Cochlear Nucleus Flashcards
How many sections does the CN have? What are they?
The cochlear nucleus has three sections: anteroventral cochlear nucleus (CAN), posteroventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN), and the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN).
How is the CN tonotopically organized?
The low-frequency AN fibers project to the lateral regions of the CN, and the high frequencies to the medial regions of the DCN and PVCN.
What are the 5 main cell types in the CN?
The five main cell types in the cochlear nucleus are the pyramidal, spherical bushy, globular bushy, multipolar, and octopus.
What are the 5 main PSTH types in the CN?
The five main PSTH types are the primary like, on, chopper, primary with notch, and pauser.
Compared to the AN, the CN has this type of phase locking.
The CN has enhanced phase locking.
Where are the spherical and globular bushy cells? Where do they project? They effectively act as what?
The spherical and globular bushy cells are located in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN). The cells project to the ventral acoustic stria. They effectively act as a relay station because they have primary like responses.
Inhibition changes PSTHs. It also changes rate-level functions. What is one change that can occur for a rate-level function when there is inhibition as compared to when there is none?
Increasing amounts of inhibition at high levels creates non-monotonic rate-intensity functions. Now the cells have a characteristic intensity as well as frequency.
Which area has the best temporal processing in the CN? Spectral processing?
The AVCN, with the bushy and octopus cells, is best at temporal coding. The DCN is best at spectral processing.
What is the largest outflow from the CN?
The largest outflow is from the AVCN to the ventral acoustic stria or trapezoid body.
