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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...

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.

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.

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

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...

Anatomy of the Ear

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...

Functional Brain Systems: Reticular Formation

Functional Brain Systems: Reticular Formation

The reticular formation is a complex network of gray and white matter located within the brainstem extending from the medulla to the midbrain.
Within the reticular formation, there are several distinct nuclei that can be classified into three broad categories. The Raphe nuclei are located along the midline of the brainstem. They are primarily known for their role in synthesizing and releasing serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, appetite, sleep, and circadian rhythms. The...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Slicing the Embryonic Chicken Auditory Brainstem to Evaluate Tonotopic Gradients and Microcircuits

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Published on: July 12, 2022

Processing Complex Sounds Passing through the Rostral Brainstem: The New Early Filter Model.

John E Marsh¹, Tom A Campbell²

¹School of Psychology, University of Central LancashirePreston, UK; Department of Building, Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of GävleGävle, Sweden.

Frontiers in Neuroscience

|June 1, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Aging affects auditory processing in the brainstem, impacting speech perception. A new model suggests top-down attention, controlled by the frontal lobe, filters auditory input, crucial for understanding speech in noisy environments.

Keywords:

auditory brainstem response (ABR)cognitive hearing science complex auditory brainstem response (cABR)electroencephalography magnetoencephalography new early filter model selective attention temporal fine structure (TFS)

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Last Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Slicing the Embryonic Chicken Auditory Brainstem to Evaluate Tonotopic Gradients and Microcircuits

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Published on: July 12, 2022

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

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Published on: July 1, 2015

Data Acquisition and Analysis In Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry In Mice

Data Acquisition and Analysis In Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry In Mice

Published on: May 10, 2019

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Auditory Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

The rostral brainstem processes auditory information via bottom-up and top-down pathways.
Elderly listeners' speech perception in reverberation correlates with high-frequency temporal fine structure (TFS) amplitude.
Working memory capacity (WMC), declining with age, affects brainstem sound processing.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how sensory and memory load impact auditory processing in the brainstem.
To propose a new early filter model for auditory processing influenced by attention and cognitive load.

Main Methods:

Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were measured under varying visual sensory and memory loads.
Correlation analysis between high-frequency TFS amplitude and word recognition in elderly listeners.

Main Results:

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) Wave V amplitude decreased with increased visual memory load.
Visual sensory load reduced the disruptive effects of background noise on WMC.
High-frequency TFS amplitude positively correlated with word recognition in reverberation for elderly listeners.

Conclusions:

A new early filter model is proposed, where frontal lobe systems modulate top-down corticofugal connections.
These connections constrain brainstem speech processing, with selective attention limiting background noise interference.
Cholinergic control from prefrontal areas, constrained by capacity limitations, guides this filtering process, crucial for speech perception in adverse conditions.