RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Selective Attention to Visual Stimuli Reduces Cochlear Sensitivity in Chinchillas
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 4146
OP 4153
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3702-06.2007
VO 27
IS 15
A1 Paul H. Delano
A1 Diego Elgueda
A1 Carlos M. Hamame
A1 Luis Robles
YR 2007
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/27/15/4146.abstract
AB It is generally accepted that during periods of attention to specific stimuli there are changes in the neural activity of central auditory structures; however, it is controversial whether attention can modulate auditory responses at the cochlear level. Several studies performed in animals as well as in humans have attempted to find a modulation of cochlear responses during visual attention with contradictory results. Here, we have appraised cochlear sensitivity in behaving chinchillas by measuring, with a chronically implanted round-window electrode, sound-evoked auditory-nerve compound action potentials and cochlear microphonics, a measure of outer hair cell function, during selective attention to visual stimuli. Chinchillas were trained in a visual discrimination or in an auditory frequency discrimination two-choice task. We found a significant decrease of cochlear sensitivity during the period of attention to visual stimuli in the animals performing the visual discrimination task, but not in those performing the auditory task, demonstrating that this physiological effect is related to selective attention to visual stimuli rather than to an increment in arousal level. Furthermore, the magnitude of the cochlear-sensitivity reductions increased in sessions performed with shorter target-light durations (4–0.5 s), suggesting that this effect is stronger for higher attentional demands of the task. These results demonstrate that afferent auditory activity is modulated by selective attention as early as at sensory transduction, possibly through activation of olivocochlear efferent fibers.