Auditory input to a vocal nucleus in the frog Rana pipiens: hormonal and seasonal effects

In Rana pipiens, single unit recordings from the pretrigeminal nucleus (pre-V), a nucleus involved in call production, demonstrated neurons that respond to auditory stimuli. Most of these neurons had V-shaped tuning curves, with best excitatory frequencies between 200-1400 Hz, thresholds between 31-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Experimental brain research 1984, Vol.57 (1), p.33-39
Main Authors: AITKEN, P. G, CAPRANICA, R. R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Auditory Pathways - physiology
auditory stimuli
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Mapping
Chorionic Gonadotropin - pharmacology
Ear and associated structures. Auditory pathways and centers. Hearing. Vocal organ. Phonation. Sound production. Echolocation
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
gonadotropins
Male
Medulla Oblongata - drug effects
Medulla Oblongata - physiology
pretrigeminal nucleus
Psychoacoustics
Rana pipiens
reproductive behavior
Seasons
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
Vocalization, Animal - physiology
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Summary:In Rana pipiens, single unit recordings from the pretrigeminal nucleus (pre-V), a nucleus involved in call production, demonstrated neurons that respond to auditory stimuli. Most of these neurons had V-shaped tuning curves, with best excitatory frequencies between 200-1400 Hz, thresholds between 31-87 dB SPL, latencies between 10-50 ms, and Q (10 dB) between 1.3-5.1. The number of pre-V neurons that responded to acoustic stimulation increased after gonadotropin injections, and appeared to increase during the breeding season. In addition, a small number of neurons with more complex response properties, such as W-shaped tuning curves or sensitivity to white noise but not to pure tones, appeared after hormone treatments. The hormonal and possible seasonal effects on pre-V auditory activity suggest that the auditory input to this vocal nucleus may play a role in reproductive behavior.
ISSN:0014-4819
1432-1106
DOI:10.1007/BF00231129