Article Questions Existence or Location of ‘Pitch Center’ in the Brain

Pitch is the perceptual feature of sound that’s fundamental to human hearing, allowing one to hear musical melodies and harmonies as well as recognize inflections of speech. In the past, studies have suggested that a particular hotspot in the brain might be responsible for perceiving pitch. However, auditory neuroscientists continue to debate whether this “pitch center” exists.

In a new review article by Daniel Bendor, Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the author discusses a recent study that claims this pitch center may not exist after all or, alternatively, may not be located where previous research has suggested. “Does a Pitch Center Exist in Auditory Cortex?” appears in the Articles in Press section of the Journal of Neurophysiology, which is published by the American Physiological Society. For more information, click here to read the full release.