A Spiking Neuron Model of Cortical Correlates of Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Spontaneous Firing, Synchrony, and Tinnitus

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 2942-2958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Dominguez ◽  
Suzanna Becker ◽  
Ian Bruce ◽  
Heather Read
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Auditory Nerve ◽  
Neuron Model ◽  
Nerve Fibers ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Spontaneous Firing ◽  
Spiking Neuron ◽  
Spiking Neuron Model

Hearing loss due to peripheral damage is associated with cochlear hair cell damage or loss and some retrograde degeneration of auditory nerve fibers. Surviving auditory nerve fibers in the impaired region exhibit elevated and broadened frequency tuning, and the cochleotopic representation of broadband stimuli such as speech is distorted. In impaired cortical regions, increased tuning to frequencies near the edge of the hearing loss coupled with increased spontaneous and synchronous firing is observed. Tinnitus, an auditory percept in the absence of sensory input, may arise under these circumstances as a result of plastic reorganization in the auditory cortex. We present a spiking neuron model of auditory cortex that captures several key features of cortical organization. A key assumption in the model is that in response to reduced afferent excitatory input in the damaged region, a compensatory change in the connection strengths of lateral excitatory and inhibitory connections occurs. These changes allow the model to capture some of the cortical correlates of sensorineural hearing loss, including changes in spontaneous firing and synchrony; these phenomena may explain central tinnitus. This model may also be useful for evaluating procedures designed to segregate synchronous activity underlying tinnitus and for evaluating adaptive hearing devices that compensate for selective hearing loss.

Degeneration of auditory nerve fibers in guinea pigs with severe sensorineural hearing loss

2017 ◽  
Vol 345 ◽  
pp. 79-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Kroon ◽  
Dyan Ramekers ◽  
Emma M. Smeets ◽  
Ferry G.J. Hendriksen ◽  
Sjaak F.L. Klis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Auditory Nerve ◽  
Guinea Pigs ◽  
Nerve Fibers ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Auditory Nerve Fibers

scholarly journals Divergent Auditory Nerve Encoding Deficits Between Two Common Etiologies of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (35) ◽  
pp. 6879-6887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth S. Henry ◽  
Mark Sayles ◽  
Ann E. Hickox ◽  
Michael G. Heinz
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Auditory Nerve ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing

scholarly journals Noise-induced and age-related hearing loss:  new perspectives and potential therapies

F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 927 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Charles Liberman
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hair Cell ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Hair Cells ◽  
Auditory Nerve ◽  
Cell Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Hair Cell Loss ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Hearing Loss

The classic view of sensorineural hearing loss has been that the primary damage targets are hair cells and that auditory nerve loss is typically secondary to hair cell degeneration. Recent work has challenged that view. In noise-induced hearing loss, exposures causing only reversible threshold shifts (and no hair cell loss) nevertheless cause permanent loss of >50% of the synaptic connections between hair cells and the auditory nerve. Similarly, in age-related hearing loss, degeneration of cochlear synapses precedes both hair cell loss and threshold elevation. This primary neural degeneration has remained a “hidden hearing loss” for two reasons: 1) the neuronal cell bodies survive for years despite loss of synaptic connection with hair cells, and 2) the degeneration is selective for auditory nerve fibers with high thresholds. Although not required for threshold detection when quiet, these high-threshold fibers are critical for hearing in noisy environments. Research suggests that primary neural degeneration is an important contributor to the perceptual handicap in sensorineural hearing loss, and it may be key to the generation of tinnitus and other associated perceptual anomalies. In cases where the hair cells survive, neurotrophin therapies can elicit neurite outgrowth from surviving auditory neurons and re-establishment of their peripheral synapses; thus, treatments may be on the horizon.

