Brain
Auditory Cortex
Decoding the world of sound
Overview
The primary auditory cortex (A1) lies within the superior temporal gyrus and is the first cortical area to receive processed auditory information from the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus. It is tonotopically organized, responding to specific sound frequencies. Adjacent areas process complex sounds, speech, and music.
Function
- Identifies pitch, loudness, and timbre of sounds
- Processes spoken language via Wernicke's area (adjacent)
- Discriminates sound direction and distance
- Processes music and environmental sounds
- Integrates auditory information with memory and emotion
Key Facts
- A1 is tonotopically organized—different frequencies activate different strips
- Musicians show expanded auditory cortex representations
- Auditory cortex activity can be detected during auditory imagery (imagined sounds)
- Tinnitus is thought to involve hyperactivity of auditory cortex neurons