Question

Functional imaging studies of the human association cortex indicate that judgments of sound ________ activate the ________?

1) timbre; dorsal stream
2) identity; ventral stream
3) timbre; ventral stream
4) location; ventral stream
5) identity; dorsal stream

Answer 1

Judgments of sound timbre activate the ventral stream, which is linked with the identification of auditory stimuli and is primarily located in the temporal lobe.

Step-by-step explanation:

Functional imaging studies of the human association cortex indicate that judgments of sound timbre activate the ventral stream. The ventral stream is responsible for the identification of visual stimuli and its significance. It involves connections between cortical areas from the occipital lobe to the temporal lobe. The temporal lobe is associated with auditory processing, among other functions like speech, memory, and emotion processing. Thus, when we talk about auditory functions such as the discrimination of sound timbre, it is the ventral stream within the temporal lobe that is primarily engaged. This information is important for understanding how our brain processes complex sensory information and how it relates to cognitive functions like memory formation.