Brodmann area 41 & 42

Brodmann area 41 and Brodmann area 42 are regions in the brain defined based on their cytoarchitectonics or histological structures. They are part of the Brodmann areas, a classification system of the brain's cortical areas developed by anatomist Korbinian Brodmann.

Brodmann area 41

Brodmann area 41, also known as the primary auditory cortex (A1), is the main area responsible for auditory processing. It is located in the superior temporal gyrus in the dominant cerebral hemisphere, which is the left hemisphere in about 97% of right-handed individuals and 70% of left-handed individuals.

This area is responsible for the basic processing of sound, including aspects such as pitch and volume. Damage to this area can result in auditory agnosia, a condition where the individual cannot recognize or differentiate between sounds.

Brodmann area 42

Brodmann area 42, also known as the secondary auditory cortex (A2), is involved in the more complex processing of sound. It is also located in the superior temporal gyrus, immediately posterior to Brodmann area 41.

The secondary auditory cortex processes the information received from the primary auditory cortex. It is involved in the recognition and interpretation of sound, such as determining the location of a sound source, and in the perception of complex sounds like music and speech.

Clinical significance

Damage to Brodmann areas 41 and 42 can result in central auditory processing disorder, where individuals have difficulty processing the information they hear, even though their hearing ability is normal. This can affect their ability to locate sounds, recognize familiar sounds, and understand speech in noisy environments.

See also

• Brodmann areas
• Auditory system
• Superior temporal gyrus
• Auditory agnosia
• Auditory processing disorder