title: Auditory midbrain neurons that count.
abstract: Many acoustic communication signals, including human speech and music, consist of a precise temporal arrangement of discrete elements, but it is unclear whether this precise temporal patterning is required to activate the sensory neurons that mediate signal recognition. In a variety of systems, neurons respond selectively when two or more sound elements are presented in a particular temporal order and the precise relative timing of these elements is particularly important for 'delay-tuned' neurons, including 'tracking' types, in bats. Here we show that one class of auditory neurons in the midbrain of anurans (frogs and toads) responds only to a series of specific interpulse intervals (IPIs); in the most selective cases, a single interval that is slightly longer or shorter than the requisite interval can reset this interval-counting process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0840, USA.
authors.forename: Christofer J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Todd B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Alder
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*