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Liu J, Stohl J, Lopez-Poveda EA, Overath T. Quantifying the Impact of Auditory Deafferentation on Speech Perception. Trends Hear 2024; 28:23312165241227818. [PMID: 38291713 PMCID: PMC10832414 DOI: 10.1177/23312165241227818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The past decade has seen a wealth of research dedicated to determining which and how morphological changes in the auditory periphery contribute to people experiencing hearing difficulties in noise despite having clinically normal audiometric thresholds in quiet. Evidence from animal studies suggests that cochlear synaptopathy in the inner ear might lead to auditory nerve deafferentation, resulting in impoverished signal transmission to the brain. Here, we quantify the likely perceptual consequences of auditory deafferentation in humans via a physiologically inspired encoding-decoding model. The encoding stage simulates the processing of an acoustic input stimulus (e.g., speech) at the auditory periphery, while the decoding stage is trained to optimally regenerate the input stimulus from the simulated auditory nerve firing data. This allowed us to quantify the effect of different degrees of auditory deafferentation by measuring the extent to which the decoded signal supported the identification of speech in quiet and in noise. In a series of experiments, speech perception thresholds in quiet and in noise increased (worsened) significantly as a function of the degree of auditory deafferentation for modeled deafferentation greater than 90%. Importantly, this effect was significantly stronger in a noisy than in a quiet background. The encoding-decoding model thus captured the hallmark symptom of degraded speech perception in noise together with normal speech perception in quiet. As such, the model might function as a quantitative guide to evaluating the degree of auditory deafferentation in human listeners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayue Liu
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joshua Stohl
- North American Research Laboratory, MED-EL Corporation, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Enrique A. Lopez-Poveda
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y Leon, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Departamento de Cirugía, Facultad de Medicina, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Tobias Overath
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Pastras CJ, Curthoys IS. Vestibular Testing-New Physiological Results for the Optimization of Clinical VEMP Stimuli. Audiol Res 2023; 13:910-928. [PMID: 37987337 PMCID: PMC10660708 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres13060079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Both auditory and vestibular primary afferent neurons can be activated by sound and vibration. This review relates the differences between them to the different receptor/synaptic mechanisms of the two systems, as shown by indicators of peripheral function-cochlear and vestibular compound action potentials (cCAPs and vCAPs)-to click stimulation as recorded in animal studies. Sound- and vibration-sensitive type 1 receptors at the striola of the utricular macula are enveloped by the unique calyx afferent ending, which has three modes of synaptic transmission. Glutamate is the transmitter for both cochlear and vestibular primary afferents; however, blocking glutamate transmission has very little effect on vCAPs but greatly reduces cCAPs. We suggest that the ultrafast non-quantal synaptic mechanism called resistive coupling is the cause of the short latency vestibular afferent responses and related results-failure of transmitter blockade, masking, and temporal precision. This "ultrafast" non-quantal transmission is effectively electrical coupling that is dependent on the membrane potentials of the calyx and the type 1 receptor. The major clinical implication is that decreasing stimulus rise time increases vCAP response, corresponding to the increased VEMP response in human subjects. Short rise times are optimal in human clinical VEMP testing, whereas long rise times are mandatory for audiometric threshold testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Pastras
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia;
| | - Ian S. Curthoys
- Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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3
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Wang H, Peng K, Curry RJ, Li D, Wang Y, Wang X, Lu Y. Group I metabotropic glutamate receptor-triggered temporally patterned action potential-dependent spontaneous synaptic transmission in mouse MNTB neurons. Hear Res 2023; 435:108822. [PMID: 37285615 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Rhythmic action potentials (AP) are generated via intrinsic ionic mechanisms in pacemaking neurons, producing synaptic responses of regular inter-event intervals (IEIs) in their targets. In auditory processing, evoked temporally patterned activities are induced when neural responses timely lock to a certain phase of the sound stimuli. Spontaneous spike activity, however, is a stochastic process, rendering the prediction of the exact timing of the next event completely based on probability. Furthermore, neuromodulation mediated by metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) is not commonly associated with patterned neural activities. Here, we report an intriguing phenomenon. In a subpopulation of medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) neurons recorded under whole-cell voltage-clamp mode in acute mouse brain slices, temporally patterned AP-dependent glycinergic sIPSCs and glutamatergic sEPSCs were elicited by activation of group I mGluRs with 3,5-DHPG (200 µM). Auto-correlation analyses revealed rhythmogenesis in these synaptic responses. Knockout of mGluR5 largely eliminated the effects of 3,5-DHPG. Cell-attached recordings showed temporally patterned spikes evoked by 3,5-DHPG in potential presynaptic VNTB cells for synaptic inhibition onto MNTB. The amplitudes of sEPSCs enhanced by 3,5-DHPG were larger than quantal size but smaller than spike-driven calyceal inputs, suggesting that non-calyceal inputs to MNTB might be responsible for the temporally patterned sEPSCs. Finally, immunocytochemical studies identified expression and localization of mGluR5 and mGluR1 in the VNTB-MNTB inhibitory pathway. Our results imply a potential central mechanism underlying the generation of patterned spontaneous spike activity in the brainstem sound localization circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimei Wang
- Hearing Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, 44272, USA
| | - Kang Peng
- Hearing Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, 44272, USA
| | - Rebecca J Curry
- Hearing Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, 44272, USA; School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44240, USA
| | - Dong Li
- Hearing Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, 44272, USA
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Science, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Department of Biomedical Science, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Yong Lu
- Hearing Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, 44272, USA; School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44240, USA.
