Analysis of the temporal structure of acoustic signals is important for
the communication and survival of a variety of animals including humans. Recognition
and discrimination of particular temporal patterns in sounds may involve integration
of auditory information presented over hundreds of milliseconds or seconds.
Here we show neural evidence for long-term integration in the anuran auditory
system. The responses of one class of auditory neurons in the torus semicircularis
(auditory midbrain) of frogs reflect the integration of information, gathered
over approximately 45−150 ms, from a series of stimulus pulses, not
stimulus energy. This integration process is fundamental to the selective
responses of these neurons for particular call types.
