Which part of the medial geniculate nucleus processes sound frequency and intensity?

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Diagram of a human brain showing a median sagittal section, highlighting the fourth ventricle and cerebellum in the hindbrain, with labeled anatomical structures including the pons, medulla oblongata, and central canal of the spinal cord. — thalamus Sagittal section of the human brain, showing structures of the cerebellum, brainstem, and cerebral ventricles.

Within the thalamus, the ventral region of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) is responsible for processing sound frequency, intensity, and laterality.1

The MGN, which serves as the primary relay for auditory information, is organized tonotopically—meaning it is arranged according to sound frequency—and maintains reciprocal connections with the auditory cortex. While the ventral region handles frequency and intensity, the medial region of the MGN encodes relative sound properties, and the dorsal region relays information concerning complex sounds.1