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McCollum M, Manning A, Bender PTR, Mendelson BZ, Anderson CT. Cell-type-specific enhancement of deviance detection by synaptic zinc in the mouse auditory cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2405615121. [PMID: 39312661 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2405615121] [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: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Stimulus-specific adaptation is a hallmark of sensory processing in which a repeated stimulus results in diminished successive neuronal responses, but a deviant stimulus will still elicit robust responses from the same neurons. Recent work has established that synaptically released zinc is an endogenous mechanism that shapes neuronal responses to sounds in the auditory cortex. Here, to understand the contributions of synaptic zinc to deviance detection of specific neurons, we performed wide-field and 2-photon calcium imaging of multiple classes of cortical neurons. We find that intratelencephalic (IT) neurons in both layers 2/3 and 5 as well as corticocollicular neurons in layer 5 all demonstrate deviance detection; however, we find a specific enhancement of deviance detection in corticocollicular neurons that arises from ZnT3-dependent synaptic zinc in layer 2/3 IT neurons. Genetic deletion of ZnT3 from layer 2/3 IT neurons removes the enhancing effects of synaptic zinc on corticocollicular neuron deviance detection and results in poorer acuity of detecting deviant sounds by behaving mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason McCollum
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26505
| | - Abbey Manning
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26505
| | - Philip T R Bender
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26505
| | - Benjamin Z Mendelson
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26505
| | - Charles T Anderson
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26505
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2
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Bayazitov IT, Teubner BJW, Feng F, Wu Z, Li Y, Blundon JA, Zakharenko SS. Sound-evoked adenosine release in cooperation with neuromodulatory circuits permits auditory cortical plasticity and perceptual learning. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113758. [PMID: 38358887 PMCID: PMC10939737 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113758] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Meaningful auditory memories are formed in adults when acoustic information is delivered to the auditory cortex during heightened states of attention, vigilance, or alertness, as mediated by neuromodulatory circuits. Here, we identify that, in awake mice, acoustic stimulation triggers auditory thalamocortical projections to release adenosine, which prevents cortical plasticity (i.e., selective expansion of neural representation of behaviorally relevant acoustic stimuli) and perceptual learning (i.e., experience-dependent improvement in frequency discrimination ability). This sound-evoked adenosine release (SEAR) becomes reduced within seconds when acoustic stimuli are tightly paired with the activation of neuromodulatory (cholinergic or dopaminergic) circuits or periods of attentive wakefulness. If thalamic adenosine production is enhanced, then SEAR elevates further, the neuromodulatory circuits are unable to sufficiently reduce SEAR, and associative cortical plasticity and perceptual learning are blocked. This suggests that transient low-adenosine periods triggered by neuromodulatory circuits permit associative cortical plasticity and auditory perceptual learning in adults to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildar T Bayazitov
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brett J W Teubner
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Feng Feng
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Zhaofa Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jay A Blundon
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stanislav S Zakharenko
- Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
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3
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Davenport CM, Teubner BJW, Han SB, Patton MH, Eom TY, Garic D, Lansdell BJ, Shirinifard A, Chang TC, Klein J, Pruett-Miller SM, Blundon JA, Zakharenko SS. Innate frequency-discrimination hyperacuity in Williams-Beuren syndrome mice. Cell 2022; 185:3877-3895.e21. [PMID: 36152627 PMCID: PMC9588278 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a rare disorder caused by hemizygous microdeletion of ∼27 contiguous genes. Despite neurodevelopmental and cognitive deficits, individuals with WBS have spared or enhanced musical and auditory abilities, potentially offering an insight into the genetic basis of auditory perception. Here, we report that the mouse models of WBS have innately enhanced frequency-discrimination acuity and improved frequency coding in the auditory cortex (ACx). Chemogenetic rescue showed frequency-discrimination hyperacuity is caused by hyperexcitable interneurons in the ACx. Haploinsufficiency of one WBS gene, Gtf2ird1, replicated WBS phenotypes by downregulating the neuropeptide receptor VIPR1. VIPR1 is reduced in the ACx of individuals with WBS and in the cerebral organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells with the WBS microdeletion. Vipr1 deletion or overexpression in ACx interneurons mimicked or reversed, respectively, the cellular and behavioral phenotypes of WBS mice. Thus, the Gtf2ird1-Vipr1 mechanism in ACx interneurons may underlie the superior auditory acuity in WBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Davenport
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brett J W Teubner
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Seung Baek Han
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Mary H Patton
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Tae-Yeon Eom
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Dusan Garic
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Benjamin J Lansdell
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Abbas Shirinifard
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ti-Cheng Chang
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jonathon Klein
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jay A Blundon
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stanislav S Zakharenko
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
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4
