Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) traces the predominance of the left auditory cortex for processing of rapidly changing acoustic information

- tDCS of the left but not right AC alters auditory temporal resolution.
- Direct causal evidence for functional hemispheric asymmetry in the auditory domain.
- Left-hemispheric dominance for processing rapidly changing acoustic cues.
- tDCS as a potential therapeutic treatment of perceptual deficits in auditory disorders.

In the present study we investigated the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation over the auditory cortex (AC) on the perception of rapidly changing acoustic cues. For this purpose, in 15 native German speakers the left or right AC was separately stimulated while participants performed a between-channel gap detection task. Results show that stimulation of the left but not right AC deteriorated the auditory perception of rapidly changing acoustic information. Our data indicate a left hemispheric dominance for the processing of rapid temporal cues in auditory non-speech sounds. Moreover, we demonstrate the ability of non-invasive brain stimulation to change human temporal information processing in the auditory domain.