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Chen C, Cruces-Solís H, Ertman A, de Hoz L. Subcortical coding of predictable and unsupervised sound-context associations. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 5:100110. [PMID: 38020811 PMCID: PMC10663128 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2023.100110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Our environment is made of a myriad of stimuli present in combinations often patterned in predictable ways. For example, there is a strong association between where we are and the sounds we hear. Like many environmental patterns, sound-context associations are learned implicitly, in an unsupervised manner, and are highly informative and predictive of normality. Yet, we know little about where and how unsupervised sound-context associations are coded in the brain. Here we measured plasticity in the auditory midbrain of mice living over days in an enriched task-less environment in which entering a context triggered sound with different degrees of predictability. Plasticity in the auditory midbrain, a hub of auditory input and multimodal feedback, developed over days and reflected learning of contextual information in a manner that depended on the predictability of the sound-context association and not on reinforcement. Plasticity manifested as an increase in response gain and tuning shift that correlated with a general increase in neuronal frequency discrimination. Thus, the auditory midbrain is sensitive to unsupervised predictable sound-context associations, revealing a subcortical engagement in the detection of contextual sounds. By increasing frequency resolution, this detection might facilitate the processing of behaviorally relevant foreground information described to occur in cortical auditory structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Chen
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Göttingen Graduate School of Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, Germany
- Charité Medical University, Neuroscience Research Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hugo Cruces-Solís
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Göttingen Graduate School of Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, Germany
| | - Alexandra Ertman
- Charité Medical University, Neuroscience Research Center, Berlin, Germany
- International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences, Charité Medical University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Livia de Hoz
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Charité Medical University, Neuroscience Research Center, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
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Borland MS, Buell EP, Riley JR, Carroll AM, Moreno NA, Sharma P, Grasse KM, Buell JM, Kilgard MP, Engineer CT. Precise sound characteristics drive plasticity in the primary auditory cortex with VNS-sound pairing. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1248936. [PMID: 37732302 PMCID: PMC10508341 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1248936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Repeatedly pairing a tone with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) alters frequency tuning across the auditory pathway. Pairing VNS with speech sounds selectively enhances the primary auditory cortex response to the paired sounds. It is not yet known how altering the speech sounds paired with VNS alters responses. In this study, we test the hypothesis that the sounds that are presented and paired with VNS will influence the neural plasticity observed following VNS-sound pairing. Methods To explore the relationship between acoustic experience and neural plasticity, responses were recorded from primary auditory cortex (A1) after VNS was repeatedly paired with the speech sounds 'rad' and 'lad' or paired with only the speech sound 'rad' while 'lad' was an unpaired background sound. Results Pairing both sounds with VNS increased the response strength and neural discriminability of the paired sounds in the primary auditory cortex. Surprisingly, pairing only 'rad' with VNS did not alter A1 responses. Discussion These results suggest that the specific acoustic contrasts associated with VNS can powerfully shape neural activity in the auditory pathway. Methods to promote plasticity in the central auditory system represent a new therapeutic avenue to treat auditory processing disorders. Understanding how different sound contrasts and neural activity patterns shape plasticity could have important clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Borland
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Elizabeth P. Buell
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Jonathan R. Riley
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Alan M. Carroll
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Nicole A. Moreno
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Pryanka Sharma
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Katelyn M. Grasse
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - John M. Buell
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Michael P. Kilgard
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Crystal T. Engineer
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
- Texas Biomedical Device Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
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Descending projections to the auditory midbrain: evolutionary considerations. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:131-143. [PMID: 36323876 PMCID: PMC9898193 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01588-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian inferior colliculus (IC) is massively innervated by multiple descending projection systems. In addition to a large projection from the auditory cortex (AC) primarily targeting the non-lemniscal portions of the IC, there are less well-characterized projections from non-auditory regions of the cortex, amygdala, posterior thalamus and the brachium of the IC. By comparison, the frog auditory midbrain, known as the torus semicircularis, is a large auditory integration center that also receives descending input, but primarily from the posterior thalamus and without a projection from a putative cortical homolog: the dorsal pallium. Although descending projections have been implicated in many types of behaviors, a unified understanding of their function has not yet emerged. Here, we take a comparative approach to understanding the various top-down modulators of the IC to gain insights into their functions. One key question that we identify is whether thalamotectal projections in mammals and amphibians are homologous and whether they interact with evolutionarily more newly derived projections from the cerebral cortex. We also consider the behavioral significance of these descending pathways, given anurans' ability to navigate complex acoustic landscapes without the benefit of a corticocollicular projection. Finally, we suggest experimental approaches to answer these questions.
