Representations of conspecific song by starling secondary forebrain auditory neurons: toward a hierarchical framework.

ABSTRACT: The functional organization giving rise to stimulus selectivity in higher-order auditory neurons remains under active study. We explored the selectivity for motifs, spectrotemporally distinct perceptual units in starling song, recording the responses of 96 caudomedial mesopallium (CMM) neurons in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) under awake-restrained and urethane-anesthetized conditions. A subset of neurons was highly selective between motifs. Selectivity was correlated with low spontaneous firing rates and high spike timing precision, and all but one of the selective neurons had similar spike waveforms. Neurons were further tested with stimuli in which the notes comprising the motifs were manipulated. Responses to most of the isolated notes were similar in amplitude, duration, and t

SUBMITTER: Meliza CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2887632 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature