Functional organization of non-primary auditory cortex

功能特化是大脑皮层的一个共同特征。在全球范围内，区域被专门用于执行特定的感觉或运动功能。在人类、猴子和猫的纹外视皮层中，已经确定了进一步专门化的空间、运动和模式处理的区域。在听觉皮质内，这种功能特化或“分工”的行为相关性在很大程度上是未知的。这项拟议工作的长期目标是阐明听觉皮质内的行为“分工”，并确定不同的听觉领域对听觉中介行为的相对贡献。这些结果与对潜在大脑连接的研究相结合，将提供证据或驳斥哪个层次或网络理论最好地解释听觉皮质的处理。在本研究中，我们将结合一系列的行为测试、可逆失活和电生理记录，来剖析听觉皮质的功能计划。

Functional specialization is a common characteristic of the cerebral cortex. Globally, regions are specialized to perform particular sensory or motor functions. Within extrastriate visual cortex of humans, monkeys and cats, areas have been identified that are further specialized for spatial, motion, and pattern processing. The behavioral correlate for such functional specializations, or a "division of labor", within auditory cortex is largely unknown. The long-term goal of the proposed work is to elucidate the behavioral "division of labor" within auditory cortex and determine the relative contributions that the different auditory fields make to acoustically-mediated behaviors. These results, when combined with investigations of underlying cerebral connections, will provide evidence for, or refute, which hierarchical or network theories best explain processing in auditory cortex. In the present study, we will combine a battery of behavioral tests, reversible deactivation, and electrophysiological recording, to dissect the functional plan of auditory cortex.