title: Hemispheric difference in activation patterns of human auditory-associated cortex: an FMRI study.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate interhemispheric differences in activation patterns of the auditory-associated cortex elicited by a series of sounds. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed while different sounds were presented binaurally to 10 healthy subjects with normal hearing. Characteristic activation patterns were elicited although variability was shown between subjects. The activation number was significantly higher on the right than on the left side for non-speech (but not for speech) stimulations. As stimulation increased in complexity (from a pure tone to white noise to ocean wave sounds to classical music), the activation pattern of the superior temporal lobe became more pronounced in both hemispheres while that of the auditory cortex tended to become more sustained and concentrated on the right rather than on the left side. No hemispheric differences in activation pattern were seen in response to speech.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Buddhist Dalin Tzu-Chi General Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan (ROC).
authors.forename: Juen-Haur
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Chang-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Pao-Hsuan
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Tien-Chen
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jyr-Horng
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D009622:Noise; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D013016:Sound; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen