place coding

The broad topic of the first question of my qualification exam involves place coding in the auditory system. more specifically, I'm to examine frequency selectivity in the normal and impaired auditory systems, discussing the importance of tonotopic organization, and the potential perceptual consequences. I'm not sure what the exact question will be like, but it will involve these topics. Today I'm hoping to do something of an outline going over these main topics and getting a better idea of how the literature fits together.

In a nutshell... the tonotopic organization of the basilar membrane is essential for frequency selectivity. The basilar membrane is graded in stiffness, meaning the mechanical tuning leads to the system having "good" frequency selectivity. This tonotopic organization is maintained throughout the auditory system, including the CANS. Phsyiologically, this has been demonstrated in various experimental paradigms including basilar membrane input/output functions, auditory nerve fiber recordings, recordings made in higher brain centers, etc. However, it is equally important to demonstrate these phenomena behaviorally. This is where psychoacoustics comes in.

And now, back to my notebook :-)