Envelope Coding and Processing: Implications for Perception and Behavior

How envelopes are processed in the electrosensory system and how this gives rise to behavioral responses has been the focus of extensive research. This chapter provides a comprehensive review on the mechanisms the brain exploits at different stages of sensory processing to extract meaningful information about these stimulus attributes and how this mediates behavioral responses. After a brief review of the relevant anatomy and circuitry, the natural statistics of envelopes in the electrosensory system are discussed in detail. This is followed by a review of the current state of knowledge as to the cellular and network mechanisms that give rise to envelope responses in the electrosensory system. In particular, it is highlighted how electrosensory neurons can optimally encode envelopes by matching their tuning properties to natural statistics. There is an emphasis throughout the chapter on the important parallels with the mammalian auditory and other systems, along with interesting future avenues of research.