Exposure of weak magnetic fields on auditory nerve of patients with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 63-67
Author(s):  
S. V. Surma ◽  
◽  
D. S. Klyachko ◽  
B. F. Shchegolev ◽  
E. A. Ogorodnikova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Auditory Nerve ◽  
Health Hazard ◽  
Sensorineural Deafness ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Alternative Methods

The article shows that one of the alternative methods of treating moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss can be the use of an external weak magnetic field. The proposed method is based on the coincidence of the effects caused by the exposure of an external electromagnetic field of certain parameters on the auditory nerve, and natural acoustic exposure. The similarity of reaction allows using of external magnetic fields as an artificial stimulator of the auditory system’s neural part. Induction of applied magnetic fields does not exceed 300 µT, which means that under the current legislation such fields are classified as posing no health hazard. This method was tested at Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Ear, Throat, Nose, and Speech based on relevant Ethics Committee approval and complied with informed consent standards of volunteers. 15 patients aged 18 to 45 with III and IV levels of sensorineural deafness without concomitant pathologies were tested. Threshold pure-tone audiometry was performed on each patient at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz before and after the procedure. The results of the experiments showed that electromagnetic stimulation of auditory neurons allows increasing hearing sensitivity. The proposed procedure may not yield a tangible result in patients with auditory deprivation. Patients with hearing aids showed the most significant results. At the same time, the measurements have shown that the sound thresholds among them became 10 dB lower on the average. The non-invasiveness of the exposure provided additional comfort for the patient.

scholarly journals Hearing Loss Alters Serotonergic Modulation of Intrinsic Excitability in Auditory Cortex

2010 ◽  
Vol 104 (5) ◽  
pp. 2693-2703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepti Rao ◽  
Gregory J. Basura ◽  
Joseph Roche ◽  
Scott Daniels ◽  
Jaime G. Mancilla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Pyramidal Cell ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Intrinsic Excitability ◽  
Receptor Subtypes ◽  
Cell Excitability

Sensorineural hearing loss during early childhood alters auditory cortical evoked potentials in humans and profoundly changes auditory processing in hearing-impaired animals. Multiple mechanisms underlie the early postnatal establishment of cortical circuits, but one important set of developmental mechanisms relies on the neuromodulator serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]). On the other hand, early sensory activity may also regulate the establishment of adultlike 5-HT receptor expression and function. We examined the role of 5-HT in auditory cortex by first investigating how 5-HT neurotransmission and 5-HT2 receptors influence the intrinsic excitability of layer II/III pyramidal neurons in brain slices of primary auditory cortex (A1). A brief application of 5-HT (50 μM) transiently and reversibly decreased firing rates, input resistance, and spike rate adaptation in normal postnatal day 12 (P12) to P21 rats. Compared with sham-operated animals, cochlear ablation increased excitability at P12–P21, but all the effects of 5-HT, except for the decrease in adaptation, were eliminated in both sham-operated and cochlear-ablated rats. At P30–P35, cochlear ablation did not increase intrinsic excitability compared with shams, but it did prevent a pronounced decrease in excitability that appeared 10 min after 5-HT application. We also tested whether the effects on excitability were mediated by 5-HT2 receptors. In the presence of the 5-HT2-receptor antagonist, ketanserin, 5-HT significantly decreased excitability compared with 5-HT or ketanserin alone in both sham-operated and cochlear-ablated P12–P21 rats. However, at P30–P35, ketanserin had no effect in sham-operated and only a modest effect cochlear-ablated animals. The 5-HT2-specific agonist 5-methoxy- N, N-dimethyltryptamine also had no effect at P12–P21. These results suggest that 5-HT likely regulates pyramidal cell excitability via multiple receptor subtypes with opposing effects. These data also show that early sensorineural hearing loss affects the ability of 5-HT receptor activation to modulate A1 pyramidal cell excitability.

scholarly journals Enhancing the sensitivity of the envelope-following response for cochlear synaptopathy screening in humans: the role of stimulus envelope

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viacheslav Vasilkov ◽  
Markus Garrett ◽  
Manfred Mauermann ◽  
Sarah Verhulst
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hair Cell ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Auditory Nerve ◽  
Outer Hair Cell ◽  
Cell Damage ◽  
Modulation Depth ◽  
Auditory Evoked Potential ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Age Related

