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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...
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.
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...
Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...
Language Development01:22

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

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

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Functional development in the infant brain for auditory pitch processing.

Fumitaka Homae1, Hama Watanabe, Tamami Nakano

  • 1Department of Language Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan. fhomae@tmu.ac.jp

Human Brain Mapping
|April 14, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The infant brain processes pitch changes in auditory sequences, showing bilateral temporal activation. The right temporoparietal region

More Related Videos

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
14:05

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Published on: January 23, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 2, 2026

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

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
14:05

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Published on: January 23, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Auditory Perception

Background:

  • Infant auditory perception is crucial for speech and music understanding.
  • Previous research indicates the infant brain perceives pitch in speech sounds.
  • The developing brain's sensitivity to complex auditory information requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate infant brain sensitivity to pitch changes in auditory sequences.
  • To examine age-related differences in auditory processing between 3- and 6-month-olds.
  • To explore the role of the right temporoparietal region in processing auditory sequences.

Main Methods:

  • Multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was employed to measure brain activity.
  • Infants (3 and 6 months old) were presented with auditory sequences of varying temporal structures and pitch changes.
  • Three conditions included long (12 tones), short (4 tones), and random (random tones) chromatic scales.

Main Results:

  • Significant activation was observed in bilateral temporal regions across all auditory conditions for both age groups.
  • Stimulus-dependent activation was found in the right temporoparietal region.
  • 3-month-olds showed peak activation in the random condition, while 6-month-olds showed peak activation in the short condition.

Conclusions:

  • The infant brain demonstrates the capacity to respond to pitch variations within auditory sequences, not just isolated tones.
  • Functional differentiation and lateralization in auditory areas are evident in infants.
  • The right temporoparietal region's sensitivity to auditory sequences, particularly those resembling speech syllables, develops over time.