmann A, Herrmann B, Scharf F (2025) Pupillometry is sensitive to speech masking during story listening: a commentary on the critical role of modeling temporal trends. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 413:110299.
Herrmann B (2025) Leveraging Natural Language Processing models to automate speech-intelligibility scoring. Speech, Language and Hearing 28:2374160.
2024
Kraus F, Ross B, Herrmann B, Obleser J (2024) Neurophysiology of effortful listening: Decoupling motivational modulation from task demands. The Journal of Neuroscience 44: e0589242024.
Herrmann B, Ryan JD (2024) Pupil size and eye movements differently index effort in both younger and older adults. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 36:1325-1340.
Motala A, Johnsrude IS, Herrmann B (2024) A longitudinal framework to describe the relation between age-related hearing loss and social isolation. Trends in Hearing 28:1-18.
Bobbitt SG, Herrmann B, Butler BE (2024) A survey of narrative listening behaviors in 8-13-year-old children. International Journal of Listening 38:16-27.
Panela RA, Copelli F, Herrmann B (2024) Reliability and generalizability of neural speech tracking in younger and older adults. Neurobiology of Aging 134:165-180.
2023
Kraus F, Obleser J, Herrmann B (2023) Pupil-size sensitivity to listening demand depends on motivational state. eNeuro 10:1-12.
Herrmann B (2023) Neural responses to repeated noise structure in sounds are invariant to temporal interruptions. Auditory Perception & Cognition 6:330-352.
Cui ME, Herrmann B (2023) Eye movements decrease during effortful speech listening. The Journal of Neuroscience 43:5856-5869. (download data)
Yasmin S, Irsik VC, Johnsrude IS, Herrmann B (2023) The effects of speech masking on neural tracking of acoustic and semantic features of natural speech. Neuropsychologia 186:108584.
Kraus F, Tune S, Obleser J, Herrmann B (2023) Neural alpha oscillations and pupil size differentially index cognitive demand under competing audio-visual task conditions. The Journal of Neuroscience 43:4352-4364.
Herrmann B (2023) The perception of artificial-intelligence (AI) based synthesized speech in younger and older adults. International Journal of Speech Technology 26:395-415.
Herrmann B, Maess B, Henry MJ, Obleser J, Johnsrude IS (2023) Neural signatures of task-related fluctuations in auditory attention and age-related changes. NeuroImage 268:119883.
Herrmann B, Maess B, Johnsrude IS (2023) Sustained responses and neural synchronization to amplitude and frequency modulation in sound change with age. Hearing Research 428:108677.
2022
Irsik VC, Johnsrude IS, Herrmann B (2022) Age-related deficits in dip-listening evident for isolated sentences but not for spoken stories. Scientific Reports 12:5898.
Dauer T, Henry MJ, Herrmann B (2022) Auditory perceptual learning depends on temporal regularity and certainty. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 48:755-770.
Irsik VC, Johnsrude IS, Herrmann B (2022) Neural activity during story listening is synchronized across individuals despite acoustic masking. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 34:933-950.
Herrmann B, Maess B, Johnsrude IS (2022) A neural signature of regularity in sound is reduced in older adults. Neurobiology of Aging 109:1-10.
2021
Herrmann B, Yasmin S, Araz K, Purcell DW, Johnsrude IS (2021) Sound level context modulates neural activity in the human brainstem. Scientific Reports 11:22581.
Herrmann B, Butler BE (2021) Hearing loss and brain plasticity: The hyperactivity phenomenon. Brain Structure and Function 226:2019-2039.
Herrmann B, Araz K, Johnsrude IS (2021) Sustained neural activity correlates with rapid perceptual learning of auditory patterns. NeuroImage 238:118238.
Irsik VC, Almanaseer A, Johnsrude IS, Herrmann B (2021) Cortical responses to the amplitude envelopes of sounds change with age. The Journal of Neuroscience 41:5045-5055.
Hayes SH, Schormans AL, Sigel G, Beh K, Herrmann B, Allman BL (2021) Uncovering the contribution of enhanced central gain and altered cortical oscillations to phantom sound perception. Progress in Neurobiology 196:101893.
Wieczerzak K, Patel S, MacNeil H, Scott K, Schormans A, Hayes S, Herrmann B, Allman BL (2021) Prefrontal cortex plasticity and cognitive-behavioral deficits following noise-induced hearing loss. Neuroscience 455:1-18.
2020
Herrmann B, Johnsrude IS (2020) Absorption and enjoyment during listening to acoustically masked stories. Trends in Hearing 24:1-18.
