Lateral lemniscus

The lateral lemniscus is a tract of axons in the brainstem that carries information about sound from the cochlear nucleus to various brainstem nuclei and ultimately the contralateral inferior colliculus of the midbrain. The brainstem nuclei include the superior olive, the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body, the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus and the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus. Fibers leaving these brainstem nuclei ascending to the inferior colliculus rejoin the lateral lemniscus. In that sense, this is not a 'lemniscus' in the true sense of the word (second order, decussated sensory axons), as there is third (and out of the lateral superior olive, fourth) order information coming out of some of these brainstem nuclei.

This part of the brain also funcions in identifying the one set of the sound, the duration of the sound and also with mono aural volume.