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Hearing Research Mar 2023To generate insight from experimental data, it is critical to understand the inter-relationships between individual data points and place them in context within a... (Review)
Review
To generate insight from experimental data, it is critical to understand the inter-relationships between individual data points and place them in context within a structured framework. Quantitative modeling can provide the scaffolding for such an endeavor. Our main objective in this review is to provide a primer on the range of quantitative tools available to experimental auditory neuroscientists. Quantitative modeling is advantageous because it can provide a compact summary of observed data, make underlying assumptions explicit, and generate predictions for future experiments. Quantitative models may be developed to characterize or fit observed data, to test theories of how a task may be solved by neural circuits, to determine how observed biophysical details might contribute to measured activity patterns, or to predict how an experimental manipulation would affect neural activity. In complexity, quantitative models can range from those that are highly biophysically realistic and that include detailed simulations at the level of individual synapses, to those that use abstract and simplified neuron models to simulate entire networks. Here, we survey the landscape of recently developed models of auditory cortical processing, highlighting a small selection of models to demonstrate how they help generate insight into the mechanisms of auditory processing. We discuss examples ranging from models that use details of synaptic properties to explain the temporal pattern of cortical responses to those that use modern deep neural networks to gain insight into human fMRI data. We conclude by discussing a biologically realistic and interpretable model that our laboratory has developed to explore aspects of vocalization categorization in the auditory pathway.
Topics: Humans; Auditory Cortex; Acoustic Stimulation; Auditory Perception; Auditory Pathways; Neural Networks, Computer; Models, Neurological
PubMed: 36696724
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108697 -
Hearing Research Jan 2011The dual-pathway model of auditory cortical processing assumes that two largely segregated processing streams originating in the lateral belt subserve the two main... (Review)
Review
The dual-pathway model of auditory cortical processing assumes that two largely segregated processing streams originating in the lateral belt subserve the two main functions of hearing: identification of auditory "objects", including speech; and localization of sounds in space (Rauschecker and Tian, 2000). Evidence has accumulated, chiefly from work in humans and nonhuman primates, that an antero-ventral pathway supports the former function, whereas a postero-dorsal stream supports the latter, i.e processing of space and motion-in-space. In addition, the postero-dorsal stream has also been postulated to subserve some functions of speech and language in humans. A recent review (Rauschecker and Scott, 2009) has proposed the possibility that both functions of the postero-dorsal pathway can be subsumed under the same structural forward model: an efference copy sent from prefrontal and premotor cortex provides the basis for "optimal state estimation" in the inferior parietal lobe and in sensory areas of the posterior auditory cortex. The current article corroborates this model by adding and discussing recent evidence.
Topics: Animals; Auditory Cortex; Auditory Pathways; Auditory Perception; Cats; Feedback, Sensory; Haplorhini; Humans; Language; Models, Neurological; Parietal Lobe; Prefrontal Cortex; Psychomotor Performance; Space Perception; Speech Perception
PubMed: 20850511
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2010.09.001 -
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews.... 2014Development of a functional auditory system in Drosophila requires specification and differentiation of the chordotonal sensilla of Johnston's organ (JO) in the antenna,... (Review)
Review
Development of a functional auditory system in Drosophila requires specification and differentiation of the chordotonal sensilla of Johnston's organ (JO) in the antenna, correct axonal targeting to the antennal mechanosensory and motor center in the brain, and synaptic connections to neurons in the downstream circuit. Chordotonal development in JO is functionally complicated by structural, molecular, and functional diversity that is not yet fully understood, and construction of the auditory neural circuitry is only beginning to unfold. Here, we describe our current understanding of developmental and molecular mechanisms that generate the exquisite functions of the Drosophila auditory system, emphasizing recent progress and highlighting important new questions arising from research on this remarkable sensory system.
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Antennae; Auditory Pathways; Drosophila
PubMed: 24719289
DOI: 10.1002/wdev.128 -
Handbook of Clinical Neurology 2015Auditory development involves changes in the peripheral and central nervous system along the auditory pathways, and these occur naturally, and in response to... (Review)
Review
Auditory development involves changes in the peripheral and central nervous system along the auditory pathways, and these occur naturally, and in response to stimulation. Human development occurs along a trajectory that can last decades, and is studied using behavioral psychophysics, as well as physiologic measurements with neural imaging. The auditory system constructs a perceptual space that takes information from objects and groups, segregates sounds, and provides meaning and access to communication tools such as language. Auditory signals are processed in a series of analysis stages, from peripheral to central. Coding of information has been studied for features of sound, including frequency, intensity, loudness, and location, in quiet and in the presence of maskers. In the latter case, the ability of the auditory system to perform an analysis of the scene becomes highly relevant. While some basic abilities are well developed at birth, there is a clear prolonged maturation of auditory development well into the teenage years. Maturation involves auditory pathways. However, non-auditory changes (attention, memory, cognition) play an important role in auditory development. The ability of the auditory system to adapt in response to novel stimuli is a key feature of development throughout the nervous system, known as neural plasticity.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Animals; Auditory Pathways; Auditory Perception; Hearing; Humans; Psychoacoustics
PubMed: 25726262
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-62630-1.00003-2 -
The World Journal of Biological... Jan 2015The interhemispheric auditory pathway has been shown to play a crucial role in the processing of acoustic stimuli, and alterations of structural and functional...
