Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Auditory midbrain neurons that count

Abstract

Many acoustic communication signals, including human speech and music, consist of a precise temporal arrangement of discrete elements, but it is unclear whether this precise temporal patterning is required to activate the sensory neurons that mediate signal recognition. In a variety of systems, neurons respond selectively when two1,2,3 or more4 sound elements are presented in a particular temporal order and the precise relative timing of these elements is particularly important for 'delay-tuned' neurons2, including 'tracking' types5, in bats. Here we show that one class of auditory neurons in the midbrain of anurans (frogs and toads) responds only to a series of specific interpulse intervals (IPIs); in the most selective cases, a single interval that is slightly longer or shorter than the requisite interval can reset this interval-counting process.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: (a) Oscillograms of calls from Hyla regilla and Rana pipiens.
Figure 2: Responses to constant-interval and mixed-interval stimuli.
Figure 3: Effects of longer or shorter intervals in resetting the integration process.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Margoliash, D. J. Neurosci. 3, 1039–1057 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Suga, N. J. Exp. Biol. 146, 277–286 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Wollberg, Z. & Newman, J.D. Science 175, 212–214 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Margoliash, D. & Fortune, E.S. J. Neurosci. 12, 4309–4326 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. O'Neill, W.E. & Suga, N. Science 203, 69–72 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Gerhardt, H.C. in The Evolution of the Amphibian Auditory System. (eds. Fritzsch, B. et al.) 455–484 (Wiley, New York, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Rose, G.J. & Brenowitz, E.A. Anim. Behav. 63, 1183–1190 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Klump, G.M. & Gerhardt, H.C. Nature 326, 286–288 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Alder, T.B. & Rose, G.J. Nat. Neurosci. 1, 519–523 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Alder, T.B. & Rose, G.J. J. Comp. Physiol. 186, 923–937 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Fortune, E.S. & Rose, G.J. J. Neurosci. 20, 7122 (2000).

  12. Keele, S.W., Nicoletti, R., Ivry, R.I. & Pokorny R.A. Psychol. Res. 50, 251–256 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank N. Vickers and D. Kelley for reading an earlier draft of this manuscript, and NIDCD for supporting this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gary J. Rose.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Edwards, C., Alder, T. & Rose, G. Auditory midbrain neurons that count. Nat Neurosci 5, 934–936 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn916

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn916

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing