Skip to main content

Main menu

  • HOME
  • CONTENT
    • Early Release
    • Featured
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • Collections
    • Podcast
  • ALERTS
  • FOR AUTHORS
    • Information for Authors
    • Fees
    • Journal Clubs
    • eLetters
    • Submit
  • EDITORIAL BOARD
  • ABOUT
    • Overview
    • Advertise
    • For the Media
    • Rights and Permissions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Feedback
  • SUBSCRIBE

User menu

  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Neuroscience
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Neuroscience

Advanced Search

Submit a Manuscript
  • HOME
  • CONTENT
    • Early Release
    • Featured
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • Collections
    • Podcast
  • ALERTS
  • FOR AUTHORS
    • Information for Authors
    • Fees
    • Journal Clubs
    • eLetters
    • Submit
  • EDITORIAL BOARD
  • ABOUT
    • Overview
    • Advertise
    • For the Media
    • Rights and Permissions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Feedback
  • SUBSCRIBE
PreviousNext
Featured ArticleBrief Communications

Tuning In to Sound: Frequency-Selective Attentional Filter in Human Primary Auditory Cortex

Sandra Da Costa, Wietske van der Zwaag, Lee M. Miller, Stephanie Clarke and Melissa Saenz
Journal of Neuroscience 30 January 2013, 33 (5) 1858-1863; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4405-12.2013
Sandra Da Costa
1Neuropsychology and Neurorehabilitation Service, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland 1011,
2Laboratoire de Recherche en Neuroimagerie, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland 1011,
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Wietske van der Zwaag
3Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland 1015,
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Lee M. Miller
4Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95618,
5Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, and
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Stephanie Clarke
1Neuropsychology and Neurorehabilitation Service, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland 1011,
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Melissa Saenz
2Laboratoire de Recherche en Neuroimagerie, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland 1011,
6Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland 1015
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Cocktail parties, busy streets, and other noisy environments pose a difficult challenge to the auditory system: how to focus attention on selected sounds while ignoring others? Neurons of primary auditory cortex, many of which are sharply tuned to sound frequency, could help solve this problem by filtering selected sound information based on frequency-content. To investigate whether this occurs, we used high-resolution fMRI at 7 tesla to map the fine-scale frequency-tuning (1.5 mm isotropic resolution) of primary auditory areas A1 and R in six human participants. Then, in a selective attention experiment, participants heard low (250 Hz)- and high (4000 Hz)-frequency streams of tones presented at the same time (dual-stream) and were instructed to focus attention onto one stream versus the other, switching back and forth every 30 s. Attention to low-frequency tones enhanced neural responses within low-frequency-tuned voxels relative to high, and when attention switched the pattern quickly reversed. Thus, like a radio, human primary auditory cortex is able to tune into attended frequency channels and can switch channels on demand.

View Full Text
Back to top

In this issue

The Journal of Neuroscience: 33 (5)
Journal of Neuroscience
Vol. 33, Issue 5
30 Jan 2013
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
  • Advertising (PDF)
  • Ed Board (PDF)
Email

Thank you for sharing this Journal of Neuroscience article.

NOTE: We request your email address only to inform the recipient that it was you who recommended this article, and that it is not junk mail. We do not retain these email addresses.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Tuning In to Sound: Frequency-Selective Attentional Filter in Human Primary Auditory Cortex
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from Journal of Neuroscience
(Your Name) thought you would be interested in this article in Journal of Neuroscience.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Print
View Full Page PDF
Citation Tools
Tuning In to Sound: Frequency-Selective Attentional Filter in Human Primary Auditory Cortex
Sandra Da Costa, Wietske van der Zwaag, Lee M. Miller, Stephanie Clarke, Melissa Saenz
Journal of Neuroscience 30 January 2013, 33 (5) 1858-1863; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4405-12.2013

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Respond to this article
Request Permissions
Share
Tuning In to Sound: Frequency-Selective Attentional Filter in Human Primary Auditory Cortex
Sandra Da Costa, Wietske van der Zwaag, Lee M. Miller, Stephanie Clarke, Melissa Saenz
Journal of Neuroscience 30 January 2013, 33 (5) 1858-1863; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4405-12.2013
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • Introduction
    • Materials and Methods
    • Results
    • Discussion
    • Footnotes
    • References
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF

Responses to this article

Respond to this article

Jump to comment:

No eLetters have been published for this article.

Related Articles

Cited By...

More in this TOC Section

  • Heteromodal Cortical Areas Encode Sensory-Motor Features of Word Meaning
  • Pharmacologically Counteracting a Phenotypic Difference in Cerebellar GABAA Receptor Response to Alcohol Prevents Excessive Alcohol Consumption in a High Alcohol-Consuming Rodent Genotype
  • Neuromuscular NMDA Receptors Modulate Developmental Synapse Elimination
Show more Brief Communications
  • Home
  • Alerts
  • Visit Society for Neuroscience on Facebook
  • Follow Society for Neuroscience on Twitter
  • Follow Society for Neuroscience on LinkedIn
  • Visit Society for Neuroscience on Youtube
  • Follow our RSS feeds

Content

  • Early Release
  • Current Issue
  • Issue Archive
  • Collections

Information

  • For Authors
  • For Advertisers
  • For the Media
  • For Subscribers

About

  • About the Journal
  • Editorial Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
(JNeurosci logo)
(SfN logo)

Copyright © 2022 by the Society for Neuroscience.
JNeurosci Online ISSN: 1529-2401

The ideas and opinions expressed in JNeurosci do not necessarily reflect those of SfN or the JNeurosci Editorial Board. Publication of an advertisement or other product mention in JNeurosci should not be construed as an endorsement of the manufacturer’s claims. SfN does not assume any responsibility for any injury and/or damage to persons or property arising from or related to any use of any material contained in JNeurosci.