Effect of anoxia on spontaneous discharges of the cochlear single unit in guinea pigs

The present experiment examined the effect of anoxia on the spontaneous discharges of cochlear single units in guinea pigs; several additional animals were tested for the combined effect of anoxia and sodium salicylate. Following the induction of anoxia, initial increases in the number of spontaneous discharges were seen in 19 of the 34 cochlear single units tested. Neurons showing high frequencies during normal respiration tended toward increased rates of discharge during anoxia. In the 5 animals pretreated with sodium salicylate, remarkable increases in the spike rates were noted following the induction of anoxia.