Comparative Physiology of Acoustic and Allied Central Analyzers

Abstract

To exploit comparisons among classes of vertebrates and invertebrates, and between higher and lower levels of the brain, and between modalities, some important needs and opportunities for new research into the way central processing of acoustic input takes place are pointed out. Most of these are suggested by unfamiliar results on fish and reptiles that call for new controls in mammalian experiments as well as more systematic study of nonmammalian taxa. Three frameworks or basic agendas are outlined: (i) systematic comparison of dynamical properties to acoustic variables, including especially repetition at different rates and the related states of expectation; (ii) comparison of response measures, including especially sequences such as oscillations and measures of assembly cooperativity such as synchrony, coherence and bicoherence; and (iii) comparison of auditory subsystems, including especially modal categories such as complex feature selective regions and small sets.