TY - JOUR
T1 - Spatial organization of the auditory nerve according to spontaneous discharge rate
AU - Kawase, Tetsuaki
AU - Liberman, M. Charles
PY - 1992/5/8
Y1 - 1992/5/8
N2 - Auditory‐nerve fibers in mammals have been classified into three functional subclasses according to spontaneous discharge rate (SR). In cat, the peripheral terminals of these SR groups are segregated around the sensory cell circumference (Liberman, '82, Science 216:1239–1241). The present study shows that this spatial segregation is at least partly maintained through the peripheral axonal course from sensory cell to spiral ganglion. Analysis of intracellularly labeled auditory‐nerve fibers shows that peripheral axons and cell bodies of low‐and medium‐SR fibers tend to be found closer to scala vestibuli than high‐SR fibers. Since low‐and medium‐SR fibers tend to be thinner, this SR‐based segregation can also be demonstrated as a fiber‐caliber gradient in the osseous spiral lamina. The issue of SR‐based spatial segregation is relevant to reports that ganglion cells near scala vestibuli project to different regions of the cochlear nucleus than cells near scala tympani (Leake and Snyder, '89, J. Comp. Neurol. 281:612–629). Combining the results of the two studies suggests that there may be some SR‐based spatial segregation of inputs to the cochlear nucleus. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
AB - Auditory‐nerve fibers in mammals have been classified into three functional subclasses according to spontaneous discharge rate (SR). In cat, the peripheral terminals of these SR groups are segregated around the sensory cell circumference (Liberman, '82, Science 216:1239–1241). The present study shows that this spatial segregation is at least partly maintained through the peripheral axonal course from sensory cell to spiral ganglion. Analysis of intracellularly labeled auditory‐nerve fibers shows that peripheral axons and cell bodies of low‐and medium‐SR fibers tend to be found closer to scala vestibuli than high‐SR fibers. Since low‐and medium‐SR fibers tend to be thinner, this SR‐based segregation can also be demonstrated as a fiber‐caliber gradient in the osseous spiral lamina. The issue of SR‐based spatial segregation is relevant to reports that ganglion cells near scala vestibuli project to different regions of the cochlear nucleus than cells near scala tympani (Leake and Snyder, '89, J. Comp. Neurol. 281:612–629). Combining the results of the two studies suggests that there may be some SR‐based spatial segregation of inputs to the cochlear nucleus. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
KW - cochlea
KW - sensory cell
KW - spiral ganglion
KW - spontaneous rate
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0026641996&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1002/cne.903190210
DO - 10.1002/cne.903190210
M3 - Article
C2 - 1381729
AN - SCOPUS:0026641996
VL - 319
SP - 312
EP - 318
JO - Journal of Comparative Neurology
JF - Journal of Comparative Neurology
SN - 0021-9967
IS - 2
ER -