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4
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Kang W, Ju C, Joo J, Lee J, Shon YM, Park SM. Closed-loop direct control of seizure focus in a rodent model of temporal lobe epilepsy via localized electric fields applied sequentially. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7805. [PMID: 36528681 PMCID: PMC9759546 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35540-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct electrical stimulation of the seizure focus can achieve the early termination of epileptic oscillations. However, direct intervention of the hippocampus, the most prevalent seizure focus in temporal lobe epilepsy is thought to be not practicable due to its large size and elongated shape. Here, in a rat model, we report a sequential narrow-field stimulation method for terminating seizures, while focusing stimulus energy at the spatially extensive hippocampal structure. The effects and regional specificity of this method were demonstrated via electrophysiological and biological responses. Our proposed modality demonstrates spatiotemporal preciseness and selectiveness for modulating the pathological target region which may have potential for further investigation as a therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonok Kang
- grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea ,grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Medical Device Innovation Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea
| | - Chanyang Ju
- grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Medical Device Innovation Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea ,grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Department of Convergence IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea
| | - Jaesoon Joo
- grid.264381.a0000 0001 2181 989XBiomedical Engineering Research Center, Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, 06351 South Korea
| | - Jiho Lee
- grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Medical Device Innovation Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea ,grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Department of Convergence IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Min Shon
- grid.264381.a0000 0001 2181 989XBiomedical Engineering Research Center, Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, 06351 South Korea ,grid.264381.a0000 0001 2181 989XDepartment of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, 06351 Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Min Park
- grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea ,grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Medical Device Innovation Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea ,grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Department of Convergence IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea ,grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea ,grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea ,grid.15444.300000 0004 0470 5454Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722 Republic of Korea
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Wang X, Zhang Y, Bai S, Qi R, Sun H, Li R, Zhu L, Cao X, Jia G, Li X, Gao L. Corticofugal Modulation of Temporal and Rate Representations in the Inferior Colliculus of the Awake Marmoset. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4080-4097. [PMID: 35029654 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal processing is crucial for auditory perception and cognition, especially for communication sounds. Previous studies have shown that the auditory cortex and the thalamus use temporal and rate representations to encode slowly and rapidly changing time-varying sounds. However, how the primate inferior colliculus (IC) encodes time-varying sounds at the millisecond scale remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the temporal processing by IC neurons in awake marmosets to Gaussian click trains with varying interclick intervals (2-100 ms). Strikingly, we found that 28% of IC neurons exhibited rate representation with nonsynchronized responses, which is in sharp contrast to the current view that the IC only uses a temporal representation to encode time-varying signals. Moreover, IC neurons with rate representation exhibited response properties distinct from those with temporal representation. We further demonstrated that reversible inactivation of the primary auditory cortex modulated 17% of the stimulus-synchronized responses and 21% of the nonsynchronized responses of IC neurons, revealing that cortico-colliculus projections play a role, but not a crucial one, in temporal processing in the IC. This study has significantly advanced our understanding of temporal processing in the IC of awake animals and provides new insights into temporal processing from the midbrain to the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Wang
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Yuanqing Zhang
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Siyi Bai
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Runze Qi
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Xinyuan Cao
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Guoqiang Jia
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Xinjian Li
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Lixia Gao
- Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
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6
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Kessler D, Carr CE, Kretzberg J, Ashida G. Theoretical Relationship Between Two Measures of Spike Synchrony: Correlation Index and Vector Strength. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:761826. [PMID: 34987357 PMCID: PMC8721039 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.761826] [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: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Information processing in the nervous system critically relies on temporally precise spiking activity. In the auditory system, various degrees of phase-locking can be observed from the auditory nerve to cortical neurons. The classical metric for quantifying phase-locking is the vector strength (VS), which captures the periodicity in neuronal spiking. More recently, another metric, called the correlation index (CI), was proposed to quantify the temporally reproducible response characteristics of a neuron. The CI is defined as the peak value of a normalized shuffled autocorrelogram (SAC). Both VS and CI have been used to investigate how temporal information is processed and propagated along the auditory pathways. While previous analyses of physiological data in cats suggested covariation of these two metrics, general characterization of their connection has never been performed. In the present study, we derive a rigorous relationship between VS and CI. To model phase-locking, we assume Poissonian spike trains with a temporally changing intensity function following a von Mises distribution. We demonstrate that VS and CI are mutually related via the so-called concentration parameter that determines the degree of phase-locking. We confirm that these theoretical results are largely consistent with physiological data recorded in the auditory brainstem of various animals. In addition, we generate artificial phase-locked spike sequences, for which recording and analysis parameters can be systematically manipulated. Our analysis results suggest that mismatches between empirical data and the theoretical prediction can often be explained with deviations from the von Mises distribution, including skewed or multimodal period histograms. Furthermore, temporal relations of spike trains across trials can contribute to higher CI values than predicted mathematically based on the VS. We find that, for most applications, a SAC bin width of 50 ms seems to be a favorable choice, leading to an estimated error below 2.5% for physiologically plausible conditions. Overall, our results provide general relations between the two measures of phase-locking and will aid future analyses of different physiological datasets that are characterized with these metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Kessler
- Computational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty VI, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Catherine E Carr
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Jutta Kretzberg
- Computational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty VI, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty VI, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Go Ashida
