Increased neuronal firing in the rat auditory cortex associated with preparatory set

Extracellular single neuronal firings were recorded in the auditory cortex of rats (n = 4) performing a visual reaction-time task with a warning tone (10 kHz, 10 ms duration), which preceded the imperative light stimulus by an interstimulus interval (ISI) of 1.4 s. Thirty-six neuronal firings were evoked by the warning tone, with the peak latency being between 15 and 55 ms. Among them, nine neurons (25%) showed an increased firing frequency following the evoked response during the ISI, which was, in average, 2.5 times as high as the firing frequency during the baseline period. When the tones were presented independent of the imperative stimulus, such sustained increase in neuronal firing was not observed. Activation of the sensory cortex during the ISI may constitute one of the neuronal modulations related to preparatory set.