OBJECTIVES
The interhemispheric auditory pathway has been shown to play a crucial role in the processing of acoustic stimuli, and alterations of structural and functional connectivity between bilateral auditory areas are likely relevant to the pathogenesis of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs). The aim of this study was to examine this pathway in patients with chronic schizophrenia regarding their lifetime history of AVHs.
METHODS
DTI scans were acquired from 33 healthy controls (HC), 24 schizophrenia patients with a history of AVHs (LT-AVH) and nine schizophrenia patients without any lifetime hallucinations (N-LT-AVH). The interhemispheric auditory fibre bundles were extracted using streamline tractography. Subsequently, diffusivity indices, namely Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Trace, Mode, Axial and Radial diffusivity, were calculated.
RESULTS
FA was decreased over the entire pathway in LT-AVH compared with N-LT-AVH. Moreover, LT-AVH displayed decreased FA and Mode as well as increased radial diffusivity in the midsagittal section of the fibre tract.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate complex microstructural changes in the interhemispheric auditory pathway of schizophrenia patients with a history of AVHs. Alterations appear to be absent in patients who have never hallucinated.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Adult; Anisotropy; Auditory Cortex; Auditory Pathways; Brain Mapping; Case-Control Studies; Chronic Disease; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Female; Hallucinations; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Schizophrenia
PubMed: 25224883
DOI: 10.3109/15622975.2014.948063 -
Effect of perinatal and postnatal thiamine deficiency on auditory pathway of the Wistar-Albino rats.Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 2023In this study, we created an animal model to demonstrate the effects of thiamine on the hearing pathways of new-borns during pregnancy and lactation by inducing a...
OBJECTIVE
In this study, we created an animal model to demonstrate the effects of thiamine on the hearing pathways of new-borns during pregnancy and lactation by inducing a dietary thiamine deficiency in the mother.
METHODS
The study included 16 female Wistar albino rats. The animals were separated into four groups and provided the appropriate amounts of dietary thiamine according to their groups during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and lactation periods. Three pups from each mother were included in the study, and 12 pups were selected from each group. On the fortieth day after birth, the auditory pathways of 48 pups in the 4 groups were examined electro physiologically and ultra-structurally.
RESULTS
In Group N-N, morphology of hair cells stereocilia degeneration was not obtained in all turns of cochlea. In Group N-T, Inner Hair Cells (IHCs) and Outher Hair Cells (OHCs) stereocilia didn't show degeneration in all turns of cochlea but had rupture inrows of HCs stereocilia. In group T-N IHCs stereocilia less degeneration was observed in all turns of cochlea. OHC stereocilia partial loss was observed only in basal turn of cochlea. In Group T-T IHCs stereocilia was observed less degeneration and rupture in all turns of cochlea.
CONCLUSION
Thiamine is vital for the development of cochlear hair cells during both prenatal and postnatal periods. Even partial deficiency of thiamine causes significant degeneration to the auditory pathway.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
The level of evidence of this article is 5. This article is an experimental animal and laboratory study.
Topics: Pregnancy; Animals; Rats; Female; Auditory Pathways; Rats, Wistar; Hair Cells, Auditory; Cochlea; Thiamine Deficiency; Thiamine; Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer
PubMed: 36446695
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2022.10.053 -
Gaceta Medica de Mexico 2014In this paper we studied the central auditory pathway (CAP) from an anatomical, physiological and neurochemical standpoint, from the inner ear, brainstem, thalamus to... (Review)
Review
In this paper we studied the central auditory pathway (CAP) from an anatomical, physiological and neurochemical standpoint, from the inner ear, brainstem, thalamus to the temporal auditory cortex. The characteristics of the spiral ganglion of Corti, auditory nerve, cochlear nuclei, superior olivary complex, lateral lemniscus, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, and auditory cortex, including the auditory efferent pathway, are given. CAP is described as the electrical impulses, travelling through axons, allowing ions to enter a neuron and vesicles with neurotransmitters (NT) and then released into synaptic space. The NT changes the functioning of the cells; when attached to specific receptors on the next nerve cell, NT-receiver union causes input of ions through Gap sites, resulting in a postsynaptic potential that is spread over all CAP. In addition, the effects of the NT are not limited to the transmission, but as trophic agents that promote the formation of new neural networks. Even the anatomy, physiology, neurochemical aspects, and the different types of synapses are not fully understood to comprehend the organization of the CAP, but remain under investigation because of the relevance for the treatment of various central auditory disorders.
