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PubMed1984

Axonal growth and target selection during development: retinal projections to the ventrobasal complex and other "nonvisual" structures in neonatal Syrian hamsters.

In newborn hamsters, there is a direct retinal projection to the ventrobasal complex, the principal thalamic somatosensory nucleus. The projection decreases precipitously between the second and third postnatal days. A few retinofugal axons remain dorsally along the lateral border of the nucleus on day 4, and none are present thereafter. In neonatal hamsters, retinofugal axons project to additional "nonvisual" nuclei including the periventricular and anterior nuclei of the hypothalamus, zona incerta, substantia nigra, inferior colliculus, pons, and mesencephalic tegmentum. Some of these connections remain in adult hamsters, although in apparently reduced density or relative volume, while others disappear. The contribution of transient connections to the normal morphological or functional development of the brain remains to be clarified. The combined results of this and other studies show that the normally transient retino-ventrobasal projection is a substrate for abnormal connections in that it can be permanently stabilized by appropriate neurosurgery on the day of birth.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Distribution of GABA-T-intensive neurons in the rat hindbrain.

The pharmacohistochemical method previously used to identify the distribution in rat brain of gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA-T)-intensive neurons has been applied to the rat pons and medulla. The method involves systemic administration of the irreversible GABA-T inhibitor Gabaculine and the detection, 12 to 15 hours after the injection of the newly synthesized GABA-T by histochemical means. GABA-T-intensive neurons were found to be rich in the following hindbrain structures: inferior colliculus, nuclei of the raphe system, nuclei parabrachialis dorsalis and ventralis, nucleus cuneiformis, nucleus vestibularis medialis, nucleus tractus spinalis nervi trigemini, nucleus vagus, nucleus cochlearis, nucleus reticularis lateralis, nucleus ambiguus, nucleus cuneatus lateralis, inferior olive, and reticular formation of the pons and medulla. Neurons of the deep cerebellar nuclei and the rostral portion of the lateral vestibular nucleus were negative for GABA-T but were surrounded by granular staining indicative of impinging GABA-T-rich nerve endings. These results provide further support for the hypothesis that GABA neurons are far more GABA-T-intensive than other neurons in the central nervous system.

4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase↗
PubMed1985

Topology of the central nucleus of the mustache bat's inferior colliculus: correlation of single unit properties and neuronal architecture.

The central nucleus of the mustache bat's inferior colliculus was studied in Golgi, Nissl, and fiber stained preparations; the neuronal organization and cytoarchitecture were correlated with the tonotopic maps revealed by single cell recordings. Three divisions of the central nucleus were defined by anatomical and physiological criteria: the anterolateral, medial, and dorsoposterior divisions. In horizontal sections, the anterolateral division has pronounced, semicircular fibrodendritic laminae. The dendritic fields of adjacent neurons form rostro-caudally-oriented laminae related to the tonotopic sequence. The neurons in the medial division are similar in size and arrangement, but here the laminar orientation follows the lateral-to-medial axis, with less curvature. The dorsoposterior division has many small disc-shaped and stellate neurons and a different, somewhat less fully expressed, laminar orientation. Each division has a unique frequency representation and tonotopic organization which conform to the pattern of dendritic orientation. In the anterolateral division, frequencies from about 10 kHz to about 59 kHz are represented, whereas the frequency representation in the medial division ranges from about 65 kHz to 110 kHz, and higher. The dorsoposterior division has an isofrequency organization in which the best frequency is characteristic for each bat, ranging from 60 to 64 kHz and varying by only +/- 300 Hz. This frequency corresponds to the dominant echo frequency of the bat's echolocation signals. We suggest that the dorsoposterior division is a hypertrophied isofrequency lamina, with many neurocytological features comparable to the isofrequency laminae in the central nucleus of other mammals.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Neuronal connections in the primary auditory cortex: an electrophysiological study in the cat.

