Principal cells of the brainstem's interaural sound level detector are temporal differentiators rather than integrators

• Published in: eLife Vol. 7
• Main Authors: Franken, Tom P, Joris, Philip X, Smith, Philip H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England eLife Science Publications, Ltd 14.06.2018; eLife Sciences Publications Ltd; eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
• Subjects: Acoustic Stimulation - methods; Action Potentials - physiology; Analysis; Animals; Auditory Pathways - physiology; binaural; Brain stem; Cameras; Detection equipment; Electrodes, Implanted; electron microscopy; Female; Firing rate; Gerbillinae - anatomy & histology; Gerbillinae - physiology; inhibition; Lysine - analogs & derivatives; Lysine - chemistry; Male; Medulla oblongata; Meriones unguiculates; Neural circuitry; Neural coding; Neurons; Neurophysiology; Neuroscience; Olivary Nucleus - anatomy & histology; Olivary Nucleus - cytology; Olivary Nucleus - physiology; patch clamp; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Physiological aspects; Sensory Receptor Cells - cytology; Sensory Receptor Cells - physiology; Sound; Sound Localization - physiology; Staining and Labeling - methods; temporal; United States > US; Meriones unguiculates; patch clamp; binaural; neuroscience; electron microscopy; inhibition; temporal

The brainstem's lateral superior olive (LSO) is thought to be crucial for localizing high-frequency sounds by coding interaural sound level differences (ILD). Its neurons weigh contralateral inhibition against ipsilateral excitation, making their firing rate a function of the azimuthal position...