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Sound localization mechanisms are particularly plastic during development, when the monaural and binaural acoustic cues that form the basis for spatial hearing change in value as the body grows. Recent studies have shown that the mature brain retains a surprising capacity to relearn to localize sound in the presence of substantially altered auditory spatial cues. In addition to the long-lasting changes that result from learning, behavioral and electrophysiological studies have demonstrated that auditory spatial processing can undergo rapid adjustments in response to changes in the statistics of recent stimulation, which help to maintain sensitivity over the range where most stimulus values occur. Through a combination of recording studies and methods for selectively manipulating the activity of specific neuronal populations, progress is now being made in identifying the cortical and subcortical circuits in the brain that are responsible for the dynamic coding of auditory spatial information.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.03.008

Type

Journal article

Journal

Neurosci Biobehav Rev

Publication Date

11/2011

Volume

35

Pages

2129 - 2139

Keywords

Adaptation, Physiological, Animals, Auditory Pathways, Brain Mapping, Humans, Learning, Neuronal Plasticity, Sound Localization