Mapping time.
Neuronal coding of temporal stimulus features can occur by means of delay lines. Given that neuronal activity is conducted through many parallel axons, there has to be a mechanism guaranteeing minimal temporal dispersion. We argue that plastic changes in synaptic transmission that are unspecifically propagated along presynaptic axons are a basis for the development of delay-line topologies. Furthermore, we show how two populations of afferents form a map of interaural time differences as found, for instance, in the laminar nucleus of the barn owl.
Leibold
C
C
Physics Department, TU München, 85747 Garching bei München, Germany.
van Hemmen
J L
JL
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008433:Mathematics; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D020305:Strigiformes; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D013995:Time