Electrophysiological responses of olfactory bulb neurons to odour stimuli in the frog. A comparison with receptor cells

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Abstract
Extracellular recordings were performed from olfactory bulb neurons in the frog. The odour stimuli were the same as those previously used for studying the receptor cells in the same animal species and were delivered at similar concentrations (Revial et al ., 1982). The general properties of the neuron responses are presented and discussed with reference to homologous properties of olfactory receptor cells. The response rates elicited by different stimuli from the bulbar neurons were found to be highly correlated with those elicited from receptor cells. The individual cell selectivity was better in the bulb than in the olfactory epithelium. The olfactory bulb neurons seemed to improve the discrimination between stimuli (enantiomers) poorly distinguished by the receptor cells. Reducing odor concentration caused the rate of suppressive response to decrease faster than that of excitatory ones, suggesting that the manifestations of inhibitory processes in some neurons requires a high level of excitation in others.