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Updated: Jul 5, 2026
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Published on: July 26, 2024
Interactions between the superior temporal sulcus and auditory cortex mediate dynamic face/voice integration in
Asif A Ghazanfar1, Chandramouli Chandrasekaran, Nikos K Logothetis
1Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA. asifg@princeton.edu
Summary
Multisensory integration in the brain involves auditory cortex and superior temporal sulcus (STS) cooperation. This interaction enhances processing of combined faces and voices during communication.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
Background:
- The brain integrates multiple sensory inputs for effective communication.
- Cortical networks contain nodes that process and integrate faces and voices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if visual input from the superior temporal sulcus (STS) influences multisensory responses in the auditory cortex.
- To test the hypothesis of functional interactions between auditory cortex and STS during communication signal processing.
Main Methods:
- Concurrent recording of local field potentials and single neurons from auditory cortex and STS in monkeys.
- Spectral analyses to measure functional interactions between brain regions.
- Stimulus presentation included dynamic faces, voices, and control stimuli (dynamic disk).
Main Results:
- Functional interactions between auditory cortex and STS strengthened during simultaneous face and voice presentation compared to individual stimuli.
- Interactions showed decreased phase variability in the multisensory condition.
- Auditory cortex spiking output was coordinated with STS oscillations, and neurons showed integrative responses to combined faces and voices.
Conclusions:
- Neuronal cooperation between auditory cortex and STS mediates face and voice integration.
- Interactions between these structures provide a fast and efficient mechanism for processing multisensory communication signals.
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