- Computational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty VI, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty VI, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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7
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Curthoys IS, Grant JW, Pastras CJ, Fröhlich L, Brown DJ. Similarities and Differences Between Vestibular and Cochlear Systems - A Review of Clinical and Physiological Evidence. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:695179. [PMID: 34456671 PMCID: PMC8397526 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.695179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The evoked response to repeated brief stimuli, such as clicks or short tone bursts, is used for clinical evaluation of the function of both the auditory and vestibular systems. One auditory response is a neural potential - the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) - recorded by surface electrodes on the head. The clinical analogue for testing the otolithic response to abrupt sounds and vibration is the myogenic potential recorded from tensed muscles - the vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP). VEMPs have provided clinicians with a long sought-after tool - a simple, clinically realistic indicator of the function of each of the 4 otolithic sensory regions. We review the basic neural evidence for VEMPs and discuss the similarities and differences between otolithic and cochlear receptors and afferents. VEMPs are probably initiated by sound or vibration selectively activating afferent neurons with irregular resting discharge originating from the unique type I receptors at a specialized region of the otolithic maculae (the striola). We review how changes in VEMP responses indicate the functional state of peripheral vestibular function and the likely transduction mechanisms allowing otolithic receptors and afferents to trigger such very short latency responses. In section "ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY" we show how cochlear and vestibular receptors and afferents have many similar electrophysiological characteristics [e.g., both generate microphonics, summating potentials, and compound action potentials (the vestibular evoked potential, VsEP)]. Recent electrophysiological evidence shows that the hydrodynamic changes in the labyrinth caused by increased fluid volume (endolymphatic hydrops), change the responses of utricular receptors and afferents in a way which mimics the changes in vestibular function attributed to endolymphatic hydrops in human patients. In section "MECHANICS OF OTOLITHS IN VEMPS TESTING" we show how the major VEMP results (latency and frequency response) follow from modeling the physical characteristics of the macula (dimensions, stiffness etc.). In particular, the structure and mechanical operation of the utricular macula explains the very fast response of the type I receptors and irregular afferents which is the very basis of VEMPs and these structural changes of the macula in Menière's Disease (MD) predict the upward shift of VEMP tuning in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S. Curthoys
- Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John Wally Grant
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Christopher J. Pastras
- The Menière’s Research Laboratory, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Laura Fröhlich
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Daniel J. Brown
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
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8
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Peterson AJ, Heil P. A simplified physiological model of rate-level functions of auditory-nerve fibers. Hear Res 2021; 406:108258. [PMID: 34010767 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several approaches have been used to describe the rate-level functions of auditory-nerve fibers (ANFs). One approach uses descriptive models that can be fitted easily to data. Another derives rate-level functions from comprehensive physiological models of auditory peripheral processing. Here, we seek to identify the minimal set of components needed to provide a physiologically plausible account of rate-level functions. Our model consists of a first-order Boltzmann mechanoelectrical transducer function relating the instantaneous stimulus pressure to an instantaneous output, followed by a lowpass filter that eliminates the AC component, followed by an exponential synaptic transfer function relating the DC component to the mean spike rate. This is perhaps the simplest physiologically plausible model capable of accounting for rate-level functions under the assumption that the model parameters for a given ANF and stimulus frequency are level-independent. We find that the model typically accounts well for rate-level functions from cat ANFs for all stimulus frequencies. More complicated model variants having saturating synaptic transfer functions do not perform significantly better, implying the system operates far away from synaptic saturation. Rate saturation in the model is caused by saturation of the DC component of the filter output (e.g., the receptor potential), which in turn is due to the saturation of the transducer function. The maximum mean spike rate is approximately constant across ANFs, such that the slope parameter of the exponential synaptic transfer function decreases with increasing spontaneous rate. If the synaptic parameters for a given ANF are assumed to be constant across stimulus frequencies, then frequency- and level-dependent input nonlinearities are derived that are qualitatively similar to those reported in the literature. Contrary to assumptions in the literature, such nonlinearities are obtained even for ANFs having high spontaneous rates. Finally, spike-rate adaptation is examined and found to be accounted for by a decrease in the slope parameter of the synaptic transfer function over time following stimulus onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Peterson
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Heil
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
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Rutherford MA, von Gersdorff H, Goutman JD. Encoding sound in the cochlea: from receptor potential to afferent discharge. J Physiol 2021; 599:2527-2557. [PMID: 33644871 PMCID: PMC8127127 DOI: 10.1113/jp279189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribbon-class synapses in the ear achieve analog to digital transformation of a continuously graded membrane potential to all-or-none spikes. In mammals, several auditory nerve fibres (ANFs) carry information from each inner hair cell (IHC) to the brain in parallel. Heterogeneity of transmission among synapses contributes to the diversity of ANF sound-response properties. In addition to the place code for sound frequency and the rate code for sound level, there is also a temporal code. In series with cochlear amplification and frequency tuning, neural representation of temporal cues over a broad range of sound levels enables auditory comprehension in noisy multi-speaker settings. The IHC membrane time constant introduces a low-pass filter that attenuates fluctuations of the receptor potential above 1-2 kHz. The ANF spike generator adds a high-pass filter via its depolarization-rate threshold that rejects slow changes in the postsynaptic potential and its phasic response property that ensures one spike per depolarization. Synaptic transmission involves several stochastic subcellular processes between IHC depolarization and ANF spike generation, introducing delay and jitter that limits the speed and precision of spike timing. ANFs spike at a preferred phase of periodic sounds in a process called phase-locking that is limited to frequencies below a few kilohertz by both the IHC receptor potential and the jitter in synaptic transmission. During phase-locking to periodic sounds of increasing intensity, faster and facilitated activation of synaptic transmission and spike generation may be offset by presynaptic depletion of synaptic vesicles, resulting in relatively small changes in response phase. Here we review encoding of spike-timing at cochlear ribbon synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Rutherford
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Henrique von Gersdorff
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon 97239
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10
