JN Watch the video to learn how APS reaches out to developing nations.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


J Neurophysiol (February 13, 2008). doi:10.1152/jn.00469.2007
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
99/4/1928    most recent
00469.2007v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nelken, I.
Right arrow Articles by Schnupp, J. W. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nelken, I.
Right arrow Articles by Schnupp, J. W. H.
Submitted on April 25, 2007
Accepted on February 11, 2008

Responses of auditory cortex to complex stimuli: functional organization revealed using intrinsic optical signals

Israel Nelken1*, Jennifer K. Bizley2, Fernando R. Nodal2, Bashir Ahmed2, Andrew J King3, and Jan W. H. Schnupp3

1 Neurobiology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
2 Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
3 Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: israel{at}md.huji.ac.il.

We used optical imaging of intrinsic signals to study the large-scale organization of ferret auditory cortex in response to complex sounds. Cortical responses were collected during continuous stimulation by sequences of sounds with varying frequency, period, or interaural level differences. We used a set of stimuli that differ in spectral structure, but have the same periodicity and therefore evoke the same pitch percept (click trains, sinusoidally amplitude modulated tones and iterated ripple noise). These stimuli failed to reveal a consistent periodotopic map across the auditory fields imaged. Rather, gradients of period sensitivity differed for the different types of periodic stimuli. Binaural interactions were studied both with single contralateral, ipsilateral and diotic broadband noise bursts, and with sequences of broadband noise bursts with varying level presented contralaterally, ipsilaterally or in opposite phase to both ears. Contralateral responses were generally largest and ipsilateral responses were smallest when using single noise bursts, but the extent of the activated area was large and comparable in all three aural configurations. Modulating the amplitude in counter phase to the two ears generally produced weaker modulation of the optical signals than the modulation produced by the monaural stimuli. These results suggest that binaural interactions seen in cortex are most likely predominantly due to subcortical processing. Thus, our optical imaging data do not support the theory that the primary or non-primary cortical fields imaged are topographically organized to form consistent maps of systematically varying sensitivity either to stimulus pitch, or to simple binaural properties of the acoustic stimuli.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Cereb CortexHome page
J. Tillein, P. Hubka, E. Syed, R. Hartmann, A.K. Engel, and A. Kral
Cortical Representation of Interaural Time Difference in Congenital Deafness
Cereb Cortex, November 11, 2009; (2009) bhp222v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Neurosci.Home page
J. K. Bizley, K. M. M. Walker, B. W. Silverman, A. J. King, and J. W. H. Schnupp
Interdependent Encoding of Pitch, Timbre, and Spatial Location in Auditory Cortex
J. Neurosci., February 18, 2009; 29(7): 2064 - 2075.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Neurosci.Home page
A. Kral, J. Tillein, P. Hubka, D. Schiemann, S. Heid, R. Hartmann, and A. K. Engel
Spatiotemporal Patterns of Cortical Activity with Bilateral Cochlear Implants in Congenital Deafness
J. Neurosci., January 21, 2009; 29(3): 811 - 827.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Visit Other APS Journals Online
Copyright © 2008 by the The American Physiological Society.