Field potentials in the cat medial superior olivary nucleus

Abstract

This study shows that acoustic stimulation produces complex field potentials ill the superior olivary complex. The contralateral and ipsilateral negative waves consist of a positive and negative component. The contralateral and ipsilateral waves frequently have two peaks. In 120% of electrode penetrations a positive wave was recorded medial to the medial superior olive with contralateral stimulation. The positive and negative waves produced with click stimulation are due to postsynaptic activity. The positive components of the contralateral and ipsilateral negative waves may be due to presynaptic activity. The S-shaped superior olivary nucleus contributes to the potential recorded with ipsilateral stimulation when the electrode track passes through the area where the S-shaped nucleus lies close to the medial superior olive. The phase reversal may be explained in terms of excitatory postsynaptic potentials.