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Updated: Jan 29, 2026

In Ovo Electroporation in the Chicken Auditory Brainstem
Published on: June 9, 2017
Forward masking enhances the auditory brainstem response in the free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis, during a
Michael Smotherman1, Kushal Bakshi1
1Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3258, USAsmotherman@tamu.edu, kushalbakshi@tamu.edu.
Abstract:
Forward masking is a widespread auditory phenomenon in which the response to one sound transiently reduces the response to a succeeding sound. This study used auditory brainstem responses to measure temporal masking effects in the free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis. A digital subtraction protocol was used to isolate responses to the second of a pair of pulses varying in interval, revealing a suppression phase lasting <4 ms followed by an enhancement phase lasting 4-15 ms during which the ABR waveform was amplified up to 100%. The results suggest echolocating bats possess adaptations for enhancing sonar receiver gain shortly after pulse emission.
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