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Owoc MS, Rubio ME, Brockway B, Sadagopan S, Kandler K. Embryonic medial ganglionic eminence cells survive and integrate into the inferior colliculus of adult mice. Hear Res 2022; 420:108520. [PMID: 35617926 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Acoustic overexposure can lead to decreased inhibition in auditory centers, including the inferior colliculus (IC), and has been implicated in the development of central auditory pathologies. While systemic drugs that increase GABAergic transmission have been shown to provide symptomatic relief, their side effect profiles impose an upper-limit on the dose and duration of use. A treatment that locally increases inhibition in auditory nuclei could mitigate these side effects. One such approach could be transplantation of inhibitory precursor neurons derived from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE). The present study investigated whether transplanted MGE cells can survive and integrate into the IC of non-noise exposed and noise exposed mice. MGE cells were harvested on embryonic days 12-14 and injected bilaterally into the IC of adult mice, with or without previous noise exposure. At one-week post transplantation, MGE cells possessed small, elongated soma and bipolar processes, characteristic of migrating cells. By 5 weeks, MGE cells exhibited a more mature morphology, with multiple branching processes and axons with boutons that stain positive for the vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT). The MGE survival rate after 14 weeks post transplantation was 1.7% in non-noise exposed subjects. MGE survival rate was not significantly affected by noise exposure (1.2%). In both groups the vast majority of transplanted MGE cells (>97%) expressed the vesicular GABA transporter. Furthermore, electronmicroscopic analysis indicated that transplanted MGE cells formed synapses with and received synaptic endings from host IC neurons. Acoustic stimulation lead to a significant increase in the percentage of endogenous inhibitory cells that express c-fos but had no effect on the percentage of c-fos expressing transplanted MGE cells. MGE cells were observed in the IC up to 22 weeks post transplantation, the longest time point investigated, suggesting long term survival and integration. These data provide the first evidence that transplantation of MGE cells is viable in the IC and provides a new strategy to explore treatment options for central hearing dysfunction following noise exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryanna S Owoc
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh - Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
| | - María E Rubio
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Brian Brockway
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Srivatsun Sadagopan
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh - Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Karl Kandler
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh - Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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5
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Kim YH, Schrode KM, Engel J, Vicencio-Jimenez S, Rodriguez G, Lee HK, Lauer AM. Auditory Behavior in Adult-Blinded Mice. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2022; 23:225-239. [PMID: 35084628 PMCID: PMC8964904 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-022-00835-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cross-modal plasticity occurs when the function of remaining senses is enhanced following deprivation or loss of a sensory modality. Auditory neural responses are enhanced in the auditory cortex, including increased sensitivity and frequency selectivity, following short-term visual deprivation in adult mice (Petrus et al. Neuron 81:664-673, 2014). Whether or not these visual deprivation-induced neural changes translate into improved auditory perception and performance remains unclear. As an initial investigation of the effects of adult visual deprivation on auditory behaviors, CBA/CaJ mice underwent binocular enucleation at 3-4 weeks old and were tested on a battery of learned behavioral tasks, acoustic startle response (ASR), and prepulse inhibition (PPI) tests beginning at least 2 weeks after the enucleation procedure. Auditory brain stem responses (ABRs) were also measured to screen for potential effects of visual deprivation on non-behavioral hearing function. Control and enucleated mice showed similar tone detection sensitivity and frequency discrimination in a conditioned lick suppression test. Both groups showed normal reactivity to sound as measured by ASR in a quiet background. However, when startle-eliciting stimuli were presented in noise, enucleated mice showed decreased ASR amplitude relative to controls. Control and enucleated mice displayed no significant differences in ASR habituation, PPI tests, or ABR thresholds, or wave morphology. Our findings suggest that while adult-onset visual deprivation induces cross-modal plasticity at the synaptic and circuit levels, it does not substantially influence simple auditory behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Hyun Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Katrina M Schrode
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - James Engel
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sergio Vicencio-Jimenez
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Gabriela Rodriguez
- Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics (CMDB) Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Zanvyl-Krieger Mind/Brain Institute and Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amanda M Lauer
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. .,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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6
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Hoshino N, Altarshan Y, Alzein A, Fernando AM, Nguyen HT, Majewski EF, Chen VCF, William Rochlin M, Yu WM. Ephrin-A3 is required for tonotopic map precision and auditory functions in the mouse auditory brainstem. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3633-3654. [PMID: 34235739 PMCID: PMC8490280 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Tonotopy is a prominent feature of the vertebrate auditory system and forms the basis for sound discrimination, but the molecular mechanism that underlies its formation remains largely elusive. Ephrin/Eph signaling is known to play important roles in axon guidance during topographic mapping in other sensory systems, so we investigated its possible role in the establishment of tonotopy in the mouse cochlear nucleus. We found that ephrin-A3 molecules are differentially expressed along the tonotopic axis in the cochlear nucleus during innervation. Ephrin-A3 forward signaling is sufficient to repel auditory nerve fibers in a developmental stage-dependent manner. In mice lacking ephrin-A3, the tonotopic map is degraded and isofrequency bands of neuronal activation upon pure tone exposure become imprecise in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus. Ephrin-A3 mutant mice also exhibit a delayed second wave in auditory brainstem responses upon sound stimuli and impaired detection of sound frequency changes. Our findings establish an essential role for ephrin-A3 in forming precise tonotopy in the auditory brainstem to ensure accurate sound discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Hoshino
- Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Yazan Altarshan
- Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ahmad Alzein
- Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Amali M. Fernando
- Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Hieu T. Nguyen
- Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Emma F. Majewski
- Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | | | - Wei-Ming Yu
- Department of Biology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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7