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Huet AT, Dombrowski T, Rankovic V, Thirumalai A, Moser T. Developing Fast, Red-Light Optogenetic Stimulation of Spiral Ganglion Neurons for Future Optical Cochlear Implants. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:635897. [PMID: 33776648 PMCID: PMC7991399 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.635897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic stimulation of type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) promises an alternative to the electrical stimulation by current cochlear implants (CIs) for improved hearing restoration by future optical CIs (oCIs). Most of the efforts in using optogenetic stimulation in the cochlea so far used early postnatal injection of viral vectors carrying blue-light activated channelrhodopsins (ChRs) into the cochlea of mice. However, preparing clinical translation of the oCI requires (i) reliable and safe transduction of mature SGNs of further species and (ii) use of long-wavelength light to avoid phototoxicity. Here, we employed a fast variant of the red-light activated channelrhodopsin Chrimson (f-Chrimson) and different AAV variants to implement optogenetic SGN stimulation in Mongolian gerbils. We compared early postnatal (p8) and adult (>8 weeks) AAV administration, employing different protocols for injection of AAV-PHP.B and AAV2/6 into the adult cochlea. Success of the optogenetic manipulation was analyzed by optically evoked auditory brainstem response (oABR) and immunohistochemistry of mid-modiolar cryosections of the cochlea. In order to most efficiently evaluate the immunohistochemical results a semi-automatic procedure to identify transduced cells in confocal images was developed. Our results indicate that the rate of SGN transduction is significantly lower for AAV administration into the adult cochlea compared to early postnatal injection. SGN transduction upon AAV administration into the adult cochlea was largely independent of the chosen viral vector and injection approach. The higher the rate of SGN transduction, the lower were oABR thresholds and the larger were oABR amplitudes. Our results highlight the need to optimize viral vectors and virus administration for efficient optogenetic manipulation of SGNs in the adult cochlea for successful clinical translation of SGN-targeting gene therapy and of the oCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Tarquin Huet
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Dombrowski
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vladan Rankovic
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Restorative Cochlear Genomics Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anupriya Thirumalai
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Multiscale Bioimaging Cluster of Excellence (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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11
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Ming C, Haro S, Simmons AM, Simmons JA. A comprehensive computational model of animal biosonar signal processing. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008677. [PMID: 33596199 PMCID: PMC7888678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Computational models of animal biosonar seek to identify critical aspects of echo processing responsible for the superior, real-time performance of echolocating bats and dolphins in target tracking and clutter rejection. The Spectrogram Correlation and Transformation (SCAT) model replicates aspects of biosonar imaging in both species by processing wideband biosonar sounds and echoes with auditory mechanisms identified from experiments with bats. The model acquires broadband biosonar broadcasts and echoes, represents them as time-frequency spectrograms using parallel bandpass filters, translates the filtered signals into ten parallel amplitude threshold levels, and then operates on the resulting time-of-occurrence values at each frequency to estimate overall echo range delay. It uses the structure of the echo spectrum by depicting it as a series of local frequency nulls arranged regularly along the frequency axis of the spectrograms after dechirping them relative to the broadcast. Computations take place entirely on the timing of threshold-crossing events for each echo relative to threshold-events for the broadcast. Threshold-crossing times take into account amplitude-latency trading, a physiological feature absent from conventional digital signal processing. Amplitude-latency trading transposes the profile of amplitudes across frequencies into a profile of time-registrations across frequencies. Target shape is extracted from the spacing of the object's individual acoustic reflecting points, or glints, using the mutual interference pattern of peaks and nulls in the echo spectrum. These are merged with the overall range-delay estimate to produce a delay-based reconstruction of the object's distance as well as its glints. Clutter echoes indiscriminately activate multiple parts in the null-detecting system, which then produces the equivalent glint-delay spacings in images, thus blurring the overall echo-delay estimates by adding spurious glint delays to the image. Blurring acts as an anticorrelation process that rejects clutter intrusion into perceptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Ming
- Department of Neuroscience and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University Providence, United States of America
| | - Stephanie Haro
- Speech and Hearing Biosciences and Technology, Harvard University, Boston, United States of America
| | - Andrea Megela Simmons
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University Providence, United States of America
| | - James A. Simmons
- Department of Neuroscience and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University Providence, United States of America
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12
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Phase-Locking Requires Efficient Ca 2+ Extrusion at the Auditory Hair Cell Ribbon Synapse. J Neurosci 2021; 41:1625-1635. [PMID: 33446517 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1324-18.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper perception of sounds in the environment requires auditory signals to be encoded with extraordinary temporal precision up to tens of microseconds, but how it originates from the hearing organs in the periphery is poorly understood. In particular, sound-evoked spikes in auditory afferent fibers in vivo are phase-locked to sound frequencies up to 5 kHz, but it is not clear how hair cells can handle intracellular Ca2+ changes with such high speed and efficiency. In this study, we combined patch-clamp recording and two-photon Ca2+ imaging to examine Ca2+ dynamics in hair cell ribbon synapses in the bullfrog amphibian papilla of both sexes. We found that Ca2+ clearance from single synaptic ribbons followed a double exponential function, and the weight of the fast component, but not the two time constants, was significantly reduced for prolonged stimulation, and during inhibition of the plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (PMCA), the mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake (MCU), or the sarcolemma/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA), but not the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX). Furthermore, we found that both the basal Ca2+ level and the Ca2+ rise during sinusoidal stimulation were significantly increased by inhibition of PMCA, MCU, or SERCA. Consistently, phase-locking of synaptic vesicle releases from hair cells was also significantly reduced by blocking PMCA, MCU, or SERCA, but not NCX. We conclude that, in addition to fast diffusion mediated by mobile Ca2+ buffer, multiple Ca2+ extrusion pumps are required for phase-locking at the auditory hair cell ribbon synapse.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hair cell synapses can transmit sound-driven signals precisely in the kHz range. However, previous studies of Ca2+ handling in auditory hair cells have often been conducted in immature hair cells, with elevated extracellular Ca2+ concentration, or through steady-state stimulation that may not be physiologically relevant. Here we examine Ca2+ clearance from hair cell synaptic ribbons in a fully mature preparation at physiological concentration of external Ca2+ and at physiological temperature. By stimulating hair cells with sinusoidal voltage commands that mimic pure sound tones, we recapitulated the phase-locking of hair cell exocytosis with an in vitro approach. This allowed us to reveal the Ca2+ extrusion mechanisms that are required for phase-locking at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses.