Neuronal connections in the primary auditory cortex (AI) of the cat were studied electrophysiologically by using intracellular recording techniques. Fast-conducting fibers from the medial geniculate nucleus (MG) projected monosynaptically onto AI neurons in layers III-VI (mainly in layer IV), whereas slow-conducting MG-fibers projected monosynaptically onto AI neurons in layer I. AI neurons which received monosynaptic inputs from the auditory association cortices (AII and Ep) and/or from the contralateral AI were distributed in all layers of the AI; the commissural fibers from the contralateral AI were divided into fast- and slow-conducting ones. AI neurons were categorized into seven types: type I neurons which received monosynaptic inputs from slow-conducting MG-fibers were located in layer I. Type II neurons which received polysynaptic inputs from the MG were located in layers II-VI. Type III neurons which sent their axons to the AII or Ep were mainly located in layer III. Type IV neurons which sent their axons to the contralateral AI were located mainly in layer III. Type V neurons which received monosynaptic inputs from fast-conducting MG-fibers were located mainly in layer IV. Type VI neurons which projected onto the inferior colliculus were located in the upper part of the layer V. Type VII neurons which projected onto the MG were located in layers V and VI.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Functional organization of the cochlear nucleus of rufous horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus rouxi): frequencies and internal connections are arranged in slabs.

The functional organization of the cochlear nucleus (CN) was studied with physiological recording and anatomical tracing techniques. Recordings were made from single CN neurons to examine their temporal firing patterns to tone burst stimuli and their frequency tuning characteristics. Recording loci of individual neurons were carefully monitored in order to understand how the functional properties of a cell relate to its location within the CN. We found that tonal frequencies were systematically represented in each of the three CN divisions (anteroventral, AVCN; posteroventral, PVCN; dorsal, DCN). Eight temporal response patterns were observed in CN neurons when stimulated at units' best excitatory frequencies (BF). With a few exceptions, neurons in each CN division could generate all eight firing patterns with different distributions for the three division. A focal injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), at the end of the physiological study, to a group of neurons possessing a similar BF in one CN division resulted in anterograde labeling of nerve terminals in the other two divisions at precisely the areas where the same frequency band was processed in these divisions. Labeled terminals in each division were closely congregated in the form of a thin slab. The slab orientation was division specific whereas its location was frequency specific, which could be predicted on the basis of physiological data. HRP injections into the DCN also resulted in retrograde labeling of somata in the AVCN and PVCN. On the other hand, only DCN neurons were retrogradely labeled when HRP was injected into the AVCN or the PVCN. These data showed how the three CN divisions are internally connected. Furthermore, retrogradely labeled cells occupied the same slabs where we found anterogradely labeled nerve terminals. Additionally, in a group of bats, HRP was injected into various functionally (i.e., BF) identified regions of the central nucleus of the inferior coliculus (IC) to clarify the type and location of CN projecting neurons. Retrogradely labeled cells in individual CN divisions likewise were arranged in slabs whose locations in the CN nuclei depended on the BFs of neurons at the injection site in the IC. These results show that slabs represent units of functional organization (i.e., tonal frequency, local connection and central projection) in the CN.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Quantitative analyses of axonal endings in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus and distribution of 3H-labeling after injections in the dorsal cochlear nucleus.

Quantitative analyses of electron microscopic (EM) autoradiographs were used to identify the afferents from the dorsal cochlear nucleus in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (IC) in the cat. In order to localize the sources of radioactivity, material from axonal transport experiments was analyzed by means of a hypothetical grain procedure which takes the cross-scatter of beta particles into account. Measurements of the synaptic vesicles in axonal endings and a cluster analysis were used to identify different groups of endings. In order to determine which types of endings arise in the dorsal cochlear nucleus, axonal endings labeled after axonal transport and unlabeled endings were characterized and compared to the groups defined by the cluster analysis. Axonal endings with round synaptic vesicles were labeled with more than 2 grains/micron2 which was about 30% of the radioactivity in the central nucleus of the IC. This was six to seven times greater than if the radioactivity had been randomly distributed. Other tissue compartments usually had less radioactivity. Some myelinated and unmyelinated axons were labeled, but, as a group they had lower amounts of radioactivity than predicted by random labeling. In most cases, only low levels of activity were found in glial and postsynaptic structures. Five groups of axonal endings in the medial part of the central nucleus were identified by an analysis which clustered similar types of endings. The variance of the longest axis, the mean diameter, the variance of area, and the mean area of the synaptic vesicles were the variables most useful in distinguishing these five groups. Axonal endings with round synaptic vesicles were classified as either small, or large, or very large, while endings with pleomorphic vesicles were either large or small. Using measurements of the cross-sectional diameter of dendritic microtubules, samples of digitized axonal endings from normal and experimental cases were normalized and could be compared directly to the groups defined by the cluster analysis. Microtubules were 21.7 nm (+/- 1.6) in average diameter. After injections of 3H-leucine and/or proline in the dorsal cochlear nucleus, most of the labeled endings in the IC contained small, round vesicles (less than 47 nm in diameter) although a very small number of endings with large, round vesicles also were labeled.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Projection systems and terminal localization of dorsal column afferents: an autoradiographic and horseradish peroxidase study in the rat.

