Brain Mechanisms for Hearing and Speech
An advanced MIT graduate course examining how the central nervous system processes speech and hearing, drawing on anatomy, physiology, behavioral studies, and computational models. Rather than standard lectures, the class centers on discussion of primary scientific papers, with topics rotating to reflect current research. Recent sessions have covered cell types and neural circuits in the auditory brainstem, organization of the auditory cortex, auditory reflexes and descending pathways, functional imaging of the human auditory system, quantitative methods linking neural activity to behavior, speech motor control, cortical representation of language, and auditory learning in songbirds. Materials are provided through MIT OpenCourseWare under a Creative Commons license, including readings and discussion topics, though there is no certificate. The course suits students with a background in neuroscience who want exposure to how researchers currently study the brain's role in hearing and speech.