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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...

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.

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.

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.

Somatosensation

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.

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: Jun 23, 2026

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities

Published on: January 29, 2014

Tactile temporal processing in the auditory cortex.

Nadia Bolognini¹, Costanza Papagno, Daniela Moroni

¹University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy. nadia.bolognini@unimib.it

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

|May 6, 2009

Summary

The superior temporal gyrus (STG), typically an auditory area, is crucial for processing tactile duration. This study shows auditory cortex involvement in somatosensory temporal perception, suggesting a supramodal role.

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Mapping the After-effects of Theta Burst Stimulation on the Human Auditory Cortex with Functional Imaging

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Published on: September 12, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory Processing
Multisensory Integration

Background:

Multisensory integration is key to perception.
Evidence suggests multisensory processing occurs early in sensory pathways.
The role of auditory areas in non-auditory processing is under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of the superior temporal gyrus (STG), an auditory area, in tactile event processing.
To determine if STG is causally involved in temporal and spatial tactile discrimination.
To explore the timing of multisensory integration in cortical processing.

Main Methods:

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to left STG and left primary somatosensory cortex (SI).
Tactile temporal and spatial discrimination tasks performed.
TMS delivered at 60, 120, and 180 msec post-stimulus onset.

Main Results:

TMS to SI disrupted tactile temporal processing at 60 msec, confirming SI's role.
TMS to STG disrupted tactile temporal processing at 180 msec.
Tactile spatial processing was only impaired by TMS to SI.
Impairments were contralateral and due to reduced perceptual sensitivity.

Conclusions:

Auditory areas, specifically STG, are causally involved in processing the duration of somatosensory events.
STG may play a supramodal role in temporal perception.
Multisensory integration occurs at early stages of cortical processing, involving cross-modal interactions.