Workshop on the Auditory Basis of Speech Perception Keele University, UK July 15-19, 1996

The Topographic Representation of Periodicity Pitch in the Auditory Cortex

Gerhard Langner (1), H. Schulze (1), M. Sams (2), P. Heil (1)

(1) Zoological Institute, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
(2) Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland

An adaptation of auditory systems important for the processing of speech is that for periodic envelopes. Periodicity is a property not only of signals from vocal chords, but from many physical sound sources. Evidence is accumulating in support of a theory of temporal periodicity analysis as a supplement and refinement of the cochlear frequency analysis. Temporal representations of periodic signals are processed by neurons in the auditory midbrain acting as coincidence detectors and transferring temporal information into rate-place code. The resulting map for periodicity is arranged orthogonal to the tonotopic map. However, so far little evidence exists for a topographic representation of periodicity information in the mammalian cortex. The present paper compares the results of a neurophysiological study in the Mongolian gerbil and a magnetoencephalographic study of the human auditory cortex which together demonstrate that there might be indeed also periodotopic organizations in the cortex.

Full Paper

Bibliographic reference.  Langner, Gerhard / Schulze, H. / Sams, M. / Heil, P. (1996): "The topographic representation of periodicity pitch in the auditory cortex", In ABSP-1996, 91-97.