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Wake N, Shiramatsu TI, Takahashi H. Map plasticity following noise exposure in auditory cortex of rats: implications for disentangling neural correlates of tinnitus and hyperacusis. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1385942. [PMID: 38881748 PMCID: PMC11176560 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1385942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Both tinnitus and hyperacusis, likely triggered by hearing loss, can be attributed to maladaptive plasticity in auditory perception. However, owing to their co-occurrence, disentangling their neural mechanisms proves difficult. We hypothesized that the neural correlates of tinnitus are associated with neural activities triggered by low-intensity tones, while hyperacusis is linked to responses to moderate- and high-intensity tones. Methods To test these hypotheses, we conducted behavioral and electrophysiological experiments in rats 2 to 8 days after traumatic tone exposure. Results In the behavioral experiments, prepulse and gap inhibition tended to exhibit different frequency characteristics (although not reaching sufficient statistical levels), suggesting that exposure to traumatic tones led to acute symptoms of hyperacusis and tinnitus at different frequency ranges. When examining the auditory cortex at the thalamocortical recipient layer, we observed that tinnitus symptoms correlated with a disorganized tonotopic map, typically characterized by responses to low-intensity tones. Neural correlates of hyperacusis were found in the cortical recruitment function at the multi-unit activity (MUA) level, but not at the local field potential (LFP) level, in response to moderate- and high-intensity tones. This shift from LFP to MUA was associated with a loss of monotonicity, suggesting a crucial role for inhibitory synapses. Discussion Thus, in acute symptoms of traumatic tone exposure, our experiments successfully disentangled the neural correlates of tinnitus and hyperacusis at the thalamocortical recipient layer of the auditory cortex. They also suggested that tinnitus is linked to central noise, whereas hyperacusis is associated with aberrant gain control. Further interactions between animal experiments and clinical studies will offer insights into neural mechanisms, diagnosis and treatments of tinnitus and hyperacusis, specifically in terms of long-term plasticity of chronic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hirokazu Takahashi
- Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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2
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Carroll AM, Riley JR, Borland MS, Danaphongse TT, Hays SA, Kilgard MP, Engineer CT. Bursts of vagus nerve stimulation paired with auditory rehabilitation fail to improve speech sound perception in rats with hearing loss. iScience 2024; 27:109527. [PMID: 38585658 PMCID: PMC10995867 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Hearing loss can lead to long-lasting effects on the central nervous system, and current therapies, such as auditory training and rehabilitation, show mixed success in improving perception and speech comprehension. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an adjunctive therapy that can be paired with rehabilitation to facilitate behavioral recovery after neural injury. However, VNS for auditory recovery has not been tested after severe hearing loss or significant damage to peripheral receptors. This study investigated the utility of pairing VNS with passive or active auditory rehabilitation in a rat model of noise-induced hearing loss. Although auditory rehabilitation helped rats improve their frequency discrimination, learn novel speech discrimination tasks, and achieve speech-in-noise performance similar to normal hearing controls, VNS did not enhance recovery of speech sound perception. These results highlight the limitations of VNS as an adjunctive therapy for hearing loss rehabilitation and suggest that optimal benefits from neuromodulation may require restored peripheral signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan M. Carroll
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Jonathan R. Riley
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Michael S. Borland
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Tanya T. Danaphongse
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Seth A. Hays
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Michael P. Kilgard
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Crystal T. Engineer
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Biomedical Device Center, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080-3021, USA
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Cassinotti LR, Ji L, Yuk MC, Desai AS, Cass ND, Amir ZA, Corfas G. Hidden hearing loss in hereditary demyelinating neuropathies: insights from Charcot-Marie-Tooth mouse models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.14.571732. [PMID: 38168255 PMCID: PMC10760174 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.14.571732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Hidden hearing loss (HHL) is a recently described auditory neuropathy characterized by normal audiometric thresholds but reduced sound-evoked potentials. It has been proposed that HHL contributes to hearing difficulty in noisy environments in people with normal audiometric thresholds, a widespread complaint. While most studies on HHL pathogenesis have focused on inner hair cell (IHC) synaptopathy, recent research suggests that transient auditory nerve (AN) demyelination may also cause HHL. To test the impact of myelinopathy in a clinically relevant model, we studied a mouse model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A (CMT1A), the most prevalent hereditary peripheral neuropathy in humans. CMT1A mice exhibit the functional hallmarks of HHL, together with disorganization of AN heminodes near the IHCs with minor loss of AN fibers. Our results support the hypothesis that mild disruptions of AN myelination can cause HHL, and that heminodal defects contribute to the alterations in action potential amplitudes and latencies seen in these models. Also, these findings suggest that patients with CMT1A or other mild peripheral neuropathies are likely to suffer from HHL. Furthermore, these results suggest that studies of hearing in CMT1A patients might help develop robust clinical tests for HHL, which are currently lacking.
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4
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Krall RF, Chambers CN, Arnold MP, Brougher LI, Chen J, Deshmukh R, King HB, Morford HJ, Wiemann JM, Williamson RS. Primary auditory cortex is necessary for the acquisition and expression of categorical behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.02.578700. [PMID: 38352355 PMCID: PMC10862902 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.02.578700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The primary auditory cortex (ACtx) is critically involved in the association of sensory information with specific behavioral outcomes. Such sensory-guided behaviors are necessarily brain-wide endeavors, requiring a plethora of distinct brain areas, including those that are involved in aspects of decision making, motor planning, motor initiation, and reward prediction. ACtx comprises a number of distinct excitatory cell-types that allow for the brain-wide propagation of behaviorally-relevant sensory information. Exactly how ACtx involvement changes as a function of learning, as well as the functional role of distinct excitatory cell-types is unclear. Here, we addressed these questions by designing a two-choice auditory task in which water-restricted, head-fixed mice were trained to categorize the temporal rate of a sinusoidal amplitude modulated (sAM) noise burst and used transient cell-type specific optogenetics to probe ACtx necessity across the duration of learning. Our data demonstrate that ACtx is necessary for the ability to categorize the rate of sAM noise, and this necessity grows across learning. ACtx silencing substantially altered the behavioral strategies used to solve the task by introducing a fluctuating choice bias and increasing dependence on prior decisions. Furthermore, ACtx silencing did not impact the animal's motor report, suggesting that ACtx is necessary for the conversion of sensation to action. Targeted inhibition of extratelencephalic projections on just 20% of trials had a minimal effect on task performance, but significantly degraded learning. Taken together, our data suggest that distinct cortical cell-types synergistically control auditory-guided behavior and that extratelencephalic neurons play a critical role in learning and plasticity.
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5
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Mai J, Gargiullo R, Zheng M, Esho V, Hussein OE, Pollay E, Bowe C, Williamson LM, McElroy AF, Goolsby WN, Brooks KA, Rodgers CC. Sound-seeking before and after hearing loss in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.08.574475. [PMID: 38260458 PMCID: PMC10802496 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.08.574475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
How we move our bodies affects how we perceive sound. For instance, we can explore an environment to seek out the source of a sound and we can use head movements to compensate for hearing loss. How we do this is not well understood because many auditory experiments are designed to limit head and body movements. To study the role of movement in hearing, we developed a behavioral task called sound-seeking that rewarded mice for tracking down an ongoing sound source. Over the course of learning, mice more efficiently navigated to the sound. We then asked how auditory behavior was affected by hearing loss induced by surgical removal of the malleus from the middle ear. An innate behavior, the auditory startle response, was abolished by bilateral hearing loss and unaffected by unilateral hearing loss. Similarly, performance on the sound-seeking task drastically declined after bilateral hearing loss and did not recover. In striking contrast, mice with unilateral hearing loss were only transiently impaired on sound-seeking; over a recovery period of about a week, they regained high levels of performance, increasingly reliant on a different spatial sampling strategy. Thus, even in the face of permanent unilateral damage to the peripheral auditory system, mice recover their ability to perform a naturalistic sound-seeking task. This paradigm provides an opportunity to examine how body movement enables better hearing and resilient adaptation to sensory deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Mai
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30322
| | - Rowan Gargiullo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30322
| | - Megan Zheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30322
| | - Valentina Esho
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30322
| | - Osama E Hussein
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30322
| | - Eliana Pollay
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30322
| | - Cedric Bowe
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta GA 30322
| | | | | | - William N Goolsby
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30322
| | - Kaitlyn A Brooks
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30308
| | - Chris C Rodgers
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30322
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30322
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA 30322
- Department of Biology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Atlanta GA 30322
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6
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Valerio P, Rechenmann J, Joshi S, De Franceschi G, Barkat TR. Sequential maturation of stimulus-specific adaptation in the mouse lemniscal auditory system. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadi7624. [PMID: 38170771 PMCID: PMC10776000 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi7624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA), the reduction of neural activity to a common stimulus that does not generalize to other, rare stimuli, is an essential property of our brain. Although well characterized in adults, it is still unknown how it develops during adolescence and what neuronal circuits are involved. Using in vivo electrophysiology and optogenetics in the lemniscal pathway of the mouse auditory system, we observed SSA to be stable from postnatal day 20 (P20) in the inferior colliculus, to develop until P30 in the auditory thalamus and even later in the primary auditory cortex (A1). We found this maturation process to be experience-dependent in A1 but not in thalamus and to be related to alterations in deep but not input layers of A1. We also identified corticothalamic projections to be implicated in thalamic SSA development. Together, our results reveal different circuits underlying the sequential SSA maturation and provide a unique perspective to understand predictive coding and surprise across sensory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Valerio
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julien Rechenmann
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Suyash Joshi
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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7
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Jahn KN, Polley DB. Asymmetric hearing thresholds are associated with hyperacusis in a large clinical population. Hear Res 2023; 437:108854. [PMID: 37487430 PMCID: PMC11075140 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108854] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Hyperacusis is a debilitating auditory condition whose characterization is largely qualitative and is typically based on small participant cohorts. Here, we characterize the hearing and demographic profiles of adults who reported hyperacusis upon audiological evaluation at a large medical center. Audiometric data from 626 adults (age 18-80 years) with documented hyperacusis were retrospectively extracted from medical records and compared to an age- and sex-matched reference group of patients from the same clinic who did not report hyperacusis. Patients with hyperacusis had lower (i.e., better) high-frequency hearing thresholds (2000-8000 Hz), but significantly larger interaural threshold asymmetries (250-8000 Hz) relative to the reference group. The probability of reporting hyperacusis was highest for normal, asymmetric, and notched audiometric configurations. Many patients reported unilateral hyperacusis symptoms, a history of noise exposure, and co-morbid tinnitus. The high prevalence of both overt and subclinical hearing asymmetries in the hyperacusis population suggests a central compensatory mechanism that is dominated by input from an intact or minimally damaged ear, and which may lead to perceptual hypersensitivity by overshooting baseline neural activity levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly N Jahn
