Development of tone response thresholds, latencies and tuning in the mouse inferior colliculus.

The development of tone response thresholds, latencies and tuning of neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC) of the mouse has been investigated between postnatal days 10 (first responses) and 20. As in adults, response thresholds of neurons are lowest in the center of the IC compared with other areas right from the beginning of responsiveness at day 10. Thresholds decrease rapidly until at days 16-20 (depending on the characteristic frequency of the neurons) adult levels are reached. Response latencies decrease rapidly to adult levels at days 16-18. Broad frequency tuning curves can be measured at days 10 and 11. From day 12 onwards, tuning curve shapes differentiate and adult diversity occurs which indicates presence of inhibition and summation in the pathway to or within the IC at that early age. The tip lengths of the tuning curves increase faster than the sharpness of the tips (Q10 dB values). The developmental courses of the measured parameters are expressed by power functions. The time constants of these functions are used in the discussion of processes underlying the functional maturation in the auditory system of the mouse. The general course of the development of all the here investigated response properties of single neurons in the IC, except tuning curve shape, appears to be determined by maturation at or peripheral to the cochlear level.