AbstractAuditory de-afferentation, a permanent reduction in the number of innerhair-cells and auditory-nerve synapses due to cochlear damage or synaptopathy, can reliably be quantified using temporal bone histology and immunostaining. However, there is an urgent need for non-invasive markers of synaptopathy to study its perceptual consequences in live humans and to develop effective therapeutic interventions. While animal studies have identified candidate auditory-evoked-potential (AEP) markers for synaptopathy, their interpretation in humans has suffered from translational issues related to neural generator differences, unknown hearing-damage histopathologies or lack of measurement sensitivity. To render AEP-based markers of synaptopathy more sensitive and differential to the synaptopathy aspect of sensorineural hearing loss, we followed a combined computational and experimental approach. Starting from the known characteristics of auditory-nerve physiology, we optimized the stimulus envelope to stimulate the available auditory-nerve population optimally and synchronously to generate strong envelope-following-responses (EFRs). We further used model simulations to explore which stimuli evoked a response that was sensitive to synaptopathy, while being maximally insensitive to possible co-existing outer-hair-cell pathologies. We compared the model-predicted trends to AEPs recorded in younger and older listeners (N=44, 24f) who had normal or impaired audiograms with suspected age-related synaptopathy in the older cohort. We conclude that optimal stimulation paradigms for EFR-based quantification of synaptopathy should have sharply rising envelope shapes, a minimal plateau duration of 1.7-2.1 ms for a 120-Hz modulation rate, and inter-peak intervals which contain near-zero amplitudes. From our recordings, the optimal EFR-evoking stimulus had a rectangular envelope shape with a 25% duty cycle and a 95% modulation depth. Older listeners with normal or impaired audiometric thresholds showed significantly reduced EFRs, which were consistent with how (age-induced) synaptopathy affected these responses in the model.Significance StatementCochlear synaptopathy was in 2009 identified as a new form of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) that also affects primates and humans. However, clinical practice does not routinely screen for synaptopathy, and hence its consequences for degraded sound and speech perception remain unclear. Cochlear synaptopathy may thus remain undiagnosed and untreated in the aging population who often report self-reported hearing difficulties. To enable an EEG-based differential diagnosis of synaptopathy in humans, it is crucial to develop a recording method that evokes a robust response and emphasizes inter-individual differences. These differences should reflect the synaptopathy aspect of SNHL, while being insensitive to other aspects of SNHL (e.g. outer-hair-cell damage). This study uniquely combines computational modeling with experiments in normal and hearing-impaired listeners to design an EFR stimulation and recording paradigm that can be used for the diagnosis of synaptopathy in humans.

The link between Brain and Hearing system

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 114-117
Author(s):  
Alireza Bina
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Auditory System ◽  
Auditory Nerve ◽  
Neurofibromatosis Type ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Auditory Neuropathy ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Brain Disorder ◽  
Hearing System

There are some studies which confirmed that dysfunction in Central Nervous System(CNS) may cause a malfunction in the Peripheral Auditory system (Cochlea_ Auditory Nerve, Auditory Neuropathy), but the question is could Brain Disorder without any lesion in the Cochlea and/or Auditory nerve cause Sensorineural Hearing Loss? It means that the Audiogram shows that the patient suffers from sensorineural hearing loss but the site of the lesion is neither Sensory nor Neural while Brain may be involved in charge of this. And if the answer is yes then could we hear with our Brain and without Cochlea and /or Auditory nerve? We deal with this subject in this paper by: Otosclerosis and Meniere’s disease and The Brain Involvement. Hearing Loss following dysfunction in the Central Auditory and/or central non auditory system. Auditory Brainstem Implant in Patients who suffer from Neurofibromatosis Type two compare to Non Tumor cases, Mondini Syndrome, Michel aplasia. Possible role of Utricle and Saccule in Auditory (Hearing) System We propose a new Hypothesis that the External Ear Canal is not the only input of Auditory Signals, Sounds could transfer by our eyes and skin to the Cerebral Cortex and approach to the Cochlea (Backward Auditory input pathway of Sounds).

scholarly journals The association between auditory nerve neurovascular conflict and sudden unilateral sensorineural hearing loss

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 384-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omer J. Ungar ◽  
Adi Brenner‐Ullman ◽  
Oren Cavel ◽  
Yahav Oron ◽  
Oshri Wasserzug ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Auditory Nerve ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Neurovascular Conflict
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