Synchrony of Neural Activity in Electric Responses Evoked by Transient Acoustic Stimuli

Abstract

Electric responses evoked by transient acoustic stimuli were recorded by gross electrodes from the periphery and from the cortex of the cat. The responses to clicks and to the rapid onset of bursts of noise or tones are characterized by a sharp N1 peak in the peripheral response and by a broader cortical response. When the rise time of the onset of bursts of noise (or tones) is lengthened, or when a burst of sudden onset is presented in a noise background, it is possible to obtain cortical responses under conditions for which the N1 component of the peripheral response is undetectable. These results and associated findings are interpreted by considering the degree of synchronization of the discharge and the wave forms of the activity of units that contribute to responses recorded by gross electrodes. A simple statistical interpretation is presented.