By this theory, the pitch of a sound, such as a human voice or a musical tone, is determined by the places where the membrane vibrates, based on frequencies corresponding to the tonotopic organization of the primary auditory neurons.
In all cases, neural firing patterns in time determine the perception of pitch.
[5] The place theory is usually attributed to Hermann Helmholtz, though it was widely believed much earlier.
[6][7] Experiments to distinguish between place theory and rate theory are difficult to devise, because of the strong correlation: large vibrations with low rate are produced at the apical end of the basilar membrane while large vibrations with high rate are produced at the basal end.
The two can be controlled independently using cochlear implants: pulses with a range of rates can be applied via electrodes distributed along the membrane.