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13
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Heffner RS, Koay G, Heffner HE. Hearing and sound localization in Cottontail rabbits, Sylvilagus floridanus. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:543-552. [PMID: 32488424 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01424-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cottontail rabbits represent the first wild species of the order of lagomorphs whose hearing abilities have been determined. Cottontails, Sylvilagus floridanus, evolved in the New World, but have spread worldwide. Their hearing was tested behaviorally using a conditioned-avoidance procedure. At a level of 60 dB SPL, their hearing ranged from 300 Hz to 32 kHz, a span of 7.5 octaves. Mammalian low-frequency hearing is bimodally distributed and Cottontail rabbits fall into the group that hears below 400 Hz. However, their 300-Hz limit puts them near the gap that separates the two populations. The minimum audible angle of cottontails is 27.6°, making them less acute than most other species of mammals. Their large sound-localization threshold is consistent with the observation that mammals with broad fields of best vision require less acuity to direct their eyes to the sources of sound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rickye S Heffner
- Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, 43606, USA.
| | - Gimseong Koay
- Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, 43606, USA
| | - Henry E Heffner
- Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, 43606, USA
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14
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Phase Locking of Auditory Nerve Fibers: The Role of Lowpass Filtering by Hair Cells. J Neurosci 2020; 40:4700-4714. [PMID: 32376778 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2269-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Phase locking of auditory-nerve-fiber (ANF) responses to the temporal fine structure of acoustic stimuli, a hallmark of the auditory system's temporal precision, is important for many aspects of hearing. Previous work has shown that phase-locked period histograms are often well described by exponential transfer functions relating instantaneous stimulus pressure to instantaneous spike rate, with no observed clipping of the histograms. The operating points and slopes of these functions change with stimulus level. The mechanism underlying this apparent gain control is unclear but is distinct from mechanical compression, is independent of refractoriness and spike-rate adaptation, and is apparently instantaneous. Here we show that these findings can be accounted for by a model consisting of a static Boltzmann transducer function yielding a clipped output, followed by a lowpass filter and a static exponential transfer function. Using responses to tones of ANFs from cats of both sexes, we show that, for a given ANF, the period histograms obtained at all stimulus levels for a given stimulus frequency can be described using one set of level-independent model parameters. The model also accounts for changes in the maximum and minimum instantaneous spike rates with changes in stimulus level. Notably, the estimated cutoff frequency is lower for low- than for high-spontaneous-rate ANFs, implying a synapse-specific contribution to lowpass filtering. These findings advance our understanding of ANF phase locking by highlighting the role of peripheral filtering mechanisms in shaping responses of individual ANFs.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Phase locking of auditory-nerve-fiber responses to the temporal fine structure of acoustic stimuli is important for many aspects of hearing. Period histograms typically retain an approximately sinusoidal shape across stimulus levels, with the peripheral auditory system operating as though its overall transfer function is an exponential function whose slope decreases with increasing stimulus level. This apparent gain control can be accounted for by a static saturating transducer function followed by a lowpass filter. In addition to attenuating the AC component, the filter approximately recovers the sinusoidal waveform of the stimulus. The estimated cutoff frequency varies with spontaneous rate, revealing a synaptic contribution to lowpass filtering. These findings highlight the significant impact of peripheral filtering mechanisms on phase locking.
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15
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Heeringa AN, Zhang L, Ashida G, Beutelmann R, Steenken F, Köppl C. Temporal Coding of Single Auditory Nerve Fibers Is Not Degraded in Aging Gerbils. J Neurosci 2020. [PMID: 31719164 DOI: 10.1101/2020.02.10.942011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
People suffering from age-related hearing loss typically present with deficits in temporal processing tasks. Temporal processing deficits have also been shown in single-unit studies at the level of the auditory brainstem, midbrain, and cortex of aged animals. In this study, we explored whether temporal coding is already affected at the level of the input to the central auditory system. Single-unit auditory nerve fiber recordings were obtained from 41 Mongolian gerbils of either sex, divided between young, middle-aged, and old gerbils. Temporal coding quality was evaluated as vector strength in response to tones at best frequency, and by constructing shuffled and cross-stimulus autocorrelograms, and reverse correlations, from responses to 1 s noise bursts at 10-30 dB sensation level (dB above threshold). At comparable sensation levels, all measures showed that temporal coding was not altered in auditory nerve fibers of aging gerbils. Furthermore, both temporal fine structure and envelope coding remained unaffected. However, spontaneous rates were decreased in aging gerbils. Importantly, despite elevated pure tone thresholds, the frequency tuning of auditory nerve fibers was not affected. These results suggest that age-related temporal coding deficits arise more centrally, possibly due to a loss of auditory nerve fibers (or their peripheral synapses) but not due to qualitative changes in the responses of remaining auditory nerve fibers. The reduced spontaneous rate and elevated thresholds, but normal frequency tuning, of aged auditory nerve fibers can be explained by the well known reduction of endocochlear potential due to strial dysfunction in aged gerbils.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT As our society ages, age-related hearing deficits become ever more prevalent. Apart from decreased hearing sensitivity, elderly people often suffer from a reduced ability to communicate in daily settings, which is thought to be caused by known age-related deficits in auditory temporal processing. The current study demonstrated, using several different stimuli and analysis techniques, that these putative temporal processing deficits are not apparent in responses of single-unit auditory nerve fibers of quiet-aged gerbils. This suggests that age-related temporal processing deficits may develop more central to the auditory nerve, possibly due to a reduced population of active auditory nerve fibers, which will be of importance for the development of treatments for age-related hearing disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amarins N Heeringa
