Transformation of peripheral inputs by the first-order lateral line brainstem nucleus.

Extracellular recording techniques were used to record the responses of medial nucleus cells and posterior lateral line nerve fibers in mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi, and goldfish, Carassius auratus, to a 50-Hz dipole source (vibrating sphere). Responses were characterized in terms of (1) receptive fields that relate responsiveness (spike rate and phase-locking) to the location of the source along the length of the fish, (2) input-output functions that relate responsiveness to vibration amplitude for a fixed source location, and (3) peri-stimulus time histograms that relate responsiveness to time during a sustained period of vibration. Relative to posterior lateral line nerve fibers, medial nucleus cells in both species were similar in showing (1) lower spontaneous and evoked rates of spike activity, (2) greater degrees of adaptation, (3) greater heterogeneity in all response characteristics, and (4) evidence for inhibitory/excitatory interactions. Whereas receptive fields of nerve fibers in both species faithfully reflect both pressure gradient amplitudes (with rate changes) and directions (with phase-angle changes) in the stimulus field, receptive fields of medial nucleus were more difficult to relate to the stimulus field, Some, but not all, receptive fields could be modeled with excitatory center/inhibitory surround and inhibitory center/excitatory surround organizations.