Analysis of responses to noise in the ventral cochlear nucleus using Wiener kernels

Responses to noise were recorded in ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) neurons of anesthetized chinchillas and cats, then analyzed using Wiener-kernel theory. First-order kernels, which are proportional to reverse-correlation functions, of primary-like (PL) and primary-like with notch (PLN) neurons having low characteristic frequency (CF) are similar to those obtained in auditory nerve fibers (ANFs). Such kernels consist of lightly damped transient oscillations with frequency equal to the neuron’s CF. The first-order kernel of high-CF PL and PLN neurons displays no evidence of tuning to CF. Second-order kernels of the aforementioned VCN neuron types also resemble those in the nerve, irrespective of CF. In general, first- and second-order Wiener kernels of chopper neurons are similar to those obtained in high-CF ANFs. This is likely the consequence of the poor phase-locking capabilities to near-CF tones exhibited by chopper neurons. By analyzing second-order kernels using singular-value decomposition, it was possible to estimate group delays for the entire neuronal population, regardless of the neuron’s type or CF. This was done by analyzing the highest-ranking singular vector (FSV). Amplitude values of FSVs in chopper neurons in the cat are substantially larger than in high-spontaneous ANFs.