Tuning curves map the lowest level that evokes neural or basilar response

Evidence

In these studies the experimenter measures the amount of displacement (or velocity) at a specific place on the basilar membrane in response to a stimulating tone. By presenting tones at different frequencies and then measuring the sound level that just noticeably vibrates the basilar membrane, the physiologist can obtain a tuning curve, which illustrates the lowest sound level that elicits a vibration plotted as a function of the stimulating frequency. These experiments have also been conducted in the auditory nerve, but rather than measuring vibration, they measure the signal level required to cause a single fiber to increase its firing rate. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 431

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the tuning curve concept and how it’s measured at both the basilar membrane and auditory nerve levels — core methodology for the reader.