This monograph represents a systematic attempt to describe in a quantitative manner the electrophysiological responses in the peripheral auditory nervous system. A closely written report of important work, its publication has been eagerly awaited by other investigators in the field of hearing. The technical excellence of the experiments and the great amount of valuable data make this, indeed, a significant study. Virtually none of the data incorporating the use of modern computer techniques have been previously published.
The purpose of this research was to discover how the mammalian auditory nerve describes sounds by examining the patterns of discharges in single fibers of the auditory nerve in response to controlled acoustic stimuli. The research itself was conducted on healthy adult cats but should have important bearing on the study of human hearing.
In describing their research the authors have followed this general arrangement. First, the methods used in obtaining the results are described; next, the results are presented within a framework that indicates the purpose and significance of each series of experiments; the more general aspects of interpretation are left for the final chapter.
As the authors state in the introduction: “The figures constitute the heart of this report. They have been arranged so that an experienced student of auditory physiology should be able to follow the story even without the text. We have tried to supply sufficiently detailed information on experimental procedures and results so that our measurements may be checked by future experimenters.”
This technical exposition of original research constitutes a primary report of scientific results and will be of interest and value to biophysicists, communications engineers, physiologist, psychologists, psychophysicists, otologists, neurologists, and audiologists.