Figure 5.

Salicylate depresses sound-evoked neural responses in the auditory periphery, but suprathreshold responses are enhanced in the central auditory pathway. Here are schematics illustrating the input/output functions obtained pre-salicylate (solid line) and post-salicylate (dashed line). Salicylate was administered systemically in Panels A–E but infused into the lateral amygdala (LA) while recordings were obtained from the auditory cortex (AC) in Panel F. Postexposure input/output functions in the cochlear nucleus (CN; Panel A), inferior colliculus (IC; Panel B), medial geniculate body (MGB; Panel C), and AC (Panel D) all shifted to the right of pre-exposure functions at low intensities, reflecting the salicylate-induced cochlear threshold shift. (A) Neural responses in the CN depressed at all intensities post-salicylate. (B) Post-salicylate neural responses in the IC depressed at low intensities but slightly larger than normal at high intensities. (C) Post-salicylate neural responses in the MGB and (D) AC depressed at low intensities but enhanced at high intensities. Salicylate-induced enhancement increases between the MGB and the AC. (E) Post-salicylate input/output function in the LA enhanced at high intensities. (F) Suprathreshold responses in the AC enhanced after salicylate was infused into the LA; however, threshold was unaffected when salicylate was applied to the LA (compare Panel F with Panel D).