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75235, USA; Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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8
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Issa LK, Sekaran NVC, Llano DA. Highly branched and complementary distributions of layer 5 and layer 6 auditory corticofugal axons in mouse. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9566-9582. [PMID: 37386697 PMCID: PMC10431747 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad227] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The auditory cortex exerts a powerful, yet heterogeneous, effect on subcortical targets. Auditory corticofugal projections emanate from layers 5 and 6 and have complementary physiological properties. While several studies suggested that layer 5 corticofugal projections branch widely, others suggested that multiple independent projections exist. Less is known about layer 6; no studies have examined whether the various layer 6 corticofugal projections are independent. Therefore, we examined branching patterns of layers 5 and 6 auditory corticofugal neurons, using the corticocollicular system as an index, using traditional and novel approaches. We confirmed that dual retrograde injections into the mouse inferior colliculus and auditory thalamus co-labeled subpopulations of layers 5 and 6 auditory cortex neurons. We then used an intersectional approach to relabel layer 5 or 6 corticocollicular somata and found that both layers sent extensive branches to multiple subcortical structures. Using a novel approach to separately label layers 5 and 6 axons in individual mice, we found that layers 5 and 6 terminal distributions partially spatially overlapped and that giant terminals were only found in layer 5-derived axons. Overall, the high degree of branching and complementarity in layers 5 and 6 axonal distributions suggest that corticofugal projections should be considered as 2 widespread systems, rather than collections of individual projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina K Issa
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Nathiya V C Sekaran
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
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9
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Kumar M, Handy G, Kouvaros S, Zhao Y, Brinson LL, Wei E, Bizup B, Doiron B, Tzounopoulos T. Cell-type-specific plasticity of inhibitory interneurons in the rehabilitation of auditory cortex after peripheral damage. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4170. [PMID: 37443148 PMCID: PMC10345144 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39732-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral sensory organ damage leads to compensatory cortical plasticity that is associated with a remarkable recovery of cortical responses to sound. The precise mechanisms that explain how this plasticity is implemented and distributed over a diverse collection of excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons remain unknown. After noise trauma and persistent peripheral deficits, we found recovered sound-evoked activity in mouse A1 excitatory principal neurons (PNs), parvalbumin- and vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing neurons (PVs and VIPs), but reduced activity in somatostatin-expressing neurons (SOMs). This cell-type-specific recovery was also associated with cell-type-specific intrinsic plasticity. These findings, along with our computational modelling results, are consistent with the notion that PV plasticity contributes to PN stability, SOM plasticity allows for increased PN and PV activity, and VIP plasticity enables PN and PV recovery by inhibiting SOMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kumar
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
| | - Gregory Handy
- Departments of Neurobiology and Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Stylianos Kouvaros
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Yanjun Zhao
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Lovisa Ljungqvist Brinson
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Eric Wei
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Brandon Bizup
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Brent Doiron
- Departments of Neurobiology and Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Thanos Tzounopoulos
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
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10
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Ibrahim BA, Louie JJ, Shinagawa Y, Xiao G, Asilador AR, Sable HJK, Schantz SL, Llano DA. Developmental Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls Prevents Recovery from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Disrupts the Functional Organization of the Inferior Colliculus. J Neurosci 2023; 43:4580-4597. [PMID: 37147134 PMCID: PMC10286948 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0030-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to combinations of environmental toxins is growing in prevalence; and therefore, understanding their interactions is of increasing societal importance. Here, we examined the mechanisms by which two environmental toxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and high-amplitude acoustic noise, interact to produce dysfunction in central auditory processing. PCBs are well established to impose negative developmental impacts on hearing. However, it is not known whether developmental exposure to this ototoxin alters the sensitivity to other ototoxic exposures later in life. Here, male mice were exposed to PCBs in utero, and later as adults were exposed to 45 min of high-intensity noise. We then examined the impacts of the two exposures on hearing and the organization of the auditory midbrain using two-photon imaging and analysis of the expression of mediators of oxidative stress. We observed that developmental exposure to PCBs blocked hearing recovery from acoustic trauma. In vivo two-photon imaging of the inferior colliculus (IC) revealed that this lack of recovery was associated with disruption of the tonotopic organization and reduction of inhibition in the auditory midbrain. In addition, expression analysis in the inferior colliculus revealed that reduced GABAergic inhibition was more prominent in animals with a lower capacity to mitigate oxidative stress. These data suggest that combined PCBs and noise exposure act nonlinearly to damage hearing and that this damage is associated with synaptic reorganization, and reduced capacity to limit oxidative stress. In addition, this work provides a new paradigm by which to understand nonlinear interactions between combinations of environmental toxins.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Exposure to common environmental toxins is a large and growing problem in the population. This work provides a new mechanistic understanding of how the prenatal and postnatal developmental changes induced by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) could negatively impact the resilience of the brain to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) later in adulthood. The use of state-of-the-art tools, including in vivo multiphoton microscopy of the midbrain helped in identifying the long-term central changes in the auditory system after the peripheral hearing damage induced by such environmental toxins. In addition, the novel combination of methods employed in this study will lead to additional advances in our understanding of mechanisms of central hearing loss in other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baher A Ibrahim
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Jeremy J Louie
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Yoshitaka Shinagawa
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Gang Xiao
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Alexander R Asilador
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Helen J K Sable
- The Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152
| | - Susan L Schantz
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
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11
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Singh A, Smith PF, Zheng Y. Targeting the Limbic System: Insights into Its Involvement in Tinnitus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9889. [PMID: 37373034 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is originally derived from the Latin verb tinnire, which means "to ring". Tinnitus, a complex disorder, is a result of sentient cognizance of a sound in the absence of an external auditory stimulus. It is reported in children, adults, and older populations. Patients suffering from tinnitus often present with hearing loss, anxiety, depression, and sleep disruption in addition to a hissing and ringing in the ear. Surgical interventions and many other forms of treatment have been only partially effective due to heterogeneity in tinnitus patients and a lack of understanding of the mechanisms of tinnitus. Although researchers across the globe have made significant progress in understanding the underlying mechanisms of tinnitus over the past few decades, tinnitus is still deemed to be a scientific enigma. This review summarises the role of the limbic system in tinnitus development and provides insight into the development of potential target-specific tinnitus therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- The Eisdell Moore Centre for Research in Hearing and Balance Disorders, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Paul F Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- The Eisdell Moore Centre for Research in Hearing and Balance Disorders, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Yiwen Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- The Eisdell Moore Centre for Research in Hearing and Balance Disorders, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
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12
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Ghimire M, Cai R, Ling L, Brownell KA, Hackett TA, Llano DA, Caspary DM. Increased pyramidal and VIP neuronal excitability in rat primary auditory cortex directly correlates with tinnitus behaviour. J Physiol 2023; 601:2493-2511. [PMID: 37119035 PMCID: PMC10330441 DOI: 10.1113/jp284675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus affects roughly 15%-20% of the population while severely impacting 10% of those afflicted. Tinnitus pathology is multifactorial, generally initiated by damage to the auditory periphery, resulting in a cascade of maladaptive plastic changes at multiple levels of the central auditory neuraxis as well as limbic and non-auditory cortical centres. Using a well-established condition-suppression model of tinnitus, we measured tinnitus-related changes in the microcircuits of excitatory/inhibitory neurons onto layer 5 pyramidal neurons (PNs), as well as changes in the excitability of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) neurons in primary auditory cortex (A1). Patch-clamp recordings from PNs in A1 slices showed tinnitus-related increases in spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) and decreases in spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs). Both measures could be correlated to the rat's behavioural evidence of tinnitus. Tinnitus-related changes in PN excitability were independent of changes in A1 excitatory or inhibitory cell numbers. VIP neurons, part of an A1 local circuit that can control the excitation of layer 5 PNs via disinhibitory mechanisms, showed significant tinnitus-related increases in excitability that directly correlated with the rat's behavioural tinnitus score. That PN and VIP changes directly correlated to tinnitus behaviour suggests an important role in A1 tinnitus pathology. Tinnitus-related A1 changes were similar to findings in studies of neuropathic pain in somatosensory cortex suggesting a common pathology of these troublesome perceptual impairments. Improved understanding between excitatory, inhibitory and disinhibitory sensory cortical circuits can serve as a model for testing therapeutic approaches to the treatment of tinnitus and chronic pain. KEY POINTS: We identified tinnitus-related changes in synaptic function of specific neuronal subtypes in a reliable animal model of tinnitus. The findings show direct and indirect tinnitus-related losses of normal inhibitory function at A1 layer 5 pyramidal cells, and increased VIP excitability. The findings are similar to what has been shown for neuropathic pain suggesting that restoring normal inhibitory function at synaptic inputs onto A1 pyramidal neurons (PNs) could conceptually reduce tinnitus discomfort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madan Ghimire
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois 62702
| | - Rui Cai
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois 62702
| | - Lynne Ling
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois 62702
| | - Kevin A. Brownell
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois 62702
| | - Troy A. Hackett
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Daniel A. Llano
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Donald M. Caspary
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois 62702
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13
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Willmore BDB, King AJ. Adaptation in auditory processing. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:1025-1058. [PMID: 36049112 PMCID: PMC9829473 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00011.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptation is an essential feature of auditory neurons, which reduces their responses to unchanging and recurring sounds and allows their response properties to be matched to the constantly changing statistics of sounds that reach the ears. As a consequence, processing in the auditory system highlights novel or unpredictable sounds and produces an efficient representation of the vast range of sounds that animals can perceive by continually adjusting the sensitivity and, to a lesser extent, the tuning properties of neurons to the most commonly encountered stimulus values. Together with attentional modulation, adaptation to sound statistics also helps to generate neural representations of sound that are tolerant to background noise and therefore plays a vital role in auditory scene analysis. In this review, we consider the diverse forms of adaptation that are found in the auditory system in terms of the processing levels at which they arise, the underlying neural mechanisms, and their impact on neural coding and perception. We also ask what the dynamics of adaptation, which can occur over multiple timescales, reveal about the statistical properties of the environment. Finally, we examine how adaptation to sound statistics is influenced by learning and experience and changes as a result of aging and hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben D. B. Willmore
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J. King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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14
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Ibrahim BA, Louie J, Shinagawa Y, Xiao G, Asilador AR, Sable HJK, Schantz SL, Llano DA. Developmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls prevents recovery from noise-induced hearing loss and disrupts the functional organization of the inferior colliculus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.23.534008. [PMID: 36993666 PMCID: PMC10055398 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.23.534008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to combinations of environmental toxins is growing in prevalence, and therefore understanding their interactions is of increasing societal importance. Here, we examined the mechanisms by which two environmental toxins - polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and high-amplitude acoustic noise - interact to produce dysfunction in central auditory processing. PCBs are well-established to impose negative developmental impacts on hearing. However, it is not known if developmental exposure to this ototoxin alters the sensitivity to other ototoxic exposures later in life. Here, male mice were exposed to PCBs in utero, and later as adults were exposed to 45 minutes of high-intensity noise. We then examined the impacts of the two exposures on hearing and the organization of the auditory midbrain using two-photon imaging and analysis of the expression of mediators of oxidative stress. We observed that developmental exposure to PCBs blocked hearing recovery from acoustic trauma. In vivo two-photon imaging of the inferior colliculus revealed that this lack of recovery was associated with disruption of the tonotopic organization and reduction of inhibition in the auditory midbrain. In addition, expression analysis in the inferior colliculus revealed that reduced GABAergic inhibition was more prominent in animals with a lower capacity to mitigate oxidative stress. These data suggest that combined PCBs and noise exposure act nonlinearly to damage hearing and that this damage is associated with synaptic reorganization, and reduced capacity to limit oxidative stress. In addition, this work provides a new paradigm by which to understand nonlinear interactions between combinations of environmental toxins. Significance statement Exposure to common environmental toxins is a large and growing problem in the population. This work provides a new mechanistic understanding of how the pre-and postnatal developmental changes induced by polychlorinated biphenyls could negatively impact the resilience of the brain to noise-induced hearing loss later in adulthood. The use of state-of-the-art tools, including in vivo multiphoton microscopy of the midbrain helped in identifying the long-term central changes in the auditory system after the peripheral hearing damage induced by such environmental toxins. In addition, the novel combination of methods employed in this study will lead to additional advances in our understanding of mechanisms of central hearing loss in other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baher A. Ibrahim
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jeremy Louie
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Yoshitaka Shinagawa
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Gang Xiao
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Neuroscience Program, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Alexander R. Asilador
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Neuroscience Program, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Helen J. K. Sable
- The Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Susan L. Schantz
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Daniel A. Llano
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Neuroscience Program, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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15
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Nogueira I, Lima TZ, Malfatti T, Leao KE. Loud noise-exposure changes the firing frequency of subtypes of layer 5 pyramidal neurons and Martinotti cells in the mouse auditory cortex. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1152497. [PMID: 37213542 PMCID: PMC10192617 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1152497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Loud noise-exposure can generate noise-induced tinnitus in both humans and animals. Imaging and in vivo studies show that noise exposure affects the auditory cortex; however, cellular mechanisms of tinnitus generation are unclear. Methods Here we compare membrane properties of layer 5 (L5) pyramidal cells (PCs) and Martinotti cells expressing the cholinergic receptor nicotinic alpha 2 subunit gene (Chrna2) of the primary auditory cortex (A1) from control and noise-exposed (4-18 kHz, 90 dB, 1.5 h, followed by 1.5 h silence) 5-8 week old mice. PCs were furthermore classified in type A or type B based on electrophysiological membrane properties, and a logistic regression model predicting that afterhyperpolarization (AHP) and afterdepolarization (ADP) are sufficient to predict cell type, and these features are preserved after noise trauma. Results One week after a loud noise-exposure no passive membrane properties of type A or B PCs were altered but principal component analysis showed greater separation between type A PCs from control and noise-exposed mice. When comparing individual firing properties, noise exposure differentially affected type A and B PC firing frequency in response to depolarizing current steps. Specifically, type A PCs decreased initial firing frequency in response to +200 pA steps (p = 0.020) as well as decreased steady state firing frequency (p = 0.050) while type B PCs, on the contrary, significantly increased steady state firing frequency (p = 0.048) in response to a + 150 pA step 1 week after noise exposure. In addition, L5 Martinotti cells showed a more hyperpolarized resting membrane potential (p = 0.04), higher rheobase (p = 0.008) and an increased initial (p = 8.5 × 10-5) and steady state firing frequency (p = 6.3 × 10-5) in slices from noise-exposed mice compared to control. Discussion These results show that loud noise can cause distinct effects on type A and B L5 PCs and inhibitory Martinotti cells of the primary auditory cortex 1 week following noise exposure. As the L5 comprises PCs that send feedback to other areas, loud noise exposure appears to alter levels of activity of the descending and contralateral auditory system.
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16
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McGill M, Hight AE, Watanabe YL, Parthasarathy A, Cai D, Clayton K, Hancock KE, Takesian A, Kujawa SG, Polley DB. Neural signatures of auditory hypersensitivity following acoustic trauma. eLife 2022; 11:e80015. [PMID: 36111669 PMCID: PMC9555866 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons in sensory cortex exhibit a remarkable capacity to maintain stable firing rates despite large fluctuations in afferent activity levels. However, sudden peripheral deafferentation in adulthood can trigger an excessive, non-homeostatic cortical compensatory response that may underlie perceptual disorders including sensory hypersensitivity, phantom limb pain, and tinnitus. Here, we show that mice with noise-induced damage of the high-frequency cochlear base were behaviorally hypersensitive to spared mid-frequency tones and to direct optogenetic stimulation of auditory thalamocortical neurons. Chronic two-photon calcium imaging from ACtx pyramidal neurons (PyrNs) revealed an initial stage of spatially diffuse hyperactivity, hyper-correlation, and auditory hyperresponsivity that consolidated around deafferented map regions three or more days after acoustic trauma. Deafferented PyrN ensembles also displayed hypersensitive decoding of spared mid-frequency tones that mirrored behavioral hypersensitivity, suggesting that non-homeostatic regulation of cortical sound intensity coding following sensorineural loss may be an underlying source of auditory hypersensitivity. Excess cortical response gain after acoustic trauma was expressed heterogeneously among individual PyrNs, yet 40% of this variability could be accounted for by each cell's baseline response properties prior to acoustic trauma. PyrNs with initially high spontaneous activity and gradual monotonic intensity growth functions were more likely to exhibit non-homeostatic excess gain after acoustic trauma. This suggests that while cortical gain changes are triggered by reduced bottom-up afferent input, their subsequent stabilization is also shaped by their local circuit milieu, where indicators of reduced inhibition can presage pathological hyperactivity following sensorineural hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew McGill
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Ariel E Hight
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Yurika L Watanabe
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
| | - Aravindakshan Parthasarathy
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Dongqin Cai
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Kameron Clayton
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Kenneth E Hancock
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Anne Takesian
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Sharon G Kujawa
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
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17
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Jahn KN. Clinical and investigational tools for monitoring noise-induced hyperacusis. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:553. [PMID: 35931527 PMCID: PMC9448410 DOI: 10.1121/10.0012684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Hyperacusis is a recognized perceptual consequence of acoustic overexposure that can lead to debilitating psychosocial effects. Despite the profound impact of hyperacusis on quality of life, clinicians and researchers lack objective biomarkers and standardized protocols for its assessment. Outcomes of conventional audiologic tests are highly variable in the hyperacusis population and do not adequately capture the multifaceted nature of the condition on an individual level. This presents challenges for the differential diagnosis of hyperacusis, its clinical surveillance, and evaluation of new treatment options. Multiple behavioral and objective assays are emerging as contenders for inclusion in hyperacusis assessment protocols but most still await rigorous validation. There remains a pressing need to develop tools to quantify common nonauditory symptoms, including annoyance, fear, and pain. This review describes the current literature on clinical and investigational tools that have been used to diagnose and monitor hyperacusis, as well as those that hold promise for inclusion in future trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly N Jahn
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
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18
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Jahn KN, Hancock KE, Maison SF, Polley DB. Estimated cochlear neural degeneration is associated with loudness hypersensitivity in individuals with normal audiograms. JASA EXPRESS LETTERS 2022; 2:064403. [PMID: 35719240 PMCID: PMC9199082 DOI: 10.1121/10.0011694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In animal models, cochlear neural degeneration (CND) is associated with excess central gain and hyperacusis, but a compelling link between reduced cochlear neural inputs and heightened loudness perception in humans remains elusive. The present study examined whether greater estimated cochlear neural degeneration (eCND) in human participants with normal hearing thresholds is associated with heightened loudness perception and sound aversion. Results demonstrated that loudness perception was heightened in ears with greater eCND and in subjects who self-report loudness aversion via a hyperacusis questionnaire. These findings suggest that CND may be a potential trigger for loudness hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly N Jahn
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA , , ,
| | - Kenneth E Hancock
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA , , ,
| | - Stéphane F Maison
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA , , ,
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA , , ,
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19
