Auditory Information Processing in the Midbrain: Modulation by the Amygdala

中脑的听觉信息处理：杏仁核的调节

• 批准号: 7931018
• 负责人: JEFFREY JAMES WENSTRUP
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: NORTHEAST OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-24 至 2010-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7931018
• 关键词: Acoustics; Affect; Amygdaloid structure; Aspartate; Auditory; Auditory Perception; Auditory area; Auditory system; Basal Ganglia; Behavior; Behavioral; Brain; Brain Stem; Cell Nucleus; Chemicals; Chiroptera; Complex; Deposition; Echolocation; Electric Stimulation; Electrodes; Emotional; Emotions; Frequencies; Glutamates; Goals; Inferior Colliculus; Label; Learning; Mediating; Methods; Midbrain structure; Modeling; Neurons; Noise; Pathway interactions; Physiological; Play; Population; Process; Property; Prosencephalon; Research; Research Personnel; Role; Sensory; Signal Transduction; Site; Speech; Stimulus; Testing; Tinnitus; Tracer; Work; association cortex; auditory pathway; base; improved; information processing; magnocellular; programs; research study; response; retrograde transport; showing emotion; social; social communication; sonar; sound; vocalization

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this research is to understand how analyses of complex sounds are modified by brain centers that establish the emotional significance of auditory and other sensory input. The proposed research will examine a newly described direct pathway from the amygdala, a forebrain center mediating emotional expression, to the inferior colliculus (IC), the midbrain integration center of the ascending auditory system. The direct amygdalo-collicular projection may impose emotional content onto auditory processing at a relatively low level of the ascending auditory pathway. Moreover, this projection could mediate effects of auditory cortical activation that have been attributed to the direct cortico-collicular pathway. We hypothesize that the amygdalo-collicular projection modulates the integrative features of acoustic information processing in the IC based on emotional state and/or the emotional significance of recent sensory input. The project will examine how the amygdala modifies integrative auditory responses in the mustached bat's IC, where integrative auditory responses (termed combination-sensitive) analyze social and sonar vocalizations. The functional organization and origin of these responses in the IC and auditory brainstem are well understood. Connectional evidence suggests that amygdalo-collicular projection neurons contact combination-sensitive IC neurons. In Aim #1 of the proposed research, we will examine responses of single neurons or small clusters of neurons in the basolateral amygdala in response to simple acoustic signals and social and sonar vocalizations. The results will identify acoustic conditions under which the amygdalo-collicular pathway is active, and also develop a physiological "signature" to identify amygdalo-collicular neurons. Aim #2 will use anterograde and retrograde tract tracing to examine the organization of the amygdalo-collicular projection and circuits relating the amygdala, auditory cortex, and IC. Aim #3 will examine how chemical and electrical stimulation of the amygdala affects acoustic information processing for simple acoustic signals and complex vocalizations across the IC, using multi-channel recording methods. Aim #4 will test, using non-invasive cortical cooling, whether the amygdala affects IC neurons primarily through its direct pathway, or through its connections to auditory cortico-collicular neurons. Relevance: These studies will provide a better understanding of how our processing of acoustic signals including speech is modified by emotion-laden sounds or by our emotional state. They may further our understanding of the role of the amygdala in auditory learning. This work may also improve our understanding of the role of emotional centers in abnormal auditory perceptions such as tinnitus.

描述（由申请人提供）：这项研究的长期目标是了解如何通过大脑中心修改复杂声音的分析，从而确定听觉和其他感觉输入的情感意义。拟议的研究将研究一种新描述的直接途径，从杏仁核，杏仁核（介导情绪表达）到上升听觉系统的中脑整合中心（IC）。直接的杏仁核 - 胶体投影可能会在上升听觉途径的相对较低水平的听觉处理上施加情感内容。此外，该投影可以介导归因于直接皮质胶囊途径的听觉皮质激活的影响。我们假设杏仁核 - 胶体投影根据情绪状态和/或最近的感觉输入的情绪意义调节了IC中声学信息处理的集成特征。该项目将研究杏仁核如何修改胡须蝙蝠的IC中的综合听觉响应，其中综合听觉响应（称为组合敏感）分析了社交和声纳声音。这些反应在IC和听觉脑干中的功能组织和起源是充分理解的。连接证据表明，杏仁核 - 胶体投射神经元接触组合敏感的IC神经元。在拟议的研究的AIM＃1中，我们将研究基底外侧杏仁核中单个神经元或小簇神经元的反应，以响应简单的声学信号以及社交和声纳声音。结果将确定杏仁核 - 胶体途径活跃的声条件，并开发出生理“签名”以鉴定杏仁核 - 细胞神经元。 AIM＃2将使用顺行和逆行路面跟踪来检查杏仁核 - 胶体投影的组织，以及与杏仁核，听觉皮层和IC相关的电路。 AIM＃3将使用多通道记录方法来检查杏仁核的化学和电刺激如何影响声学信号和复杂声音的声学信息处理。 AIM＃4将使用非侵入性皮质冷却测试，无论杏仁核主要通过其直接途径影响IC神经元，还是通过其与听觉皮质 - 典型神经元的连接。相关性：这些研究将更好地理解我们对包括语音在内的声学信号的处理如何通过充满情感的声音或我们的情绪状态来修改。他们可能会进一步了解杏仁核在听觉学习中的作用。这项工作还可以提高我们对情绪中心在异常听觉看法（如耳鸣）中的作用的理解。