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Acoustically Enriched Environment during the Critical Period of Postnatal Development Positively Modulates Gap Detection and Frequency Discrimination Abilities in Adult Rats. Neural Plast 2021; 2021:6611922. [PMID: 33777134 PMCID: PMC7979287 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6611922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout life, sensory systems adapt to the sensory environment to provide optimal responses to relevant tasks. In the case of a developing system, sensory inputs induce changes that are permanent and detectable up to adulthood. Previously, we have shown that rearing rat pups in a complex acoustic environment (spectrally and temporally modulated sound) from postnatal day 14 (P14) to P28 permanently improves the response characteristics of neurons in the inferior colliculus and auditory cortex, influencing tonotopical arrangement, response thresholds and strength, and frequency selectivity, along with stochasticity and the reproducibility of neuronal spiking patterns. In this study, we used a set of behavioral tests based on a recording of the acoustic startle response (ASR) and its prepulse inhibition (PPI), with the aim to extend the evidence of the persistent beneficial effects of the developmental acoustical enrichment. The enriched animals were generally not more sensitive to startling sounds, and also, their PPI of ASR, induced by noise or pure tone pulses, was comparable to the controls. They did, however, exhibit a more pronounced PPI when the prepulse stimulus was represented either by a change in the frequency of a background tone or by a silent gap in background noise. The differences in the PPI of ASR between the enriched and control animals were significant at lower (55 dB SPL), but not at higher (65-75 dB SPL), intensities of background sound. Thus, rearing pups in the acoustically enriched environment led to an improvement of the frequency resolution and gap detection ability under more difficult testing conditions, i.e., with a worsened stimulus clarity. We confirmed, using behavioral tests, that an acoustically enriched environment during the critical period of development influences the frequency and temporal processing in the auditory system, and these changes persist until adulthood.
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8
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Yang Y, Lee J, Kim G. Integration of locomotion and auditory signals in the mouse inferior colliculus. eLife 2020; 9:52228. [PMID: 31987070 PMCID: PMC7004561 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) is the major midbrain auditory integration center, where virtually all ascending auditory inputs converge. Although the IC has been extensively studied for sound processing, little is known about the neural activity of the IC in moving subjects, as frequently happens in natural hearing conditions. Here, by recording neural activity in walking mice, we show that the activity of IC neurons is strongly modulated by locomotion, even in the absence of sound stimuli. Similar modulation was also found in hearing-impaired mice, demonstrating that IC neurons receive non-auditory, locomotion-related neural signals. Sound-evoked activity was attenuated during locomotion, and this attenuation increased frequency selectivity across the neuronal population, while maintaining preferred frequencies. Our results suggest that during behavior, integrating movement-related and auditory information is an essential aspect of sound processing in the IC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoonsun Yang
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, Republic of Korea.,Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Joonyeol Lee
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Gunsoo Kim
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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9
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Wide sensory filters underlie performance in memory-based discrimination and generalization. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214817. [PMID: 30998708 PMCID: PMC6472767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The way animals respond to a stimulus depends largely on an internal comparison between the current sensation and the memory of previous stimuli and outcomes. We know little about the accuracy with which the physical properties of the stimuli influence this type of memory-based discriminative decisions. Research has focused largely on discriminations between stimuli presented in quick succession, where animals can make relative inferences (same or different; higher or lower) from trial to trial. In the current study we used a memory-based task to explore how the stimulus’ physical properties, in this case tone frequency, affect auditory discrimination and generalization in mice. Mice performed ad libitum while living in groups in their home quarters. We found that the frequency distance between safe and conditioned sounds had a constraining effect on discrimination. As the safe-to-conditioned distance decreased across groups, performance deteriorated rapidly, even for frequency differences significantly larger than reported discrimination thresholds. Generalization width was influenced both by the physical distance and the previous experience of the mice, and was not accompanied by a decrease in sensory acuity. In conclusion, memory-based discriminations along a single stimulus dimension are inherently hard, reflecting a high overlap between the memory traces of the relevant stimuli. Memory-based discriminations rely therefore on wide sensory filters.
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10
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Fine Control of Sound Frequency Tuning and Frequency Discrimination Acuity by Synaptic Zinc Signaling in Mouse Auditory Cortex. J Neurosci 2018; 39:854-865. [PMID: 30504277 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1339-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the auditory cortex are tuned to specific ranges of sound frequencies. Although the cellular and network mechanisms underlying neuronal sound frequency selectivity are well studied and reflect the interplay of thalamocortical and intracortical excitatory inputs and further refinement by cortical inhibition, the precise synaptic signaling mechanisms remain less understood. To gain further understanding on these mechanisms and their effects on sound-driven behavior, we used in vivo imaging as well as behavioral approaches in awake and behaving female and male mice. We discovered that synaptic zinc, a modulator of neurotransmission and responsiveness to sound, sharpened the sound frequency tuning of principal and parvalbumin-expressing neurons and widened the sound frequency tuning of somatostatin-expressing inhibitory neurons in layer 2/3 of the primary auditory cortex. In the absence of cortical synaptic zinc, mice exhibited reduced acuity for detecting changes in sound frequencies. Together, our results reveal that cell-type-specific effects of zinc contribute to cortical sound frequency tuning and enhance acuity for sound frequency discrimination.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neuronal tuning to specific features of sensory stimuli is a fundamental property of cortical sensory processing that advantageously supports behavior. Despite the established roles of synaptic thalamocortical and intracortical excitation and inhibition in cortical tuning, the precise synaptic signaling mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we investigated these mechanisms in the mouse auditory cortex. We discovered a previously unknown signaling mechanism linking synaptic zinc signaling with cell-specific cortical tuning and enhancement in sound frequency discrimination acuity. Given the abundance of synaptic zinc in all sensory cortices, this newly discovered interaction between synaptic zinc and cortical tuning can provide a general mechanism for modulating neuronal stimulus specificity and sensory-driven behavior.
