This is a proposal to study the structure, connections, and neurochemical organization of the primary auditory cortex (AI), medial geniculate body, and inferior colliculus in several species. This work aims at defining the principal types of neurons participating in corticifugal and thalamocortical relations, and the cells projecting between different cortical areas or within single layers in AI. These pathways play a critical role in the normal flow of auditory information related to sound localization or the analysis of speech, and damage to them produces a spectrum of neurobehavioral dysfunctions not limited to purely auditory deficits. In a series of experiments in rats, cats, bats, and monkeys several questions are considered using axoplasmically transported tracers or immunocytochemical techniques; each inquiry is directed primarily to one species, and may include others for comparative purposes since previous work finds parallels in auditory organization as well as species-specific differences with important functional implications. The experiments include studies of (i) thalamocortical terminations in AI, including their laminar targets, form, and transmitter-specific labeling of geniculorecipient neurons; (ii) the types of commissural neurons participating in physiologically-defined binaural cortical subregions; (iii) patterns of ipsilateral corticocortical projections between AI and the non-primary fields; (iv) the local connections within single AI laminae, and between subdivisions of AI; (v) the targets and structure of AI axons projecting to the inferior colliculus; (vi) the populations of cortical neurons immunoreactive for putative transmitters, such as gamma- aminobutyric acid or glutamic acid decarboxylase, and glutamate; (vii) the identification of the transmitter(s) of thalamocortical projection and intrinsic neurons; (viii) the comparative analysis of GABAergic inferior colliculus neurons and axon terminals; and (ix) the form of auditory dendrites in several species at different levels of the auditory pathway. The goal of this work is a clearer picture of the main neural circuits implicated in binaural pathways or frequency analysis of sound, and the nature of species differences and homologous neurons. Such patterns embody the larger questions of parallel and hierarchical processing in AI and in the primary visual and somatic sensory cortices, and are critical to a more developed picture of cortical function.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS016832-12
Application #
3397175
Study Section
Hearing Research Study Section (HAR)
Project Start
1980-12-01
Project End
1993-11-30
Budget Start
1991-12-01
Budget End
1992-11-30
Support Year
12
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
094878337
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704
Winer, J A; Wenstrup, J J; Larue, D T (1992) Patterns of GABAergic immunoreactivity define subdivisions of the mustached bat's medial geniculate body. J Comp Neurol 319:172-90
Matsuoka, M; Nagawa, F; Okazaki, K et al. (1991) Detection of somatic DNA recombination in the transgenic mouse brain. Science 254:81-6
Winer, J A; Larue, D T (1989) Populations of GABAergic neurons and axons in layer I of rat auditory cortex. Neuroscience 33:499-515
Winer, J A; Larue, D T (1988) Anatomy of glutamic acid decarboxylase immunoreactive neurons and axons in the rat medial geniculate body. J Comp Neurol 278:47-68
Winer, J A; Morest, D K; Diamond, I T (1988) A cytoarchitectonic atlas of the medial geniculate body of the opossum, Didelphys virginiana, with a comment on the posterior intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus. J Comp Neurol 274:422-48
Games, K D; Winer, J A (1988) Layer V in rat auditory cortex: projections to the inferior colliculus and contralateral cortex. Hear Res 34:1-25
Winer, J A; Larue, D T (1987) Patterns of reciprocity in auditory thalamocortical and corticothalamic connections: study with horseradish peroxidase and autoradiographic methods in the rat medial geniculate body. J Comp Neurol 257:282-315
Winguth, S D; Winer, J A (1986) Corticocortical connections of cat primary auditory cortex (AI): laminar organization and identification of supragranular neurons projecting to area AII. J Comp Neurol 248:36-56
Code, R A; Winer, J A (1986) Columnar organization and reciprocity of commissural connections in cat primary auditory cortex (AI). Hear Res 23:205-22
Winer, J A (1986) Neurons accumulating [3H]gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in supragranular layers of cat primary auditory cortex (AI) Neuroscience 19:771-93

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