Projection systems from the gracile nucleus and the cuneate nuclear complex to their terminal sites in the mesencephalon, diencephalon, and cerebellum were examined by means of anterograde autoradiography and retrograde horseradish peroxidase methods. Three projection systems emerge from the dorsal column nuclei, decussate via internal arcuate fibers, and form the contralateral medial lemniscus (ML). At the obex, some fibers split off the ML and course dorsolaterally, forming an ascending lateral system which fits the "lemniscal adjunct channel" (LAC) concept of Graybiel ('72). The ML continues rostrally as the "main lemniscal line channel" (MLLC). At the inferior colliculus, some LAC fibers terminate in the pontine nuclei, parabrachial, dorsal reticular nuclei, and the external and ventral medial part of the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus. More rostrally at the level of the superior colliculus, terminal fields are found in the medial nucleus of the medial geniculate body, the suprageniculate, pretectal, and mesencephalic reticular nuclei, marking the end of the LAC. In the diencephalon, gracile fibers leave the MLLC and form a crescentlike terminal field along the extreme lateral border of the ventral posterior lateral nucleus (VPL) of the thalamus. Cuneate MLLC fibers terminate in a bandlike formation in the VPL medial to the gracile termination. The third fiber system, the cuneocerebellar projection, emerges from the cuneate, the external cuneate nuclei, and the "cellular bridge" and immediately enters the ipsilateral inferior cerebellar peduncle. Upon entering the cerebellum, the major fiber component remains ipsilateral and terminates as vertical bands in vermal and paravermal lobules, and lobules I through IVa. The posterior cerebellar lobe contains terminal bands in lobules VII-IX, the copula pyramidis, and the paramedian lobule. It is concluded that the dorsolateral fiber system conforms to Graybiel's LAC. It is more divergent and probably less modality specific, whereas the medial lemniscal system conforms to the MLLC, which is said to be modality specific, less divergent, and locked to specific sensory-motor response characteristics. The topography of cerebellar terminal bands indicates that there is sensory-motor representation from all parts of the body to all parts of the cerebellum, at least in the rat.

Afferent Pathways↗
PubMed1985

Projections from the anterior ventral cochlear nucleus to the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus in young and aging C57BL/6 mice.

Projections from the anterior ventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) to the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) were studied in young and aging C57BL/6 mice. The latter animals demonstrate progressive loss of hearing. Wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) was injected into the inferior colliculus and retrograde transport to the AVCN sections, quality of labelling, number of labelled neurons adjusted for injection size, or topographic organization of projections. Thus, despite progressing loss of auditory sensitivity, chronic profound hearing loss (oldest animals), and aging, projections from AVCN to ICC remain stable.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

Inferior colliculus of the house mouse. I. A quantitative study of tonotopic organization, frequency representation, and tone-threshold distribution.

Electrophysiological mapping was used to study frequency representation in the inferior colliculus (IC) of the mouse. In the lateral nucleus (LN) only part of the frequency range of hearing was represented and tonotopicity was separate from that in the rest of the IC. Highest frequencies occupied the medial part (M) of the central nucleus (CN). A single complete representation of the hearing range was present only if representations in the dorsal cortex (plus dorsomedial nucleus) and CN (including M) were combined. Continuous isofrequency planes making up these nuclei (without the lateral part of the CN) were reconstructed. They tilted from medial to lateral and from caudal to rostral. The steepness of the slopes increased from caudal to rostral and from dorsal to ventral (i.e., with increasing frequency). Isofrequency planes had similar angles of deviation from the horizontal plane as described for dendritic laminae in the CN. Differences of mapping in the lateral part of the CN from that in the rest of the CN could be explained by the different organization of laminae in this part. The relative amounts of IC depth and volume occupied by parts of the mouse audible frequency range were quantified. Frequency representation along IC depth was not proportional to that along cochlear length. Compared with the relative density of afferent nerve fiber supply within given frequency ranges represented along the basilar membrane, there is a relative under-representation in the IC up to 15-20 kHz and an over-representation of higher frequencies. Highest absolute tone sensitivity (lowest threshold) was found in neurons forming a column (running perpendicular to isofrequency planes) in the center of the IC. Results are discussed with regard to frequency representation, intrinsic neuronal organization, and functional segregation in the IC of mammals.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Projections from the cochlear nucleus to the inferior colliculus in normal and neonatally cochlea-ablated gerbils.

