Sound Localization

of Humans
By Michael Alexander
Two Approaches to Sound
Localization
 Passive Sound Localization (human)
determining where a sound came from by
using acoustic cues imbedded in the sound
stimulus
 Active Sound Localization (dolphin, bat)
active emission of a sound signal that echoes
off the target, then analyzing returning echoes
to determine distance and direction
The Mechanism in Human
 3 separate mechanisms, 2 for horizontal, 1
for vertical
 Horizontal
 Interaural Time Difference – ITD (for sound <3
KHz)
 Interaural Intensity (or Level) Difference – IID or
ILD (for sound >3 KHz)
 Vertical
 Spectral cues
Anatomical Pathway
 Signal from Cochlear Nucleus of both ears go
to Medial Superior Olive (MSO) and Lateral
Superior Olive (LSO)
 MSO calculates ITD
 LSO calculates IID
 Information from both MSO and LSO goes to
Inferior Colliculus, which uses these along with
spectral cues to compute the direction of sound
origin
The Uses of Sound Localization
Information
From Inferior Colliculus, directional
information goes to:
 Thalamus then to Cortex
for awareness of sound origin
 Superior Colliculus
reflex movement of head and eye to orient toward
sound origin
Interaural Time Difference (<3 KHz)

 Based on time delay between sound reaching

each ear
 Zero delay if come from straight in front or back
ITD Calculation
A Left Ear Leading ITD Scenario
Interaural Intensity Difference (>3
KHz)

 Based on the absorption of sound energy by

solid medium (head)
 Resulting in sound shadow, region of effectively
zero energy
The Maps
 Each cell in MSO is tuned to particular delay 
thus there’s a map of ITD in MSO
 This map is relayed to inferior and superior
colliculus
The Combination of Maps
The Product

 The result is a Computational Map in Inferior

Colliculus, where the variables mapped don’t
exist in the periphery, instead calculated by
neural circuitry
The End