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Malfatti T, Ciralli B, Hilscher MM, Leao RN, Leao KE. Decreasing dorsal cochlear nucleus activity ameliorates noise-induced tinnitus perception in mice. BMC Biol 2022; 20:102. [PMID: 35550106 PMCID: PMC9097071 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01288-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) is a region known to integrate somatosensory and auditory inputs and is identified as a potential key structure in the generation of phantom sound perception, especially noise-induced tinnitus. Yet, how altered homeostatic plasticity of the DCN induces and maintains the sensation of tinnitus is not clear. Here, we chemogenetically decrease activity of a subgroup of DCN neurons, Ca2+/Calmodulin kinase 2 α (CaMKII α)-positive DCN neurons, using Gi-coupled human M4 Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (hM4Di DREADDs), to investigate their role in noise-induced tinnitus. Results Mice were exposed to loud noise (9–11kHz, 90dBSPL, 1h, followed by 2h of silence), and auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and gap prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle (GPIAS) were recorded 2 days before and 2 weeks after noise exposure to identify animals with a significantly decreased inhibition of startle, indicating tinnitus but without permanent hearing loss. Neuronal activity of CaMKII α+ neurons expressing hM4Di in the DCN was lowered by administration of clozapine-N-oxide (CNO). We found that acutely decreasing firing rate of CaMKII α+ DCN units decrease tinnitus-like responses (p = 3e −3, n = 11 mice), compared to the control group that showed no improvement in GPIAS (control virus; CaMKII α-YFP + CNO, p = 0.696, n = 7 mice). Extracellular recordings confirmed CNO to decrease unit firing frequency of CaMKII α-hM4Di+ mice and alter best frequency and tuning width of response to sound. However, these effects were not seen if CNO had been previously administered during the noise exposure (n = 6 experimental and 6 control mice). Conclusion We found that lowering DCN activity in mice displaying tinnitus-related behavior reduces tinnitus, but lowering DCN activity during noise exposure does not prevent noise-induced tinnitus. Our results suggest that CaMKII α-positive cells in the DCN are not crucial for tinnitus induction but play a significant role in maintaining tinnitus perception in mice. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at (10.1186/s12915-022-01288-1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Thawann Malfatti
- Hearing and Neuronal activity Lab, Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Barbara Ciralli
- Hearing and Neuronal activity Lab, Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Markus M Hilscher
- Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richardson N Leao
- Hearing and Neuronal activity Lab, Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Katarina E Leao
- Hearing and Neuronal activity Lab, Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
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20
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Onodera K, Kato HK. Translaminar recurrence from layer 5 suppresses superficial cortical layers. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2585. [PMID: 35546553 PMCID: PMC9095870 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30349-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Information flow in the sensory cortex has been described as a predominantly feedforward sequence with deep layers as the output structure. Although recurrent excitatory projections from layer 5 (L5) to superficial L2/3 have been identified by anatomical and physiological studies, their functional impact on sensory processing remains unclear. Here, we use layer-selective optogenetic manipulations in the primary auditory cortex to demonstrate that feedback inputs from L5 suppress the activity of superficial layers regardless of the arousal level, contrary to the prediction from their excitatory connectivity. This suppressive effect is predominantly mediated by translaminar circuitry through intratelencephalic neurons, with an additional contribution of subcortical projections by pyramidal tract neurons. Furthermore, L5 activation sharpened tone-evoked responses of superficial layers in both frequency and time domains, indicating its impact on cortical spectro-temporal integration. Together, our findings establish a translaminar inhibitory recurrence from deep layers that sharpens feature selectivity in superficial cortical layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koun Onodera
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- JSPS Overseas Research Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki K Kato
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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21
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Lesicko AMH, Angeloni CF, Blackwell JM, De Biasi M, Geffen MN. Cortico-fugal regulation of predictive coding. eLife 2022; 11:73289. [PMID: 35290181 PMCID: PMC8983050 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory systems must account for both contextual factors and prior experience to adaptively engage with the dynamic external environment. In the central auditory system, neurons modulate their responses to sounds based on statistical context. These response modulations can be understood through a hierarchical predictive coding lens: responses to repeated stimuli are progressively decreased, in a process known as repetition suppression, whereas unexpected stimuli produce a prediction error signal. Prediction error incrementally increases along the auditory hierarchy from the inferior colliculus (IC) to the auditory cortex (AC), suggesting that these regions may engage in hierarchical predictive coding. A potential substrate for top-down predictive cues is the massive set of descending projections from the auditory cortex to subcortical structures, although the role of this system in predictive processing has never been directly assessed. We tested the effect of optogenetic inactivation of the auditory cortico-collicular feedback in awake mice on responses of IC neurons to stimuli designed to test prediction error and repetition suppression. Inactivation of the cortico-collicular pathway led to a decrease in prediction error in IC. Repetition suppression was unaffected by cortico-collicular inactivation, suggesting that this metric may reflect fatigue of bottom-up sensory inputs rather than predictive processing. We also discovered populations of IC units that exhibit repetition enhancement, a sequential increase in firing with stimulus repetition. Cortico-collicular inactivation led to a decrease in repetition enhancement in the central nucleus of IC, suggesting that it is a top-down phenomenon. Negative prediction error, a stronger response to a tone in a predictable rather than unpredictable sequence, was suppressed in shell IC units during cortico-collicular inactivation. These changes in predictive coding metrics arose from bidirectional modulations in the response to the standard and deviant contexts, such that units in IC responded more similarly to each context in the absence of cortical input. We also investigated how these metrics compare between the anesthetized and awake states by recording from the same units under both conditions. We found that metrics of predictive coding and deviance detection differ depending on the anesthetic state of the animal, with negative prediction error emerging in the central IC and repetition enhancement and prediction error being more prevalent in the absence of anesthesia. Overall, our results demonstrate that the auditory cortex provides cues about the statistical context of sound to subcortical brain regions via direct feedback, regulating processing of both prediction and repetition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria M H Lesicko
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | | | - Jennifer M Blackwell
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, United States
| | - Mariella De Biasi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Maria N Geffen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
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22
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Auerbach BD, Gritton HJ. Hearing in Complex Environments: Auditory Gain Control, Attention, and Hearing Loss. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:799787. [PMID: 35221899 PMCID: PMC8866963 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.799787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Listening in noisy or complex sound environments is difficult for individuals with normal hearing and can be a debilitating impairment for those with hearing loss. Extracting meaningful information from a complex acoustic environment requires the ability to accurately encode specific sound features under highly variable listening conditions and segregate distinct sound streams from multiple overlapping sources. The auditory system employs a variety of mechanisms to achieve this auditory scene analysis. First, neurons across levels of the auditory system exhibit compensatory adaptations to their gain and dynamic range in response to prevailing sound stimulus statistics in the environment. These adaptations allow for robust representations of sound features that are to a large degree invariant to the level of background noise. Second, listeners can selectively attend to a desired sound target in an environment with multiple sound sources. This selective auditory attention is another form of sensory gain control, enhancing the representation of an attended sound source while suppressing responses to unattended sounds. This review will examine both “bottom-up” gain alterations in response to changes in environmental sound statistics as well as “top-down” mechanisms that allow for selective extraction of specific sound features in a complex auditory scene. Finally, we will discuss how hearing loss interacts with these gain control mechanisms, and the adaptive and/or maladaptive perceptual consequences of this plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D. Auerbach
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: Benjamin D. Auerbach,
| | - Howard J. Gritton
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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23
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Parameshwarappa V, Pezard L, Norena AJ. Changes in the spatiotemporal pattern of spontaneous activity across a cortical column after noise trauma. J Neurophysiol 2021; 127:239-254. [PMID: 34936500 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00262.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the auditory modality, noise trauma has often been used to investigate cortical plasticity as it causes cochlear hearing loss. One limitation of these past studies, however, is that the effects of noise trauma have been mostly documented at the granular layer, which is the main cortical recipient of thalamic inputs. Importantly, the cortex is composed of six different layers each having its own pattern of connectivity and specific role in sensory processing. The present study aims at investigating the effects of acute and chronic noise trauma on the laminar pattern of spontaneous activity in primary auditory cortex of the anesthetized guinea pig. We show that spontaneous activity is dramatically altered across cortical layers after acute and chronic noise-induced hearing loss. First, spontaneous activity was globally enhanced across cortical layers, both in terms of firing rate and amplitude of spike-triggered average of local field potentials. Second, current source density on (spontaneous) spike-triggered average of local field potentials indicates that current sinks develop in the supra- and infragranular layers. These latter results suggest that supragranular layers become a major input recipient and that the propagation of spontaneous activity over a cortical column is greatly enhanced after acute and chronic noise-induced hearing loss. We discuss the possible mechanisms and functional implications of these changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Parameshwarappa
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Laurent Pezard
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Arnaud Jean Norena
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
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24
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Yudintsev G, Asilador AR, Sons S, Vaithiyalingam Chandra Sekaran N, Coppinger M, Nair K, Prasad M, Xiao G, Ibrahim BA, Shinagawa Y, Llano DA. Evidence for Layer-Specific Connectional Heterogeneity in the Mouse Auditory Corticocollicular System. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9906-9918. [PMID: 34670851 PMCID: PMC8638684 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2624-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory cortex (AC) sends long-range projections to virtually all subcortical auditory structures. One of the largest and most complex of these-the projection between AC and inferior colliculus (IC; the corticocollicular pathway)-originates from layer 5 and deep layer 6. Though previous work has shown that these two corticocollicular projection systems have different physiological properties and network connectivities, their functional organization is poorly understood. Here, using a combination of traditional and viral tracers combined with in vivo imaging in both sexes of the mouse, we observed that layer 5 and layer 6 corticocollicular neurons differ in their areas of origin and termination patterns. Layer 5 corticocollicular neurons are concentrated in primary AC, while layer 6 corticocollicular neurons emanate from broad auditory and limbic areas in the temporal cortex. In addition, layer 5 sends dense projections of both small and large (>1 µm2 area) terminals to all regions of nonlemniscal IC, while layer 6 sends small terminals to the most superficial 50-100 µm of the IC. These findings suggest that layer 5 and 6 corticocollicular projections are optimized to play distinct roles in corticofugal modulation. Layer 5 neurons provide strong, rapid, and unimodal feedback to the nonlemniscal IC, while layer 6 neurons provide heteromodal and limbic modulation diffusely to the nonlemniscal IC. Such organizational diversity in the corticocollicular pathway may help to explain the heterogeneous effects of corticocollicular manipulations and, given similar diversity in corticothalamic pathways, may be a general principle in top-down modulation.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We demonstrate that a major descending system in the brain is actually two systems. That is, the auditory corticocollicular projection, which exerts considerable influence over the midbrain, comprises two projections: one from layer 5 and the other from layer 6. The layer 6 projection is diffusely organized, receives multisensory inputs, and ends in small terminals; while the layer 5 projection is derived from a circumscribed auditory cortical area and ends in large terminals. These data suggest that the varied effects of cortical manipulations on the midbrain may be related to effects on two disparate systems. These findings have broader implications because other descending systems derive from two layers. Therefore, a duplex organization may be a common motif in descending control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgiy Yudintsev
