在听觉系统中，中脑下丘是重要的听觉整合核团，但对下丘双耳信息整合机制的认识仍不清楚。前期的研究聚焦在下丘的中央核，但对下丘中央核的双耳反应是否存在整合还有争议。然而我们发现在小鼠下丘背侧核中具有异于下丘中央核的结构，和双耳反应特点，故认为双耳信息整合的区域主要是下丘的背侧核，而下丘中央核则主要负责对频率信息的加工处理。为探明下丘的双耳信息整合机制，本课题拟采用清醒小鼠在体贴附式记录结合神经元生物素标定，侧重探索下丘背侧核神经元的双耳反应特性及规律，明确下丘背侧核对双耳听信息整合的作用；采用免疫组化、病毒示踪和全细胞记录方法结合光遗传技术等，解析下丘背侧核双耳信息整合的环路和突触机制。从单神经元的动作电位水平和突触后水平深入研究双耳的听信息在下丘的加工处理作用。实验结果将验证本项目提出的“下丘背侧核双耳整合假说”，并为听觉信息在下丘处理和声源定位机制贡献新理论。

The inferior colliculus is an important auditory station in auditory information pathway, but the binaural integration mechanisms remain not well understood. Most of the previous studies focused on the central nucleus of inferior colliculus (ICC), but they cannot confirm an integration underlying the binaural response of the ICC. Combining with results of our previous studies and related papers, we found that the dorsal nucleus of inferior colliculus (ICD) is different from the ICC both in cytoarchitectonic organization and binaural information processing. Thus, we speculate that ICD and ICC play the important role in integrating bilateral auditory inputs and processing of frequency information, respectively. In this study, using the in vivo loose patch recording combined with biocytin labeled, we are going to explore the characteristics of the neuronal responses in mice ICD neurons under the closed-field sound condition, and also identify the role of ICD in binaural hearing integration. Combining immunohistochemistry, virus tracing, in vivo whole-cell recording and optogenetics methods, we will deeply study the underling neuronal circuit and synaptic mechanisms of binaural auditory information processing in the ICD. This work will deeply study the mechanisms of binaural auditory processing both the spike level and post-synaptic level in inferior colliculus on awake mouse. As a result, we may confirm the hypothesis about the binaural information integration is depend on the dorsal nucleus of the inferior colliculus, and contribute new theory to understand the auditory information processing in the inferior colliculus and the mechanism of sound source localization.