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The central auditory system translates sound localization cues into
a map of space guided, in part, by visual experience.In barn owls,
this process takes place in the external nucleusof the inferior
colliculus (ICX). However, to date, no trace ofvisual activity
has been observed in this auditory nucleus. Herewe show that strong
visual responses, which are appropriate toguide auditory plasticity,
appear in the ICX when inhibition isblocked in the optic tectum. Thus,
visual spatial informationis gated into the auditory system by an
inhibitory mechanism thatoperates at a higher level in the brain.
Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of
Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
yoram{at}stanford.edu
Present address: The Neurosciences Institute, San
Diego, CA 92121, USA.
