CYTOCHEMISTRY OF CENTRAL AUDITORY PATHWAYS

双耳处理很重要，因为它允许生物体定位 在环境中的声音。这种处理的证据可以在 哺乳动物中枢听觉通路的早期水平，包括 上级橄榄、外侧丘系和下丘。神经元 这些通路使用耳间时间和水平差异（ITD和ILD） 来计算声源此处理的一部分涉及 单耳兴奋性输入与抑制性输入的相互作用 由另一只耳朵驱动。在这个项目中，我们将研究哪些神经元 在听觉通路中为双耳处理提供抑制性输入， 以及这些输入如何与兴奋性输入在不同水平的 听觉通路我们将把这些发现与处理 上级橄榄核、外侧丘系和 下丘 为此，将进行免疫细胞化学和递质特异性摄取。 用于识别上级橄榄核、外侧核和外侧核中的神经元 丘系和下丘可能使用抑制或兴奋 发射器这些程序将与逆行运输相结合 以确定抑制性或兴奋性 具有上行投射的神经元。此外， 这些投射神经元的传入输入将与 逆行转运和免疫细胞化学。这样，我们将定义 神经元链和它们的抑制性连接， 参与ITD和ILD的双耳处理。

Binaural processing is important because it allows organisms to localize sounds in their environment. Evidence of this processing can be found at early levels of central auditory pathways in mammals, including nuclei of the superior olive, lateral lemniscus, and inferior colliculus. Neurons in these pathways use interaural time and level differences (ITD's and ILD'S) to compute the source of a sound. Part of this processing involves the interaction of excitatory inputs driven by one ear and inhibitory inputs driven by the other ear. In this project we will investigate which neurons in the auditory pathways provide inhibitory inputs for binaural processing, and how these inputs converge with excitatory inputs at different levels of the auditory pathway. We will relate these findings to the processing of ITD's and ILD's in nuclei of the superior olive, lateral lemniscus, and inferior colliculus. To do this, immunocytochemistry and transmitter-specific uptake will be used to identify which neurons in the nuclei of the superior olive, lateral lemniscus, and inferior colliculus may use inhibitory or excitatory transmitters. These procedures will be combined with retrograde transport of exogenously injected tracers to identify inhibitory or excitatory neurons with ascending projections. Moreover, anterograde tracing of the afferent inputs to these projection neurons will be combined with retrograde transport and immunocytochemistry. In this way we will define the chains of neurons and their inhibitory connections which are likely to be involved in the binaural processing of ITD's and ILD'S.