Topics: Auditory Cortex; Auditory Pathways; Humans; Neurotransmitter Agents; Synapses; Synaptic Transmission
PubMed: 25275847
DOI: No ID Found -
Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil) 2022To analyze age-related changes in the central auditory pathway in healthy elderly individuals.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze age-related changes in the central auditory pathway in healthy elderly individuals.
METHODS
A prospective, quantitative cross-sectional study. The caseload comprised 18 adults (mean age, 22.78 years) and 18 elderly individuals (mean age, 66.72 years) of both sexes, who met inclusion criteria. Subjects were submitted to basic audiological evaluation and related electrophysiologic tests: brainstem auditory evoked potential with click stimulus and frequency-following response.
RESULTS
Elderly individuals had higher wave and interpeak latencies (waves I, III and V and interpeaks I-V and III-V) of brainstem auditory evoked potential. Latencies of frequency following response waves A, E, F and O were also higher in elderly individuals. Frequency following response amplitudes were better in A than in D, F and O waves in these subjects. Likewise, interpeak intervals (V-A and V-O) were larger in elderly relative to adult individuals. Lower slope values were observed in elderly individuals.
CONCLUSION
Brainstem auditory evoked potential and frequency-following response allowed appropriate assessment of age-related changes in the auditory pathway. Slower neural response to auditory stimuli suggests reduced synchrony between neural structures.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aging; Auditory Pathways; Brain Stem; Cross-Sectional Studies; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; Female; Humans; Male; Prospective Studies; Young Adult
PubMed: 35649058
DOI: 10.31744/einstein_journal/2022AO6829 -
Advances in Experimental Medicine and... 2016The fundamental problem in audition is determining the mechanisms required by the brain to transform an unlabelled mixture of auditory stimuli into coherent perceptual... (Review)
Review
The fundamental problem in audition is determining the mechanisms required by the brain to transform an unlabelled mixture of auditory stimuli into coherent perceptual representations. This process is called auditory-scene analysis. The perceptual representations that result from auditory-scene analysis are formed through a complex interaction of perceptual grouping, attention, categorization and decision-making. Despite a great deal of scientific energy devoted to understanding these aspects of hearing, we still do not understand (1) how sound perception arises from neural activity and (2) the causal relationship between neural activity and sound perception. Here, we review the role of the "ventral" auditory pathway in sound perception. We hypothesize that, in the early parts of the auditory cortex, neural activity reflects the auditory properties of a stimulus. However, in latter parts of the auditory cortex, neurons encode the sensory evidence that forms an auditory decision and are causally involved in the decision process. Finally, in the prefrontal cortex, which receives input from the auditory cortex, neural activity reflects the actual perceptual decision. Together, these studies indicate that the ventral pathway contains hierarchical circuits that are specialized for auditory perception and scene analysis.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Auditory Cortex; Auditory Pathways; Auditory Perception; Humans; Sound
PubMed: 27080679
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-25474-6_40 -
Pflugers Archiv : European Journal of... May 2021Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most prevalent sensory deficit in the elderly and constitutes the third highest risk factor for dementia. Lifetime noise exposure,... (Review)
Review
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most prevalent sensory deficit in the elderly and constitutes the third highest risk factor for dementia. Lifetime noise exposure, genetic predispositions for degeneration, and metabolic stress are assumed to be the major causes of ARHL. Both noise-induced and hereditary progressive hearing have been linked to decreased cell surface expression and impaired conductance of the potassium ion channel K7.4 (KCNQ4) in outer hair cells, inspiring future therapies to maintain or prevent the decline of potassium ion channel surface expression to reduce ARHL. In concert with K7.4 in outer hair cells, K7.1 (KCNQ1) in the stria vascularis, calcium-activated potassium channels BK (KCNMA1) and SK2 (KCNN2) in hair cells and efferent fiber synapses, and K3.1 (KCNC1) in the spiral ganglia and ascending auditory circuits share an upregulated expression or subcellular targeting during final differentiation at hearing onset. They also share a distinctive fragility for noise exposure and age-dependent shortfalls in energy supply required for sustained surface expression. Here, we review and discuss the possible contribution of select potassium ion channels in the cochlea and auditory pathway to ARHL. We postulate genes, proteins, or modulators that contribute to sustained ion currents or proper surface expressions of potassium channels under challenging conditions as key for future therapies of ARHL.
Topics: Animals; Auditory Pathways; Cochlea; Humans; Potassium Channels; Presbycusis
PubMed: 33336302
DOI: 10.1007/s00424-020-02496-w