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Bsharat-Maalouf D, Karawani H. Bilinguals' speech perception in noise: Perceptual and neural associations. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264282. [PMID: 35196339 PMCID: PMC8865662 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The current study characterized subcortical speech sound processing among monolinguals and bilinguals in quiet and challenging listening conditions and examined the relation between subcortical neural processing and perceptual performance. A total of 59 normal-hearing adults, ages 19–35 years, participated in the study: 29 native Hebrew-speaking monolinguals and 30 Arabic-Hebrew-speaking bilinguals. Auditory brainstem responses to speech sounds were collected in a quiet condition and with background noise. The perception of words and sentences in quiet and background noise conditions was also examined to assess perceptual performance and to evaluate the perceptual-physiological relationship. Perceptual performance was tested among bilinguals in both languages (first language (L1-Arabic) and second language (L2-Hebrew)). The outcomes were similar between monolingual and bilingual groups in quiet. Noise, as expected, resulted in deterioration in perceptual and neural responses, which was reflected in lower accuracy in perceptual tasks compared to quiet, and in more prolonged latencies and diminished neural responses. However, a mixed picture was observed among bilinguals in perceptual and physiological outcomes in noise. In the perceptual measures, bilinguals were significantly less accurate than their monolingual counterparts. However, in neural responses, bilinguals demonstrated earlier peak latencies compared to monolinguals. Our results also showed that perceptual performance in noise was related to subcortical resilience to the disruption caused by background noise. Specifically, in noise, increased brainstem resistance (i.e., fewer changes in the fundamental frequency (F0) representations or fewer shifts in the neural timing) was related to better speech perception among bilinguals. Better perception in L1 in noise was correlated with fewer changes in F0 representations, and more accurate perception in L2 was related to minor shifts in auditory neural timing. This study delves into the importance of using neural brainstem responses to speech sounds to differentiate individuals with different language histories and to explain inter-subject variability in bilinguals’ perceptual abilities in daily life situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Bsharat-Maalouf
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hanin Karawani
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- * E-mail:
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5
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Task-induced modulations of neuronal activity along the auditory pathway. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110115. [PMID: 34910908 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory processing varies depending on behavioral context. Here, we ask how task engagement modulates neurons in the auditory system. We train mice in a simple tone-detection task and compare their neuronal activity during passive hearing and active listening. Electrophysiological extracellular recordings in the inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, primary auditory cortex, and anterior auditory field reveal widespread modulations across all regions and cortical layers and in both putative regular- and fast-spiking cortical neurons. Clustering analysis unveils ten distinct modulation patterns that can either enhance or suppress neuronal activity. Task engagement changes the tone-onset response in most neurons. Such modulations first emerge in subcortical areas, ruling out cortical feedback as the only mechanism underlying subcortical modulations. Half the neurons additionally display late modulations associated with licking, arousal, or reward. Our results reveal the presence of functionally distinct subclasses of neurons, differentially sensitive to specific task-related variables but anatomically distributed along the auditory pathway.
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Suga N. Plasticity of the adult auditory system based on corticocortical and corticofugal modulations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:461-478. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Wang X, Cheng YL, Yang DD, Si WJ, Jen PHS, Yang CH, Chen QC. Focal electrical stimulation of dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus modulates auditory response properties of inferior collicular neurons in the albino mouse. Hear Res 2019; 377:292-306. [PMID: 30857650 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) receives and integrates excitatory and inhibitory inputs from many bilateral lower auditory nuclei, intrinsic projections within IC, contralateral IC through the commissure of IC and from the auditory cortex (AC). These excitatory and inhibitory inputs from both ascending and descending auditory pathways contribute significantly to auditory response properties and temporal signal processing in IC. The present study examines the contribution of gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) inhibition of dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (DNLL) in influencing the response properties and amplitude sensitivity of contralateral IC neurons using focal electrical stimulation of contralateral DNLL and by the application of bicuculline to the recording site of modulated IC neurons. Focal electrical stimulation of contralateral DNLL produces inhibition (78.1%), facilitation (7.1%) or no effect (14.8%) in the number of spikes, firing duration and the first-spike latency of modulated IC neurons. The degree of modulation is inversely correlated to the difference in best frequency (BF) between electrically stimulated DNLL neurons and modulated IC neurons (p < 0.01). The application of bicuculline to the recording site of modulated IC neurons abolishes the inhibitory effect of focal electrical stimulation of DNLL neurons. DNLL inhibition also modulates the amplitude sensitivity of IC neurons by changing the dynamic range (DR) and the slope of rate-amplitude function (RAF) of modulated IC neurons. Possible biological significance of these findings in relation to auditory signal processing is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Yan-Ling Cheng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Dan-Dan Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Wen-Juan Si
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Philip H-S Jen
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
| | - Cui-Hong Yang
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Qi-Cai Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China.
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Yellamsetty A, Bidelman GM. Brainstem correlates of concurrent speech identification in adverse listening conditions. Brain Res 2019; 1714:182-192. [PMID: 30796895 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
When two voices compete, listeners can segregate and identify concurrent speech sounds using pitch (fundamental frequency, F0) and timbre (harmonic) cues. Speech perception is also hindered by the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). How clear and degraded concurrent speech sounds are represented at early, pre-attentive stages of the auditory system is not well understood. To this end, we measured scalp-recorded frequency-following responses (FFR) from the EEG while human listeners heard two concurrently presented, steady-state (time-invariant) vowels whose F0 differed by zero or four semitones (ST) presented diotically in either clean (no noise) or noise-degraded (+5dB SNR) conditions. Listeners also performed a speeded double vowel identification task in which they were required to identify both vowels correctly. Behavioral results showed that speech identification accuracy increased with F0 differences between vowels, and this perceptual F0 benefit was larger for clean compared to noise degraded (+5dB SNR) stimuli. Neurophysiological data demonstrated more robust FFR F0 amplitudes for single compared to double vowels and considerably weaker responses in noise. F0 amplitudes showed speech-on-speech masking effects, along with a non-linear constructive interference at 0ST, and suppression effects at 4ST. Correlations showed that FFR F0 amplitudes failed to predict listeners' identification accuracy. In contrast, FFR F1 amplitudes were associated with faster reaction times, although this correlation was limited to noise conditions. The limited number of brain-behavior associations suggests subcortical activity mainly reflects exogenous processing rather than perceptual correlates of concurrent speech perception. Collectively, our results demonstrate that FFRs reflect pre-attentive coding of concurrent auditory stimuli that only weakly predict the success of identifying concurrent speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anusha Yellamsetty
- School of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA; Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of South Florida, USA.
| | - Gavin M Bidelman
- School of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA; Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA; University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Memphis, TN, USA.
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Kong L, Wang S, Liu X, Li L, Zeeman M, Yan J. Cortical frequency-specific plasticity is independently induced by intracortical circuitry. Neurosci Lett 2018; 668:13-18. [PMID: 29274440 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.12.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Auditory learning induces frequency-specific plasticity in the auditory cortex. Both the auditory cortex and thalamus are involved in the cortical plasticity; however, the precise role of the intracortical circuity remains unclear until the contributions of the thalamocortical inputs are controlled. Here, we induced cortical plasticity by local activation of the primary auditory cortex (AI) via intracortical electrical stimulation (ES) in C57 mice and found a similar pattern of cortical plasticity was induced by ESAI when the auditory thalamus was inactivated or remained active during the ESAI. The best frequencies (BFs) of the recorded cortical neurons shifted towards the BFs of the electrically stimulated ones. In addition, the BF shifts were linearly correlated to the BF differences between the recorded and stimulated cortical neurons. More importantly, the ratio of the linear function with thalamic inactivation was nearly the same as the ratio of the linear function in the control condition. Our data show that cortical frequency-specific plasticity was induced by ESAI with or without the thalamic inactivation; thus intracortical circuitry can be independently responsible for cortical frequency-specific plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhi Kong
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada; Allied Health School, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Shaohui Wang
- Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Xiuping Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Liang Li
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Michael Zeeman
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada.
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Peng K, Peng YJ, Wang J, Yang MJ, Fu ZY, Tang J, Chen QC. Latency modulation of collicular neurons induced by electric stimulation of the auditory cortex in Hipposideros pratti: In vivo intracellular recording. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184097. [PMID: 28863144 PMCID: PMC5580910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the auditory pathway, the inferior colliculus (IC) receives and integrates excitatory and inhibitory inputs from the lower auditory nuclei, contralateral IC, and auditory cortex (AC), and then uploads these inputs to the thalamus and cortex. Meanwhile, the AC modulates the sound signal processing of IC neurons, including their latency (i.e., first-spike latency). Excitatory and inhibitory corticofugal projections to the IC may shorten and prolong the latency of IC neurons, respectively. However, the synaptic mechanisms underlying the corticofugal latency modulation of IC neurons remain unclear. Thus, this study probed these mechanisms via in vivo intracellular recording and acoustic and focal electric stimulation. The AC latency modulation of IC neurons is possibly mediated by pre-spike depolarization duration, pre-spike hyperpolarization duration, and spike onset time. This study suggests an effective strategy for the timing sequence determination of auditory information uploaded to the thalamus and cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Peng
- School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu-Jie Peng
- School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming-Jian Yang
- School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zi-Ying Fu
- School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia Tang
- School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qi-Cai Chen
- School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation & Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
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11
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Auditory cortex directs the input-specific remodeling of thalamus. Hear Res 2015; 328:1-7. [PMID: 26143340 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2015.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Input-specific remodeling is observed both in the primary auditory cortex (AI) and the ventral division of the medial geniculate body of the thalamus (MGBv) through motivation such as learning. Here, we show the role of AI in the MGBv remodeling induced by the electrical stimulation (ES) of the central division of the inferior colliculus (ICc). For the MGBv neurons with frequency tunings different from those of electrically stimulated ICc neurons, their frequency tunings shifted towards the tunings of the ICc neurons. AI neurons also showed this input-specific remodeling after ES of the ICc (ESICc). Interestingly, the input-specific remodeling of MGBv was eliminated when the AI was inactivated using cortical application of muscimol. For the MGBv neurons tuned to the same frequency as the stimulated ICc neurons, their tunings were kept but their responses were facilitated after the ESICc. In contrast to the input-specific tuning shifts, this facilitation was rarely impacted by the AI inactivation. Thus, we conclude that AI directs the input-specific remodeling of MGBv induced by ESICc. It is suggested that the tuning shift in the MGBv primarily takes place in the AI and is relayed to the MGBv through the corticofugal system while the MGBv mainly highlights the frequency information emphasized in ICc.
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Ito T, Hirose J, Murase K, Ikeda H. Determining auditory-evoked activities from multiple cells in layer 1 of the dorsal cortex of the inferior colliculus of mice by in vivo calcium imaging. Brain Res 2014; 1590:45-55. [PMID: 25278189 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.09.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Revised: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Layer 1 of the dorsal cortex of the inferior colliculus (DCIC) is distinguished from other layers by its cytoarchitecture and fiber connections. However, the information of the sound types represented in layer 1 of the DCIC remains unclear because placing electrodes on such thin structures is challenging. In this study, we utilized in vivo calcium imaging to assess auditory-evoked activities in multiple cells in layer 1 of DCIC and to characterize sound stimuli producing strong activity. Most cells examined showed strong responses to broad-band noise and low-frequency tone bursts of high sound intensity. In some cases, we successfully obtained frequency response areas, which are receptive fields to tone frequencies and intensities, and ~30% of these showed V-shape tunings. This is the first systematic study to record auditory responses of cells in layer 1 of DCIC. These results indicate that cells in this area are selective to tones with low frequency, implying the importance of such auditory information in the neural circuitry of layer 1 of DCIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsufumi Ito
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Fukui 910-1193, Japan; Research and Education Program for Life Science, University of Fukui, Fukui, Fukui 910-8507, Japan.
