Sound Localization Ability of Normal, Stuttering, Neurotic, and Hemiplegic Subjects

Ability to localize a pure tone sound has been suggested by Sanchez Longo, Forster, and Auth¹ as an important diagnostic sign of possible brain damage. These investigators noted an impairment in localizing ability in the contralateral field of five humans having temporal lobe lesions. This finding follows earlier research, which dealt primarily with auditory representation on the human cerebral cortex, with the factors involved in localization of sound by humans in a free field, and by animals whose auditory cortex had unilateral or bilateral ablation.

In their studies of the human cortex, Penfield and Rasmussen² noted that stimulation of the temporal convolution at a distance from the fissure of Sylvius was likely to cause interpretation of sound. On the other hand, stimulation affecting the area close to the margin of the fissure of Sylvius seemed to produce sensations of simple tones or ringing.