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Updated: Mar 28, 2026
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Frequency preference and attention effects across cortical depths in the human primary auditory cortex
Federico De Martino1, Michelle Moerel2, Kamil Ugurbil2
1Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455; f.demartino@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Summary
Human auditory cortex processes sound frequency in columns. Task demands sharpen frequency tuning in superficial layers, revealing insights into neural processing during active sound perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- The cerebral cortex is organized into columns of neurons with similar response properties.
- Information processing involves feed-forward (middle layers) and feedback (superficial and deep layers) pathways.
- Understanding this columnar organization is key to perception and behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the columnar organization of sound frequency processing in the human auditory cortex.
- To examine how task demands modulate neural responses across cortical layers.
Main Methods:
- In vivo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 7 tesla.
- Measurement of submillimeter functional responses to sound frequency sweeps.
- Analysis of neural responses across different cortical depths in the primary auditory cortex.
Main Results:
- Evidence for a columnar organization of sound frequency preference in the human auditory cortex.
- Frequency preference remained stable across cortical depth in the primary auditory cortex.
- Task demands significantly sharpened frequency tuning in superficial cortical layers compared to middle and deep layers.
Conclusions:
- The human auditory cortex exhibits a columnar structure for processing sound frequency.
- Superficial cortical layers play a distinct role in modulating frequency tuning based on task demands.
- These findings advance the understanding of neural information processing and flow in auditory perception.
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