Primary auditory cortex

Primary Auditory Cortex

The Primary Auditory Cortex (PAC) is the region of the brain that is responsible for processing auditory information. It is located in the superior temporal gyrus in the temporal lobe and is part of the auditory system.

Anatomy

The Primary Auditory Cortex is located in the Brodmann area 41 and Brodmann area 42 in the superior temporal gyrus, which is part of the temporal lobe. It is surrounded by the secondary auditory cortex, and is part of the auditory system.

Function

The Primary Auditory Cortex is responsible for processing auditory information. It receives input from the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus, which in turn receives information from the inferior colliculus in the midbrain. The PAC processes the basic characteristics of sound such as pitch and volume, and is also involved in the localization of sound.

Clinical significance

Damage to the Primary Auditory Cortex can result in auditory agnosia, a condition in which an individual is unable to recognize or differentiate between sounds. This is different from hearing loss, which is due to damage to the peripheral auditory system.

See also

• Auditory system
• Superior temporal gyrus
• Temporal lobe
• Brodmann area 41
• Brodmann area 42

References

Primary auditory cortex Resources
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