Listening in noise, clutter, and reverberant environments - central effects of aging and approaches to remediation

项目1摘要 该项目的重点是老年性听力损失(AHRL，老年性耳聋)，这是一种由于年龄而引起的普遍疾病 听觉通路上的相关变化。在阐明外围变化方面已经取得了很大进展， 但中枢神经系统中与年龄相关的变化在很大程度上仍然未知。该项目围绕着 假设皮质可塑性可以在老年保持有效的听觉功能方面发挥有效作用， 通过对抗减少的突触抑制和重新连接抑制电路。该项目描述了一系列 老年动物的行为和神经生理/成像实验，以探索生理和 ARHL的行为相关性，并提出实验以测试皮质可塑性如何引导对抗 它。为了追求这些目标，行为学、神经生理学和成像方法被结合起来 描述老年动物在噪声中的语音编码，并描述大脑皮质的可塑性 增强了年轻人在噪声中言语感知的稳健性，在老年人中效率低下。然后是这个项目 继续研究随着年龄增长而失效的细胞机制，并通过可塑性开发治疗策略。 由认知功能的参与引起的。该项目利用许多技术来实现其目标，如 作为单单元记录，体内双光子成像在被动和有行为的动物和体外电路中 测绘方法。该项目的最终目标是制定补救措施和适应性培训。 逆转一些与年龄相关的变化的程序。 1

Project 1 Abstract The focus of this project is Age-related hearing loss (AHRL, presbyacusis), a widespread condition due to age related changes along the auditory pathway. Great strides have been made elucidating the peripheral changes, but age related changes in the central nervous system remain largely unknown. The project revolves around the hypothesis that cortical plasticity can play an effective role in maintaining effective auditory function in old age, by countering diminished synaptic depression and rewired inhibitory circuits. The project describes a series of behavioral and neurophysiological/imaging experiments in aged animals, which explore the physiological and behavioral correlates of ARHL and propose experiments to test how cortical plasticity could be directed to counter it. In pursuit of these goals, behavioral, neurophysiological, and imaging approaches are combined to characterize the encoding of speech in noise in aged animals and characterize how cortical plasticity which enhances the robustness of speech perception in noise in the young is inefficient in the aged. The project then goes on to study the cellular mechanisms that fail with age, and develop therapeutic strategies through plasticity induced by engagement of cognitive functions. The project exploits many technologies to achieve its goals such as single-unit recordings, in vivo 2-photon imaging in passive and the behaving animals and in vitro circuit mapping approaches. The final aim of the project is to develop remedial interventions and adaptive training procedures to reverse some of the age-related changes. 1