Herrmann B, Johnsrude IS (2020) A Model of Listening Engagement (MoLE). Hearing Research 397:108016.
Herrmann B, Augereau T, Johnsrude IS (2020) Neural responses and perceptual sensitivity to sound depend on sound-level statistics. Scientific Reports 10:9571.
Kadem M, Herrmann B, Rodd JM, Johnsrude IS (2020) Pupil dilation is sensitive to semantic ambiguity and acoustic degradation. Trends in Hearing 24:1-16.
Yasmin S, Purcell DW, Veeranna SA, Johnsrude IS, Herrmann B (2020) A novel approach to investigate subcortical and cortical sensitivity to temporal structure simultaneously. Hearing Research 398:108080.
Farahani M, Parsa V, Herrmann B, Kadem M, Johnsrude IS, Doyle P (2020) An Auditory-perceptual and pupillometric study of vocal strain in adductor spasmodic dysphonia. Applied Sciences 10:5907.
Al Jaja A, Grahn JA, Herrmann B, MacDonald PA (2020) The effect of aging, Parkinson’s disease, and exogenous dopamine on the neural response associated with auditory regularity processing. Neurobiology of Aging 89:71-82.
2019
Herrmann B, Buckland C, Johnsrude IS (2019) Neural signatures of temporal regularity processing in sounds differ between younger and older adults. Neurobiology of Aging 83:73-85.
Billig AJ, Herrmann B, Rhone AE, Gander PE, Nourski KV, Snoad BF, Kovach CK, Kawasaki H, Howard III MA, Johnsrude IS (2019) A sound-sensitive source of alpha oscillations in human non-primary auditory cortex. The Journal of Neuroscience 39:8679-8689.
Kwok E, Cardy JO, Allman BL, Allen P, Herrmann B (2019) Dynamics of spontaneous alpha activity correlate with language ability in young children. Behavioural Brain Research 359:55-65.
Parthasarathy A, Herrmann B, Bartlett EL (2019) Aging alters envelope representations of speech-like sounds in the inferior colliculus. Neurobiology of Aging 73:30-40.
2018
Herrmann B, Johnsrude IS (2018) Neural signatures of the processing of temporal patterns in sounds. The Journal of Neuroscience 38:5466-5477.
Herrmann B, Maess B, Johnsrude IS (2018) Aging affects adaptation to sound-level statistics in human auditory cortex. The Journal of Neuroscience 38:1989–1999.
Herrmann B, Johnsrude IS (2018) Attentional state modulates the effect of an irrelevant stimulus dimension on perception. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 44: 89-105.
Wilsch A, Henry MJ, Herrmann B, Herrmann CS, Obleser J (2018) Temporal expectation modulates the cortical dynamics of short-term memory. The Journal of Neuroscience 38: 7428-7439.
2017
Herrmann B, Parthasarathy A, Bartlett EL (2017) Aging affects dual encoding of periodicity and envelope shape in rat inferior colliculus neurons. European Journal of Neuroscience 2:299-311.
Holmes E, Herrmann B (2017). Revisiting the contribution of auditory cortex to frequency-following responses. The Journal of Neuroscience 37:5218-5220.
Henry MJ, Herrmann B, Kunke D, Obleser J (2017) Aging affects the balance of neural entrainment and top-down neural modulation in the listening brain. Nature Communications 8:15801.
Henry MJ, Herrmann B, Grahn JA (2017) What can we learn about beat perception by comparing brain signals and stimulus envelopes? PLoS ONE 12:e0172454.
2016
Herrmann B, Henry MJ, Johnsrude IS, Obleser J (2016) Altered temporal dynamics of neural adaptation in the aging human auditory cortex. Neurobiology of Aging 45:10-22.
Herrmann B, Henry MJ, Haegens S, Obleser J (2016) Temporal expectations and neural amplitude fluctuations in auditory cortex interactively influence perception. NeuroImage 124: 487-497.
Wöstmann M#, Herrmann B, Maess B, Obleser J (2016) The spatiotemporal dynamics of auditory attention synchronize with speech. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113:3873-3878.
Henry MJ, Herrmann B, Obleser J (2016) Neural microstates govern perception of auditory input without rhythmic structure. The Journal of Neuroscience 36:860-871.
Scharinger M, Bendixen A, Herrmann B, Henry MJ, Mildner T, Obleser J (2016) Predictions interact with missing sensory evidence in semantic processing areas. Human Brain Mapping 37:704-716.
