Plasticity of auditory maps in the brain

Abstract

The central auditory pathway contains maps of sound frequency that reflect the functional organization of the cochlea, as well as topographic representations of other stimulus features, such as sound location, that are synthesized within the brain. Both types of map undergo changes during development and are shaped by experience. This is particularly true of the representation of auditory space in the superior colliculus, which can be modified by alteration of auditory and visual inputs early in life. Although experience-induced plasticity in this map is restricted primarily to the developmental period, the frequency representation in the cortex of adult animals can re-organize following partial deafness.