[Advances in the study of primary auditory cortex. Demostration of its activation by functional magnetic resonance imaging].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this preliminary study has been to demonstrate and investigate the activation patterns of the primary auditory cortex (Heschl's gyrus = HG) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).


METHODS
A 2500 Hz tone stimulus was delivered monoaurally to the right and left ear of 15 normal-hearing right-handed volunteers in 20-second on-off cycles. FMRI data were obtained using a 1.5-Tesla scanner and processed with SPM2.


RESULTS
Activated pixels were identified in the transverse temporal gyrus (Heschl's gyrus) of both hemispheres in response to pure tone stimuli using cross-correlation analysis (P < 0.001). Bilateral hemispheric activation was observed in all subjects and there was a trend towards contralateral HG activation to the stimulated ear.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate directly that fMRI is a new and useful imaging technique to study the complex auditory cortex and it will have potential clinical applications in the next future.
Menéndez-Colino
L M
LM
Servicio de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cérvico-Facial, SCT-Universidad de Barcelona. 34227lmc@comb.es
Falcón
C
C
Trasera
J
J
Berenguer
J
J
Pujol
T
T
Herrera
O
O
Doménech
J
J
Bernal
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male