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Related Concept Videos

Hearing

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.

Auditory Pathway

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
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,...

The Cochlea

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Published on: October 11, 2017

Correlated neural activity as the driving force for functional changes in auditory cortex.

Jos J Eggermont¹

¹Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. eggermon@ucalgary.ca

Hearing Research

|February 14, 2007

Summary

Neural synchrony plays a key role in brain map changes and conditions like tinnitus. This study favors neural activity-based corrections over stimulus timing for understanding brain function.

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Published on: October 11, 2017

Functional Imaging of Auditory Cortex in Adult Cats using High-field fMRI

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Combined Shuttle-Box Training with Electrophysiological Cortex Recording and Stimulation as a Tool to Study Perception and Learning

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Published on: October 22, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Neuroscience

Background:

Neural synchrony is implicated in cortical tonotopic map reorganization.
It is also linked to pathological phenomena, including tinnitus.

Purpose of the Study:

To contrast experimenter-centered and subject-centered views of neural activity.
To advocate for neural activity-based correction procedures over stimulus timing.
To explore the relationship between neural synchrony, cortical reorganization, and tinnitus.

Main Methods:

Analysis of neuronal firing synchrony within cortical columns.
Measurement of spike coincidence within a 1 ms bin.
Examination of neural correlations at varying electrode separations.
Investigation of cortico-cortical connections and receptive field properties.

Main Results:

Neurons within a cortical column exhibit synchronous firing, with an average of 6% of spikes coincident in a 1 ms bin.
Strong neural correlations can be induced by horizontal fiber activity.
Cortico-cortical connections link cell groups with disparate characteristic frequencies, yet show significant cross-correlations.
Increased neural synchrony correlates with tonotopic map reorganization.

Conclusions:

Correlated neural activity and heterotopic neural interconnections are substrates for cortical reorganization.
Increased neural synchrony and tonotopic map reorganization occur together.
Hypersynchrony is a significant driving force behind tinnitus.