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Related Concept Videos

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
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...
Auditory Pathway01:15

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...
Hearing01:31

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.
The Cochlea01:13

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.
Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
06:34

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Pitch processing sites in the human auditory brain.

Deborah A Hall1, Christopher J Plack

  • 1MRC Institute of Hearing Research, University Park, Nottingham, UK. d.hall@ihr.mrc.ac.uk

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|July 8, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The human auditory cortex may not have a single pitch center. This study found that pitch processing involves multiple brain regions beyond the lateral Heschl's gyrus (HG), suggesting a broader neural network.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Auditory Neuroscience
  • Psychoacoustics

Background:

  • The lateral Heschl's gyrus (HG) is traditionally considered the primary pitch center in the human auditory cortex.
  • Previous studies primarily used iterated-ripple noise (IRN) to investigate pitch processing, potentially limiting the understanding of broader pitch perception mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural correlates of pitch processing using a diverse range of pitch-evoking stimuli.
  • To challenge the established view of lateral HG as the sole pitch processing center.
  • To identify all brain regions involved in pitch perception.

Main Methods:

  • A novel experimental design presenting various pitch-evoking stimuli to listeners.
  • Functional neuroimaging techniques to identify brain regions (voxels) showing significant responses to pitch stimuli.
  • Comparative analysis of responses to different stimuli, including IRN.

Main Results:

  • Pitch processing was observed in regions beyond the lateral HG, notably in the planum temporale.
  • Additional pitch-sensitive areas were identified in the temporo-parieto-occipital junction and prefrontal cortex in some individuals.
  • Responses to IRN differed from other pitch stimuli, suggesting non-pitch acoustic features may influence prior findings.

Conclusions:

  • The assignment of exclusive pitch processing status to lateral HG based solely on neuroactivation is premature.
  • Pitch perception likely involves a distributed network of multiple brain regions.
  • Future research should explore the functional roles of these identified pitch processing sites within a broader neural network.