Our proposed research is to explore the neural mechanisms of complex-sound processing for specialized (biosonar) and common (communication) auditory functions. There are now a number of data indicating that the recognition of speech sounds in humans is based upon auditory perceptual mechanisms common to mammals. Our proposed research is very important for understanding auditory mechanisms in higher vertebrates, including humans, as well as in bats. Our ultimate goal is the complete understanding of both species-specific and common neural mechanisms for the processing of complex sounds. The mustached bat emits complex sounds for biosonar and communication. Its communication calls are quite different film its biosonar sounds, but are similar in spectral patterns to calls of other mammals, except for being high in frequency and relatively short in duration. We have demonstrated: (i) the processing of different types of biosonar information is parallel- hierarchical, (ii) the central auditory system creates neurons tuned to different types of information-bearing parameters (IBP's) characterizing biosonar signals, (iii) certain types of IBP's are extracted by neurons sensitive to different combinations of signal elements, (iv) different types of IBP's are systematically represented in separate cortical areas, (v) certain response properties of combination-sensitive neurons in the cortex are created by prethalamic auditory nuclei and art shaped by both thalamo-cortical ascending and cortico-thalamic descending systems, and (vi) the call-processing system overlaps with the biosonar-signal- processing system even in the auditory cortex. These findings are very important for understanding neural mechanisms for processing complex sounds in general. Our project I is to study further whether different cortical areas have neurons tuned to different types of IBP's found in the biosonar and communication sounds, whether these cortical areas are organized for a systematic representation of a particular IBP, and how tuning to a particular IBP is created. We will deliver acoustic stimuli mimicking natural sounds and information bearing elements (IBE's) in them and will study responses of single neurons in different cortical areas. In Project II, we will focus on the response properties of collicular, thalamic or cortical neurons which were well characterized with acoustic stimuli mimicking biosonar signals (pulse-echo pairs), and we will study how the response properties of thalamic or collicular neurons are influenced by electrical micro-stimulations of or micro-drug (local anesthetic or inhibitory-synaptic-transmitter agonist) injections into isotopic or anisotopic portions of cortical areas. Our proposed research will further contribute to the understanding of neural mechanisms for processing complex sounds, including speech sounds.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC000175-19
Application #
6030130
Study Section
Hearing Research Study Section (HAR)
Project Start
1981-07-01
Project End
2000-06-30
Budget Start
1999-07-01
Budget End
2000-06-30
Support Year
19
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Washington University
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
062761671
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63130
Teng, Haibing; Suga, Nobuo (2017) Differences in velocity-information processing between two areas in the auditory cortex of mustached bats. Hear Res 350:68-81
Butman, John A; Suga, Nobuo (2016) Synaptic mechanisms shaping delay-tuned combination-sensitivity in the auditory thalamus of mustached bats. Hear Res 331:69-82
Ji, Weiqing; Suga, Nobuo (2013) Histaminergic modulation of nonspecific plasticity of the auditory system and differential gating. J Neurophysiol 109:792-802
Tang, Jie; Yang, Weiguo; Suga, Nobuo (2012) Modulation of thalamic auditory neurons by the primary auditory cortex. J Neurophysiol 108:935-42
Kanwal, Jagmeet S (2012) Right-left asymmetry in the cortical processing of sounds for social communication vs. navigation in mustached bats. Eur J Neurosci 35:257-70
Suga, Nobuo (2012) Tuning shifts of the auditory system by corticocortical and corticofugal projections and conditioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 36:969-88
Ji, Weiqing; Suga, Nobuo (2009) Tone-specific and nonspecific plasticity of inferior colliculus elicited by pseudo-conditioning: role of acetylcholine and auditory and somatosensory cortices. J Neurophysiol 102:941-52
Ma, Xiaofeng; Suga, Nobuo (2009) Specific and nonspecific plasticity of the primary auditory cortex elicited by thalamic auditory neurons. J Neurosci 29:4888-96
Tang, Jie; Suga, Nobuo (2009) Corticocortical interactions between and within three cortical auditory areas specialized for time-domain signal processing. J Neurosci 29:7230-7
Ji, Weiqing; Suga, Nobuo (2008) Tone-specific and nonspecific plasticity of the auditory cortex elicited by pseudoconditioning: role of acetylcholine receptors and the somatosensory cortex. J Neurophysiol 100:1384-96

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