Authors
David AX Nayagam, Janine C Clarey, Antonio G Paolini
Publication date
2005/8
Journal
Journal of neurophysiology
Volume
94
Issue
2
Pages
1651-1654
Publisher
American Physiological Society
Description
The function of the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (VNLL), a secondary processing site within the auditory brain stem, is unclear. It is known to be a major source of inhibition to the inferior colliculus (IC). It is also thought to play a role in coding the temporal aspects of sound, such as onsets and the periodic components of complex stimuli. In vivo intracellular recordings from VNLL neurons (n = 56) in urethane anesthetized rats revealed the presence of large-amplitude, short-duration, onset inhibition in a subset of neurons (14.3%). This inhibition occurred before the first action potential (AP) elicited by noise or tone bursts, was broadly tuned to tonal frequency and was shown to delay the first AP. Our data suggest it is a result of an intrinsic circuit activated by the octopus cell pathway originating in the contralateral cochlear nucleus; this pathway is known to convey exquisitely timed and broadly tuned onset …
Total citations
Scholar articles
DAX Nayagam, JC Clarey, AG Paolini - Journal of neurophysiology, 2005