DAMPED OSCILLATORY ACTIVITY IN THE GUINEA-PIG ACCESSORY OLFACTORY-BULB SLICE

Extracellular field potentials were recorded from guinea pig accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) slices following electrical stimulation of the vomeronasal nerve layer (VNL). A single shock of the VNL provoked a characteristic damped oscillatory field potential, which consisted of a compound action potential followed by 6-7 periodic negative peaks (n(1), n(2), n(3), n(4), n(5), n(6) or n(7)) The average frequency of the oscillation was 32 Hz. The existence of oscillation in the AOB suggests the possibility that the oscillatory activity not only may reflect 'quantal' sampling periods, but also may be dynamically altering the AOB conditions under which incoming pheromone-like information is processed.