Inhibitory and excitatory response areas of neurons in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus in unanesthetized chinchillas.

In unanesthetized chinchillas, we determined excitatory and inhibitory response regions of neurons in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICc). The responses of 250 multiunits and 47 single units in the ICc to one- and two-tone stimuli were measured by extracellular recordings. The one-tone excitatory response area of ICc neurons from awake chinchillas was classified as either narrow with a steep high-frequency slope >140 dB/oct (type 1), broad with a high-frequency slope <140 dB/oct (type 2), or complex with a negative high-frequency slope (type 3). One-tone inhibition was prominent only in units with a high spontaneous firing rate. As revealed with two-tone stimuli, inhibition in the ICc of awake chinchillas and its relation to excitatory response regions was different from what is reported in anesthetized animals. The two-tone inhibitory responses were classified as follows: (1) inhibitory regions of equal strength on both sides of the characteristic frequency; (2) asymmetrical inhibitory regions, more prominent at the high-frequency side of the characteristic frequency; (3) strong inhibitory regions overlying most of the one-tone excitatory response region; (4) inhibitory response regions lying only within the one-tone excitatory response region; and (5) neurons without clear two-tone inhibition. One-tone and two-tone inhibitory regions of the same unit were markedly different in 66% of the units with a high spontaneous rate. The neural response to frequencies within the inhibitory regions often was an onset response followed by inhibition. Excitatory and inhibitory response properties were similar over considerable penetration distances (600-1,000 microm) in a particular dorso-ventral recording track.