ANIMAL NEUROIMAGING AND CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY

老年人的听力损失，老年性耳聋，是沟通能力最强的 老年人精神障碍。经典的是感觉细胞(毛细胞)的丧失 在耳蜗基底部(高音高)部分(内耳 外周听觉系统)导致了老年性耳聋。其他更多 最近的证据表明，大脑本身(中枢)的变化与年龄有关 听觉系统)是老年性耳聋的原因。这两个因素导致了 两个主要的感知困难：高音调的敏感度损失和 在背景噪音中理解语音的困难。在.期间 在上一个供资期间，观察到了与年龄有关的重大变化 具有年龄相关听觉颞叶通路的动物，电子显微镜 中脑突触，耳蜗内、外毛细胞变性，以及 其他。在即将到来的赠款期间，细胞神经成像技术 将应用于幼年和老年动物的切片制备 测定脑区钙调节随年龄的变化 先前证明患有与年龄相关的时间加工缺陷，因为 以及确定是否操纵细胞内钙离子浓度 水平和储备量会影响听觉时相加工 信息。将与动物行为项目建立密切联系 (声学惊吓反应-项目2)，单位生理学项目 (中脑，耳蜗核-项目3)，以及人类和动物诱发的 潜在项目(动物第一波和第四波--项目5)。这些 神经生理和行为项目将评估任何与年龄相关的 老年CBA小鼠时间加工能力的改善可能是由于 幼年、成年小鼠下丘负荷增加 钙调整剂在本项目中。此外，HRP还 免疫组织化学将继续与 项目三的单单位神经生理标测实验。 具体地说，中央核腹外侧区的输入 将与背内侧IC的输入下降进行比较 随着年龄的增长已经发现了。中央的下行输入 来自大脑高级中枢的耳蜗核将被检查以查看 如果连接性发生任何与年龄相关的变化。这些研究的结果 将利用研究为内科/外科/技术科做好准备 旨在提高老年人口生活质量的干预措施， 特别是在感官知觉和大脑功能方面。

Hearing loss in the elderly, presbycusis, is the number one communicative disorder of the elderly. Classically, loss of sensory cells (hair cells) in the basal (high pitch) portion of the cochlear (inner ear of the peripheral auditory system) has contributed to presbycusis. Other more recent evidence points to age-related changes in the brain itself (central auditory system) as a cause of presbycusis. These two factors result in the two main perceptual difficulties: a high-pitch loss in sensitivity and a difficulty of understanding speech in background noise. During the previous funding period, significant age-related changes were observed in animals with age-related auditory temporal pathways, electron microscopy of midbrain synapses, cochlear inner and outer hair cell degeneration, and others. In the upcoming grant period, techniques of cellular neuroimaging will be applied in slice preparations of young and old animals to determine calcium regulatory changes with age in brain regions we previously demonstrated had age-related temporal processing deficits, as well as determining if manipulation of intracellular calcium concentration levels and stores will affect the processing of auditory temporal information. Close ties will exist with the Animal Behavior Project (acoustic startle response- Project 2), the Single-unit Physiology Project (midbrain, cochlear nucleus- Project 3), and the Human and Animal Evoked Potential Project (animal Wave I and IV- Project 5). These neurophysiological and behavioral projects will evaluate any age-related improvements in temporal processing in old CBA mice that may occur due to loading the inferior colliculus (IC) of young, adult mice with increased calcium regulators in the present project. In addition, HRP immunohistochemistry will continue to be performed in conjunction with the single-unit neurophysiological mapping experiments of Project 3. Specifically, inputs to the ventrolateral division of the central nucleus of IC will be compared to the decline inputs to dorsomedial IC that we have already discovered with age. Descending inputs to the central cochlear nucleus from higher centers of the brain will be examined to see if any age-related changes in connectivity occur. The results of these studies will be utilized to prepared for medical/surgical/technological interventions to increase the quality of life in our elderly population, especially in regard to sensory perception and brain functioning.