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11
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Auditory midbrain coding of statistical learning that results from discontinuous sensory stimulation. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2005114. [PMID: 30048446 PMCID: PMC6065201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Detecting regular patterns in the environment, a process known as statistical
learning, is essential for survival. Neuronal adaptation is a key mechanism in
the detection of patterns that are continuously repeated across short (seconds
to minutes) temporal windows. Here, we found in mice that a subcortical
structure in the auditory midbrain was sensitive to patterns that were repeated
discontinuously, in a temporally sparse manner, across windows of minutes to
hours. Using a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological, and molecular
approaches, we found changes in neuronal response gain that varied in mechanism
with the degree of sound predictability and resulted in changes in frequency
coding. Analysis of population activity (structural tuning) revealed an increase
in frequency classification accuracy in the context of increased overlap in
responses across frequencies. The increase in accuracy and overlap was
paralleled at the behavioral level in an increase in generalization in the
absence of diminished discrimination. Gain modulation was accompanied by changes
in gene and protein expression, indicative of long-term plasticity.
Physiological changes were largely independent of corticofugal feedback, and no
changes were seen in upstream cochlear nucleus responses, suggesting a key role
of the auditory midbrain in sensory gating. Subsequent behavior demonstrated
learning of predictable and random patterns and their importance in auditory
conditioning. Using longer timescales than previously explored, the combined
data show that the auditory midbrain codes statistical learning of temporally
sparse patterns, a process that is critical for the detection of relevant
stimuli in the constant soundscape that the animal navigates through. Some things are learned simply because they are there and not because they are
relevant at that moment in time. This is particularly true of surrounding
sounds, which we process automatically and continuously, detecting their
repetitive patterns or singularities. Learning about rewards and punishment is
typically attributed to cortical structures in the brain and known to occur over
long time windows. Learning of surrounding regularities, on the other hand, is
attributed to subcortical structures and has been shown to occur in seconds. The
brain can, however, also detect the regularity in sounds that are
discontinuously repeated across intervals of minutes and hours. For example, we
learn to identify people by the sound of their steps through an unconscious
process involving repeated but isolated exposures to the coappearance of sound
and person. Here, we show that a subcortical structure, the auditory midbrain,
can code such temporally spread regularities. Neurons in the auditory midbrain
changed their response pattern in mice that heard a fixed tone whenever they
went into one room in the environment they lived in. Learning of temporally
spread sound patterns can, therefore, occur in subcortical structures.
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12
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Cortical Neural Activity Predicts Sensory Acuity Under Optogenetic Manipulation. J Neurosci 2018; 38:2094-2105. [PMID: 29367406 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2457-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the mammalian sensory cortex form interconnected circuits that control cortical stimulus selectivity and sensory acuity. Theoretical studies have predicted that suppression of inhibition in such excitatory-inhibitory networks can lead to either an increase or, paradoxically, a decrease in excitatory neuronal firing, with consequent effects on stimulus selectivity. We tested whether modulation of inhibition or excitation in the auditory cortex of male mice could evoke such a variety of effects in tone-evoked responses and in behavioral frequency discrimination acuity. We found that, indeed, the effects of optogenetic manipulation on stimulus selectivity and behavior varied in both magnitude and sign across subjects, possibly reflecting differences in circuitry or expression of optogenetic factors. Changes in neural population responses consistently predicted behavioral changes for individuals separately, including improvement and impairment in acuity. This correlation between cortical and behavioral change demonstrates that, despite the complex and varied effects that these manipulations can have on neuronal dynamics, the resulting changes in cortical activity account for accompanying changes in behavioral acuity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Excitatory and inhibitory interactions determine stimulus specificity and tuning in sensory cortex, thereby controlling perceptual discrimination acuity. Modeling has predicted that suppressing the activity of inhibitory neurons can lead to increased or, paradoxically, decreased excitatory activity depending on the architecture of the network. Here, we capitalized on differences between subjects to test whether suppressing/activating inhibition and excitation can in fact exhibit such paradoxical effects for both stimulus sensitivity and behavioral discriminability. Indeed, the same optogenetic manipulation in the auditory cortex of different mice could improve or impair frequency discrimination acuity, predictable from the effects on cortical responses to tones. The same manipulations sometimes produced opposite changes in the behavior of different individuals, supporting theoretical predictions for inhibition-stabilized networks.
