Neural Representation of Space for Sound-Source Localization: An fMRI Study

Abstract

Auditory perception is important in human spatial recognition as well as in visual perception. This is especially true for the space behind the body, where visual cues are not available. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate brain areas involved in processing of sound coming from different directions, including this back space. We positioned speakers at seven locations in the MRI scanner, and the subjects performed a sound localization task. Greater activation in the right superior parietal lobule (Broadmann area [BA] 7) and inferior parietal lobule (BA40) were observed when the sound was delivered from the right space compared with the left, indicating the involvement of these regions for sound localization of the right space. Activation in the right precentral gyrus (BA6) was also seen in the interaction of right/left and front/back, indicating the role of this region for sound processing of the right-front and left-back space.