| | - Junichi Hirose
- Department of Human and Artificial Intelligence Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Fukui, Fukui, Fukui 910-8507, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Murase
- Research and Education Program for Life Science, University of Fukui, Fukui, Fukui 910-8507, Japan; Department of Human and Artificial Intelligence Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Fukui, Fukui, Fukui 910-8507, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ikeda
- Research and Education Program for Life Science, University of Fukui, Fukui, Fukui 910-8507, Japan; Department of Human and Artificial Intelligence Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Fukui, Fukui, Fukui 910-8507, Japan
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Lu H, Syka J, Chiu T, Poon PW. Prolonged sound exposure has different effects on increasing neuronal size in the auditory cortex and brainstem. Hear Res 2014; 314:42-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2014.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/25/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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14
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Ponnath A, Farris HE. Sound-by-sound thalamic stimulation modulates midbrain auditory excitability and relative binaural sensitivity in frogs. Front Neural Circuits 2014; 8:85. [PMID: 25120437 PMCID: PMC4111082 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Descending circuitry can modulate auditory processing, biasing sensitivity to particular stimulus parameters and locations. Using awake in vivo single unit recordings, this study tested whether electrical stimulation of the thalamus modulates auditory excitability and relative binaural sensitivity in neurons of the amphibian midbrain. In addition, by using electrical stimuli that were either longer than the acoustic stimuli (i.e., seconds) or presented on a sound-by-sound basis (ms), experiments addressed whether the form of modulation depended on the temporal structure of the electrical stimulus. Following long duration electrical stimulation (3-10 s of 20 Hz square pulses), excitability (spikes/acoustic stimulus) to free-field noise stimuli decreased by 32%, but returned over 600 s. In contrast, sound-by-sound electrical stimulation using a single 2 ms duration electrical pulse 25 ms before each noise stimulus caused faster and varied forms of modulation: modulation lasted <2 s and, in different cells, excitability either decreased, increased or shifted in latency. Within cells, the modulatory effect of sound-by-sound electrical stimulation varied between different acoustic stimuli, including for different male calls, suggesting modulation is specific to certain stimulus attributes. For binaural units, modulation depended on the ear of input, as sound-by-sound electrical stimulation preceding dichotic acoustic stimulation caused asymmetric modulatory effects: sensitivity shifted for sounds at only one ear, or by different relative amounts for both ears. This caused a change in the relative difference in binaural sensitivity. Thus, sound-by-sound electrical stimulation revealed fast and ear-specific (i.e., lateralized) auditory modulation that is potentially suited to shifts in auditory attention during sound segregation in the auditory scene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhilash Ponnath
- Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA ; Department of Otolaryngology and Biocommunication, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Hamilton E Farris
- Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA ; Department of Otolaryngology and Biocommunication, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA ; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA
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15
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Kong L, Xiong C, Li L, Yan J. Frequency-specific corticofugal modulation of the dorsal cochlear nucleus in mice. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:125. [PMID: 25071477 PMCID: PMC4076887 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary auditory cortex (AI) modulates the sound information processing in the lemniscal subcortical nuclei, including the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN), in a frequency-specific manner. The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) is a non-lemniscal subcortical nucleus but it is tonotopically organized like the AVCN. However, it remains unclear how the AI modulates the sound information processing in the DCN. This study examined the impact of focal electrical stimulation of AI on the auditory responses of the DCN neurons in mice. We found that the electrical stimulation induced significant changes in the best frequency (BF) of DCN neurons. The changes in the BFs were highly specific to the BF differences between the stimulated AI neurons and the recorded DCN neurons. The DCN BFs shifted higher when the AI BFs were higher than the DCN BFs and the DCN BFs shifted lower when the AI BFs were lower than the DCN BFs. The DCN BFs showed no change when the AI and DCN BFs were similar. Moreover, the BF shifts were linearly correlated to the BF differences. Thus, our data suggest that corticofugal modulation of the DCN is also highly specific to frequency information, similar to the corticofugal modulation of the AVCN. The frequency-specificity of corticofugal modulation does not appear limited to the lemniscal ascending pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhi Kong
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Colin Xiong
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Liang Li
- Department of Psychology, Department of Machine Intelligence, Speech and Hearing Research Center, Key Laboratory on Machine Perception (Ministry of Education), PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University Beijing, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada
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16
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Liu X, Wang C, Pan C, Yan J. Physiological Correspondence Dictates Cortical Long-Term Potentiation and Depression by Thalamic Induction. Cereb Cortex 2013; 25:545-53. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Conserved mechanisms of vocalization coding in mammalian and songbird auditory midbrain. Hear Res 2013; 305:45-56. [PMID: 23726970 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2013.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2012] [Revised: 03/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The ubiquity of social vocalizations among animals provides the opportunity to identify conserved mechanisms of auditory processing that subserve communication. Identifying auditory coding properties that are shared across vocal communicators will provide insight into how human auditory processing leads to speech perception. Here, we compare auditory response properties and neural coding of social vocalizations in auditory midbrain neurons of mammalian and avian vocal communicators. The auditory midbrain is a nexus of auditory processing because it receives and integrates information from multiple parallel pathways and provides the ascending auditory input to the thalamus. The auditory midbrain is also the first region in the ascending auditory system where neurons show complex tuning properties that are correlated with the acoustics of social vocalizations. Single unit studies in mice, bats and zebra finches reveal shared principles of auditory coding including tonotopy, excitatory and inhibitory interactions that shape responses to vocal signals, nonlinear response properties that are important for auditory coding of social vocalizations and modulation tuning. Additionally, single neuron responses in the mouse and songbird midbrain are reliable, selective for specific syllables, and rely on spike timing for neural discrimination of distinct vocalizations. We propose that future research on auditory coding of vocalizations in mouse and songbird midbrain neurons adopt similar experimental and analytical approaches so that conserved principles of vocalization coding may be distinguished from those that are specialized for each species. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Communication Sounds and the Brain: New Directions and Perspectives".
