Unbalanced synaptic inhibition can create intensity-tuned auditory cortex neurons

Tan, Andrew Y. Y.; Atencio, Craig A.; Polley, Daniel B.; Merzenich, Michael M.; Schreiner, Christoph E.

Unbalanced synaptic inhibition can create intensity-tuned auditory cortex neurons

Authors

Tan, Andrew Y. Y.

Atencio, Craig A.

Polley, Daniel B.

Merzenich, Michael M.

Schreiner, Christoph E.

Description

Intensity-tuned auditory cortex neurons may be formed by intensity-tuned synaptic excitation. Synaptic inhibition has also been shown to enhance, and possibly even create intensity-tuned neurons. Here we show, using in vivo whole cell recordings in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats, that some intensity-tuned neurons are indeed created solely through disproportionally large inhibition at high intensities, without any intensity-tuned excitation. Since inhibition is essentially cortical in origin, these neurons provide examples of auditory feature-selectivity arising de novo at the cortex.
22 pages, 5 figures