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The auditory periphery

Principal investigator: Dr. Marcel van der Heijden

The processing of sounds starts in the cochlea, which is both a spectral analyzer and a mechano-electric transducer. The auditory information is then carried by the auditory nerve to the brainstem. Anatomically, these early stages of the auditory pathway show an organization that is very similar across mammalian species. Functionally, processing in this stage is characterized by a high level of temporal accuracy. Our aim is to arrive at a quantitative description of sound coding by the auditory periphery, and to link it to known performance in behavioral tasks. To this end, we perform experiments on normal hearing rodents (mongolian gerbils), in which we measure responses to computer-generated acoustic stimuli. This involves extracellular, single-unit recordings from the auditory nerve, cochlear nucleus, olivary complex and inferior colliculus, and in vivo patch-clamping in the auditory brainstem. In addition to neural recordings, we measure mechanical responses of the inner ear using a laser vibrometer.

Specific projects

Cochlea. Due to its vulnerability and poor accessibility, our understanding of the cochlea is incomplete. We have developed a novel approach (ref) that enables the reconstruction of cochlear operation from responses of auditory nerve fibers.

Masking. An important ability of the auditory system is the detection of sounds in noisy environments. When the noise is too loud, the sound is no longer audible and is said to be “masked.” Much behavioral work has been devoted to auditory masking, but its neural correlates are largely unknown. We aim to systematically collect auditory nerve responses to stimuli used in behavioral masking studies, and to derive the limits of dection imposed by the auditory periphery.

Timing. Some aspects of hearing, notably spatial hearing, demand a (sub-millisecond!) temporal precision that is much better than achieved by individual auditory nerve fibers. The information of multiple fibers is somehow integrated at the stage of the cochlear nucleus. It is our aim to find out the mechanisms behind this integration by measuring responses of the cochlear nucleus and comparing them to those of the auditory nerve.

Localization. Sound localization involves the detection of tiny differences between the sounds impinging on the two ears. This interaural comparison takes place in the olivary complex. The general mechanisms are known, but data are scarce because extracellular recordings from these binaural nuclei are difficult. We aim to use in vivo patch-clamping in the olivary complex in order to characterize its monaural inputs and to understand the mechanisms of the binaural comparison itself.

Selected recent publications

  • Factors controlling the input-output relation of spherical bushy cells in the gerbil cochlear nucleus. Kuenzel T, Borst JGG, van der Heijden M. J. Neurosci. 31:4260-4273 (2011). (pubmed)
  • Responses of Auditory Nerve and Anteroventral Cochlear Nucleus Fibers to Broadband and Narrowband Noise: Implications for the Sensitivity to Interaural Delays. van der Heijden M., Louage, D. H., Joris, P. X.  J. J. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. 12:485-502 (2011). (pubmed)
  • Response characteristics in the apex of the gerbil cochlea studied through auditory nerve recordings. Versteegh CPC, Meenderink SWF, van der Heijden M. J. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. 12:301-316 (2011). (pubmed)
  • Distortion product otoacoustic emissions evoked by tone complexes. Meenderink SWF, van der Heijden M. J. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. 12, 29-44 (2011). (pubmed)
  • Interaural correlation fails to account for detection in a classic binaural task: dynamic ITDs dominate N0Spi detection. van der Heijden M, Joris PX. J. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. 11:113-131 (2010). (pubmed)
  • Reply to Ren and Porsov: Reverse Propagation of Sounds in the Intact Cochlea. Meenderink SWF, van der Heijden M. J. Neurophysiol. 104:3733 (2010). (pubmed)
  • Reverse cochlear propagation in the intact cochlea of the gerbil: evidence for slow traveling waves. Meenderink SWF, van der Heijden M. J. Neurophysiol. 103:1448-1455 (2010). (pubmed)
  • Temporal damping in response to broadband noise. II. Auditory Nerve. Joris PX, Louage DH, van der Heijden M. J. Neurophysiol. 99:1942-1952 (2010). (pubmed)
  • Comparison of bandwidths in the inferior colliculus and the auditory nerve. I. Measurement using a spectrally manipulated stimulus. McLaughlin, M, Van de Sande, B, van der Heijden M, Joris PX. J. Neurophysiol. 98:2566-79 (2010). (pubmed)
  • Panoramic measurements of the apex of the cochlea. van der Heijden M, Joris PX. J. Neurosci. 26:11462-73 (2006). (pubmed)
  • Binaural and cochlear disparities. Joris PX, Van de Sande B, Louage DH, van der Heijden M. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A 103:12917-22 (2006). (pubmed)
  • Auditory midbrain and nerve responses to sinusoidal variations in interaural correlation. Joris PX, van de Sande B, Recio-Spinoso A, van der Heijden M. J. Neurosci. 26:279-89 (2006). (pubmed)
  • Decorrelation sensitivity of auditory nerve and anteroventral cochlear nucleus fibers to broadband and narrowband noise. Louage DH, Joris PX, van der Heijden M. J. Neurosci. 26:96-108 (2006). (pubmed)
  • Correlation index: a new metric to quantify temporal coding. Joris PX, Louage DH, Cardoen L, van der Heijden M. Hear. Res. 216-217:19-30 (2006). (pubmed)
  • Enhanced temporal response properties of anteroventral cochlear nucleus neurons to broadband noise. Louage DH, van der Heijden M, Joris PX J. Neurosci. 25:1560-70 (2005). (pubmed)
  • Cochlear gain control. van der Heijden M. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 117:1223-33 (2005). (pubmed)
  • Temporal damping in response to broadband noise. I. Inferior colliculus. Joris PX, Van De Sande B, van der Heijden M. J. Neurophysiol. 93:1857-70 (2005). (pubmed)
  • The speed of auditory low-side suppression. van der Heijden M, Joris PX. J. Neurophysiol. 93:201-9 (2005). (pubmed)
  • Temporal properties of responses to broadband noise in the auditory nerve. Louage DH, van der Heijden M, Joris PX. J. Neurophysiol. 91:2051-2065 (2004). (pubmed)
  • Cochlear phase and amplitude retrieved from the auditory nerve at arbitrary frequencies. van der Heijden M, Joris PX. J. Neurosci. 23:9194-8 (2003). (pubmed)