Primary Auditory Cortex

The primary auditory cortex is the area of the cerebrum which is involved in processing auditory (sound) information. The primary auditory cortex is situated in the temporal lobe, in the posterior half of the superior temporal gyrus, just below the lateral sulcus. Auditory signals reach perception only if received and processed by that particular cortical area of the temporal lobe.

Neurons in the auditory cortex are organized according to the frequency of sound to which they respond best. Neurons at one end of the auditory cortex respond best to low frequencies, while neurons at the other respond best to high frequencies. Brief auditory stimuli activate the primary auditory cortex earlier than any other cortical area so, within a certain latency range, the primary auditory cortex is the only cortical source contributing to the auditory evoked field.