title: Psychophysics and neuronal bases of sound localization in humans.
abstract: Localization of sound sources is a considerable computational challenge for the human brain. Whereas the visual system can process basic spatial information in parallel, the auditory system lacks a straightforward correspondence between external spatial locations and sensory receptive fields. Consequently, the question how different acoustic features supporting spatial hearing are represented in the central nervous system is still open. Functional neuroimaging studies in humans have provided evidence for a posterior auditory "where" pathway that encompasses non-primary auditory cortex areas, including the planum temporale (PT) and posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG), which are strongly activated by horizontal sound direction changes, distance changes, and movement. However, these areas are also activated by a wide variety of other stimulus features, posing a challenge for the interpretation that the underlying areas are purely spatial. This review discusses behavioral and neuroimaging studies on sound localization, and some of the competing models of representation of auditory space in humans. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Human Auditory Neuroimaging.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School - Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA. Electronic address: jyrki@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Jyrki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahveninen
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kopčo
authors.forename: Iiro P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Jääskeläinen
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D003463:Cues; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D013017:Sound Localization
keywords: 3D; AC; AM; BAEP; BRIR; DRR; DTI; EEG; ERP; FM; HG; HRTF; Heschl's gyrus; ILD; IPD; ITD; MAEP; MEG; MRI; PET; PP; PT; SSR; STG; amplitude modulation; auditory cortex; binaural room impulse response; brainstem auditory evoked potentials; diffusion-tensor imaging; direct-to-reverberant ratio; electroencephalography; event-related potential; fMRI; frequency modulation; functional magnetic resonance imaging; head-related transfer function; interaural level difference; interaural phase difference; interaural time difference; magnetic resonance imaging; magnetoencephalography; middle-latency auditory evoked potential; planum polare; planum temporale; positron emission tomography; steady-state response; superior temporal gyrus; three dimensional