QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (60) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Walton, J. P. Articles by O'Neill, W. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Walton, J. P. Articles by O'Neill, W. E. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Seniors' Health

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

The Journal of Neuroscience, April 1, 1998, 18(7):2764-2776

Age-Related Alteration in Processing of Temporal Sound Features in the Auditory Midbrain of the CBA Mouse

Joseph P. Walton¹, Robert D. Frisina¹, and William E. O'Neill^{2, 3}

¹  Otolaryngology Division, Department of Surgery, and Departments of ²  Neurobiology and Anatomy and ³  Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642-8629

The perception of complex sounds, such as speech and animal vocalizations, requires the central auditory system to analyze rapid, ongoing fluctuations in sound frequency and intensity. A decline in temporal acuity has been identified as one component of age-related hearing loss. The detection of short, silent gaps is thought to reflect an important fundamental dimension of temporal resolution. In this study we compared the neural response elicited by silent gaps imbedded in noise of single neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC) of young and old CBA mice. IC neurons were classified by their temporal discharge patterns. Phasic units, which accounted for the majority of response types encountered, tended to have the shortest minimal gap thresholds (MGTs), regardless of age. We report three age-related changes in neural processing of silent gaps. First, although the shortest MGTs (1-2 msec) were observed in phasic units from both young and old animals, the number of neurons exhibiting the shortest MGTs was much lower in old mice, regardless of the presentation level. Second, in the majority of phasic units, recovery of response to the stimulus after the silent gap was of a lower magnitude and much slower in units from old mice. Finally, the neuronal map representing response latency versus best frequency was found to be altered in the old IC. These results demonstrate a central auditory system correlate for age-related decline in temporal processing at the level of the auditory midbrain.

Key words: temporal resolution; gap detection; inferior colliculus; neural recovery; hearing; presbycusis; forward masking

---

Copyright © 1998 Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474/98/1872764-13$05.00/0

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. M. Caspary, L. Ling, J. G. Turner, and L. F. Hughes Inhibitory neurotransmission, plasticity and aging in the mammalian central auditory system J. Exp. Biol., June 1, 2008; 211(11): 1781 - 1791. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. G. Turner, L. F. Hughes, and D. M. Caspary Affects of Aging on Receptive Fields in Rat Primary Auditory Cortex Layer V Neurons J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2005; 94(4): 2738 - 2747. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. X. JORIS, C. E. SCHREINER, and A. REES Neural Processing of Amplitude-Modulated Sounds Physiol Rev, April 1, 2004; 84(2): 541 - 577. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. P. Walton, H. Simon, and R. D. Frisina Age-Related Alterations in the Neural Coding of Envelope Periodicities J Neurophysiol, August 1, 2002; 88(2): 565 - 578. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Syka Plastic Changes in the Central Auditory System After Hearing Loss, Restoration of Function, and During Learning Physiol Rev, July 1, 2002; 82(3): 601 - 636. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. W. Wilson and J. P. Walton Background Noise Improves Gap Detection in Tonically Inhibited Inferior Colliculus Neurons J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2002; 87(1): 240 - 249. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. J. Eggermont Neural Responses in Primary Auditory Cortex Mimic Psychophysical, Across-Frequency-Channel, Gap-Detection Thresholds J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2000; 84(3): 1453 - 1463. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. J. Eggermont Neural Correlates of Gap Detection in Three Auditory Cortical Fields in the Cat J Neurophysiol, May 1, 1999; 81(5): 2570 - 2581. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help