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Lichun Zhang
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Go Ashida
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Beutelmann
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Friederike Steenken
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Christine Köppl
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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16
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Temporal Coding of Single Auditory Nerve Fibers Is Not Degraded in Aging Gerbils. J Neurosci 2019; 40:343-354. [PMID: 31719164 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2784-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
People suffering from age-related hearing loss typically present with deficits in temporal processing tasks. Temporal processing deficits have also been shown in single-unit studies at the level of the auditory brainstem, midbrain, and cortex of aged animals. In this study, we explored whether temporal coding is already affected at the level of the input to the central auditory system. Single-unit auditory nerve fiber recordings were obtained from 41 Mongolian gerbils of either sex, divided between young, middle-aged, and old gerbils. Temporal coding quality was evaluated as vector strength in response to tones at best frequency, and by constructing shuffled and cross-stimulus autocorrelograms, and reverse correlations, from responses to 1 s noise bursts at 10-30 dB sensation level (dB above threshold). At comparable sensation levels, all measures showed that temporal coding was not altered in auditory nerve fibers of aging gerbils. Furthermore, both temporal fine structure and envelope coding remained unaffected. However, spontaneous rates were decreased in aging gerbils. Importantly, despite elevated pure tone thresholds, the frequency tuning of auditory nerve fibers was not affected. These results suggest that age-related temporal coding deficits arise more centrally, possibly due to a loss of auditory nerve fibers (or their peripheral synapses) but not due to qualitative changes in the responses of remaining auditory nerve fibers. The reduced spontaneous rate and elevated thresholds, but normal frequency tuning, of aged auditory nerve fibers can be explained by the well known reduction of endocochlear potential due to strial dysfunction in aged gerbils.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT As our society ages, age-related hearing deficits become ever more prevalent. Apart from decreased hearing sensitivity, elderly people often suffer from a reduced ability to communicate in daily settings, which is thought to be caused by known age-related deficits in auditory temporal processing. The current study demonstrated, using several different stimuli and analysis techniques, that these putative temporal processing deficits are not apparent in responses of single-unit auditory nerve fibers of quiet-aged gerbils. This suggests that age-related temporal processing deficits may develop more central to the auditory nerve, possibly due to a reduced population of active auditory nerve fibers, which will be of importance for the development of treatments for age-related hearing disorders.
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17
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Heil P, Peterson AJ. Nelson's notch in the rate-level functions of auditory-nerve fibers might be caused by PIEZO2-mediated reverse-polarity currents in hair cells. Hear Res 2019; 381:107783. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.107783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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18
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How to Build a Fast and Highly Sensitive Sound Detector That Remains Robust to Temperature Shifts. J Neurosci 2019; 39:7260-7276. [PMID: 31315946 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2510-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Frogs must have sharp hearing abilities during the warm summer months to successfully find mating partners. This study aims to understand how frog hair cell ribbon-type synapses preserve both sensitivity and temporal precision during temperature changes. Under room (∼24°C) and high (∼32°C) temperature, we performed in vitro patch-clamp recordings of hair cells and their afferent fibers in amphibian papillae of either male or female bullfrogs. Afferent fibers exhibited a wide heterogeneity in membrane input resistance (Rin) from 100 mΩ to 1000 mΩ, which may contribute to variations in spike threshold and firing frequency. At higher temperatures, most fibers increased their frequency of spike firing due to an increase in spontaneous EPSC frequencies. Hair cell resting membrane potential (Vrest) remained surprisingly stable during temperature increases, because Ca2+ influx and K+ outflux increased simultaneously. This increase in Ca2+ current likely enhanced spontaneous EPSC frequencies. These larger "leak currents" at Vrest also lowered Rin and produced higher electrical resonant frequencies. Lowering Rin will reduce the hair cells receptor potential and presumably moderate the systems sensitivity. Using membrane capacitance measurements, we suggest that hair cells can partially compensate for this reduced sensitivity by increasing exocytosis efficiency and the size of the readily releasable pool of synaptic vesicles. Furthermore, paired recordings of hair cells and their afferent fibers showed that synaptic delays shortened and multivesicular release becomes more synchronous at higher temperatures, which should improve temporal precision. Together, our results explain many previous in vivo observations on the temperature dependence of spikes in auditory nerves.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The vertebrate inner ear detects and transmits auditory information over a broad dynamic range of sound frequency and intensity. It achieves remarkable sensitivity to soft sounds and precise frequency selectivity. How does the ear of cold-blooded vertebrates maintain its performance level as temperature changes? More specifically, how does the hair cell to afferent fiber synapse in bullfrog amphibian papilla adjust to a wide range of physiological temperatures without losing its sensitivity and temporal fidelity to sound signals? This study uses in vitro experiments to reveal the biophysical mechanisms that explain many observations made from in vivo auditory nerve fiber recordings. We find that higher temperature facilitates vesicle exocytosis and electrical tuning to higher sound frequencies, which benefits sensitivity and selectivity.