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Alexander R Asilador
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Stacy Sons
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Nathiya Vaithiyalingam Chandra Sekaran
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Macey Coppinger
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Kavya Nair
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Masumi Prasad
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Gang Xiao
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Baher A Ibrahim
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Yoshitaka Shinagawa
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
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25
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Vaithiyalingam Chandra Sekaran N, Deshpande MS, Ibrahim BA, Xiao G, Shinagawa Y, Llano DA. Patterns of Unilateral and Bilateral Projections From Layers 5 and 6 of the Auditory Cortex to the Inferior Colliculus in Mouse. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:674098. [PMID: 34744644 PMCID: PMC8566350 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.674098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory cortex sends massive projections to the inferior colliculus, but the organization of this pathway is not yet well understood. Previous work has shown that the corticocollicular projection emanates from both layers 5 and 6 of the auditory cortex and that neurons in these layers have different morphological and physiological properties. It is not yet known in the mouse if both layer 5 and layer 6 project bilaterally, nor is it known if the projection patterns differ based on projection location. Using targeted injections of Fluorogold into either the lateral cortex or dorsal cortex of the inferior colliculus, we quantified retrogradely labeled neurons in both the left and right lemniscal regions of the auditory cortex, as delineated using parvalbumin immunostaining. After dorsal cortex injections, we observed that approximately 18-20% of labeled cells were in layer 6 and that this proportion was similar bilaterally. After lateral cortex injections, only ipsilateral cells were observed in the auditory cortex, and they were found in both layer 5 and layer 6. The ratio of layer 5:layer 6 cells after lateral cortex injection was similar to that seen after dorsal cortex injection. Finally, injections of different tracers were made into the two inferior colliculi, and an average of 15-17% of cells in the auditory cortex were double-labeled, and these proportions were similar in layers 5 and 6. These data suggest that (1) only the dorsal cortex of the inferior colliculus receives bilateral projections from the auditory cortex, (2) both the dorsal and lateral cortex of the inferior colliculus receive similar layer 5 and layer 6 auditory cortical input, and (3) a subpopulation of individual neurons in both layers 5 and 6 branch to innervate both dorsal cortices of the inferior colliculus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathiya Vaithiyalingam Chandra Sekaran
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Meena S. Deshpande
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Baher A. Ibrahim
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Gang Xiao
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Yoshitaka Shinagawa
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Daniel A. Llano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, IL, United States
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26
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Hernández-Pérez H, Mikiel-Hunter J, McAlpine D, Dhar S, Boothalingam S, Monaghan JJM, McMahon CM. Understanding degraded speech leads to perceptual gating of a brainstem reflex in human listeners. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001439. [PMID: 34669696 PMCID: PMC8559948 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to navigate "cocktail party" situations by focusing on sounds of interest over irrelevant, background sounds is often considered in terms of cortical mechanisms. However, subcortical circuits such as the pathway underlying the medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex modulate the activity of the inner ear itself, supporting the extraction of salient features from auditory scene prior to any cortical processing. To understand the contribution of auditory subcortical nuclei and the cochlea in complex listening tasks, we made physiological recordings along the auditory pathway while listeners engaged in detecting non(sense) words in lists of words. Both naturally spoken and intrinsically noisy, vocoded speech-filtering that mimics processing by a cochlear implant (CI)-significantly activated the MOC reflex, but this was not the case for speech in background noise, which more engaged midbrain and cortical resources. A model of the initial stages of auditory processing reproduced specific effects of each form of speech degradation, providing a rationale for goal-directed gating of the MOC reflex based on enhancing the representation of the energy envelope of the acoustic waveform. Our data reveal the coexistence of 2 strategies in the auditory system that may facilitate speech understanding in situations where the signal is either intrinsically degraded or masked by extrinsic acoustic energy. Whereas intrinsically degraded streams recruit the MOC reflex to improve representation of speech cues peripherally, extrinsically masked streams rely more on higher auditory centres to denoise signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heivet Hernández-Pérez
- Department of Linguistics, The Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jason Mikiel-Hunter
- Department of Linguistics, The Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - David McAlpine
- Department of Linguistics, The Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sumitrajit Dhar
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Sriram Boothalingam
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Jessica J. M. Monaghan
- Department of Linguistics, The Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- National Acoustic Laboratories, Sydney, Australia
| | - Catherine M. McMahon
- Department of Linguistics, The Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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27
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Herrmann B, Maess B, Johnsrude IS. A neural signature of regularity in sound is reduced in older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 109:1-10. [PMID: 34634748 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Sensitivity to repetitions in sound amplitude and frequency is crucial for sound perception. As with other aspects of sound processing, sensitivity to such patterns may change with age, and may help explain some age-related changes in hearing such as segregating speech from background sound. We recorded magnetoencephalography to characterize differences in the processing of sound patterns between younger and older adults. We presented tone sequences that either contained a pattern (made of a repeated set of tones) or did not contain a pattern. We show that auditory cortex in older, compared to younger, adults is hyperresponsive to sound onsets, but that sustained neural activity in auditory cortex, indexing the processing of a sound pattern, is reduced. Hence, the sensitivity of neural populations in auditory cortex fundamentally differs between younger and older individuals, overresponding to sound onsets, while underresponding to patterns in sounds. This may help to explain some age-related changes in hearing such as increased sensitivity to distracting sounds and difficulties tracking speech in the presence of other sound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Herrmann
- Department of Psychology & Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, North York, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Burkhard Maess
- Brain Networks Unit, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ingrid S Johnsrude
- Department of Psychology & Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; School of Communication Sciences & Disorders, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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28
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Mease RA, Gonzalez AJ. Corticothalamic Pathways From Layer 5: Emerging Roles in Computation and Pathology. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:730211. [PMID: 34566583 PMCID: PMC8458899 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.730211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Large portions of the thalamus receive strong driving input from cortical layer 5 (L5) neurons but the role of this important pathway in cortical and thalamic computations is not well understood. L5-recipient "higher-order" thalamic regions participate in cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuits that are increasingly recognized to be (1) anatomically and functionally distinct from better-studied "first-order" CTC networks, and (2) integral to cortical activity related to learning and perception. Additionally, studies are beginning to elucidate the clinical relevance of these networks, as dysfunction across these pathways have been implicated in several pathological states. In this review, we highlight recent advances in understanding L5 CTC networks across sensory modalities and brain regions, particularly studies leveraging cell-type-specific tools that allow precise experimental access to L5 CTC circuits. We aim to provide a focused and accessible summary of the anatomical, physiological, and computational properties of L5-originating CTC networks, and outline their underappreciated contribution in pathology. We particularly seek to connect single-neuron and synaptic properties to network (dys)function and emerging theories of cortical computation, and highlight information processing in L5 CTC networks as a promising focus for computational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A. Mease
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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29
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Saldeitis K, Jeschke M, Budinger E, Ohl FW, Happel MFK. Laser-Induced Apoptosis of Corticothalamic Neurons in Layer VI of Auditory Cortex Impact on Cortical Frequency Processing. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:659280. [PMID: 34322001 PMCID: PMC8311662 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.659280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticofugal projections outnumber subcortical input projections by far. However, the specific role for signal processing of corticofugal feedback is still less well understood in comparisonto the feedforward projection. Here, we lesioned corticothalamic (CT) neurons in layers V and/or VI of the auditory cortex of Mongolian gerbils by laser-induced photolysis to investigate their contribution to cortical activation patterns. We have used laminar current-source density (CSD) recordings of tone-evoked responses and could show that, particularly, lesion of CT neurons in layer VI affected cortical frequency processing. Specifically, we found a decreased gain of best-frequency input in thalamocortical (TC)-recipient input layers that correlated with the relative lesion of layer VI neurons, but not layer V neurons. Using cortical silencing with the GABA a -agonist muscimol and layer-specific intracortical microstimulation (ICMS), we found that direct activation of infragranular layers recruited a local recurrent cortico-thalamo-cortical loop of synaptic input. This recurrent feedback was also only interrupted when lesioning layer VI neurons, but not cells in layer V. Our study thereby shows distinct roles of these two types of CT neurons suggesting a particular impact of CT feedback from layer VI to affect the local feedforward frequency processing in auditory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Saldeitis
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Group, Cognitive Hearing in Primates Lab, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marcus Jeschke
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Group, Cognitive Hearing in Primates Lab, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eike Budinger
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Frank W Ohl
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute of Biology (IBIO), University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Max F K Happel
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.,Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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30
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Herrmann B, Butler BE. Hearing loss and brain plasticity: the hyperactivity phenomenon. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:2019-2039. [PMID: 34100151 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02313-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Many aging adults experience some form of hearing problems that may arise from auditory peripheral damage. However, it has been increasingly acknowledged that hearing loss is not only a dysfunction of the auditory periphery but also results from changes within the entire auditory system, from periphery to cortex. Damage to the auditory periphery is associated with an increase in neural activity at various stages throughout the auditory pathway. Here, we review neurophysiological evidence of hyperactivity, auditory perceptual difficulties that may result from hyperactivity, and outline open conceptual and methodological questions related to the study of hyperactivity. We suggest that hyperactivity alters all aspects of hearing-including spectral, temporal, spatial hearing-and, in turn, impairs speech comprehension when background sound is present. By focusing on the perceptual consequences of hyperactivity and the potential challenges of investigating hyperactivity in humans, we hope to bring animal and human electrophysiologists closer together to better understand hearing problems in older adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Herrmann
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Blake E Butler
- Department of Psychology & The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,National Centre for Audiology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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31
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Resnik J, Polley DB. Cochlear neural degeneration disrupts hearing in background noise by increasing auditory cortex internal noise. Neuron 2021; 109:984-996.e4. [PMID: 33561398 PMCID: PMC7979519 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Correlational evidence in humans suggests that selective difficulties hearing in noisy, social settings may reflect premature auditory nerve degeneration. Here, we induced primary cochlear neural degeneration (CND) in adult mice and found direct behavioral evidence for selective detection deficits in background noise. To identify central determinants for this perceptual disorder, we tracked daily changes in ensembles of layer 2/3 auditory cortex parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons and excitatory pyramidal neurons with chronic two-photon calcium imaging. CND induced distinct forms of plasticity in cortical excitatory and inhibitory neurons that culminated in net hyperactivity, increased neural gain, and reduced adaptation to background noise. Ensemble activity measured while mice detected targets in noise could accurately decode whether individual behavioral trials were hits or misses. After CND, random surges of hypercorrelated cortical activity occurring just before target onset reliably predicted impending detection failures, revealing a source of internal cortical noise underlying perceptual difficulties in external noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Resnik
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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32
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Asilador A, Llano DA. Top-Down Inference in the Auditory System: Potential Roles for Corticofugal Projections. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 14:615259. [PMID: 33551756 PMCID: PMC7862336 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.615259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
It has become widely accepted that humans use contextual information to infer the meaning of ambiguous acoustic signals. In speech, for example, high-level semantic, syntactic, or lexical information shape our understanding of a phoneme buried in noise. Most current theories to explain this phenomenon rely on hierarchical predictive coding models involving a set of Bayesian priors emanating from high-level brain regions (e.g., prefrontal cortex) that are used to influence processing at lower-levels of the cortical sensory hierarchy (e.g., auditory cortex). As such, virtually all proposed models to explain top-down facilitation are focused on intracortical connections, and consequently, subcortical nuclei have scarcely been discussed in this context. However, subcortical auditory nuclei receive massive, heterogeneous, and cascading descending projections at every level of the sensory hierarchy, and activation of these systems has been shown to improve speech recognition. It is not yet clear whether or how top-down modulation to resolve ambiguous sounds calls upon these corticofugal projections. Here, we review the literature on top-down modulation in the auditory system, primarily focused on humans and cortical imaging/recording methods, and attempt to relate these findings to a growing animal literature, which has primarily been focused on corticofugal projections. We argue that corticofugal pathways contain the requisite circuitry to implement predictive coding mechanisms to facilitate perception of complex sounds and that top-down modulation at early (i.e., subcortical) stages of processing complement modulation at later (i.e., cortical) stages of processing. Finally, we suggest experimental approaches for future studies on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Asilador
- Neuroscience Program, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Daniel A. Llano
- Neuroscience Program, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, United States
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
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33
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Jeschke M, Happel MFK, Tziridis K, Krauss P, Schilling A, Schulze H, Ohl FW. Acute and Long-Term Circuit-Level Effects in the Auditory Cortex After Sound Trauma. Front Neurosci 2021; 14:598406. [PMID: 33469416 PMCID: PMC7813782 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.598406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Harmful environmental sounds are a prevailing source of chronic hearing impairments, including noise induced hearing loss, hyperacusis, or tinnitus. How these symptoms are related to pathophysiological damage to the sensory receptor epithelia and its effects along the auditory pathway, have been documented in numerous studies. An open question concerns the temporal evolution of maladaptive changes after damage and their manifestation in the balance of thalamocortical and corticocortical input to the auditory cortex (ACx). To address these issues, we investigated the loci of plastic reorganizations across the tonotopic axis of the auditory cortex of male Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) acutely after a sound trauma and after several weeks. We used a residual current-source density analysis to dissociate adaptations of intracolumnar input and horizontally relayed corticocortical input to synaptic populations across cortical layers in ACx. A pure tone-based sound trauma caused acute changes of subcortical inputs and corticocortical inputs at all tonotopic regions, particularly showing a broad reduction of tone-evoked inputs at tonotopic regions around the trauma frequency. At other cortical sites, the overall columnar activity acutely decreased, while relative contributions of lateral corticocortical inputs increased. After 4-6 weeks, cortical activity in response to the altered sensory inputs showed a general increase of local thalamocortical input reaching levels higher than before the trauma. Hence, our results suggest a detailed mechanism for overcompensation of altered frequency input in the auditory cortex that relies on a changing balance of thalamocortical and intracortical input and along the frequency gradient of the cortical tonotopic map.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Jeschke
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology (IBIO), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU), Magdeburg, Germany
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience Göttingen, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Max F. K. Happel
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology (IBIO), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU), Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Konstantin Tziridis
- Experimental Otolaryngology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Patrick Krauss
- Experimental Otolaryngology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Achim Schilling
- Experimental Otolaryngology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Holger Schulze
- Experimental Otolaryngology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Frank W. Ohl
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology (IBIO), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU), Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
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Liu Y, Alkharabsheh A, Sun W. Hyperexcitability of the Nucleus Accumbens Is Involved in Noise-Induced Hyperacusis. Neural Plast 2020; 2020:8814858. [PMID: 33293947 PMCID: PMC7714561 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8814858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced tolerance to sound stimuli (hyperacusis) is commonly seen in tinnitus patients. Dysfunction of limbic systems, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), may be involved in emotional reactions to the sound stimuli in tinnitus patients. To study the functional changes in the NAc in hyperacusis, we have examined the neural activity changes of the NAc using c-Fos staining in an animal model of hyperacusis. The c-Fos staining was also examined in the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN), a central auditory pathway which has neural projections to the NAc. Postnatal rats (14 days) were exposed to loud noise (115 dB SPL, 4 hours for two consecutive days) to induce hyperacusis (n = 4). Rats without noise exposure were used as the controls (n = 4). After P35, rats in both groups were put in a behavioral training for sound detection. After they were trained to detect sound stimuli, their reaction time to noise bursts centered at 2 kHz (40-110 dB SPL) was measured. Rats in the noise group showed a significantly shorter reaction time than those in the control group to the noise bursts at high intensities, suggesting the noise exposure induced hyperacusis behavior. The c-Fos expressions in the NAc and the MGNs of the noise group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Our results suggested that early-age noise exposure caused hyperactivity in the NAc and the MGNs which may induce the loudness increase in these rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuying Liu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100 Haining Road, Shanghai, China 200080
| | - Ana''am Alkharabsheh
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Jordan, Queen Rania Al Abdallah St., Amman, Jordan 11942
| | - Wei Sun
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, Center for Hearing and Deafness, State University of New York at Buffalo, 137 Cary Hall, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
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Abstract
Tinnitus is a phantom auditory sensation in the absence of external sounds, while hyperacusis is an atypical sensitivity to external sounds that leads them to be perceived as abnormally loud or even painful. Both conditions may reflect the brain's over-compensation for reduced input from the ear. The present work differentiates between two compensation models: The additive central noise compensates for hearing loss and is likely to generate tinnitus, whereas the multiplicative central gain compensates for hidden hearing loss and is likely to generate hyperacusis. Importantly, both models predict increased variance in central representations of sounds, especially a nonlinear increase in variance by the central gain. The increased central variance limits the amount of central compensation and reduces temporal synchrony, which can explain the insufficient central gain reported in the literature. Future studies need to collect trial-by-trial firing variance data so that the present variance-based model can be falsified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan-Gang Zeng
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive Sciences, and Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Center for Hearing Research, University of California Irvine
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36
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Monaghan JJM, Garcia-Lazaro JA, McAlpine D, Schaette R. Hidden Hearing Loss Impacts the Neural Representation of Speech in Background Noise. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4710-4721.e4. [PMID: 33035490 PMCID: PMC7728162 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Many individuals with seemingly normal hearing abilities struggle to understand speech in noisy backgrounds. To understand why this might be the case, we investigated the neural representation of speech in the auditory midbrain of gerbils with “hidden hearing loss” through noise exposure that increased hearing thresholds only temporarily. In noise-exposed animals, we observed significantly increased neural responses to speech stimuli, with a more pronounced increase at moderate than at high sound intensities. Noise exposure reduced discriminability of neural responses to speech in background noise at high sound intensities, with impairment most severe for tokens with relatively greater spectral energy in the noise-exposure frequency range (2–4 kHz). At moderate sound intensities, discriminability was surprisingly improved, which was unrelated to spectral content. A model combining damage to high-threshold auditory nerve fibers with increased response gain of central auditory neurons reproduced these effects, demonstrating that a specific combination of peripheral damage and central compensation could explain listening difficulties despite normal hearing thresholds. Noise-induced hidden hearing loss caused permanent changes in the auditory brain Noise exposure increased neural gain with significantly elevated responses Noise exposure impaired discriminability of neural responses to speech in noise Model of cochlear synaptopathy and neural gain increase reproduced findings
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J M Monaghan
- National Acoustic Laboratories, Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia; Macquarie University Hearing & Department of Linguistics, Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Jose A Garcia-Lazaro
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
| | - David McAlpine
- Macquarie University Hearing & Department of Linguistics, Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia; Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK
| | - Roland Schaette
- Ear Institute, University College London, 332 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK.
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37
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Rotondo EK, Bieszczad KM. Precise memory for pure tones is predicted by measures of learning-induced sensory system neurophysiological plasticity at cortical and subcortical levels. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 27:328-339. [PMID: 32669388 PMCID: PMC7365018 DOI: 10.1101/lm.051318.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite identical learning experiences, individuals differ in the memory formed of those experiences. Molecular mechanisms that control the neurophysiological bases of long-term memory formation might control how precisely the memory formed reflects the actually perceived experience. Memory formed with sensory specificity determines its utility for selectively cueing subsequent behavior, even in novel situations. Here, a rodent model of auditory learning capitalized on individual differences in learning-induced auditory neuroplasticity to identify and characterize neural substrates for sound-specific (vs. general) memory of the training signal's acoustic frequency. Animals that behaviorally revealed a naturally induced signal-"specific" memory exhibited long-lasting signal-specific neurophysiological plasticity in auditory cortical and subcortical evoked responses. Animals with "general" memories did not exhibit learning-induced changes in these same measures. Manipulating a histone deacetylase during memory consolidation biased animals to have more signal-specific memory. Individual differences validated this brain-behavior relationship in both natural and manipulated memory formation, such that the degree of change in sensory cortical and subcortical neurophysiological responses could be used to predict the behavioral precision of memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena K Rotondo
- CLEF Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Kasia M Bieszczad
- CLEF Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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38
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Persic D, Thomas ME, Pelekanos V, Ryugo DK, Takesian AE, Krumbholz K, Pyott SJ. Regulation of auditory plasticity during critical periods and following hearing loss. Hear Res 2020; 397:107976. [PMID: 32591097 PMCID: PMC8546402 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.107976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sensory input has profound effects on neuronal organization and sensory maps in the brain. The mechanisms regulating plasticity of the auditory pathway have been revealed by examining the consequences of altered auditory input during both developmental critical periods—when plasticity facilitates the optimization of neural circuits in concert with the external environment—and in adulthood—when hearing loss is linked to the generation of tinnitus. In this review, we summarize research identifying the molecular, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms regulating neuronal organization and tonotopic map plasticity during developmental critical periods and in adulthood. These mechanisms are shared in both the juvenile and adult brain and along the length of the auditory pathway, where they serve to regulate disinhibitory networks, synaptic structure and function, as well as structural barriers to plasticity. Regulation of plasticity also involves both neuromodulatory circuits, which link plasticity with learning and attention, as well as ascending and descending auditory circuits, which link the auditory cortex and lower structures. Further work identifying the interplay of molecular and cellular mechanisms associating hearing loss-induced plasticity with tinnitus will continue to advance our understanding of this disorder and lead to new approaches to its treatment. During CPs, brain plasticity is enhanced and sensitive to acoustic experience. Enhanced plasticity can be reinstated in the adult brain following hearing loss. Molecular, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms regulate CP and adult plasticity. Plasticity resulting from hearing loss may contribute to the emergence of tinnitus. Modifying plasticity in the adult brain may offer new treatments for tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Persic
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, 9713, GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Maryse E Thomas
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye & Ear and Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vassilis Pelekanos
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - David K Ryugo
- Hearing Research, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Department of Otolaryngology, Head, Neck & Skull Base Surgery, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Anne E Takesian
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye & Ear and Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katrin Krumbholz
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Sonja J Pyott
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, 9713, GZ, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Lavoie A, Liu BH. Canine Adenovirus 2: A Natural Choice for Brain Circuit Dissection. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:9. [PMID: 32174812 PMCID: PMC7056889 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Canine adenovirus-2 (CAV) is a canine pathogen that has been used in a variety of applications, from vaccines against more infectious strains of CAV to treatments for neurological disorders. With recent engineering, CAV has become a natural choice for neuroscientists dissecting the connectivity and function of brain circuits. Specifically, as a reliable genetic vector with minimal immunogenic and cytotoxic reactivity, CAV has been used for the retrograde transduction of various types of projection neurons. Consequently, CAV is particularly useful when studying the anatomy and functions of long-range projections. Moreover, combining CAV with conditional expression and transsynaptic tracing results in the ability to study circuits with cell- and/or projection-type specificity. Lastly, with the well-documented knowledge of viral transduction, new innovations have been developed to increase the transduction efficiency of CAV and circumvent its tropism, expanding the potential of CAV for circuit analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréanne Lavoie
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bao-Hua Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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40
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Blackwell JM, Lesicko AMH, Rao W, De Biasi M, Geffen MN. Auditory cortex shapes sound responses in the inferior colliculus. eLife 2020; 9:e51890. [PMID: 32003747 PMCID: PMC7062464 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The extensive feedback from the auditory cortex (AC) to the inferior colliculus (IC) supports critical aspects of auditory behavior but has not been extensively characterized. Previous studies demonstrated that activity in IC is altered by focal electrical stimulation and pharmacological inactivation of AC, but these methods lack the ability to selectively manipulate projection neurons. We measured the effects of selective optogenetic modulation of cortico-collicular feedback projections on IC sound responses in mice. Activation of feedback increased spontaneous activity and decreased stimulus selectivity in IC, whereas suppression had no effect. To further understand how microcircuits in AC may control collicular activity, we optogenetically modulated the activity of different cortical neuronal subtypes, specifically parvalbumin-positive (PV) and somatostatin-positive (SST) inhibitory interneurons. We found that modulating the activity of either type of interneuron did not affect IC sound-evoked activity. Combined, our results identify that activation of excitatory projections, but not inhibition-driven changes in cortical activity, affects collicular sound responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Blackwell
- Department of OtorhinolaryngologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Neurobiology and BehaviorStony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Alexandria MH Lesicko
- Department of OtorhinolaryngologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Winnie Rao
- Department of OtorhinolaryngologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Mariella De Biasi
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Experimental TherapeuticsUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Maria N Geffen
- Department of OtorhinolaryngologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
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41
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Vila CH, Williamson RS, Hancock KE, Polley DB. Optimizing optogenetic stimulation protocols in auditory corticofugal neurons based on closed-loop spike feedback. J Neural Eng 2019; 16:066023. [PMID: 31394519 PMCID: PMC6956656 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ab39cf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Optogenetics provides a means to probe functional connections between brain areas. By activating a set of presynaptic neurons and recording the activity from a downstream brain area, one can establish the sign and strength of a feedforward connection. One challenge is that there are virtually limitless patterns that can be used to stimulate a presynaptic brain area. Functional influences on downstream brain areas can depend not just on whether presynaptic neurons were activated, but how they were activated. Corticofugal axons from the auditory cortex (ACtx) heavily innervate the auditory tectum, the inferior colliculus (IC). Here, we sought to determine whether different modes of corticocollicular activation could titrate the strength of feedforward modulation of sound processing in IC neurons. APPROACH We used multi-channel electrophysiology and optogenetics to record from multiple regions of the IC in awake head-fixed mice while optogenetically stimulating ACtx neurons expressing Chronos, an ultra-fast channelrhodopsin. To identify cortical activation patterns associated with the strongest effects on IC firing rates, we employed a closed-loop evolutionary optimization procedure that tailored the voltage command signal sent to the laser based on spike feedback from single IC neurons. MAIN RESULTS Within minutes, our evolutionary search procedure converged on ACtx stimulation configurations that produced more effective and widespread enhancement of IC unit activity than generic activation parameters. Cortical modulation of midbrain spiking was bi-directional, as the evolutionary search procedure could be programmed to converge on activation patterns that either suppressed or enhanced sound-evoked IC firing rate. SIGNIFICANCE This study introduces a closed-loop optimization procedure to probe functional connections between brain areas. Our findings demonstrate that the influence of descending feedback projections on subcortical sensory processing can vary both in sign and degree depending on how cortical neurons are activated in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles-Henri Vila
- - Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
- - Bertarelli Fellows Program, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ross S Williamson
- - Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
- - Dept. Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114
| | - Kenneth E Hancock
- - Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
- - Dept. Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114
| | - Daniel B Polley
- - Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114 USA
- - Dept. Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114
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42
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Shore SE, Wu C. Mechanisms of Noise-Induced Tinnitus: Insights from Cellular Studies. Neuron 2019; 103:8-20. [PMID: 31271756 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Tinnitus, sound perception in the absence of physical stimuli, occurs in 15% of the population and is the top-reported disability for soldiers after combat. Noise overexposure is a major factor associated with tinnitus but does not always lead to tinnitus. Furthermore, people with normal audiograms can get tinnitus. In animal models, equivalent cochlear damage occurs in animals with and without behavioral evidence of tinnitus. But cochlear-nerve-recipient neurons in the brainstem demonstrate distinct, synchronized spontaneous firing patterns only in animals that develop tinnitus, driving activity in central brain regions and ultimately giving rise to phantom perception. Examining tinnitus-specific changes in single-cell populations enables us to begin to distinguish neural changes due to tinnitus from those that are due to hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Shore
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Calvin Wu
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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43
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Chen X, Sun YC, Zhan H, Kebschull JM, Fischer S, Matho K, Huang ZJ, Gillis J, Zador AM. High-Throughput Mapping of Long-Range Neuronal Projection Using In Situ Sequencing. Cell 2019; 179:772-786.e19. [PMID: 31626774 PMCID: PMC7836778 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding neural circuits requires deciphering interactions among myriad cell types defined by spatial organization, connectivity, gene expression, and other properties. Resolving these cell types requires both single-neuron resolution and high throughput, a challenging combination with conventional methods. Here, we introduce barcoded anatomy resolved by sequencing (BARseq), a multiplexed method based on RNA barcoding for mapping projections of thousands of spatially resolved neurons in a single brain and relating those projections to other properties such as gene or Cre expression. Mapping the projections to 11 areas of 3,579 neurons in mouse auditory cortex using BARseq confirmed the laminar organization of the three top classes (intratelencephalic [IT], pyramidal tract-like [PT-like], and corticothalamic [CT]) of projection neurons. In depth analysis uncovered a projection type restricted almost exclusively to transcriptionally defined subtypes of IT neurons. By bridging anatomical and transcriptomic approaches at cellular resolution with high throughput, BARseq can potentially uncover the organizing principles underlying the structure and formation of neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyin Chen
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Yu-Chi Sun
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Huiqing Zhan
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Justus M Kebschull
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Stephan Fischer
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Katherine Matho
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Z Josh Huang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Jesse Gillis
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Anthony M Zador
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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44
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Pienkowski M. Rationale and Efficacy of Sound Therapies for Tinnitus and Hyperacusis. Neuroscience 2019; 407:120-134. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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45
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del Rio D, Beucher B, Lavigne M, Wehbi A, Gonzalez Dopeso-Reyes I, Saggio I, Kremer EJ. CAV-2 Vector Development and Gene Transfer in the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:71. [PMID: 30983967 PMCID: PMC6449469 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The options available for genetic modification of cells of the central nervous system (CNS) have greatly increased in the last decade. The current panoply of viral and nonviral vectors provides multifunctional platforms to deliver expression cassettes to many structures and nuclei. These cassettes can replace defective genes, modify a given pathway perturbed by diseases, or express proteins that can be selectively activated by drugs or light to extinguish or excite neurons. This review focuses on the use of canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2) vectors for gene transfer to neurons in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system. We discuss (1) recent advances in vector production, (2) why CAV-2 vectors preferentially transduce neurons, (3) the mechanism underlying their widespread distribution via retrograde axonal transport, (4) how CAV-2 vectors have been used to address structure/function, and (5) their therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danila del Rio
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Bertrand Beucher
- PVM, BioCampus, CNRS, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Marina Lavigne
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Amani Wehbi
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Isabella Saggio
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Structural Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eric J. Kremer
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
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46
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Slater BJ, Sons SK, Yudintsev G, Lee CM, Llano DA. Thalamocortical and Intracortical Inputs Differentiate Layer-Specific Mouse Auditory Corticocollicular Neurons. J Neurosci 2019; 39:256-270. [PMID: 30361396 PMCID: PMC6325253 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3352-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-range descending projections from the auditory cortex play key roles in shaping response properties in the inferior colliculus. The auditory corticocollicular projection is massive and heterogeneous, with axons emanating from cortical layers 5 and 6, and plays a key role in directing plastic changes in the inferior colliculus. However, little is known about the cortical and thalamic networks within which corticocollicular neurons are embedded. Here, laser scanning photostimulation glutamate uncaging and photoactivation of channelrhodopsin-2 were used to probe the local and long-range network differences between preidentified layer 5 and layer 6 auditory corticocollicular neurons from male and female mice in vitro Layer 5 corticocollicular neurons were found to vertically integrate supragranular excitatory and inhibitory input to a substantially greater degree than their layer 6 counterparts. In addition, all layer 5 corticocollicular neurons received direct and large thalamic inputs from channelrhodopsin-2-labeled thalamocortical fibers, whereas such inputs were less common in layer 6 corticocollicular neurons. Finally, a new low-calcium/synaptic blockade approach to separate direct from indirect inputs using laser photostimulation was validated. These data demonstrate that layer 5 and 6 corticocollicular neurons receive distinct sets of cortical and thalamic inputs, supporting the hypothesis that they have divergent roles in modulating the inferior colliculus. Furthermore, the direct connection between the auditory thalamus and layer 5 corticocollicular neurons reveals a novel and rapid link connecting ascending and descending pathways.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Descending projections from the cortex play a critical role in shaping the response properties of sensory neurons. The projection from the auditory cortex to the inferior colliculus is a massive, yet poorly understood, pathway emanating from two distinct cortical layers. Here we show, using a range of optical techniques, that mouse auditory corticocollicular neurons from different layers are embedded into different cortical and thalamic networks. Specifically, we observed that layer 5 corticocollicular neurons integrate information across cortical lamina and receive direct thalamic input. The latter connection provides a hyperdirect link between acoustic sensation and descending control, thus demonstrating a novel mechanism for rapid "online" modulation of sensory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard J Slater
- Neuroscience Program and
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Stacy K Sons
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, and
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Georgiy Yudintsev
- Neuroscience Program and
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Christopher M Lee
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, and
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Neuroscience Program and
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, and
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois 61801
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47
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Shaheen LA, Liberman MC. Cochlear Synaptopathy Changes Sound-Evoked Activity Without Changing Spontaneous Discharge in the Mouse Inferior Colliculus. Front Syst Neurosci 2018; 12:59. [PMID: 30559652 PMCID: PMC6286982 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2018.00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus and hyperacusis are life-disrupting perceptual abnormalities that are often preceded by acoustic overexposure. Animal models of overexposure have suggested a link between these phenomena and neural hyperactivity, i.e., elevated spontaneous rates (SRs) and sound-evoked responses. Prior work has focused on changes in central auditory responses, with less attention paid to the exact nature of the associated cochlear damage. The demonstration that acoustic overexposure can cause cochlear neuropathy without permanent threshold elevation suggests cochlear neuropathy per se may be a key elicitor of neural hyperactivity. We addressed this hypothesis by recording responses in the mouse inferior colliculus (IC) following a bilateral, neuropathic noise exposure. One to three weeks post-exposure, mean SRs were unchanged in mice recorded while awake, or under anesthesia. SRs were also unaffected by more intense, or unilateral exposures. These results suggest that neither neuropathy nor hair cell loss are sufficient to raise SRs in the IC, at least in 7-week-old mice, 1-3 weeks post exposure. However, it is not clear whether our mice had tinnitus. Tone-evoked rate-level functions at the CF were steeper following exposure, specifically in the region of maximal neuropathy. Furthermore, suppression driven by off-CF tones and by ipsilateral noise were reduced. Both changes were especially pronounced in neurons of awake mice. This neural hypersensitivity may manifest as behavioral hypersensitivity to sound - prior work reports that this same exposure causes elevated acoustic startle. Together, these results indicate that neuropathy may initiate a compensatory response in the central auditory system leading to the genesis of hyperacusis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke A. Shaheen
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - M. Charles Liberman
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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48
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Bakay WMH, Anderson LA, Garcia-Lazaro JA, McAlpine D, Schaette R. Hidden hearing loss selectively impairs neural adaptation to loud sound environments. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4298. [PMID: 30327471 PMCID: PMC6191434 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06777-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to even a single episode of loud noise can damage synapses between cochlear hair cells and auditory nerve fibres, causing hidden hearing loss (HHL) that is not detected by audiometry. Here we investigate the effects of noise-induced HHL on functional hearing by measuring the ability of neurons in the auditory midbrain of mice to adapt to sound environments containing quiet and loud periods. Neurons from noise-exposed mice show less capacity for adaptation to loud environments, convey less information about sound intensity in those environments, and adaptation to the longer-term statistical structure of fluctuating sound environments is impaired. Adaptation comprises a cascade of both threshold and gain adaptation. Although noise exposure only impairs threshold adaptation directly, the preserved function of gain adaptation surprisingly aggravates coding deficits for loud environments. These deficits might help to understand why many individuals with seemingly normal hearing struggle to follow a conversation in background noise. Hidden hearing loss (HHL) arises through subtle damage to the synapses of hair cells in the inner ear before audiograms reveal hearing threshold shifts. Here, the authors report that HHL in a mouse model disrupts the neural encoding of loud sound environments in the central auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren Michael Henry Bakay
- UCL Ear Institute, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8EE, UK.,Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD), A3.16, University of Manchester, Ellen Wilkinson Building, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | | | | | - David McAlpine
- UCL Ear Institute, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8EE, UK.,Department of Linguistics, The Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, 16 University Avenue, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Roland Schaette
- UCL Ear Institute, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8EE, UK.
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49
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Balaram P, Hackett TA, Polley DB. Synergistic Transcriptional Changes in AMPA and GABA A Receptor Genes Support Compensatory Plasticity Following Unilateral Hearing Loss. Neuroscience 2018; 407:108-119. [PMID: 30176318 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Debilitating perceptual disorders including tinnitus, hyperacusis, phantom limb pain and visual release hallucinations may reflect aberrant patterns of neural activity in central sensory pathways following a loss of peripheral sensory input. Here, we explore short- and long-term changes in gene expression that may contribute to hyperexcitability following a sudden, profound loss of auditory input from one ear. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization to quantify mRNA levels for genes encoding AMPA and GABAA receptor subunits (Gria2 and Gabra1, respectively) in single neurons from the inferior colliculus (IC) and auditory cortex (ACtx). Thirty days after unilateral hearing loss, Gria2 levels were significantly increased while Gabra1 levels were significantly decreased. Transcriptional rebalancing was more pronounced in ACtx than IC and bore no obvious relationship to the degree of hearing loss. By contrast to the opposing, synergistic shifts in Gria2 and Gabra1 observed 30 days after hearing loss, we found that transcription levels for both genes were equivalently reduced after 5 days of hearing loss, producing no net change in the excitatory/inhibitory transcriptional balance. Opposing transcriptional shifts in AMPA and GABA receptor genes that emerge several weeks after a peripheral insult could promote both sensitization and disinhibition to support a homeostatic recovery of neural activity following auditory deprivation. Imprecise transcriptional changes could also drive the system toward perceptual hypersensitivity, degraded temporal processing and the irrepressible perception of non-existent environmental stimuli, a trio of perceptual impairments that often accompany chronic sensory deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Balaram
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114, USA; Dept. of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114, USA
| | - T A Hackett
- Dept. of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville TN 37232 USA
| | - D B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston MA 02114, USA; Dept. of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02114, USA.
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