2.37 - Feedback Systems: Descending Pathways and Adaptive Coding in the Auditory System
King AJ.
Descending projections are found at every level of the auditory system, from the cortex to the cochlea. These pathways can regulate the sensitivity and selectivity of auditory neurons and have been implicated in a range of functions. It is likely that their principal role is to enable the brain to respond more effectively to particular sounds, depending on their behavioral significance or the sensory context in which they occur, and to adapt to changes in input.