SPP 1608: Ultrafast and Temporally Precise Information Processing: Normal and Dysfunctional Hearing

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Ultrafast signalling and an exquisitely high temporal precision down to the microsecond range are the hallmarks of the auditory system that set it apart from virtually any other sensory system. The aim of this Priority Programme is to identify and analyse the mechanisms in the peripheral and central auditory systems, which enable temporally precise information processing. Both normal and dysfunctional hearing will be addressed, linking basic and disease-oriented research. Whereas middle ear-based hearing loss can be treated well, there is no causative treatment for sensorineural hearing loss affecting the cochlea and/or the auditory nerve. Moreover, rehabilitation by hearing aids as well as cochlear and brainstem implants is only partially effective. Although these hearing devices best enable speech comprehension in the quiet, temporal aspects of the auditory signals are not well processed, leading to speech recognition impairment, problems in distinguishing meaningful sounds from background noise, and severe problems in sound localisation. Deficits in temporal processing can also result from structural and functional abnormalities in the central auditory system, such as the various relay stations in the brainstem. The exact causes of such sound-processing impairments are unknown so far. Also, the mechanisms whose dysfunction leads to temporal auditory processing disorders - be it in the cochlea, the auditory nerve or the brain - have not been identified. Therefore, a better understanding of the (patho)-physiology of ultrafast signalling and temporally precise information processing is indispensible if we want to develop effective treatment strategies for hearing disorders. The goal is to obtain a comprehensive knowledge of the mechanisms underlying ultrafast auditory processing with high precision, with the aims of achieving a fundamentally improved understanding of the causes of hearing disorders and tools for better therapeutic treatment. To achieve this goal, our Priority Programme will network renowned and young researchers in physiology, anatomy, human and mouse genetics, computational neuroscience, and behavioural studies, who, so far, have not participated in such a joint initiative.