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Blundon JA, Roy NC, Teubner BJW, Yu J, Eom TY, Sample KJ, Pani A, Smeyne RJ, Han SB, Kerekes RA, Rose DC, Hackett TA, Vuppala PK, Freeman BB, Zakharenko SS. Restoring auditory cortex plasticity in adult mice by restricting thalamic adenosine signaling. Science 2017; 356:1352-1356. [PMID: 28663494 PMCID: PMC5523828 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf4612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Revised: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Circuits in the auditory cortex are highly susceptible to acoustic influences during an early postnatal critical period. The auditory cortex selectively expands neural representations of enriched acoustic stimuli, a process important for human language acquisition. Adults lack this plasticity. Here we show in the murine auditory cortex that juvenile plasticity can be reestablished in adulthood if acoustic stimuli are paired with disruption of ecto-5'-nucleotidase-dependent adenosine production or A1-adenosine receptor signaling in the auditory thalamus. This plasticity occurs at the level of cortical maps and individual neurons in the auditory cortex of awake adult mice and is associated with long-term improvement of tone-discrimination abilities. We conclude that, in adult mice, disrupting adenosine signaling in the thalamus rejuvenates plasticity in the auditory cortex and improves auditory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay A. Blundon
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Noah C. Roy
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brett J. W. Teubner
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jing Yu
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Tae-Yeon Eom
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - K. Jake Sample
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Amar Pani
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Richard J. Smeyne
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Seung Baek Han
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ryan A Kerekes
- Electrical and Electronics Systems Research Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Derek C. Rose
- Electrical and Electronics Systems Research Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Troy A. Hackett
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Pradeep K. Vuppala
- Preclinical Pharmacokinetics Shared Resource, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Burgess B. Freeman
- Preclinical Pharmacokinetics Shared Resource, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stanislav S. Zakharenko
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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Clause A, Lauer AM, Kandler K. Mice Lacking the Alpha9 Subunit of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Exhibit Deficits in Frequency Difference Limens and Sound Localization. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:167. [PMID: 28663725 PMCID: PMC5471293 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Sound processing in the cochlea is modulated by cholinergic efferent axons arising from medial olivocochlear neurons in the brainstem. These axons contact outer hair cells in the mature cochlea and inner hair cells during development and activate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors composed of α9 and α10 subunits. The α9 subunit is necessary for mediating the effects of acetylcholine on hair cells as genetic deletion of the α9 subunit results in functional cholinergic de-efferentation of the cochlea. Cholinergic modulation of spontaneous cochlear activity before hearing onset is important for the maturation of central auditory circuits. In α9KO mice, the developmental refinement of inhibitory afferents to the lateral superior olive is disturbed, resulting in decreased tonotopic organization of this sound localization nucleus. In this study, we used behavioral tests to investigate whether the circuit anomalies in α9KO mice correlate with sound localization or sound frequency processing. Using a conditioned lick suppression task to measure sound localization, we found that three out of four α9KO mice showed impaired minimum audible angles. Using a prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response paradigm, we found that the ability of α9KO mice to detect sound frequency changes was impaired, whereas their ability to detect sound intensity changes was not. These results demonstrate that cholinergic, nicotinic α9 subunit mediated transmission in the developing cochlear plays an important role in the maturation of hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Clause
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurobiology, University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA, United States
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Amanda M. Lauer
- Center for Hearing and Balance, David M. Rubenstein Center, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD, United States
| | - Karl Kandler
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurobiology, University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA, United States
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA, United States
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15
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Noise Trauma-Induced Behavioral Gap Detection Deficits Correlate with Reorganization of Excitatory and Inhibitory Local Circuits in the Inferior Colliculus and Are Prevented by Acoustic Enrichment. J Neurosci 2017; 37:6314-6330. [PMID: 28583912 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0602-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hearing loss leads to a host of cellular and synaptic changes in auditory brain areas that are thought to give rise to auditory perception deficits such as temporal processing impairments, hyperacusis, and tinnitus. However, little is known about possible changes in synaptic circuit connectivity that may underlie these hearing deficits. Here, we show that mild hearing loss as a result of brief noise exposure leads to a pronounced reorganization of local excitatory and inhibitory circuits in the mouse inferior colliculus. The exact nature of these reorganizations correlated with the presence or absence of the animals' impairments in detecting brief sound gaps, a commonly used behavioral sign for tinnitus in animal models. Mice with gap detection deficits (GDDs) showed a shift in the balance of synaptic excitation and inhibition that was present in both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, whereas mice without GDDs showed stable excitation-inhibition balances. Acoustic enrichment (AE) with moderate intensity, pulsed white noise immediately after noise trauma prevented both circuit reorganization and GDDs, raising the possibility of using AE immediately after cochlear damage to prevent or alleviate the emergence of central auditory processing deficits.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Noise overexposure is a major cause of central auditory processing disorders, including tinnitus, yet the changes in synaptic connectivity underlying these disorders remain poorly understood. Here, we find that brief noise overexposure leads to distinct reorganizations of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs onto glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons and that the nature of these reorganizations correlates with animals' impairments in detecting brief sound gaps, which is often considered a sign of tinnitus. Acoustic enrichment immediately after noise trauma prevents circuit reorganizations and gap detection deficits, highlighting the potential for using sound therapy soon after cochlear damage to prevent the development of central processing deficits.
