Tuning curves of frog amphibian papilla nerve by single cycle sine wave

Abstract

Tuning curves (TCs) for sine wave tone bursts (BTCs) were compared with those (STCs) for single cycle sine wave (SSW) stimuli in auditory fibers innervating amphibian papilla of a frog. Three types of responses were differentiated. First parallel‐sharp type had a sharp peaked BTC. At the CF of the BTC, threshold for SSW rose by 10–20 dB. Difference between thresholds decreased gradually until the two TC's coincided at certain points onwards from the CF. Second parallel‐round type had a flat BTC and the two TCs differed little even at the CF. The presence of these two types with similar CFs suggests that resonance characteristics vary even within a limited area in the papilla. The third was a crossing type. The relation between the two TCs near the CF was similar to that in the first type. At high frequencies far from the CF, however, the STC was lower than the BTC. This observation may suggest that the peripheral inhibition by the succeeding waves of tone bursts interferes with the expected excitation by the initial part.