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18
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Krishnamurti S, Forrester J, Rutledge C, Holmes GW. A case study of the changes in the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response associated with auditory training in children with auditory processing disorders. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2013; 77:594-604. [PMID: 23357780 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2012.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2012] [Revised: 12/19/2012] [Accepted: 12/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies related to plasticity and learning-related phenomena have primarily focused on higher-order processes of the auditory system, such as those in the auditory cortex and limited information is available on learning- and plasticity-related processes in the auditory brainstem. DESIGN AND METHOD A clinical electrophysiological test of speech-evoked ABR known as BioMARK has been developed to evaluate brainstem responses to speech sounds in children with language learning disorders. Fast ForWord (FFW) was used as an auditory intervention program in the current study and pre- intervention and post-intervention speech-evoked ABR (BioMARK) measures were compared in 2 school-aged children with auditory processing disorders (APD). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Significant changes were noted from pre-intervention to post-intervention and reflect plasticity in the auditory brainstem's neural activity to speech stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sridhar Krishnamurti
- Department of Communication Disorders, 1199 Haley Center, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
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19
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Cheng L, Mei HX, Tang J, Fu ZY, Jen PHS, Chen QC. Bilateral collicular interaction: modulation of auditory signal processing in frequency domain. Neuroscience 2013; 235:27-39. [PMID: 23321542 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2012] [Revised: 12/30/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
In the ascending auditory pathway, the inferior colliculus (IC) receives and integrates excitatory and inhibitory inputs from a variety of lower auditory nuclei, intrinsic projections within the IC, contralateral IC through the commissure of the IC and the auditory cortex. All these connections make the IC a major center for subcortical temporal and spectral integration of auditory information. In this study, we examine bilateral collicular interaction in the modulation of frequency-domain signal processing of mice using electrophysiological recording and focal electrical stimulation. Focal electrical stimulation of neurons in one IC produces widespread inhibition and focused facilitation of responses of neurons in the other IC. This bilateral collicular interaction decreases the response magnitude and lengthens the response latency of inhibited IC neurons but produces an opposite effect on the response of facilitated IC neurons. In the frequency domain, the focal electrical stimulation of one IC sharpens or expands the frequency tuning curves (FTCs) of neurons in the other IC to improve frequency sensitivity and the frequency response range. The focal electrical stimulation also produces a shift in the best frequency (BF) of modulated IC (ICMdu) neurons toward that of electrically stimulated IC (ICES) neurons. The degree of bilateral collicular interaction is dependent upon the difference in the BF between the ICES neurons and ICMdu neurons. These data suggest that bilateral collicular interaction is a part of dynamic acoustic signal processing that adjusts and improves signal processing as well as reorganizes collicular representation of signal parameters according to the acoustic experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Cheng
- School of Life Sciences & Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
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20
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Miyakawa A, Gibboni R, Bao S. Repeated exposure to a tone transiently alters spectral tuning bandwidth of neurons in the central nucleus of inferior colliculus in juvenile rats. Neuroscience 2012; 230:114-20. [PMID: 23168325 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.10.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2012] [Revised: 10/06/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Early acoustic experience changes tonal frequency tuning in the inferior colliculus (IC) and the primary auditory cortex. The contributions of IC plasticity to cortical frequency map reorganization are not entirely clear. While most cortical plasticity studies exposed animals to pulsed tones, studies of IC plasticity used either noise or a continuous tone. Here we compared the effects of repeated exposure to single-frequency tone pips on cortical and IC frequency representations in juvenile rats. We found that while tone exposure caused a long-lasting increase in cortical representations of the exposure frequency, changes to IC neurons were limited to a transient narrowing of tuning bandwidth. These results suggest that previously documented cortical frequency map reorganization does not depend on similar changes in the subcortical auditory nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Miyakawa
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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21
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Mei HX, Cheng L, Tang J, Fu ZY, Wang X, Jen PHS, Chen QC. Bilateral collicular interaction: modulation of auditory signal processing in amplitude domain. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41311. [PMID: 22911778 PMCID: PMC3404052 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2011] [Accepted: 06/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the ascending auditory pathway, the inferior colliculus (IC) receives and integrates excitatory and inhibitory inputs from many lower auditory nuclei, intrinsic projections within the IC, contralateral IC through the commissure of the IC and from the auditory cortex. All these connections make the IC a major center for subcortical temporal and spectral integration of auditory information. In this study, we examine bilateral collicular interaction in modulating amplitude-domain signal processing using electrophysiological recording, acoustic and focal electrical stimulation. Focal electrical stimulation of one (ipsilateral) IC produces widespread inhibition (61.6%) and focused facilitation (9.1%) of responses of neurons in the other (contralateral) IC, while 29.3% of the neurons were not affected. Bilateral collicular interaction produces a decrease in the response magnitude and an increase in the response latency of inhibited IC neurons but produces opposite effects on the response of facilitated IC neurons. These two groups of neurons are not separately located and are tonotopically organized within the IC. The modulation effect is most effective at low sound level and is dependent upon the interval between the acoustic and electric stimuli. The focal electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral IC compresses or expands the rate-level functions of contralateral IC neurons. The focal electrical stimulation also produces a shift in the minimum threshold and dynamic range of contralateral IC neurons for as long as 150 minutes. The degree of bilateral collicular interaction is dependent upon the difference in the best frequency between the electrically stimulated IC neurons and modulated IC neurons. These data suggest that bilateral collicular interaction mainly changes the ratio between excitation and inhibition during signal processing so as to sharpen the amplitude sensitivity of IC neurons. Bilateral interaction may be also involved in acoustic-experience-dependent plasticity in the IC. Three possible neural pathways underlying the bilateral collicular interaction are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Xian Mei
