Inferior colliculus of the house mouse. I. A quantitative study of tonotopic organization, frequency representation, and tone-threshold distribution. 1985

I Stiebler, and G Ehret

Electrophysiological mapping was used to study frequency representation in the inferior colliculus (IC) of the mouse. In the lateral nucleus (LN) only part of the frequency range of hearing was represented and tonotopicity was separate from that in the rest of the IC. Highest frequencies occupied the medial part (M) of the central nucleus (CN). A single complete representation of the hearing range was present only if representations in the dorsal cortex (plus dorsomedial nucleus) and CN (including M) were combined. Continuous isofrequency planes making up these nuclei (without the lateral part of the CN) were reconstructed. They tilted from medial to lateral and from caudal to rostral. The steepness of the slopes increased from caudal to rostral and from dorsal to ventral (i.e., with increasing frequency). Isofrequency planes had similar angles of deviation from the horizontal plane as described for dendritic laminae in the CN. Differences of mapping in the lateral part of the CN from that in the rest of the CN could be explained by the different organization of laminae in this part. The relative amounts of IC depth and volume occupied by parts of the mouse audible frequency range were quantified. Frequency representation along IC depth was not proportional to that along cochlear length. Compared with the relative density of afferent nerve fiber supply within given frequency ranges represented along the basilar membrane, there is a relative under-representation in the IC up to 15-20 kHz and an over-representation of higher frequencies. Highest absolute tone sensitivity (lowest threshold) was found in neurons forming a column (running perpendicular to isofrequency planes) in the center of the IC. Results are discussed with regard to frequency representation, intrinsic neuronal organization, and functional segregation in the IC of mammals.

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
D005260 Female Females
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
D001307 Auditory Perception The process whereby auditory stimuli are selected, organized, and interpreted by the organism. Auditory Processing,Perception, Auditory,Processing, Auditory
D001309 Auditory Threshold The audibility limit of discriminating sound intensity and pitch. Auditory Thresholds,Threshold, Auditory,Thresholds, Auditory
D051379 Mice The common name for the genus Mus. Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus

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