The Springer Handbook of Auditory Research presents a series of com­ prehensive and synthetic reviews of the fundamental topics in modern auditory research. The volumes are aimed at all individuals with interests in hearing research including advanced graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and clinical investigators. The volumes are intended to intro­ duce new investigators to important aspects of hearing science and to help established investigators to better understand the fundamental theories and data in fields of hearing that they may not normally follow closely. Each volume is intended to present a particular topic comprehensively, and each chapter will serve as a synthetic overview and guide to the liter­ ature. As such, the chapters present neither exhaustive data reviews nor original research that has not yet appeared in peer-reviewed journals. The volumes focus on topics that have developed a solid data and conceptual foundation rather than on those for which a literature is only beginning to develop. New research areas will be covered on a timely basis in the series as they begin to mature.

This volume summarizes how the electrical signals used to represent sounds are encoded and interpreted through the integrated roles of various nuclei. It builds on the information about the anatomy and physiology of the auditory pathway found in volumes 1 and 2 of the Springer Handbook of Auditory Research. While the first two volumes describe the structure and function of auditory pathways, this volume will explain how these pathways lead to an animal's ability to localize and interpret sounds.

1 Introduction.- 2 From the Cochlea to the Cortex and Back.- 3 Cellular Mechanisms for Information Coding in Auditory Brainstem Nuclei.- 4 Neural Mechanisms of Encoding Binaural Localization Cues in the Auditory Brainstem.- 5 Circuitry and Function of the Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus.- 6 Ascending Pathways Through Ventral Nuclei of the Lateral Lemniscus and Their Possible Role in Pattern Recognition in Natural Sounds.- 7 The Inferior Colliculus: A Hub for the Central Auditory System.- 8 Location Signaling by Cortical Neurons.- 9 Feature Detection by the Auditory Cortex.