- College of Life sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Liang Cheng
- College of Life sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jia Tang
- College of Life sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zi-Ying Fu
- College of Life sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xin Wang
- College of Life sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Philip H.-S. Jen
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PHSJ); (QC-C)
| | - Qi-Cai Chen
- College of Life sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- * E-mail: (PHSJ); (QC-C)
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22
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Suga N. Tuning shifts of the auditory system by corticocortical and corticofugal projections and conditioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 36:969-88. [PMID: 22155273 PMCID: PMC3265669 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2011] [Revised: 10/19/2011] [Accepted: 11/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The central auditory system consists of the lemniscal and nonlemniscal systems. The thalamic lemniscal and nonlemniscal auditory nuclei are different from each other in response properties and neural connectivities. The cortical auditory areas receiving the projections from these thalamic nuclei interact with each other through corticocortical projections and project down to the subcortical auditory nuclei. This corticofugal (descending) system forms multiple feedback loops with the ascending system. The corticocortical and corticofugal projections modulate auditory signal processing and play an essential role in the plasticity of the auditory system. Focal electric stimulation - comparable to repetitive tonal stimulation - of the lemniscal system evokes three major types of changes in the physiological properties, such as the tuning to specific values of acoustic parameters of cortical and subcortical auditory neurons through different combinations of facilitation and inhibition. For such changes, a neuromodulator, acetylcholine, plays an essential role. Electric stimulation of the nonlemniscal system evokes changes in the lemniscal system that is different from those evoked by the lemniscal stimulation. Auditory signals ascending from the lemniscal and nonlemniscal thalamic nuclei to the cortical auditory areas appear to be selected or adjusted by a "differential" gating mechanism. Conditioning for associative learning and pseudo-conditioning for nonassociative learning respectively elicit tone-specific and nonspecific plastic changes. The lemniscal, corticofugal and cholinergic systems are involved in eliciting the former, but not the latter. The current article reviews the recent progress in the research of corticocortical and corticofugal modulations of the auditory system and its plasticity elicited by conditioning and pseudo-conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuo Suga
- Department of Biology, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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23
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Song JH, Skoe E, Banai K, Kraus N. Perception of speech in noise: neural correlates. J Cogn Neurosci 2010; 23:2268-79. [PMID: 20681749 DOI: 10.1162/jocn.2010.21556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The presence of irrelevant auditory information (other talkers, environmental noises) presents a major challenge to listening to speech. The fundamental frequency (F(0)) of the target speaker is thought to provide an important cue for the extraction of the speaker's voice from background noise, but little is known about the relationship between speech-in-noise (SIN) perceptual ability and neural encoding of the F(0). Motivated by recent findings that music and language experience enhance brainstem representation of sound, we examined the hypothesis that brainstem encoding of the F(0) is diminished to a greater degree by background noise in people with poorer perceptual abilities in noise. To this end, we measured speech-evoked auditory brainstem responses to /da/ in quiet and two multitalker babble conditions (two-talker and six-talker) in native English-speaking young adults who ranged in their ability to perceive and recall SIN. Listeners who were poorer performers on a standardized SIN measure demonstrated greater susceptibility to the degradative effects of noise on the neural encoding of the F(0). Particularly diminished was their phase-locked activity to the fundamental frequency in the portion of the syllable known to be most vulnerable to perceptual disruption (i.e., the formant transition period). Our findings suggest that the subcortical representation of the F(0) in noise contributes to the perception of speech in noisy conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy H Song
- Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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24
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Chandrasekaran B, Kraus N. The scalp-recorded brainstem response to speech: neural origins and plasticity. Psychophysiology 2009; 47:236-46. [PMID: 19824950 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2009.00928.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 305] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the remarkable fidelity with which the human auditory brainstem represents key acoustic features of the speech signal. The brainstem response to speech can be assessed noninvasively by examining scalp-recorded evoked potentials. Morphologically, two main components of the scalp-recorded brainstem response can be differentiated, a transient onset response and a sustained frequency-following response (FFR). Together, these two components are capable of conveying important segmental and suprasegmental information inherent in the typical speech syllable. Here we examine the putative neural sources of the scalp-recorded brainstem response and review recent evidence that demonstrates that the brainstem response to speech is dynamic in nature and malleable by experience. Finally, we propose a putative mechanism for experience-dependent plasticity at the level of the brainstem.
