Effect of tone-pulse rise time on rate-level functions of cat auditory cortex neurons: excitatory and inhibitory processes shaping responses to tone onset.

摘要: 1. The responses of cat auditory cortex neurons are largely dominated by transient stimulus events, including tone-pulse onset. In addition, these often receive sensitive inhibitory inputs in tone frequency-intensity domains flanking the excitatory one centered at characteristic frequency (CF). These observations suggest that might be to spectral splatter occurs onset due envelope shape. 2. To investigate this hypothesis, single primary anesthetized cats were studied for form their spike-rate versus tone-level functions using CF pulses different rise times. Stimuli presented contralateral ear a calibrated, sealed delivery system. 3. Some with monotonic rate-level conventional (5-10 ms) rise-time tones relatively insensitive variations time. Other showed became increasingly bell shaped shorter stimuli. All bell-shaped, nonmonotonic signals. same neurons, lengthening times typically reduced slope high-intensity, descending limb function, some cases zero. 4. This pattern effects is consistent previous evidence on association between function shape and presence response areas CF. present data cortical gross short-term spectrum onset, many rate level may configured as much plateau amplitude pulse.