Hierarchical and asymmetric temporal sensitivity in.pdfVIP

A R T I C L E S e c n e i c s Hierarchical and asymmetric temporal sensitivity in o r u e n human auditory cortices e r u t a n 1 2 2 3 / Anthony Boemio , Stephen Fromm , Allen Braun David Poeppel m o c . e r u Lateralization of function in auditory cortex has remained a persistent puzzle. Previous studies using signals with differing t a n. spectrotemporal characteristics support a model in which the left hemisphere is more sensitive to temporal and the right more w sensitive to spectral stimulus attributes. Here we use single-trial sparse-acquisition fMRI and a stimulus with parametrically w w varying segmental structure affecting primarily temporal properties. We show that both left and right auditory cortices are / / : p remarkably sensitive to temporal structure. Crucially, beyond bilateral sensitivity to timing information, we uncover two t t h functionally significant interactions. First, local spectrotemporal signal structure is differentially processed in the superior p temporal gyrus. Second, lateralized responses emerge in the higher-order superior temporal sulcus, where more slowly modulated u o signals preferentially drive the right hemisphere. The data support a model in which sounds are analyzed on two distinct r G timescales, 25–50 ms and 200–300 ms. g n i h s i l Structure, function and lateralization in human auditory cortex are with the relevant scales being 25–50 ms and 200–300 ms (ref. 3). In addi- b u the focus of much recent work1. One central issue concerns the origin tion, we propose that functional lateralization emerges from differential P e and nature of lateralization. For example, there