Biomaterial Database

Independent population coding of speech with sub-millisecond precision. 2013

Jose A Garcia-Lazaro, and Lucile A C Belliveau, and Nicholas A Lesica

Ear Institute, University College London, London WC1X 8EE, United Kingdom.

To understand the strategies used by the brain to analyze complex environments, we must first characterize how the features of sensory stimuli are encoded in the spiking of neuronal populations. Characterizing a population code requires identifying the temporal precision of spiking and the extent to which spiking is correlated, both between cells and over time. In this study, we characterize the population code for speech in the gerbil inferior colliculus (IC), the hub of the auditory system where inputs from parallel brainstem pathways are integrated for transmission to the cortex. We find that IC spike trains can carry information about speech with sub-millisecond precision, and, consequently, that the temporal correlations imposed by refractoriness can play a significant role in shaping spike patterns. We also find that, in contrast to most other brain areas, the noise correlations between IC cells are extremely weak, indicating that spiking in the population is conditionally independent. These results demonstrate that the problem of understanding the population coding of speech can be reduced to the problem of understanding the stimulus-driven spiking of individual cells, suggesting that a comprehensive model of the subcortical processing of speech may be attainable in the near future.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007245	Inferior Colliculi	The posterior pair of the quadrigeminal bodies which contain centers for auditory function.	Colliculus, Inferior,Brachial Nucleus of the Inferior Colliculus,Caudal Colliculus,Colliculus Inferior,Inferior Colliculus,Posterior Colliculus,Colliculi, Inferior,Colliculus Inferiors,Colliculus, Caudal,Colliculus, Posterior,Inferior, Colliculus,Inferiors, Colliculus
D008297	Male		Males
D008959	Models, Neurological	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of the neurological system, processes or phenomena; includes the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Neurologic Models,Model, Neurological,Neurologic Model,Neurological Model,Neurological Models,Model, Neurologic,Models, Neurologic
D012032	Refractory Period, Electrophysiological	The period of time following the triggering of an ACTION POTENTIAL when the CELL MEMBRANE has changed to an unexcitable state and is gradually restored to the resting (excitable) state. During the absolute refractory period no other stimulus can trigger a response. This is followed by the relative refractory period during which the cell gradually becomes more excitable and the stronger impulse that is required to illicit a response gradually lessens to that required during the resting state.	Period, Neurologic Refractory,Periods, Neurologic Refractory,Refractory Period, Neurologic,Tetanic Fade,Vvedenskii Inhibition,Wedensky Inhibition,Inhibition, Vvedenskii,Inhibition, Wedensky,Neurologic Refractory Period,Neurologic Refractory Periods,Neuromuscular Fade,Neuromuscular Transmission Fade,Refractory Period, Neurological,Refractory Periods, Neurologic,Electrophysiological Refractory Period,Electrophysiological Refractory Periods,Fade, Neuromuscular,Fade, Neuromuscular Transmission,Fade, Tetanic,Neurological Refractory Period,Neurological Refractory Periods,Refractory Periods, Electrophysiological,Refractory Periods, Neurological,Transmission Fade, Neuromuscular
D001933	Brain Stem	The part of the brain that connects the CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES with the SPINAL CORD. It consists of the MESENCEPHALON; PONS; and MEDULLA OBLONGATA.	Brainstem,Truncus Cerebri,Brain Stems,Brainstems,Cerebri, Truncus,Cerebrus, Truncus,Truncus Cerebrus
D005849	Gerbillinae	A subfamily of the Muridae consisting of several genera including Gerbillus, Rhombomys, Tatera, Meriones, and Psammomys.	Gerbils,Jird,Meriones,Psammomys,Rats, Sand,Gerbil,Jirds,Merione,Rat, Sand,Sand Rat,Sand Rats
D000161	Acoustic Stimulation	Use of sound to elicit a response in the nervous system.	Auditory Stimulation,Stimulation, Acoustic,Stimulation, Auditory
D000465	Algorithms	A procedure consisting of a sequence of algebraic formulas and/or logical steps to calculate or determine a given task.	Algorithm
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001303	Auditory Cortex	The region of the cerebral cortex that receives the auditory radiation from the MEDIAL GENICULATE BODY.	Brodmann Area 41,Brodmann Area 42,Brodmann's Area 41,Heschl Gyrus,Heschl's Gyrus,Auditory Area,Heschl's Convolutions,Heschl's Gyri,Primary Auditory Cortex,Temporal Auditory Area,Transverse Temporal Gyri,Area 41, Brodmann,Area 41, Brodmann's,Area 42, Brodmann,Area, Auditory,Area, Temporal Auditory,Auditory Areas,Auditory Cortex, Primary,Brodmanns Area 41,Cortex, Auditory,Cortex, Primary Auditory,Gyrus, Heschl,Gyrus, Heschl's,Gyrus, Transverse Temporal,Heschl Convolutions,Heschl Gyri,Heschls Convolutions,Heschls Gyri,Heschls Gyrus,Primary Auditory Cortices,Temporal Auditory Areas,Temporal Gyrus, Transverse,Transverse Temporal Gyrus