Acoustic response characteristics of neurons in nonspecific areas of cat cerebral cortex. 1979

D R Irvine, and H Huebner

1. Acoustic properties of single neurons in pericruciate, anterior lateral, and medial suprasylvian "association" areas were studied in chloralose-anesthetized cats using sealed stimulating systems incorporating probe microphone assemblies. 2. A total of 652 cells were isolated. Approximately 70% of the cells in each area were responsive to acoustic stimulation, and the majority of these cells were also driven by visual and/or somatosensory stimulation. 3. Association cortex neurons responded to tone- or noise-burst stimulation with an onset response of 16--50 ms latency. The onset response was found to be followed by a long period of suppression in those cases in which spontaneous activity was sufficiently high for this to be detected. 4. The majority of 56 units for which detailed frequency-tuning data were obtained had broad, irregular tuning curves extending over 5--6 octaves or more. A small proportion of association cortex cells exhibited sharp tuning comparable to that obtained in control recordings from cells in primary auditory cortex (AI). Although a number of broadly tuned units were rather insensitive, many cells--both broadly and sharply tuned--were of comparable sensitivity to AI cells. 5. Of the association cortex cells examined for binaural properties, 95% received excitatory input from each ear, and the dominant mode of binaural interaction in these cells was one of occlusion. The occurrence of occlusion at suprathreshold intensities reflected a tendency for monoaural and binaural intensity functions to asymptote at the same level. 6. The broad tuning, lability, and polysensory convergence exhibited by association cortex cells are similar to those of the so-called auditory lemniscal adjunct system. However, the binaural properties of association cells differ significantly from those of both the lemniscal line and adjuct components of the auditory pathway. 7. The homogeneity of acoustic and polysensory input to the three association fields is compatible with their input being derived from the single subcortical nonspecific projection system (reticular formation and medial/intralaminar thalamus) postulated by previous investigators. However, both neuroanatomical and neurophysiological evidence suggest that the lemniscal adjunct system and certain areas of periauditory cortex might also contribute to this input.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009474 Neurons The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM. Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D002415 Cats The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801) Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D002540 Cerebral Cortex The thin layer of GRAY MATTER on the surface of the CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES that develops from the TELENCEPHALON and folds into gyri and sulci. It reaches its highest development in humans and is responsible for intellectual faculties and higher mental functions. Allocortex,Archipallium,Cortex Cerebri,Cortical Plate,Paleocortex,Periallocortex,Allocortices,Archipalliums,Cerebral Cortices,Cortex Cerebrus,Cortex, Cerebral,Cortical Plates,Paleocortices,Periallocortices,Plate, Cortical
D004292 Dominance, Cerebral Dominance of one cerebral hemisphere over the other in cerebral functions. Cerebral Dominance,Hemispheric Specialization,Dominances, Cerebral,Specialization, Hemispheric
D005071 Evoked Potentials Electrical responses recorded from nerve, muscle, SENSORY RECEPTOR, or area of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM following stimulation. They range from less than a microvolt to several microvolts. The evoked potential can be auditory (EVOKED POTENTIALS, AUDITORY), somatosensory (EVOKED POTENTIALS, SOMATOSENSORY), visual (EVOKED POTENTIALS, VISUAL), or motor (EVOKED POTENTIALS, MOTOR), or other modalities that have been reported. Event Related Potential,Event-Related Potentials,Evoked Potential,N100 Evoked Potential,P50 Evoked Potential,N1 Wave,N100 Evoked Potentials,N2 Wave,N200 Evoked Potentials,N3 Wave,N300 Evoked Potentials,N4 Wave,N400 Evoked Potentials,P2 Wave,P200 Evoked Potentials,P50 Evoked Potentials,P50 Wave,P600 Evoked Potentials,Potentials, Event-Related,Event Related Potentials,Event-Related Potential,Evoked Potential, N100,Evoked Potential, N200,Evoked Potential, N300,Evoked Potential, N400,Evoked Potential, P200,Evoked Potential, P50,Evoked Potential, P600,Evoked Potentials, N100,Evoked Potentials, N200,Evoked Potentials, N300,Evoked Potentials, N400,Evoked Potentials, P200,Evoked Potentials, P50,Evoked Potentials, P600,N1 Waves,N2 Waves,N200 Evoked Potential,N3 Waves,N300 Evoked Potential,N4 Waves,N400 Evoked Potential,P2 Waves,P200 Evoked Potential,P50 Waves,P600 Evoked Potential,Potential, Event Related,Potential, Event-Related,Potential, Evoked,Potentials, Event Related,Potentials, Evoked,Potentials, N400 Evoked,Related Potential, Event,Related Potentials, Event,Wave, N1,Wave, N2,Wave, N3,Wave, N4,Wave, P2,Wave, P50,Waves, N1,Waves, N2,Waves, N3,Waves, N4,Waves, P2,Waves, P50
D000161 Acoustic Stimulation Use of sound to elicit a response in the nervous system. Auditory Stimulation,Stimulation, Acoustic,Stimulation, Auditory
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
D001306 Auditory Pathways NEURAL PATHWAYS and connections within the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, beginning at the hair cells of the ORGAN OF CORTI, continuing along the eighth cranial nerve, and terminating at the AUDITORY CORTEX. Auditory Pathway,Pathway, Auditory,Pathways, Auditory
D001307 Auditory Perception The process whereby auditory stimuli are selected, organized, and interpreted by the organism. Auditory Processing,Perception, Auditory,Processing, Auditory

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