Nuclei of trapezoid body
Nuclei corporis trapezoidei
- Synonym: Periolivary complex
Definition
The nuclei of trapezoid body are key players in processing sound and helping us locate where it’s coming from. They are part of the auditory pathway.
The main nucleus includes the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body. It gets excitatory signals from the cochlear nucleus of the opposite ear and sends inhibitory signals to the Lateral Superior Olivary nucleus in the superior olivary nuclear complex.
Together, these nuclei of trapezoid body, along with the superior olivary nuclear complex, work to process the direction and quality of sounds, helping us figure out where they come from.
References
Kopp-Scheinpflug, C., Tolnai, S., Malmierca, M.S. and Rübsamen, R. (2008) ‘The medial nucleus of the trapezoid body: Comparative physiology’, Neuroscience, 154(1), pp. 160–170. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.01.088 (Accessed: 27 December 2024).
Wikipedia (n.d.) Superior olivary complex. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_olivary_complex (Accessed: 28 December 2024).
