STRUCTURE AND PLASTICITY OF CENTRAL HEARING MECHANISMS

描述：（改编自申请人的摘要）在本系列中， 研究复杂的跟踪实验在一个光和电子 将使用显微镜水平检查发育/可塑性， 在雪貂听力开始后的头两个月。 提出 研究将集中在改变传入投射的偏侧性， 和脑干听觉核。 这些研究将检查， 增殖旺盛，随后外侧上级细化 橄榄核投射和/或突触回路的细化 发生在IC。 这第一系列的研究将作为基线 用于单耳剥夺的研究。 延期研究会有帮助 确定可能的作用的竞争途径激发 每只耳朵的发育可塑性。单声道和双声道 使用耳塞剥夺将被用来改变听觉 在听力开始后的头两个月内， 雪貂 研究结果应有助于更好地了解 发展双耳感觉通路的经验。

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted From The Applicant's Abstract) In this series of studies sophisticated track tracing experiments at a light and electron microscopic level will be used to examine development/plasticity during the first two months after onset of hearing in the ferret. Proposed studies will focus on altered laterality of afferent projections from and to brainstem auditory nuclei. These studies will examine if exuberant proliferation with subsequent refinement of lateral superior olivary nucleus projections and/or refinement of synaptic circuitry occurs in the IC. This first series of studies will serve as a baseline for studies of monaural deprivation. Deprivation studies will help determine the possible role of competition between pathways excited by each ear in developmental plasticity. Both monaural and binaural deprivation using ear plugging will be used to alter the auditory experience during the first two months after onset of hearing in the ferret. Results should lead to a better understanding of the influence of experience on the development of these binaural sensory pathways.