Biomaterial Database

Burst-firing sharpens frequency-tuning in primary auditory cortex. 1996

J J Eggermont, and G M Smith

Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Frequency-tuning in 46 high-firing single units from primary auditory cortex of ketamine-anaesthetized cats was studied separately for isolated-spike firing and burst spike firing. The tuning curve for burst firing was significantly narrower than for the overall firing rate condition and, consequently, much narrower than for the isolated spikes. The burst firing was found in excess of that predicted from a modulated Poisson process, so the results cannot be explained on basis of a change in firing rate criterion. We propose that burst firing in auditory cortex may selectively enhance frequency tuning dynamically controlled by the behavioural state of the animal as well as its stimulus history. Thus burst firing may have functional implications for cortical processing.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009475	Neurons, Afferent	Neurons which conduct NERVE IMPULSES to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Afferent Neurons,Afferent Neuron,Neuron, Afferent
D010898	Pitch Perception	A dimension of auditory sensation varying with cycles per second of the sound stimulus.	Perception, Pitch,Perceptions, Pitch,Pitch Perceptions
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
D004594	Electrophysiology	The study of the generation and behavior of electrical charges in living organisms particularly the nervous system and the effects of electricity on living organisms.
D005072	Evoked Potentials, Auditory	The electric response evoked in the CEREBRAL CORTEX by ACOUSTIC STIMULATION or stimulation of the AUDITORY PATHWAYS.	Auditory Evoked Potentials,Auditory Evoked Response,Auditory Evoked Potential,Auditory Evoked Responses,Evoked Potential, Auditory,Evoked Response, Auditory,Evoked Responses, Auditory,Potentials, Auditory Evoked
D000161	Acoustic Stimulation	Use of sound to elicit a response in the nervous system.	Auditory Stimulation,Stimulation, Acoustic,Stimulation, Auditory
D000768	Anesthesia, General	Procedure in which patients are induced into an unconscious state through use of various medications so that they do not feel pain during surgery.	Anesthesias, General,General Anesthesia,General Anesthesias
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
D016012	Poisson Distribution	A distribution function used to describe the occurrence of rare events or to describe the sampling distribution of isolated counts in a continuum of time or space.	Distribution, Poisson