The distribution of the projection from one cochlear nucleus (CN) within each inferior colliculus (IC) was studied in adult, normal gerbils and adult gerbils subjected to unilateral ablation of the contralateral cochlea at 2 days of age. The projection was studied by using the Fink-Heimer technique for impregnating degenerating axons and their terminal processes with silver. Following an extensive, unilateral lesion of the CN, degeneration was seen in both ICs of all animals. In normal animals, degeneration was both more widespread and heavier in the contralateral than in the ipsilateral central nucleus of IC (ICC). Degeneration was most widespread in the rostral and lateral parts of both ICCs and in the ventral part of the contralateral ICC. Degeneration was observed in 26% of the area examined in ipsilateral ICC and in 73% of the area examined in contralateral ICC. In cochlea-ablated animals there was a much greater similarity in the area of degeneration in the ICC ipsilateral (57%) and contralateral (67%) to the CN lesion. The same regional distributions of degeneration were observed as in the normal animals except that the distribution of degeneration in the ipsilateral ICC more closely resembled the normal contralateral than the normal ipsilateral profile. We conclude that the normal distribution of projections from the CN within the ipsilateral ICC is substantially modified by neonatal ablation of the contralateral cochlea.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Projections to the subcortical forebrain from anatomically defined regions of the medial geniculate body in the rat.

Although the auditory cortex is believed to be the principal efferent target of the medial geniculate body (MG), our recent behavioral studies indicate that in rats the conditioned coupling of emotional responses to an acoustic stimulus is mediated by subcortical projections of the MG. In the present study we have therefore used WGA-HRP as an anterograde and retrograde axonal marker to (1) define the full range of subcortical efferent projections of the MG; (2) identify the cells of origin within the MG of each projection; and (3) determine whether the subregions of the MG that project to subcortical areas receive inputs from acoustic relay nuclei of the mid-brain, particularly the inferior colliculus. The rat MG was first parcelled into three major cytoarchitectural areas: the ventral, medial, and dorsal divisions. The suprageniculate nucleus, located within the body of the MG just dorsal to the medial division, was also identified. Efferent projections of the MG were determined by combined anterograde and retrograde tracing methods. Injections of WGA-HRP in the MG produced anterograde transport to cortex and several subcortical areas, including the posterior caudate-putamen and amygdala, the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, and the subparafascicular thalamic nucleus. The cells of origin of the subcortical projections were then mapped retrogradely after injections in the anterogradely labeled areas. Injections in the caudate-putamen or amygdala retrogradely labeled the medial division of the MG and the suprageniculate nucleus, as well as several adjacent areas of the posterior thalamus surrounding the MG. In contrast, injections in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus or the subparafascicular thalamic nucleus only produced labeling in the areas surrounding MG. Afferents to MG from the inferior colliculus were then identified. The central nucleus of the inferior colliculus, the main lemniscal acoustic relay nucleus in the midbrain, was found to project to the ventral and medial divisions of the MG. In contrast, the dorsal cortex and external nucleus of the inferior colliculus project to each division of the MG and to several additional nuclei in adjacent areas of the posterior thalamus. These data demonstrate that the medial division of MG, the suprageniculate nucleus, and immediately adjacent areas of the posterior thalamus provide a direct linkage between auditory neurons in the inferior colliculus and subcortical areas of the forebrain and thereby support the view that thalamic sensory nuclei relay afferent signals to subcortical as well as cortical areas.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1985

The dorsal cochlear nucleus of the mouse: a light microscopic analysis of neurons that project to the inferior colliculus.

In the mouse dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), all members of a distinct class of large multipolar neurons were shown to project to the contralateral inferior colliculus by using retrograde horseradish peroxidase techniques. Typically, these multipolar neurons have the largest cell bodies in the nucleus and are distributed in layers II, III, and IV. Each contains a round, pale nucleus with a prominent nucleolus and conspicuous Nissl bodies. In Golgi preparations, however, two types of large cells could be distinguished on the basis of dendritic characteristics. Pyramidal cells form relatively flattened, slablike dendritic fields whose alignment contributes to the laminar organization of the DCN. They represent 75-80% of the large cell population and are found in layer II and the superficial region of layer III. Giant cells represent the other type of large multipolar neuron and are distributed in the deeper regions of layer III and in layer IV. Their ellipsoidal dendritic fields are formed by long and relatively unbranched dendrites that project across the laminae. The differences in dendritic morphology imply that each cell class segregates its afferent input in distinct ways and subserves different auditory functions.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Stimulation-induced [14C]2-deoxyglucose labeling of synaptic activity in the central auditory system.