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25
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Corticocortical interactions between and within three cortical auditory areas specialized for time-domain signal processing. J Neurosci 2009; 29:7230-7. [PMID: 19494145 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0373-09.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In auditory cortex of the mustached bat, the FF (F means frequency modulation), dorsal fringe (DF), and ventral fringe (VF) areas consist of "combination-sensitive" neurons tuned to the pair of an emitted biosonar pulse and its echo with a specific delay (best delay: BD). The DF and VF areas are hierarchically at a higher level than the FF area. Focal electric stimulation of the FF area evokes "centrifugal" BD shifts of DF neurons, i.e., shifts away from the BD of the stimulated FF neurons, whereas stimulation of the DF neurons evokes "centripetal" BD shifts of FF neurons, i.e., shifts toward the BD of the stimulated DF neurons. In our current studies, we found that the feedforward projection from FF neurons evokes centrifugal BD shifts of VF neurons, that the feedback projection from VF neurons evokes centripetal BD shifts of FF neurons, that the contralateral projection from DF neurons evokes centripetal BD shifts of DF neurons, and that the centripetal BD shifts evoked by the DF and VF neurons are 2.5 times larger than the centrifugal BD shifts evoked by the FF neurons. The centrifugal BD shifts shape the selective neural representation of a specific target distance, whereas the centripetal BD shifts expand the representation of the selected specific target distance to focus on the processing of the target information at a specific distance. The centrifugal and centripetal BD shifts evoked by the feedforward and feedback projections promote finer analysis of a target at shorter distances.
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26
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Ji W, Suga N. Tone-specific and nonspecific plasticity of inferior colliculus elicited by pseudo-conditioning: role of acetylcholine and auditory and somatosensory cortices. J Neurophysiol 2009; 102:941-52. [PMID: 19474174 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00222.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Experience-dependent plasticity in the central sensory systems depends on activation of both the sensory and neuromodulatory systems. Sensitization or nonspecific augmentation of central auditory neurons elicited by pseudo-conditioning with unpaired conditioning tonal (CS) and unconditioned electric leg (US) stimuli is quite different from tone-specific plasticity, called best frequency (BF) shifts, of the neurons elicited by auditory fear conditioning with paired CS and US. Therefore the neural circuits eliciting the nonspecific augmentation must be different from that eliciting the BF shifts. We first examined plastic changes in the response properties of collicular neurons of the big brown bat elicited by pseudo-conditioning and found that it elicited prominent nonspecific augmentation-an auditory response increase, a frequency-tuning broadening, and a threshold decreas-and that, in addition, it elicited a small short-lasting BF shift only when the CS frequency was 5 kHz lower than the BF of a recorded neuron. We examined the role of acetylcholine and the auditory and somatosensory cortices in these collicular changes. The development of the nonspecific augmentation was affected little by a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist applied to the inferior colliculus and by a GABA(A) receptor agonist applied to the auditory or somatosensory cortex. However, these drugs abolished the small short-lasting BF shift as they abolished the large long-lasting cortical and short-lasting collicular BF shifts elicited by the conditioning. These results indicate that, different from the BF shift, the nonspecific augmentation of the inferior colliculus depends on neither the cholinergic neuromodulator nor the auditory and somatosensory cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqing Ji
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.
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27
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Specific and nonspecific plasticity of the primary auditory cortex elicited by thalamic auditory neurons. J Neurosci 2009; 29:4888-96. [PMID: 19369557 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0167-09.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventral and medial divisions of the medial geniculate body (MGBv and MGBm) respectively are the lemniscal and nonlemniscal thalamic auditory nuclei. Lemniscal neurons are narrowly frequency tuned and provide highly specific frequency information to the primary auditory cortex (AI), whereas nonlemniscal neurons are broadly frequency tuned and project widely to auditory cortical areas including AI. The MGBv and MGBm are presumably different not only in auditory signal processing, but also in eliciting cortical plastic changes. We electrically stimulated MGBv or MGBm neurons and found the following: (1) electric stimulation of narrowly frequency-tuned MGBv neurons evoked the shift of the frequency-tuning curves of AI neurons toward the tuning curves of the stimulated MGBv neurons. This shift was the same as that in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus and AI elicited by focal electric stimulation of AI or auditory fear conditioning. The widths of the tuning curves of the AI neurons stayed the same or slightly increased. (2) Electric stimulation of broad frequency-tuned MGBm neurons augmented the auditory responses of AI neurons and broadened their frequency-tuning curves which did not shift. These cortical changes evoked by MGBv or MGBm neurons slowly disappeared over 45-60 min after the onset of the electric stimulation. Our findings indicate that lemniscal and nonlemniscal nuclei are indeed different in eliciting cortical plastic changes: the MGBv evokes tone-specific plasticity in AI for adjusting auditory signal processing in the frequency domain, whereas the MGBm evokes nonspecific plasticity in AI for increasing the sensitivity of cortical neurons.
