Abstract
In bullfrog tadpoles, a “deaf period” of lessened responsiveness to the pressure component of sounds, evident during the end of the late larval period, has been identified in the auditory midbrain. But coding of underwater particle motion in the vestibular medulla remains stable over all of larval development, with no evidence of a “deaf period.” Neural coding of particle motion in the auditory midbrain was assessed to determine if a “deaf period” for this mode of stimulation exists in this brain area in spite of its absence from the vestibular medulla. Recording sites throughout the developing laminar and medial principal nuclei show relatively stable thresholds to z-axis particle motion, up until the “deaf period.” Thresholds then begin to increase from this point up through the rest of metamorphic climax, and significantly fewer responsive sites can be located. The representation of particle motion in the auditory midbrain is less robust during later compared to earlier larval stages, overlapping with but also extending beyond the restricted “deaf period” for pressure stimulation. The decreased functional representation of particle motion in the auditory midbrain throughout metamorphic climax may reflect ongoing neural reorganization required to mediate the transition from underwater to amphibious life.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by a Grant from the US National Institutes of Health (DC05257). I thank V. Flores, J. A. Simmons, and J.C. Wright for assistance and discussions of this work. All applicable national and institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed in the conduct of these experiments. All procedures performed in studies involving animals were in accordance with the ethical standards of Brown University, and were approved by the Brown University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
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Simmons, A.M. Representation of particle motion in the auditory midbrain of a developing anuran. J Comp Physiol A 201, 681–689 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-015-1015-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-015-1015-6