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19
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Curthoys IS, Grant JW, Pastras CJ, Brown DJ, Burgess AM, Brichta AM, Lim R. A review of mechanical and synaptic processes in otolith transduction of sound and vibration for clinical VEMP testing. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:259-276. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00031.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Older studies of mammalian otolith physiology have focused mainly on sustained responses to low-frequency (<50 Hz) or maintained linear acceleration. So the otoliths have been regarded as accelerometers. Thus evidence of otolithic activation and high-precision phase locking to high-frequency sound and vibration appears to be very unusual. However, those results are exactly in accord with a substantial body of knowledge of otolith function in fish and frogs. It is likely that phase locking of otolith afferents to vibration is a general property of all vertebrates. This review examines the literature about the activation and phase locking of single otolithic neurons to air-conducted sound and bone-conducted vibration, in particular the high precision of phase locking shown by mammalian irregular afferents that synapse on striolar type I hair cells by calyx endings. Potassium in the synaptic cleft between the type I hair cell receptor and the calyx afferent ending may be responsible for the tight phase locking of these afferents even at very high discharge rates. Since frogs and fish do not possess full calyx endings, it is unlikely that they show phase locking with such high precision and to such high frequencies as has been found in mammals. The high-frequency responses have been modeled as the otoliths operating in a seismometer mode rather than an accelerometer mode. These high-frequency otolithic responses constitute the neural basis for clinical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential tests of otolith function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S. Curthoys
- Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, the University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J. Wally Grant
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Christopher J. Pastras
- The Meniere’s Laboratory, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel J. Brown
- The Meniere’s Laboratory, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ann M. Burgess
- Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, the University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alan M. Brichta
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute. Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rebecca Lim
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute. Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
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20
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Jamali M, Carriot J, Chacron MJ, Cullen KE. Coding strategies in the otolith system differ for translational head motion vs. static orientation relative to gravity. eLife 2019; 8:45573. [PMID: 31199243 PMCID: PMC6590985 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The detection of gravito-inertial forces by the otolith system is essential for our sense of balance and accurate perception. To date, however, how this system encodes the self-motion stimuli that are experienced during everyday activities remains unknown. Here, we addressed this fundamental question directly by recording from single otolith afferents in monkeys during naturalistic translational self-motion and changes in static head orientation. Otolith afferents with higher intrinsic variability transmitted more information overall about translational self-motion than their regular counterparts, owing to stronger nonlinearities that enabled precise spike timing including phase locking. By contrast, more regular afferents better discriminated between different static head orientations relative to gravity. Using computational methods, we further demonstrated that coupled increases in intrinsic variability and sensitivity accounted for the observed functional differences between afferent classes. Together, our results indicate that irregular and regular otolith afferents use different strategies to encode naturalistic self-motion and static head orientation relative to gravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Jamali
- Department of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Jerome Carriot
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Kathleen E Cullen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States
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21
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Coate TM, Scott MK, Gurjar MC. Current concepts in cochlear ribbon synapse formation. Synapse 2019; 73:e22087. [PMID: 30592086 PMCID: PMC6573016 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in the cochlea together are sophisticated "sensorineural" structures that transduce auditory information from the outside world into the brain. Hair cells and SGNs are joined by glutamatergic ribbon-type synapses composed of a molecular machinery rivaling in complexity the mechanoelectric transduction components found at the apical side of the hair cell. The cochlear hair cell ribbon synapse has received much attention lately because of recent and important findings related to its damage (sometimes termed "synaptopathy") as a result of noise overexposure. During development, ribbon synapses between type I SGNs and inner hair cells form in the time window between birth and hearing onset and is a process coordinated with type I SGN myelination, spontaneous activity, synaptic pruning, and innervation by efferents. In this review, we highlight new findings regarding the diversity of type I SGNs and inner hair cell synapses, and the molecular mechanisms of selective hair cell targeting. Also discussed are cell adhesion molecules and protein constituents of the ribbon synapse, and how these factors participate in ribbon synapse formation. We also note interesting new insights into the morphological development of type II SGNs, and the potential for cochlear macrophages as important players in protecting SGNs. We also address recent studies demonstrating that the structural and physiological profiles of the type I SGNs do not reach full maturity until weeks after hearing onset, suggesting a protracted development that is likely modulated by activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Coate
- Georgetown University, Department of Biology, 37th and O St. NW. Washington, DC. 20007. USA
| | - M. Katie Scott
- Department of Biological Sciences and Purdue Institute of Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907. USA
| | - Mansa C. Gurjar
- Georgetown University, Department of Biology, 37th and O St. NW. Washington, DC. 20007. USA
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22
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Phase Locking of Auditory-Nerve Fibers Reveals Stereotyped Distortions and an Exponential Transfer Function with a Level-Dependent Slope. J Neurosci 2019; 39:4077-4099. [PMID: 30867259 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1801-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Phase locking of auditory-nerve-fiber (ANF) responses to the fine structure of acoustic stimuli is a hallmark of the auditory system's temporal precision and is important for many aspects of hearing. Period histograms from phase-locked ANF responses to low-frequency tones exhibit spike-rate and temporal asymmetries, but otherwise retain an approximately sinusoidal shape as stimulus level increases, even beyond the level at which the mean spike rate saturates. This is intriguing because apical cochlear mechanical vibrations show little compression, and mechanoelectrical transduction in the receptor cells is thought to obey a static sigmoidal nonlinearity, which might be expected to produce peak clipping at moderate and high stimulus levels. Here we analyze phase-locked responses of ANFs from cats of both sexes. We show that the lack of peak clipping is due neither to ANF refractoriness nor to spike-rate adaptation on time scales longer than the stimulus period. We demonstrate that the relationship between instantaneous pressure and instantaneous rate is well described by an exponential function whose slope decreases with increasing stimulus level. Relatively stereotyped harmonic distortions in the input to the exponential can account for the temporal asymmetry of the period histograms, including peak splitting. We show that the model accounts for published membrane-potential waveforms when assuming a power-of-three, but not a power-of-one, relationship to exocytosis. Finally, we demonstrate the relationship between the exponential transfer functions and the sigmoidal pseudotransducer functions obtained in the literature by plotting the maxima and minima of the voltage responses against the maxima and minima of the stimuli.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Phase locking of auditory-nerve-fiber responses to the temporal fine structure of acoustic stimuli is important for many aspects of hearing, but the mechanisms underlying phase locking are not fully understood. Intriguingly, period histograms retain an approximately sinusoidal shape across sound levels, even when the mean rate has saturated. We find that neither refractoriness nor spike-rate adaptation is responsible for this behavior. Instead, the peripheral auditory system operates as though it contains an exponential transfer function whose slope changes with stimulus level. The underlying mechanism is distinct from the comparatively weak cochlear mechanical compression in the cochlear apex, and likely resides in the receptor cells.
