Krumbholz K, Patterson R D, Seither-Preisler A, Lammertmann C, Lütkenhöner B
Institute of Experimental Audiology, University Clinic Münster, Münster, Germany.
Cereb Cortex. 2003 Jul;13(7):765-72. doi: 10.1093/cercor/13.7.765.
There have been several attempts to use the neuromagnetic response to the onset of a tonal sound (N100m) to study pitch processing in auditory cortex. Unfortunately, a large proportion of the N100m is simply a response to the onset of sound energy, independent of whether the sound produces a pitch. The current study describes a novel stimulus paradigm designed to circumvent the energy-onset response and thereby isolate the response of those neural elements specifically involved in pitch processing. The temporal resolution of magnetoencephalography enables us to show that the latency and amplitude of this pitch-onset response (POR) vary with the pitch and pitch strength of the tone. The spatial resolution is sufficient to show that its source lies somewhat anterior and inferior to that of the N100m, probably in the medial part of Heschl's gyrus.
已有多项研究尝试利用对纯音起始的神经磁反应（N100m）来研究听觉皮层中的音高处理。遗憾的是，大部分N100m仅仅是对声音能量起始的反应，与声音是否产生音高无关。当前研究描述了一种新颖的刺激范式，旨在规避能量起始反应，从而分离出专门参与音高处理的神经元的反应。脑磁图的时间分辨率使我们能够表明，这种音高起始反应（POR）的潜伏期和幅度会随音调的音高和音高强度而变化。空间分辨率足以表明其来源位于N100m来源的前下方，可能在Heschl回的内侧部分。
