Coding of increments and decrements in stimulus intensity in single units in the cochlear nucleus of the rat.

The response of single units in the cochlear nucleus when confronted with step increments and step decrements in stimulus intensity was studied in the rat using tones that were amplitude modulated with square waves or with pseudorandom noise. Cycle histograms of the responses to tones modulated with square waves revealed that the probability of firing increased as a result of step increments in stimulus intensity for tones at characteristic frequency (CF) and that the probability of firing decreased as a result of step decrements. When two tones were presented simultaneously, one at CF and one at the unit's best inhibitory frequency (BIF), and one or the other of the tones was modulated, the modulation of the cycle histogram of the responses was greater than when only one tone was presented. Modulation of the inhibitory tone gave rise to histograms that were mirror images of the histograms of the responses to modulation of the excitatory tone. An increase in probability of firing always occurred at a faster rate than a decrease, independent of whether the increase was brought about by increase in the intensity of the excitatory tone or by a decrease in the intensity of the inhibitory tone. The cycle histograms of the responses to square wave-modulated tones and the step response estimated from the responses to tones amplitude-modulated with pseudorandom noise showed a greater similarity when the cycle histograms depicted the case of an increase in the probability of firing than when they concerned a decrease in the probability of firing.