Relationships between frequency-tuning and spatial-tuning curves in the mammalian cochlea.
The tuning curve of a single auditory-nerve fiber is a measure of the intensity levels producing that fiber's threshold response at each of a number of frequencies. For many purposes it is desirable to know cochlear responses as a function of cochlear location (spatial distance from the stapes). Using assumptions of uniformity, the relationships between auditory-nerve-fiber frequency-tuning curves, basilar-membrane frequency-response curves, and basilar-membrane spatial-response curves are obtained. From the spatial-response characteristics which are then inferred from neural frequency-tuning curves, it appears that the tuning properties of the apical cochlea are fairly uniform and differ from the tuning properties of the basal cochlea.
Geisler
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Departments of Neurophysiology and of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706, USA.
Cai
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D000818:Animals; D001489:Basilar Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology*; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology*; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000502:physiology