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28
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Ji W, Suga N. Tone-specific and nonspecific plasticity of the auditory cortex elicited by pseudoconditioning: role of acetylcholine receptors and the somatosensory cortex. J Neurophysiol 2008; 100:1384-96. [PMID: 18596186 DOI: 10.1152/jn.90340.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience-dependent plastic changes in the central sensory systems are due to activation of both the sensory and neuromodulatory systems. Nonspecific changes of cortical auditory neurons elicited by pseudoconditioning are quite different from tone-specific changes of the neurons elicited by auditory fear conditioning. Therefore the neural circuit evoking the nonspecific changes must also be different from that evoking the tone-specific changes. We first examined changes in the response properties of cortical auditory neurons of the big brown bat elicited by pseudoconditioning with unpaired tonal (CS(u)) and electric leg (US(u)) stimuli and found that it elicited nonspecific changes to CS(u) (a heart-rate decrease, an auditory response increase, a broadening of frequency tuning, and a decrease in threshold) and, in addition, a small tone-specific change to CS(u) (a small short-lasting best-frequency shift) only when CS(u) frequency was 5 kHz lower than the best frequency of a recorded neuron. We then examined the effects of drugs on the cortical changes elicited by the pseudoconditioning. The development of the nonspecific changes was scarcely affected by atropine (a muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist) and mecamylamine (a nicotinic cholinergic receptor antagonist) applied to the auditory cortex and by muscimol (a GABAA-receptor agonist) applied to the somatosensory cortex. However, these drugs abolished the small short-lasting tone-specific change as they abolished the large long-lasting tone-specific change elicited by auditory fear conditioning. Our current results indicate that, different from the tone-specific change, the nonspecific changes depend on neither the cholinergic neuromodulator nor the somatosensory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqing Ji
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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29
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Abstract
Development of the human auditory brainstem is thought to be primarily complete by the age of approximately 2 years, such that subsequent sensory plasticity is confined primarily to the cortex. However, recent findings have revealed experience-dependent developmental plasticity in the mammalian auditory brainstem in an animal model. It is not known whether the human system demonstrates similar changes and whether experience with sounds composed of acoustic elements relevant to speech may alter brainstem response characteristics. We recorded brainstem responses evoked by both click and speech syllables in children between the ages of 3 and 12 years. Here, we report a neural response discrepancy in brainstem encoding of these two sounds, observed in 3- to 4-year-old children but not in school-age children. Whereas all children exhibited identical neural activity to a click, 3- to 4-year-old children displayed delayed and less synchronous onset and sustained neural response activity when elicited by speech compared with 5- to 12-year-olds. These results suggest that the human auditory system exhibits developmental plasticity, in both frequency and time domains, for sounds that are composed of acoustic elements relevant to speech. The findings are interpreted within the contexts of stimulus-related differences and experience-dependent plasticity.
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30
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Suga N. The neural circuit for tone-specific plasticity in the auditory system elicited by conditioning. Learn Mem 2008; 15:198-201; author reply 202-7. [PMID: 18385473 DOI: 10.1101/lm.791408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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31
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Suga N. Role of corticofugal feedback in hearing. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2008; 194:169-83. [PMID: 18228080 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-007-0274-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2007] [Revised: 08/31/2007] [Accepted: 09/16/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The auditory system consists of the ascending and descending (corticofugal) systems. The corticofugal system forms multiple feedback loops. Repetitive acoustic or auditory cortical electric stimulation activates the cortical neural net and the corticofugal system and evokes cortical plastic changes as well as subcortical plastic changes. These changes are short-term and are specific to the properties of the acoustic stimulus or electrically stimulated cortical neurons. These plastic changes are modulated by the neuromodulatory system. When the acoustic stimulus becomes behaviorally relevant to the animal through auditory fear conditioning or when the cortical electric stimulation is paired with an electric stimulation of the cholinergic basal forebrain, the cortical plastic changes become larger and long-term, whereas the subcortical changes stay short-term, although they also become larger. Acetylcholine plays an essential role in augmenting the plastic changes and in producing long-term cortical changes. The corticofugal system has multiple functions. One of the most important functions is the improvement and adjustment (reorganization) of subcortical auditory signal processing for cortical signal processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuo Suga
- Department of Biology, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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32
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Wu Y, Yan J. Modulation of the receptive fields of midbrain neurons elicited by thalamic electrical stimulation through corticofugal feedback. J Neurosci 2007; 27:10651-8. [PMID: 17913899 PMCID: PMC6672809 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1320-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ascending and descending projections of the central auditory system form multiple tonotopic loops. This study specifically examines the tonotopic pathway from the auditory thalamus to the auditory cortex and then to the auditory midbrain in mice. We observed the changes of receptive fields in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus of the midbrain evoked by focal electrical stimulation of the ventral division of the medial geniculate body of the thalamus. The receptive field of an auditory neuron was characterized by five parameters: the best frequency, minimum threshold, bandwidth, size of receptive field, and average spike number. We found that focal thalamic stimulation changed the parametric values characterizing the recorded collicular receptive fields toward those characterizing the stimulated thalamic receptive fields. Cortical inactivation with muscimol prevented the development of the collicular plasticity induced by focal thalamic stimulation. Our data suggest that the intact colliculo-thalamo-cortico-collicular loops are important for the coordination of sound-guided plasticity in the central auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamin Wu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
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What's to lose and what's to learn: Development under auditory deprivation, cochlear implants and limits of cortical plasticity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 56:259-69. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2007.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2007] [Revised: 07/03/2007] [Accepted: 07/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Keuroghlian AS, Knudsen EI. Adaptive auditory plasticity in developing and adult animals. Prog Neurobiol 2007; 82:109-21. [PMID: 17493738 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2007.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2006] [Revised: 03/14/2007] [Accepted: 03/28/2007] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Enormous progress has been made in our understanding of adaptive plasticity in the central auditory system. Experiments on a range of species demonstrate that, in adults, the animal must attend to (i.e., respond to) a stimulus in order for plasticity to be induced, and the plasticity that is induced is specific for the acoustic feature to which the animal has attended. The requirement that an adult animal must attend to a stimulus in order for adaptive plasticity to occur suggests an essential role of neuromodulatory systems in gating plasticity in adults. Indeed, neuromodulators, particularly acetylcholine (ACh), that are associated with the processes of attention, have been shown to enable adaptive plasticity in adults. In juvenile animals, attention may facilitate plasticity, but it is not always required: during sensitive periods, mere exposure of an animal to an atypical auditory environment can result in large functional changes in certain auditory circuits. Thus, in both the developing and mature auditory systems substantial experience-dependent plasticity can occur, but the conditions under which it occurs are far more stringent in adults. We review experimental results that demonstrate experience-dependent plasticity in the central auditory representations of sound frequency, level and temporal sequence, as well as in the representations of binaural localization cues in both developing and adult animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex S Keuroghlian
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5125, United States.
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