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Lauer AM. Minimal Effects of Age and Exposure to a Noisy Environment on Hearing in Alpha9 Nicotinic Receptor Knockout Mice. Front Neurosci 2017. [PMID: 28626386 PMCID: PMC5454393 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have suggested a role of weakened medial olivocochlear (OC) efferent feedback in accelerated hearing loss and increased susceptibility to noise. The present study investigated the progression of hearing loss with age and exposure to a noisy environment in medial OC-deficient mice. Alpha9 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor knockout (α9KO) and wild types were screened for hearing loss using auditory brainstem responses. α9KO mice housed in a quiet environment did not show increased hearing loss compared to wild types in young adulthood and middle age. Challenging the medial OC system by housing in a noisy environment did not increase hearing loss in α9KO mice compared to wild types. ABR wave 1 amplitudes also did not show differences between α9KO mice and wild types. These data suggest that deficient medial OC feedback does not result in early onset of hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Lauer
- Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimore, MD, United States
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17
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Francis NA, Kanold PO. Automated Operant Conditioning in the Mouse Home Cage. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:10. [PMID: 28298887 PMCID: PMC5331059 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in neuroimaging and genetics have made mice an advantageous animal model for studying the neurophysiology of sensation, cognition, and locomotion. A key benefit of mice is that they provide a large population of test subjects for behavioral screening. Reflex-based assays of hearing in mice, such as the widely used acoustic startle response, are less accurate than operant conditioning in measuring auditory processing. To date, however, there are few cost-effective options for scalable operant conditioning systems. Here, we describe a new system for automated operant conditioning, the Psibox. It is assembled from low cost parts, designed to fit within typical commercial wire-top cages, and allows large numbers of mice to train independently in their home cages on positive reinforcement tasks. We found that groups of mice trained together learned to accurately detect sounds within 2 weeks of training. In addition, individual mice isolated from groups also showed good task performance. The Psibox facilitates high-throughput testing of sensory, motor, and cognitive skills in mice, and provides a readily available animal population for studies ranging from experience-dependent neural plasticity to rodent models of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolas A Francis
- Department of Biology, University of MarylandCollege Park, MD, USA; A. James Clark School of Engineering, Institute for Systems Research, University of MarylandCollege Park, MD, USA
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biology, University of MarylandCollege Park, MD, USA; A. James Clark School of Engineering, Institute for Systems Research, University of MarylandCollege Park, MD, USA
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18
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Bidirectional Regulation of Innate and Learned Behaviors That Rely on Frequency Discrimination by Cortical Inhibitory Neurons. PLoS Biol 2015; 13:e1002308. [PMID: 26629746 PMCID: PMC4668086 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to discriminate tones of different frequencies is fundamentally important for everyday hearing. While neurons in the primary auditory cortex (AC) respond differentially to tones of different frequencies, whether and how AC regulates auditory behaviors that rely on frequency discrimination remains poorly understood. Here, we find that the level of activity of inhibitory neurons in AC controls frequency specificity in innate and learned auditory behaviors that rely on frequency discrimination. Photoactivation of parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PVs) improved the ability of the mouse to detect a shift in tone frequency, whereas photosuppression of PVs impaired the performance. Furthermore, photosuppression of PVs during discriminative auditory fear conditioning increased generalization of conditioned response across tone frequencies, whereas PV photoactivation preserved normal specificity of learning. The observed changes in behavioral performance were correlated with bidirectional changes in the magnitude of tone-evoked responses, consistent with predictions of a model of a coupled excitatory-inhibitory cortical network. Direct photoactivation of excitatory neurons, which did not change tone-evoked response magnitude, did not affect behavioral performance in either task. Our results identify a new function for inhibition in the auditory cortex, demonstrating that it can improve or impair acuity of innate and learned auditory behaviors that rely on frequency discrimination. Hearing perception relies on our ability to tell apart the spectral content of different sounds, and to learn to use this difference to distinguish behaviorally relevant (such as dangerous and safe) sounds. Recently, we demonstrated that the auditory cortex regulates frequency discrimination acuity following associative learning. However, the neuronal circuits that underlie this modulation remain unknown. In the auditory cortex, excitatory neurons serve the dominant function in transmitting information about the sensory world within and across brain areas, whereas inhibitory interneurons carry a range of modulatory functions, shaping the way information is represented and processed. Our study elucidates the function of a specific inhibitory neuronal population in sound encoding and perception. We find that interneurons in the auditory cortex, belonging to a specific class (parvalbumin-positive), modulate frequency selectivity of excitatory neurons, and regulate frequency discrimination acuity and specificity of discriminative auditory associative learning. These results expand our understanding of how specific cortical circuits contribute to innate and learned auditory behavior. Modulating the activity of a specific type of cortical neuron can either improve or impair the ability to discriminate between tones of different frequencies and to associate danger with specific sounds.
