Intensity-Amplitude Functions of Wave Activity in the Superior-Olivary Complex of the Cat

Wave activity in response to tonal stimuli was recorded in the superior-olivary complex of anesthetized cats. Increases in stimulus intensity yielded measurable increases in superior-olive potentials up to a limiting intensity. The intensity-amplitude curves were found to approximate power functions, with an average exponent of 0.34 for an 800-cps stimulus. The intensity-amplitude functions for stimuli between 200 and 2400 cps tended to form families of curves with maximum amplitudes between 500 and 1000 cps. The slopes of the functions tended to decrease with increasing stimulus frequency.