Mechanisms of augmented field potential responses in the rat olfactory bulb.

Olfactory bulb field potential and single unit responses to paired pulse stimulation of the lateral olfactory tract were observed in the rat. In agreement with previous reports, surgical levels of barbiturate anesthesia prolonged the period of diminution of the field potential responses to the test pulse relative to the effect seen under light anesthesia. Very deep barbiturate anesthesia (sufficient to depress the EEG) led to decreased responses to the primary pulse but augmented responses to the test pulse. Urethane and ether anesthesia produced augmented test responses without severely depressing the EEG and without producing a period of diminished test responses. Single unit recordings failed to show external plexiform layer units excited at the time of maximal augmentation of the field potential. Simultaneous single unit and field potential recordings showed that prolonged diminution of the field potential response was associated with prolonged suppression of unit responses to the test pulse, while augmented field potential responses were associated with decreased suppression of unit responses to the test pulse. These observations are most easily explained by the assumption of temporal facilitation in the synaptic output of mitral and tufted cells. This facilitation is masked by feedback inhibition under some conditions, particularly under barbiturate anesthesia.