Single-neuron auditory responses are mapped invasively in animals only

Evidence

The action potentials of single neurons can be recorded using tiny electrodes placed near the neuron or even inside it so that fluctuations in the membrane potential can also be monitored. These studies involve some invasive procedures and are therefore normally conducted only on animals. In such neurophysiological studies, sounds are presented to the animal, and the activity of single neurons or groups of neurons is then recorded. By carefully controlling the stimulus, and with a high number of repetitions, the representation of the auditory signals and analysis performed by the neurons can be figured out. — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 814

Categorization

• SEED: The methodological constraint — invasive single-neuron recording restricted to animals — is worth explaining in any accessible piece on how we know what we know about the auditory pathway.