RESPONSES OF ANTEROVENTRAL COCHLEAR NUCLEUS NEURONS OF THE UNANESTHETIZED DECEREBRATE CAT TO CLICK PAIRS AS SIMULATED ECHOES

To elucidate the contribution of the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (A VCN) to 'echo' processing, this study documents the responses of AVCN neurons to simulated echoes and compares them to those of auditory ner ve (AN) fibers. Single unit discharges were recorded from 121 units in the AVCN of 21 unanesthetized decerebrate cats in response to click p airs with inter-click intervals ranging from 1 to 32 ms between 45 and 105 dB SPL re 20 mu Pa. Units were classified according to the post-s timulus time histogram (PSTH) and excitatory-inhibitory response area (EI-area) schemes. Based on their spontaneous rates (SR), units were s ubdivided into low-(< 20 spikes/s) and high-(> 20 spiltes/s) SR groups . A majority of the units exhibited second-click responses whose recov ery time courses were similar to those of AN fibers. These units inclu ded primary-like, chopper and onset units in the PSTH scheme and Types I, I/III and III units in the EI-area scheme. A minority of the units exhibited responses that were distinct from those of AN fibers, in th at they had second-click response recovery times that were either mark edly reduced or prolonged. This group of units included those with pri mary-like, chopper and onset PSTHs and Type I/III and III EI-areas. No significant difference was found in the second-click response among v arious PSTH or EI-area types. High-SR AVCN units exhibited a decrease in the second-click response with increasing level. In contrast, low-S R AVCN units showed little level-dependent change in the second-click responses. This SR-based difference was similar to that previously fou nd among AN fibers. The present results suggest that, although a major ity of AVCN units exhibit similar time courses of second-click respons e recovery to those of AN fibers, there do exist mechanisms in the coc hlear nucleus that can substantially alter this representation. Furthe rmore, the difference between the second-click response recovery funct ions of low- and high-SR AVCN units and the consistency of this findin g between AVCN and AN suggest that SR represents an important dimensio n for signal representation in the AVCN neurons. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.