Dynamic temporal properties of effective connections in rat dorsal cochlear nucleus.

In a prior report we presented evidence that functionally connected dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) neurons in close proximity can show differing peristimulus time histograms (PSTHs) in response to the same stimulus. We wished to further investigate how interconnections between such neurons might participate in the PSTH patterns. Methodology has recently been developed which permits measurement of rapid changes in effective connectivity between neuron pairs: the normalized joint PSTH. Using this technique we have observed that rapid changes in effective connectivity do occur in the DCN. These observations demonstrate that the effects of one DCN neuron on another cannot necessarily be understood by sequential recordings from single units, even if anatomical connectivity can be established.