Our concepts of sound localization in the vertebrate brain are widely based on the general
assumption that both the ability to detect air-borne sounds and the neuronal processing are …

The auditory system derives locations of sound sources from spatial cues provided by the
interaction of sound with the head and external ears. Those cues are analyzed in specific …

Ultrafast neurotransmitter release requires tight colocalization of voltage-gated Ca 2+
channels with primed, release-ready synaptic vesicles at the presynaptic active zone. RIM …

The integration of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs is fundamental to neuronal
processing. In the mammalian auditory brainstem, neurons compare excitatory and …

Hearing loss is a significant problem that affects at least 15% of the population. This
percentage, however, is likely significantly higher because of a variety of auditory disorders …

Spatial hearing, and more specifically the ability to localize sounds in space, is one of the
most studied and best understood aspects of hearing. Because there is no coding of …

Binaural beats (BBs) are two pure tones with a small frequency difference (ie, beat)
separately presented to each ear. They cause the beat perception in the brain. BBs are used …

Feedforward inhibition sharpens the precision of neurons throughout ascending auditory
pathways, including the binaural neurons of the medial superior olive (MSO). However, the …

Neurons in the medial superior olive (MSO) detect microsecond differences in the arrival
time of sounds between the ears (interaural time differences or ITDs), a crucial binaural cue …

Sound localization critically depends on detection of differences in arrival time of sounds at
the two ears (acoustic delay). The fundamental mechanisms are debated, but all proposals …