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Responses of neurons in the electrosensory lateral line lobe of the weakly electric fishGnathonemus petersiito simple and complex electrosensory stimuli.

Authors :
Goenechea, Lander
von der Emde, Gerhard
Source :
Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural & Behavioral Physiology. Nov2004, Vol. 190 Issue 11, p907-922. 16p.
Publication Year :
2004

Abstract

Mormyrid fish use active electrolocation to detect and analyze objects. The electrosensory lateral line lobe in the brain receives input from electroreceptors and an efference copy of the command to discharge the electric organ. In curarized fish, we recorded extracellularly from neurons of the electrosensory lateral line lobe while stimulating in the periphery with either a local point stimulus or with a more natural whole-body stimulus. Two classes of neurons were found: (I) three types of E-cells, which were excited by a point stimulus; and (2) two types of I-cells, which were inhibited by point stimulus and responded with excitation to the electric organ corollary discharge. While all neurons responded to a point stimulus, only one out of two types of I-units and two of the three types of E-units changed their firing behavior to a whole-body stimulus or when an object was present. In most units, the responses to whole-body stimuli and to point stimuli differed substantially. Many electrosensory lateral line lobe units showed neural plasticity after prolonged sensory stimulation. However, plastic effects during whole body stimulation were often unlike those occurring during point stimuli, suggesting that under natural conditions electrosensory lateral line lobe network effects play an important role in shaping neural plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
03407594
Volume :
190
Issue :
11
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural & Behavioral Physiology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
15108224
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-004-0548-x