Summary
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1.
Spontaneous activity and responses to simple tonal stimuli were studied in cochlear ganglion neurones of the starling.
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2.
Both regular and irregular spontaneous activity were recorded (Figs. 1 to 5). Non-auditory cells have their origin in the macula lagenae. Mean spontaneous rate for auditory cells (all irregularly spiking) was 45 spikes s−1.
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3.
In half the units having characteristic frequencies (CFs) <1.5 kHz, time-interval histograms (TIHs) of spontaneous activity showed regularly-spaced peaks or ‘preferred’ intervals. The spacing of the peak intervals was, on average, 15% greater than the CF-period interval of the respective units (Fig. 11).
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4.
In TIH of lower-frequency cells without preferred intervals, the modal interval was also on average about 15% longer than the CF-period interval (Fig. 11). Apparently, the resting oscillation frequency of these cells lies below their CF.
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5.
Tuning curves (TCs) of neurones to short tone bursts show no systematic asymmetry as in mammals. Below CF 1 kHz, the low-frequency flanks of the TCs are, on average, steeper than the high-frequency flanks. Above CF 1 kHz, the reverse is true (Fig. 15).
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6.
The cochlear ganglion and nerve are tonotopically organized. Low-frequency fibres arise apically in the papilla basilaris and are found near non-auditory (lagenar) fibres (Figs. 2 and 19).
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7.
Discharge rates to short tones were monotonically related to sound presure level (Fig. 20). Saturation rates often exceeded 300 spikes s−1.
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8.
‘On-off’ responses and primary suppression of spontaneous activity were observed (Figs. 22 and 23).
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9.
A direct comparison of spontaneous activity and tuning-curve symmetry (Fig. 15b) revealed that, apart from quantative differences, fundamental qualitative differences exist between starling and guinea-pig primary afferents.
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Abbreviations
- CF :
-
characteristic frequency
- TC :
-
tuning curve
- TIH :
-
time interval histogram
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Manley, G.A., Gleich, O., Leppelsack, H.J. et al. Activity patterns of cochlear ganglion neurones in the starling. J. Comp. Physiol. 157, 161–181 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01350025
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01350025