Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain
Published on: October 11, 2017
Human auditory cortex tracks task-irrelevant sound sources
István Winkler1, Wolfgang A Teder-Sälejärvi, János Horváth
1Institute for Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1394 Budapest, PO Box 398, Szondi u. 83/85, Hungary. winkler@cogpsyphy.hu
Abstract:
The brain organizes sound into coherent sequences, termed auditory streams. We asked whether task-irrelevant sounds would be detected as separate auditory streams in a natural listening environment that included three simultaneously active sound sources. Participants watched a movie with sound while street-noise and sequences of naturally varying footstep sounds were presented in the background. Occasional deviations in the footstep sequences elicited the mismatch negativity (MMN) event-related potential. The elicitation of MMN showed that the regular features of the footstep sequences had been registered and their violations detected, which could only occur if the footstep sequence had been detected as a separate auditory stream. Our results demonstrate that sounds are organized into auditory streams irrespective of their relevance to ongoing behavior.
Related Concept Videos
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Auditory Perception
The Cochlea
Olfaction
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