The relative contribution of active synapses and discharging neurons to [14C]2-DG labeling in film autoradiographs of the auditory system was studied in a series of three experiments, two in cat, one in chick. In the first, the lateral superior olive in cats was specially prepared so that its inhibitory afferents could be stimulated without concurrent stimulation of its excitatory afferents. The film autoradiographs showed clear 2-DG labeling in the vicinity of the activated inhibitory synapses. In the second experiment, the medial superior olive in cat was specially prepared so that it could be stimulated antidromically without concurrent orthodromic stimulation. The film autoradiographs showed little or no elevations in 2-DG labeling of the antidromically stimulated nucleus over its unstimulated contralateral control despite heavy labeling of nearby orthodromically stimulated nuclei. In the third experiment, the highly polarized nucleus laminaris of a chick was specially prepared so that one set of its excitatory afferents could be stimulated without concurrent stimulation of the other set. The film autoradiographs showed that the distribution of heavy 2-DG labeling matched the distribution of the activated synapses and not the distribution of discharging postsynaptic membrane. The outcomes of the three experiments taken together suggest that it is active synapses and not actively discharging neurons that dominate typical [14C]2-DG film autoradiographs, at least of the vertebrate central auditory system. It follows that [14C]2-DG labeling of central auditory system tissue is not necessarily evidence of local cell discharge but instead evidence of synaptic activity whether excitatory or inhibitory, and whether or not it is accompanied by significant levels of postsynaptic cell discharge.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1986

The development and migration of large multipolar neurons into the cochlear nucleus of the North American opossum.

We have studied the maturation of the inferior colliculus and cochlear nuclei of the North American opossum with particular emphasis on the large multipolar neurons of the cochlear nucleus. These neurons include the principal and giant cells of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) and the large neurons of the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN), all of which can be labelled by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injections into the contralateral inferior colliculus (IC). The size of these neurons, their characteristic Nissl patterns, and their labelling density after injections into the IC render them distinguishable from other neurons in this nuclei, even in young animals. In Nissl-stained sections of newborn opossums, a band of horizontally oriented neurons can be identified dorsomedial to the vestibular nerve root. This band extends from an apparent cytogenetic zone close to the sulcus limitans, to, but not within, the presumptive cochlear nucleus. Between birth and estimated postnatal day 22 (EPND 22) the band shifts laterally, eventually becoming incorporated into the cochlear nucleus. Many neurons in this band have perinuclear caps of Nissl substance similar to those present in the principal cells of the adult DCN. Injections of HRP into the IC as early as EPND 5 (17 days after conception) labelled neurons in the band referred to above but not in the presumptive cochlear nucleus. By EPND 15, labelled cells were clustered mainly within the nucleus proper. Most of these cells were located in the DCN, but a few were scattered in the dorsocentral VCN. Consistent labelling of small neurons in VCN was not obtained until sometime later. From EPND 15 to EPND 20 most of the labelled cells in DCN reoriented in the vertical plane, aligned in layer II, and differentiated into principal neurons. Some, however, remained deep to layer II and differentiated into giant neurons. The heavily labelled cells in VCN differentiated into large neurons. Our results suggest that the large multipolar neurons of the nucleus are generated in a cytogenetic zone medial to the rhombic lip and that they subsequently migrate laterally, in a band, to reach their adult locations in the nucleus. It is during this migratory stage that their axons reach the inferior colliculus.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

GABAergic neurons and axon terminals in the brainstem auditory nuclei of the gerbil.