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19
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Mwilambwe-Tshilobo L, Davis AJO, Aizenberg M, Geffen MN. Selective Impairment in Frequency Discrimination in a Mouse Model of Tinnitus. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137749. [PMID: 26352864 PMCID: PMC4564173 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is an auditory disorder, which affects millions of Americans, including active duty service members and veterans. It is manifested by a phantom sound that is commonly restricted to a specific frequency range. Because tinnitus is associated with hearing deficits, understanding how tinnitus affects hearing perception is important for guiding therapies to improve the quality of life in this vast group of patients. In a rodent model of tinnitus, prolonged exposure to a tone leads to a selective decrease in gap detection in specific frequency bands. However, whether and how hearing acuity is affected for sounds within and outside those frequency bands is not well understood. We induced tinnitus in mice by prolonged exposure to a loud mid-range tone, and behaviorally assayed whether mice exhibited a change in frequency discrimination acuity for tones embedded within the mid-frequency range and high-frequency range at 1, 4, and 8 weeks post-exposure. A subset of tone-exposed mice exhibited tinnitus-like symptoms, as demonstrated by selective deficits in gap detection, which were restricted to the high frequency range. These mice exhibited impaired frequency discrimination both for tones in the mid-frequency range and high-frequency range. The remaining tone exposed mice, which did not demonstrate behavioral evidence of tinnitus, showed temporary deficits in frequency discrimination for tones in the mid-frequency range, while control mice remained unimpaired. Our findings reveal that the high frequency-specific deficits in gap detection, indicative of tinnitus, are associated with impairments in frequency discrimination at the frequency of the presumed tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Mwilambwe-Tshilobo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology HNS, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Andrew J. O. Davis
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology HNS, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Mark Aizenberg
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology HNS, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Maria N. Geffen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology HNS, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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20
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Frequency discrimination in rats exposed to noise as juveniles. Physiol Behav 2015; 144:60-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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21
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Behrens D, Klump GM. Comparison of the sensitivity of prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex and operant conditioning in an auditory intensity difference limen paradigm. Hear Res 2015; 321:35-44. [PMID: 25580004 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2014.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Reward-based operant conditioning (OC) procedures and reflex-based prepulse inhibition (PPI) procedures are used in mouse psychoacoustics. Therefore it is important to know whether both procedures provide comparable results for perceptual measurements. Here we evaluate the sensitivity of the C57BL/6N mouse in both procedures by testing the same individuals in the same Intensity Difference Limen (IDL) task. Level increments of a 10 kHz tone were presented in a train of 10 kHz reference tones. Objective analysis based on signal-detection theory was applied to compare the results of OC and PPI procedures. In both procedures the sensitivity increased with level increment. In agreement with the near miss to Weber's law, sensitivity increased with sound level of the reference stimuli. The sensitivity observed in the OC procedure was considerably larger than the sensitivity in the PPI procedure. Applying a sensitivity of 1.0 as the threshold criterion, mean IDLs in the OC procedure were 5.0, 4.0 and 3.5 dB at reference levels of 30, 50 and 75 dB SPL respectively. In the PPI procedure, mean IDLs of 18.9 and 17.0 dB at reference levels of 50 and 75 dB SPL respectively were observed. Due to the low sensitivity, IDLs could not be determined in the PPI procedure at a reference level of 30 dB SPL. Possible causes for the low sensitivity in the PPI procedure are discussed. These results challenge the idea that both procedures can be used as simple substitutes of one another and the experimenter must be aware of the limitations of the respective procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derik Behrens
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Animal Physiology and Behaviour Group, Department for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Georg M Klump
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Animal Physiology and Behaviour Group, Department for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
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22
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Lu CC, Cao XJ, Wright S, Ma L, Oertel D, Goodrich LV. Mutation of Npr2 leads to blurred tonotopic organization of central auditory circuits in mice. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004823. [PMID: 25473838 PMCID: PMC4256264 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Tonotopy is a fundamental organizational feature of the auditory system. Sounds are encoded by the spatial and temporal patterns of electrical activity in spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) and are transmitted via tonotopically ordered processes from the cochlea through the eighth nerve to the cochlear nuclei. Upon reaching the brainstem, SGN axons bifurcate in a stereotyped pattern, innervating target neurons in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (aVCN) with one branch and in the posteroventral and dorsal cochlear nuclei (pVCN and DCN) with the other. Each branch is tonotopically organized, thereby distributing acoustic information systematically along multiple parallel pathways for processing in the brainstem. In mice with a mutation in the receptor guanylyl cyclase Npr2, this spatial organization is disrupted. Peripheral SGN processes appear normal, but central SGN processes fail to bifurcate and are disorganized as they exit the auditory nerve. Within the cochlear nuclei, the tonotopic organization of the SGN terminal arbors is blurred and the aVCN is underinnervated with a reduced convergence of SGN inputs onto target neurons. The tonotopy of circuitry within the cochlear nuclei is also degraded, as revealed by changes in the topographic mapping of tuberculoventral cell projections from DCN to VCN. Nonetheless, Npr2 mutant SGN axons are able to transmit acoustic information with normal sensitivity and timing, as revealed by auditory brainstem responses and electrophysiological recordings from VCN neurons. Although most features of signal transmission are normal, intermittent failures were observed in responses to trains of shocks, likely due to a failure in action potential conduction at branch points in Npr2 mutant afferent fibers. Our results show that Npr2 is necessary for the precise spatial organization typical of central auditory circuits, but that signals are still transmitted with normal timing, and that mutant mice can hear even with these deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy C. Lu
