The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN, also known as the "tuberculum acusticum") is a cortex-like structure on the dorso-lateral surface of the brainstem.

Projections from DCN principal cells form the dorsal acoustic stria, which ultimately terminate in the CIC.

This projection overlaps with that of the lateral superior olive (LSO) in a well-defined manner,[3] where they form the primary excitatory input for ICC type O units.

While the VCN bushy cells aid in the location of a sound stimulus on the horizontal axis via their inputs to the superior olivary complex, type IV cells may participate in localization of the sound stimulus on the vertical axis.

The complicated firing patterns of type IV cells makes them especially suited to detecting these notches, and with the combined power of these two localization systems, an ordinary person can locate where a firework explodes without the use of their eyes.