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23
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Curthoys I, Burgess AM, Goonetilleke SC. Phase-locking of irregular guinea pig primary vestibular afferents to high frequency (>250 Hz) sound and vibration. Hear Res 2019; 373:59-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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24
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Peterson AJ, Huet A, Bourien J, Puel JL, Heil P. Recovery of auditory-nerve-fiber spike amplitude under natural excitation conditions. Hear Res 2018; 370:248-263. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2018.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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25
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Peterson AJ, Heil P. A simple model of the inner-hair-cell ribbon synapse accounts for mammalian auditory-nerve-fiber spontaneous spike times. Hear Res 2018; 363:1-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2017.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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26
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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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27
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A probabilistic Poisson-based model accounts for an extensive set of absolute auditory threshold measurements. Hear Res 2017; 353:135-161. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2017.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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28
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Ca 2+-Permeable AMPARs Mediate Glutamatergic Transmission and Excitotoxic Damage at the Hair Cell Ribbon Synapse. J Neurosci 2017; 37:6162-6175. [PMID: 28539424 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3644-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We report functional and structural evidence for GluA2-lacking Ca2+-permeable AMPARs (CP-AMPARs) at the mature hair cell ribbon synapse. By using the methodological advantages of three species (of either sex), we demonstrate that CP-AMPARs are present at the hair cell synapse in an evolutionarily conserved manner. Via a combination of in vivo electrophysiological and Ca2+ imaging approaches in the larval zebrafish, we show that hair cell stimulation leads to robust Ca2+ influx into afferent terminals. Prolonged application of AMPA caused loss of afferent terminal responsiveness, whereas blocking CP-AMPARs protects terminals from excitotoxic swelling. Immunohistochemical analysis of AMPAR subunits in mature rat cochlea show regions within synapses lacking the GluA2 subunit. Paired recordings from adult bullfrog auditory synapses demonstrate that CP-AMPARs mediate a major component of glutamatergic transmission. Together, our results support the importance of CP-AMPARs in mediating transmission at the hair cell ribbon synapse. Further, excess Ca2+ entry via CP-AMPARs may underlie afferent terminal damage following excitotoxic challenge, suggesting that limiting Ca2+ levels in the afferent terminal may protect against cochlear synaptopathy associated with hearing loss.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A single incidence of noise overexposure causes damage at the hair cell synapse that later leads to neurodegeneration and exacerbates age-related hearing loss. A first step toward understanding cochlear neurodegeneration is to identify the cause of initial excitotoxic damage to the postsynaptic neuron. Using a combination of immunohistochemical, electrophysiological, and Ca2+ imaging approaches in evolutionarily divergent species, we demonstrate that Ca2+-permeable AMPARs (CP-AMPARs) mediate glutamatergic transmission at the adult auditory hair cell synapse. Overexcitation of the terminal causes Ca2+ accumulation and swelling that can be prevented by blocking CP-AMPARs. We demonstrate that CP-AMPARs mediate transmission at this first-order sensory synapse and that limiting Ca2+ accumulation in the terminal may protect against hearing loss.
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The Coupling between Ca 2+ Channels and the Exocytotic Ca 2+ Sensor at Hair Cell Ribbon Synapses Varies Tonotopically along the Mature Cochlea. J Neurosci 2017; 37:2471-2484. [PMID: 28154149 PMCID: PMC5354352 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2867-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The cochlea processes auditory signals over a wide range of frequencies and intensities. However, the transfer characteristics at hair cell ribbon synapses are still poorly understood at different frequency locations along the cochlea. Using recordings from mature gerbils, we report here a surprisingly strong block of exocytosis by the slow Ca2+ buffer EGTA (10 mM) in basal hair cells tuned to high frequencies (∼30 kHz). In addition, using recordings from gerbil, mouse, and bullfrog auditory organs, we find that the spatial coupling between Ca2+ influx and exocytosis changes from nanodomain in low-frequency tuned hair cells (∼<2 kHz) to progressively more microdomain in high-frequency cells (∼>2 kHz). Hair cell synapses have thus developed remarkable frequency-dependent tuning of exocytosis: accurate low-latency encoding of onset and offset of sound intensity in the cochlea's base and submillisecond encoding of membrane receptor potential fluctuations in the apex for precise phase-locking to sound signals. We also found that synaptic vesicle pool recovery from depletion was sensitive to high concentrations of EGTA, suggesting that intracellular Ca2+ buffers play an important role in vesicle recruitment in both low- and high-frequency hair cells. In conclusion, our results indicate that microdomain coupling is important for exocytosis in high-frequency hair cells, suggesting a novel hypothesis for why these cells are more susceptible to sound-induced damage than low-frequency cells; high-frequency inner hair cells must have a low Ca2+ buffer capacity to sustain exocytosis, thus making them more prone to Ca2+-induced cytotoxicity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the inner ear, sensory hair cells signal reception of sound. They do this by converting the sound-induced movement of their hair bundles present at the top of these cells, into an electrical current. This current depolarizes the hair cell and triggers the calcium-induced release of the neurotransmitter glutamate that activates the postsynaptic auditory fibers. The speed and precision of this process enables the brain to perceive the vital components of sound, such as frequency and intensity. We show that the coupling strength between calcium channels and the exocytosis calcium sensor at inner hair cell synapses changes along the mammalian cochlea such that the timing and/or intensity of sound is encoded with high precision.
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