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xiao-Jie Cao
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Samantha Wright
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Le Ma
- Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Donata Oertel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Lisa V. Goodrich
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Hånell A, Marklund N. Structured evaluation of rodent behavioral tests used in drug discovery research. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:252. [PMID: 25100962 PMCID: PMC4106406 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
A large variety of rodent behavioral tests are currently being used to evaluate traits such as sensory-motor function, social interactions, anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior, substance dependence and various forms of cognitive function. Most behavioral tests have an inherent complexity, and their use requires consideration of several aspects such as the source of motivation in the test, the interaction between experimenter and animal, sources of variability, the sensory modality required by the animal to solve the task as well as costs and required work effort. Of particular importance is a test’s validity because of its influence on the chance of successful translation of preclinical results to clinical settings. High validity may, however, have to be balanced against practical constraints and there are no behavioral tests with optimal characteristics. The design and development of new behavioral tests is therefore an ongoing effort and there are now well over one hundred tests described in the contemporary literature. Some of them are well established following extensive use, while others are novel and still unproven. The task of choosing a behavioral test for a particular project may therefore be daunting and the aim of the present review is to provide a structured way to evaluate rodent behavioral tests aimed at drug discovery research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Hånell
- Department of Neuroscience, Section for Neurosurgery, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden ; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Niklas Marklund
- Department of Neuroscience, Section for Neurosurgery, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
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24
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de Hoz L, Nelken I. Frequency tuning in the behaving mouse: different bandwidths for discrimination and generalization. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91676. [PMID: 24632841 PMCID: PMC3954732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
When faced with sensory stimuli, an organism may be required to detect very small differences in a physical parameter (discrimination), while in other situations it may have to generalize over many possible values of the same physical parameter. This decision may be based both on learned information and on sensory aspects of perception. In the present study we describe frequency processing in the behaving mouse using both discrimination and generalization as two key aspects of behaviour. We used a novel naturalistic behavioural apparatus designed for mice, the Audiobox, and paradigm contingencies that were identical for both auditory discrimination and generalization, the latter measured using latent inhibition. Mice learned to discriminate between frequencies that were an octave apart in a single trial. They showed significant discrimination between tone frequencies that were as close as 4–7%, and had d' of about 1 for ΔF of around 10%. In contrast, pre-exposure frequencies that were half an octave or less below the conditioned tone elicited latent inhibition, showing a generalization bandwidth of at least half an octave. Thus, in the same apparatus and using the same general memory paradigm, mice showed generalization gradients that were considerably wider than their discrimination threshold, indicating that environmental requirements and previous experience can determine whether the same two frequencies will be considered same or different. Remarkably, generalization gradients paralleled the typical bandwidths established in the auditory periphery and midbrain, suggesting that frequencies may be considered similar when falling within the same critical band.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia de Hoz
- Department of Neurobiology, the Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Israel Nelken
- Department of Neurobiology, the Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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25
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Bidirectional effects of aversive learning on perceptual acuity are mediated by the sensory cortex. Nat Neurosci 2013; 16:994-6. [PMID: 23817548 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Although emotional learning affects sensory acuity, little is known about how these changes are facilitated in the brain. We found that auditory fear conditioning in mice elicited either an increase or a decrease in frequency discrimination acuity depending on how specific the learned response was to the conditioned tone. Using reversible pharmacological inactivation, we found that the auditory cortex mediated learning-evoked changes in acuity in both directions.
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26
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Prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle reflex as a function of the frequency difference between prepulse and background sounds in mice. PLoS One 2012; 7:e45123. [PMID: 22984620 PMCID: PMC3439429 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2012] [Accepted: 08/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prepulse inhibition (PPI) depicts the effects of a weak sound preceding strong acoustic stimulus on acoustic startle response (ASR). Previous studies suggest that PPI is influenced by physical parameters of prepulse sound such as intensity and preceding time. The present study characterizes the impact of prepulse tone frequency on PPI. Methods Seven female C57BL mice were used in the present study. ASR was induced by a 100 dB SPL white noise burst. After assessing the effect of background sounds (white noise and pure tones) on ASR, PPI was tested by using prepulse pure tones with the background tone of either 10 or 18 kHz. The inhibitory effect was assessed by measuring and analyzing the changes in the first peak-to-peak magnitude, root mean square value, duration and latency of the ASR as the function of frequency difference between prepulse and background tones. Results Our data showed that ASR magnitude with pure tone background varied with tone frequency and was smaller than that with white noise background. Prepulse tone systematically reduced ASR as the function of the difference in frequency between prepulse and background tone. The 0.5 kHz difference appeared to be a prerequisite for inducing substantial ASR inhibition. The frequency dependence of PPI was similar under either a 10 or 18 kHz background tone. Conclusion PPI is sensitive to frequency information of the prepulse sound. However, the critical factor is not tone frequency itself, but the frequency difference between the prepulse and background tones.
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