The neural locus of the intensity-to-loudness transform remains unidentified
Evidence
The current literature still does not provide definite answers to the following questions: (1) At what stage or stages along the auditory pathway is sound intensity transformed into its perceptual correlate (i.e. loudness)? (2) What are the functional differences across regions within AC with respect to loudness-related activation? — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 2610
Categorization
Category: Definitional Content
- QUESTION: These two open questions frame the whole study — the stage-of-transform question is the central mystery worth tracking.
Related
- The neural site where intensity becomes loudness remains unknown. (similarity 0.95)
- Auditory pathway neural activity linearly encodes perceived loudness, not sound level (similarity 0.87)
- Loudness correlates vary by region, not by a single uniform code (similarity 0.87)
- Loudness perception is not solely peripheral vibration but involves central auditory transformation. (similarity 0.85)
- Auditory cortex activation linearly reflects perceived loudness rather than physical intensity (similarity 0.84)
- Loudness is the sensation most directly tied to sound intensity (similarity 0.84)
- Loudness depends on more than physical sound intensity alone (similarity 0.84)
- Loudness depends on frequency, angle, duration, and envelope, not just level (similarity 0.83)
- Loudness cannot be explained by single auditory nerve fiber firing alone (similarity 0.83)
- Loudness is perceptual while intensity is physical and must be distinguished (similarity 0.83)
- Loudness models estimate total neural activity since it cannot be measured directly (similarity 0.83)
- Midbrain and cortical auditory areas differ in how they encode loudness versus sound intensity (similarity 0.83)
- Distinct brain regions process sound intensity versus perceived loudness differently (similarity 0.83)
- Loudness at high sound levels arises from excitation spreading across adjacent frequency bands (similarity 0.82)
- Loudness as perception can never be directly measured physiologically (similarity 0.82)