Abstract
Belgian Waterslager canaries (BWS), bred for a distinct low-pitched song, have an inherited high-frequency hearing loss related to hair cell abnormalities. Many hair cells are missing or damaged, and many of the remaining hair cells have abnormal stereocilia bundles. To investigate how the hair cell abnormalities affect frequency tuning along the BWS basilar papilla, we measured psychophysical tuning curves (PTCs) in BWS and normal-hearing non-BWS canaries using operant conditioning procedures. Non-BWS canaries showed relatively symmetrical tuning curves that became more narrowly tuned with increasing center frequency. Despite near-normal hearing at low frequencies, PTCs in BWS were elevated for all center frequencies tested. The sharpness of tuning was normal in BWS for PTCs with a center frequency of 1000 Hz and broader than normal at higher frequencies. The shapes of the PTCs were abnormal in BWS, particularly at higher frequencies. The abnormal tuning properties in the BWS are consistent with changes in the impedance characteristics of the basilar papilla due to structural damage. [Work supported by NIH DC01372 and DC04664.]
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