The anatomical localization of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the synthesizing enzyme for GABA, was analyzed in the brainstem auditory nuclei of the adult gerbil. GAD-positive terminals and somata were present in the cochlear nucleus, superior olivary complex, lateral lemniscus, and inferior colliculus in varying concentrations and patterns. One of the highest densities of GAD-positive terminals is found in the superficial layers of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), whereas the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) has somewhat fewer terminals that are arranged in pericellular plexuses. GAD-positive neurons occur mainly in the superficial and fusiform layers of the DCN and are scattered throughout the VCN. Within the superior olivary complex, the highest concentration of immunoreactive terminals and neurons occurs in the ventral and lateral nuclei of the trapezoid body. In contrast, the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body and the medial superior olive contain fewer GAD-positive puncta and probably no immunoreactive somata. The lateral superior olive and superior periolivary nucleus contain a few immunoreactive puncta but a large number of immunoreactive somata. In the midbrain, the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus contain a moderate number of GAD-positive puncta and a large number of different types of GAD-positive neurons. The inferior colliculus also contains a heterogeneous population of labeled somata, most of which are multipolar neurons. In addition, a high concentration of immunoreactive puncta occurs in this region. These data demonstrate a diverse distribution of GAD-positive neurons and puncta throughout the brainstem auditory nuclei and suggest that GABA might be an important neurotransmitter in the processing of auditory information.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the midbrain of the cat.

Somatostatin (SS) immunoreactivity was localized in cat brain sections with an immunoperoxidase technique. Cell bodies in the midbrain containing SS immunoreactivity were found in the superficial and intermediate gray layers of the superior colliculus, the interpeduncular nucleus, the raphe, the inferior colliculus and nucleus of its brachium, the nucleus of the optic tract, and the lateral tegmental field. Additional positive neurons were seen in the parabigeminal nucleus and in the dorsal periaqueductal gray in kitten material. Immunoreactive fibers were observed in the periaqueductal gray and in the midbrain tegmentum, with particularly dense labeling just dorsal to the substantia nigra and in the parabrachial nuclei. This is the first report of the distribution of SS immunoreactivity in the midbrain of the cat. It is concluded that somatostatin has a distribution compatible with a role as a major neurotransmitter/neuromodulator within certain midbrain nuclei, especially the interpeduncular nucleus and the superior colliculus.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Glutamic acid decarboxylase-like immunoreactivity in brainstem auditory nuclei of the rat.

The distribution of GABA-producing neurons in the brainstem auditory nuclei of the rat was investigated immunohistochemically by using an antibody to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). In the cochlear nuclei, GAD immunoreactive neurons are present only in the superficial granular and molecular layers, whereas terminals are found in all subdivisions of the nuclei and are particularly dense surrounding large spherical cells and one type of stellate cell. In the superior olivary complex, GAD immunoreactive neurons are located in the lateral olivary nucleus and throughout the periolivary region. Immunoreactive terminals are distributed along dendrites of principal cells of the medial and lateral olivary nuclei and are clustered around somata of globular neurons of the nucleus of the trapezoid body. An extremely dense band of immunoreactive somata and terminals is present along the ventral edge of the olivary complex. The ventral, intermediate, and dorsal nuclei of the lateral lemniscus contain small fusiform GAD-immunoreactive neurons and a moderately dense plexus of immunoreactive terminals. The inferior colliculus contains a large population of GAD-immunoreactive perikarya and an extremely dense accumulation of immunoreactive terminals in the central, dorsomedial, and external nuclei. These observations indicate that GABA systems are involved in function at all levels of the brainstem auditory pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Convergence of ascending pathways at the inferior colliculus of the mustache bat, Pteronotus parnellii.

To compare patterns of projections to the inferior colliculus from different sources, injections of [3H]-leucine were placed in the cochlear nuclei, superior olivary complex, and nuclei of the lateral lemniscus of Pteronotus parnellii. The results show that the target of the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) is the ventral and lateral two thirds of the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus. The binaural pathways from the medial and lateral superior olives (MSO and LSO) project to the same target. The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) projects to the entire central nucleus of the inferior colliculus and does so in a more diffuse manner than does the AVCN. The DCN also sends sparse projections beyond the central nucleus into dorsal parts of the pericentral area. The intermediate (INLL) and ventral (VNLL) nuclei of the lateral lemniscus are relays in pathways that originate in the cochlear nucleus and terminate in the contralateral inferior colliculus. These nuclei also receive indirect input from the contralateral AVCN via the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body. Although nuclei of the lateral lemniscus project most densely to those areas of the inferior colliculus that are also the targets of the AVCN, MSO, and LSO, the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus also send spare projections outside these areas. Many of the pathways just described project in bands, a finding that raises the possibility that the projections parallel the orientation of disk-shaped cells in the inferior colliculus and raises the question of whether the bands from one source overlap or interdigitate with the bands from another source.

Animals↗