Rethinking hierarchy: the auditory system as an integrated cortical–subcortical network (opens in new tab)

Mammalian sensory systems are traditionally viewed as hierarchical pathways in which subcortical nuclei relay signals from peripheral receptors to the cortex, where sensory information is contextualized for perception and behaviour. However, the auditory pathway contains an unusually large number of anatomically complex, recurrently connected subcortical nuclei that transmit heavily pre-processed information to the cortex. Emerging evidence shows that the auditory system functions as an integ...