title: In vivo optical imaging of tone-evoked activity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus with a voltage sensitive dye.
abstract: We investigated the use of optical imaging for observing the spatial patterns of neural activation in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) of hamsters during tonal stimulation. The patterns of activation were studied in the DCN, in vivo, following application of a voltage sensitive dye, Di-2-ANEPEQ, to the DCN surface. Beginning 60-90 min following dye application, tones were presented to the ipsilateral ear. Electrophysiological recordings after dye application revealed no significant toxicity of Di-2-ANEPEQ that affected the frequency-tuning properties of DCN neurons. We examined areas of activation in response to each of a series of test stimuli consisting of pure tones ranging in frequency from 2 to 20 kHz. For each stimulus condition, images were collected over a stimulus interval of 400 msec and averaged over 32 stimulus repetitions. These images revealed areas of activation with definable epicenters. The epicenters shifted from lateral to more medial locations on the DCN surface with increases in stimulus frequency. Comparison with electrophysiological data indicated a close parallel between the tonotopic gradient defined by optical imaging and that defined by the distribution of characteristic frequencies. The principal temporal and spatial features of these optical responses are described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA. jkalten@med.wayne.edu
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kaltenbach
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D017626:Cochlear Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D006224:Cricetinae; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents