Multisensory activation of ventral cochlear nucleus D-stellate cells modulates dorsal cochlear nucleus principal cell spatial coding

Differential projections from the cochlear nucleus to the inferior colliculus in the mouse

The cochlear nucleus (CN) is often regarded as the gateway to the central auditory system because it initiates all ascending pathways. The CN consists of dorsal and ventral divisions (DCN and VCN, respectively), and whereas the DCN functions in the analysis of spectral cues, circuitry in VCN is part of the pathway focused on processing binaural information necessary for sound localization in horizontal plane. Both structures project to the inferior colliculus (IC), which serves as a hub for the auditory system because pathways ascending to the forebrain and descending from the cerebral cortex converge there to integrate auditory, motor, and other sensory information. DCN and VCN terminations in the IC are thought to overlap but given the differences in VCN and DCN architecture, neuronal properties, and functions in behavior, we aimed to investigate the pattern of CN connections in the IC in more detail. This study used electrophysiological recordings to establish the frequency sensitivity at the site of the anterograde dye injection for the VCN and DCN of the CBA/CaH mouse. We examined their contralateral projections that terminate in the IC. The VCN projections form a topographic sheet in the central nucleus (CNIC). The DCN projections form a tripartite set of laminar sheets; the lamina in the CNIC extends into the dorsal cortex (DC), whereas the sheets to the lateral cortex (LC) and ventrolateral cortex (VLC) are obliquely angled away. These fields in the IC are topographic with low frequencies situated dorsally and progressively higher frequencies lying more ventrally and/or laterally; the laminae nestle into the underlying higher frequency fields. The DCN projections are complementary to the somatosensory modules of layer II of the LC but both auditory and spinal trigeminal terminations converge in the VLC. While there remains much to be learned about these circuits, these new data on auditory circuits can be considered in the context of multimodal networks that facilitate auditory stream segregation, signal processing, and species survival.

Focusing on the Emerging Role of Kainate Receptors in the Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus (DCN) and Cerebellum

Mammals have a dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), which is thought to be a cerebellum-like structure with similar features in terms of structure and microcircuitry to the cerebellum. Both the DCN and cerebellum perform their functions depending on synaptic and neuronal networks mediated by various glutamate receptors. Kainate receptors (KARs) are one class of the glutamate receptor family and are strongly expressed in the hippocampus, the cerebellum, and cerebellum-like structures. The cellular distribution and the potential role of KARs in the hippocampus have been extensively investigated. However, the cellular distribution and the potential role of KARs in cerebellum-like structures, including the DCN and cerebellum, are poorly understood. In this review, we summarize the similarity between the DCN and cerebellum at the levels of structure, circuitry, and cell type as well as the investigations referring to the expression patterns of KARs in the DCN and cerebellum according to previous studies. Recent studies on the role of KARs have shown that KARs mediate a bidirectional modulatory effect at parallel fiber (PF)-Purkinje cell (PC) synapses in the cerebellum, implying insights into their roles in cerebellum-like structures, including the DCN, that remain to be explored in the coming years.

Low Intensity Noise Exposure Enhanced Auditory Loudness and Temporal Processing by Increasing Excitability of DCN

Sound stimulation is generally used for tinnitus and hyperacusis treatment. Recent studies found that long-term noise exposure can change synaptic and firing properties in the central auditory system, which will be detected by the acoustic startle reflex. However, the perceptual consequences of long-term low-intensity sound exposure are indistinct. This study will detect the effects of moderate-level noise exposure (83 dB SPL) on auditory loudness, and temporal processing was evaluated using CBA/CaJ mice. C-Fos staining was used to detect neural activity changes in the central auditory pathway. With two weeks of 83 dB SPL noise exposure (8 hours per day), no persistent threshold shift of the auditory brainstem response (ABR) was identified. On the other hand, noise exposure enhanced the acoustic startle response (ASR) and gap-induced prepulse inhibition significantly (gap-PPI). Low-level noise exposure, according to the findings, can alter temporal acuity. Noise exposure increased the number of c-Fos labeled neurons in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) and caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC) but not at a higher level in the central auditory nuclei. Our results suggested that noise stimulation can change acoustical temporal processing presumably by increasing the excitability of auditory brainstem neurons.

Sound Localization of World and Head-Centered Space in Ferrets

The location of sounds can be described in multiple coordinate systems that are defined relative to ourselves, or the world around us. Evidence from neural recordings in animals point toward the existence of both head-centered and world-centered representations of sound location in the brain; however, it is unclear whether such neural representations have perceptual correlates in the sound localization abilities of nonhuman listeners. Here, we establish novel behavioral tests to determine the coordinate systems in which ferrets can localize sounds. We found that ferrets could learn to discriminate between sound locations that were fixed in either world-centered or head-centered space, across wide variations in sound location in the alternative coordinate system. Using probe sounds to assess broader generalization of spatial hearing, we demonstrated that in both head and world-centered tasks, animals used continuous maps of auditory space to guide behavior. Single trial responses of individual animals were sufficiently informative that we could then model sound localization using speaker position in specific coordinate systems and accurately predict ferrets' actions in held-out data. Our results demonstrate that ferrets, an animal model in which neurons are known to be tuned to sound location in egocentric and allocentric reference frames, can also localize sounds in multiple head and world-centered spaces.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Humans can describe the location of sounds either relative to themselves, or in the world, independent of their momentary position. These different spaces are also represented in the activity of neurons in animals, but it is not clear whether nonhuman listeners also perceive both head and world-centered sound location. Here, we designed behavioral tasks in which ferrets discriminated between sounds using their position in the world, or relative to the head. Subjects learnt to solve both problems and generalized sound location in each space when presented with infrequent probe sounds. These findings reveal a perceptual correlate of neural sensitivity previously observed in the ferret brain and establish that, like humans, ferrets can access an auditory map of their local environment.

Audiotactile interactions in the mouse cochlear nucleus

Multisensory integration of auditory and tactile information occurs already at the level of the cochlear nucleus. Rodents use their whiskers for tactile perception to guide them in their exploration of the world. As nocturnal animals with relatively poor vision, audiotactile interactions are of great importance for this species. Here, the influence of whisker deflections on sound-evoked spiking in the cochlear nucleus was investigated in vivo in anesthetized mice. Multichannel, silicon-probe electrophysiological recordings were obtained from both the dorsal and ventral cochlear nucleus. Whisker deflections evoked an increased spiking activity in fusiform cells of the dorsal cochlear nucleus and t-stellate cells in ventral cochlear nucleus, whereas bushy cells in the ventral cochlear nucleus showed a more variable response. The response to broadband noise stimulation increased in fusiform cells and primary-like bushy cells when the sound stimulation was preceded (~ 20 ms) by whisker stimulation. Multi-sensory integration of auditory and whisker input can thus occur already in this early brainstem nucleus, emphasizing the importance of early integration of auditory and somatosensory information.

Ventral cochlear nucleus bushy cells encode hyperacusis in guinea pigs

Psychophysical studies characterize hyperacusis as increased loudness growth over a wide-frequency range, decreased tolerance to loud sounds and reduced behavioral reaction time latencies to high-intensity sounds. While commonly associated with hearing loss, hyperacusis can also occur without hearing loss, implicating the central nervous system in the generation of hyperacusis. Previous studies suggest that ventral cochlear nucleus bushy cells may be putative neural contributors to hyperacusis. Compared to other ventral cochlear nucleus output neurons, bushy cells show high firing rates as well as lower and less variable first-spike latencies at suprathreshold intensities. Following cochlear damage, bushy cells show increased spontaneous firing rates across a wide-frequency range, suggesting that they might also show increased sound-evoked responses and reduced latencies to higher-intensity sounds. However, no studies have examined bushy cells in relationship to hyperacusis. Herein, we test the hypothesis that bushy cells may contribute to the neural basis of hyperacusis by employing noise-overexposure and single-unit electrophysiology. We find that bushy cells exhibit hyperacusis-like neural firing patterns, which are comprised of enhanced sound-driven firing rates, reduced first-spike latencies and wideband increases in excitability.

Inhibitory interneurons in a brainstem circuit adjust their inhibitory motifs to process multimodal input

KEY POINTS

Inhibitory-interneuron networks, consisting of multiple forms of circuit motifs including reciprocal (inhibitory interneurons inhibiting other interneurons) and feedforward (inhibitory interneurons inhibiting principal neurons) connections, are crucial in processing sensory information. The present study applies a statistical method to in vivo multichannel spike trains of dorsal cochlear nucleus neurons to disentangle reciprocal and feedforward-inhibitory motifs. After inducing input-specific plasticity, reciprocal and feedforward inhibition are found to be differentially regulated, and the combined effect synergistically modulates circuit output. The findings highlight the interplay among different circuit motifs as a key element in neural computation.

ABSTRACT

Inhibitory interneurons play an essential role in neural computations by utilizing a combination of reciprocal (interneurons inhibiting each other) and feedforward (interneuron inhibiting the principal neuron) inhibition to process information. To disentangle the interplay between the two inhibitory-circuit motifs and understand their effects on the circuit output, in vivo recordings were made from the guinea pig dorsal cochlear nucleus, a cerebellar-like brainstem circuit. Spikes from inhibitory interneurons (cartwheel cell) and principal output neurons (fusiform cell) were compared before and after manipulating their common multimodal input. Using a statistical model based on the Cox method of modulated renewal process of spike train influence, reciprocal- and feedforward-inhibition motifs were quantified. In response to altered multimodal input, reciprocal inhibition was strengthened while feedforward inhibition was weakened, and the two motifs combined to modulate fusiform cell output and acoustic-driven responses. These findings reveal the cartwheel cell's role in auditory and multimodal processing, as well as illustrated the balance between different inhibitory-circuit motifs as a key element in neural computation.

Mechanisms of Noise-Induced Tinnitus: Insights from Cellular Studies

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.

The ion channels and synapses responsible for the physiological diversity of mammalian lower brainstem auditory neurons

The auditory part of the brainstem is composed of several nuclei specialized in the computation of the different spectral and temporal features of the sound before it reaches the higher auditory regions. There are a high diversity of neuronal types in these nuclei, many with remarkable electrophysiological and synaptic properties unique to these structures. This diversity reflects specializations necessary to process the different auditory signals in order to extract precisely the acoustic information necessary for the auditory perception by the animal. Low threshold Kv1 channels and HCN channels are expressed in neurons that use timing clues for auditory processing, like bushy and octopus cells, in order to restrict action potential firing and reduce input resistance and membrane time constant. Kv3 channels allow principal neurons of the MNTB and pyramidal DCN neurons to fire fast trains of action potentials. Calcium channels on cartwheel DCN neurons produce complex spikes characteristic of these neurons. Calyceal synapses compensate the low input resistance of bushy and principal neurons of the MNTB by releasing hundreds of glutamate vesicles resulting in large EPSCs acting in fast ionotropic glutamate receptors, in order to reduce temporal summation of synaptic potentials, allowing more precise correspondence of pre- and post-synaptic potentials, and phase-locking. Pre-synaptic calyceal sodium channels have fast recovery from inactivation allowing extremely fast trains of action potential firing, and persistent sodium channels produce spontaneous activity of fusiform neurons at rest, which expands the dynamic range of these neurons. The unique combinations of different ion channels, ionotropic receptors and synaptic structures create a unique functional diversity of neurons extremely adapted to their complex functions in the auditory processing.