Effects of continuous conditioning noise and light on the auditory- and visual-evoked potentials of the guinea pig

Neurophysiological studies aiming to explore how the brain integrates information from different brain regions are increasing in the literature. The aim of the present study is to explore intramodal (binaural, binocular) and intermodal (audio-visual) interactions in the guinea pig brain through the observation of changes in evoked potentials by generalized continuous background activity. Seven chronically prepared animals were used in the study and the recordings were made as they were awake. Epidural electrodes were implanted to the skulls by using stereotaxic methods. Continuous light for retinal or continuous white noise for cochlear receptors were used as continuous conditioning stimuli for generalized stimulation. To evoke auditory or visual potentials, click or flash were used as transient imperative stimuli. The study data suggest that (a) white noise applied to one ear modifies the response to click in the contralateral ear which is a binaural interaction; (b) continuous light applied to one eye modifies the response to flash applied to the contralateral eye which is interpreted as a binocular interaction; (c) regardless of the application side, white noise similarly modified the response to flash applied to the either eye connoting a nonspecific effect of white noise on vision, independent from spatial hearing mechanisms; (d) on the other hand, continuous light, in either eye, did not affect the response to click applied to any ear, reminding a 'one-way' interaction that continuous aural stimulation affects visual response.