The Auditory Brainstem

1 Introduction and Plan of the Review.- 2 The Performance of the Auditory Central Processor.- 2.1 Spectral Discrimination.- 2.2 Spatial Discrimination.- 2.3 The Cues for Auditory Localization.- 3 Auditory Nerve Input to the Central Processor.- 3.1 Basic Anatomy of the Auditory Nerve.- 3.2 Basic Physiological Properties of Auditory Nerve Fibers.- 3.3 Auditory Nerve Coding of Intensity.- 3.4 Auditory Nerve Coding of Temporal Information.- 3.5 Auditory Nerve Coding of Frequency Spectrum.- 4 Cochlear Nucleus: Anatomy and Physiology.- 4.1 Neuronal Architecture and Connections of Cochlear Nucleus Subdivisions.- 4.1.1 Preliminary Considerations.- 4.1.2 Anteroventral Cochlear Nucleus.- 4.1.3 Posteroventral Cochlear Nucleus.- 4.1.4 Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus.- 4.1.5 Efferent Connections: Preliminary Description.- 4.2 Physiology of Cochlear Nucleus Neurons.- 4.2.1 Preliminary Observations.- 4.2.2 Frequency Organization.- 4.2.3 Response Patterns and the Classification of Cochlear Nucleus Neurons.- 4.2.4 Spatial Distribution and Basic Response Characteristics of Physiologically Defined Cell Types.- 4.2.5 Correlations Between Morphologically and Physiologically Defined Cell Types.- 4.2.6 Spectral Coding and Responses to Complex Stimuli.- 4.3 Hypotheses Concerning Parallel Processing in Cochlear Nucleus.- 5 Superior Olivary Complex: Anatomy and Physiology.- 5.1 Neuronal Architecture and Connections of Superior Olivary Complex Subdivisions.- 5.1.1 General Description and Comparative Differences.- 5.1.2 Medial Nucleus of the Trapezoid Body.- 5.1.3 Medial Superior Olivary Nucleus.- 5.1.4 Lateral Superior Olivary Nucleus.- 5.1.5 Other Superior Olivary Cell Groups.- 5.2 Physiology of Superior Olivary Complex Neurons.- 5.2.1 Patterns of Binaural Input and Interaction: Classification of Binaural Neurons.- 5.2.2 Response Properties and Tonotopic Organization of Neurons in Superior Olivary Complex Subdivisions.- 5.2.3 Binaural Interaction: Coding of Interaural Intensity Differences.- 5.2.4 Binaural Interaction: Coding of Interaural Time Differences.- 5.3 Behavioral/Lesion Evidence on the Role of the Superior Olivary Complex in Sound Localization.- 5.4 Hypotheses Concerning Parallel Processing in the Cochlear Nucleus and Superior Olivary Complex.- 6 Nuclei of the Lateral Lemniscus: Anatomy and Physiology.- 6.1 Neuronal Architecture and Connections.- 6.2 Physiology of Lateral Lemniscus Neurons and Functional Considerations.- 7 The Auditory Midbrain: Anatomy and Physiology.- 7.1 Neuronal Architecture and Connections of Auditory Midbrain Structures.- 7.1.1 Preliminary Considerations: Parcellation of Auditory Midbrain.- 7.1.2 Neuronal Architecture of Major Subdivisions of Inferior Colliculus.- 7.1.3 Afferent Connections of Inferior Colliculus Subdivisions.- 7.1.4 Efferent Connections of Inferior Colliculus Subdivisions.- 7.1.5 Neuronal Architecture and Auditory Connections of Deep Layers of Superior Colliculus.- 7.2 Physiology of Inferior Colliculus Neurons.- 7.2.1 Frequency Tuning and Tonotopic Organization.- 7.2.2 Monaural Response Characteristics.- 7.2.3 Binaural Response Characteristics and Segregation.- 7.2.4 Binaural Interaction: Coding of Interaural Intensity Differences.- 7.2.5 Binaural Interaction: Coding of Interaural Time Differences.- 7.3 Auditory Spatial Representation in Midbrain of Barn Owl.- 7.4 Auditory Spatial Receptive Field Characteristics of Mammalian Inferior Colliculus Neurons.- 7.5 Auditory Response Characteristics and Spatial Representation in Deep Layers of Superior Colliculus.- 7.6 Behavioral/Lesion and Electrical Stimulation Evidence on the Role of Auditory Midbrain Structures in Spectral and Spatial Processing.- 7.6.1 Lesions of Inferior Colliculus or Its Brachium.- 7.6.2 Electrical Stimulation of Superior Colliculus.- 7.6.3 Lesions of Superior Colliculus.- 7.7 Hypotheses Concerning Parallel Processing in Inferior Colliculus.- 8 Auditory Brainstem Processing: Integration and Conclusions.- 8.1 Spectral Processing.- 8.2 Spatial Processing.- 8.2.1 Are There Parallel Pathways for Spatial Processing in the Brainstem?.- 8.2.2 Models of Binaural Interaction.- 8.2.3 The Coding of Interreceptor Disparities in the Visual and Auditory Systems.- 8.2.4 The Nature of Spatial Representation in the Auditory Brainstem.- 8.2.5 The Contralateral Representation of Auditory Spatial Location.- 9 References.- 10 Subject Index.