Binaural responses in rat inferior colliculus following kainic acid lesions of the superior olive: interaural intensity difference functions.

The binaural responses of cells in the rat's inferior colliculus were determined following either unilateral or bilateral lesions of the superior olivary complex (SOC). The lesions were made by local injection of kainic acid through a glass micropipette lowered stereotaxically into the auditory brain stem. After a recovery period of at least two weeks, neural responses to pure tone pulses were recorded from the inferior colliculus with tungsten microelectrodes inserted into the central nucleus. Attention was focused on neurons that exhibited binaural suppression, ie., were excited by contralateral and inhibited by bilateral stimulation. Binaural suppression responses were still present following complete unilateral destruction of the superior olive either ipsilateral or contralateral to the recording site. Binaural responses were also present following bilateral lesions of the SOC. Furthermore, the shape and slope of interaural intensity difference functions were not statistically different for normal animals and animals with either unilateral or bilateral SOC lesions. No differences were found among lesion groups or between recording sites ipsilateral or contralateral to the lesions. These data suggest that the superior olive is not essential for binaural interaction and that supraolivary structures play a significant role in shaping binaural responses in the inferior colliculus.