2015
Herrmann B, Parthasarathy A, Han EX, Obleser J, Bartlett EL (2015) Sensitivity of rat inferior colliculus neurons to frequency distributions. Journal of Neurophysiology 114:2941-295.
Herrmann B, Henry MJ, Fromboluti EK, McAuley JD, Obleser J (2015) Statistical context shapes stimulus-specific adaptation in human auditory cortex. Journal of Neurophysiology 113:2582-2591.
Wöstmann M#, Herrmann B, Wilsch A, Obleser J (2015) Neural alpha dynamics in younger and older listeners reflect acoustic challenges and predictive benefits. The Journal of Neuroscience 35:1458-1467.
Henry MJ, Herrmann B, Obleser J (2015) Selective attention to temporal features on nested time scales. Cerebral Cortex 25:450-459.
Wilsch A#, Henry MJ, Herrmann B, Maess B, Obleser J (2015) Alpha oscillatory dynamics index temporal expectation benefits in working memory. Cerebral Cortex 25: 1938-1946.
Wilsch A#, Henry MJ, Herrmann B, Maess B, Obleser J (2015) Slow-delta phase concentration marks improved temporal expectations based on the passage of time. Psychophysiology 52:910–918.
2014
Herrmann B, Schlichting N, Obleser J (2014) Dynamic range adaptation to spectral stimulus statistics in human auditory cortex. The Journal of Neuroscience 34:327-331.
Herrmann B, Henry MJ, Scharinger M, Obleser J (2014) Supplementary motor area activations predict individual differences in temporal-change sensitivity and its illusory distortions. NeuroImage 101:370-379.
Henry MJ, Herrmann B, Obleser J (2014) Entrained neural oscillations in multiple frequency bands co-modulate behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111:14935-14940.
Henry MJ, Herrmann B (2014) Low-frequency neural oscillations support dynamic attending in temporal context. Timing & Time Perception 2:62-86.
Scharinger M, Herrmann B, Nierhaus T, Obleser J (2014) Simultaneous EEG-fMRI brain signatures of auditory cue utilization. Frontiers in Neuroscience 8:Article 137.
2013
Herrmann B, Henry MJ, Grigutsch M, Obleser J (2013) Oscillatory phase dynamics in neural entrainment underpin illusory percepts of time. The Journal of Neuroscience 33:15799-15809.
Herrmann B, Henry MJ, Scharinger M, Obleser J (2013) Auditory filter width affects response magnitude but not frequency specificity in auditory cortex. Hearing Research 304:128-136.
Herrmann B, Henry MJ, Obleser J (2013) Frequency-specific adaptation in human auditory cortex depends on the spectral variance in the acoustic stimulation. Journal of Neurophysiology 109:2086-2096.
Ruhnau P, Herrmann B, Maess B, Brauer J, Friederici AD, Schröger E (2013) Processing of complex distracting sounds in school-aged children and adults: Evidence from EEG and MEG data. Frontiers in Psychology 4:717.
2012
Herrmann B, Maess B, Kalberlah C, Haynes J-D, Friederici AD (2012) Auditory perception and syntactic cognition: Brain activity-based decoding within and across subjects. European Journal of Neuroscience 35:1488-1496.
Herrmann B, Obleser J, Kalberlah C, Haynes J-D, Friederici AD (2012) Dissociable neural imprints of perception and grammar in auditory functional imaging. Human Brain Mapping 33:584-595.
Ruhnau P, Herrmann B, Schröger E (2012) Finding the right control: The mismatch negativity under investigation. Clinical Neurophysiology 123:507-512.
Henry MJ, Herrmann B (2012) A precluding role of low-frequency oscillations for auditory perception in a continuous processing mode. The Journal of Neuroscience 32:17525–17527.
Obleser J, Herrmann B, Henry MJ (2012) Neural oscillations in speech: Don’t be enslaved by the envelope. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 6:250.
2011
Herrmann B, Maess B, Hahne A, Schröger E, Friederici AD (2011) Syntactic and auditory spatial processing in the human temporal cortex: An MEG study. NeuroImage 57:624–633.
Herrmann B, Maess B, Friederici AD (2011) Violation of syntax and prosody - Disentangling their contributions to the early left anterior negativity (ELAN). Neuroscience Letters 490:116-120.
Ruhnau P, Herrmann B, Maess B, Schröger E (2011) Maturation of obligatory auditory responses and their neural sources: Evidence from EEG and MEG. NeuroImage 58:630-639.
2009
Herrmann B, Maess B, Hasting AS, Friederici AD (2009) Localization of the syntactic mismatch negativity in the temporal cortex: An MEG study. NeuroImage 48:590-600.