Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus Fusiform-cell Plasticity is Altered in Salicylate-induced Tinnitus

Following noise overexposure and tinnitus-induction, fusiform cells of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) show increased spontaneous firing rates (SFR), increased spontaneous synchrony and altered stimulus-timing-dependent plasticity (StDP), which correlate with behavioral measures of tinnitus. Sodium salicylate, the active ingredient in aspirin, which is commonly used to induce tinnitus, increases SFR and activates NMDA receptors in the ascending auditory pathway. NMDA receptor activation is required for StDP in many brain regions, including the DCN. Blocking NMDA receptors can alter StDP timing rules and decrease synchrony in DCN fusiform cells. Thus, systemic activation of NMDA receptors with sodium salicylate should elicit pathological changes to StDP, thereby increasing SFR and synchrony and induce tinnitus. Herein, we examined the action of salicylate in tinnitus generation in guinea pigs in vivo by measuring tinnitus using two behavioral measures and recording single-unit responses from DCN fusiform cells pre- and post-salicylate administration in the same animals. First, we show that animals administered salicylate show evidence of tinnitus using both behavioral paradigms, cross-validating the tests. Second, fusiform cells in animals with tinnitus showed increased SFR, synchrony and altered StDP timing rules, like animals with noise-induced tinnitus. These findings suggest that alterations to fusiform-cell plasticity are an essential component of tinnitus, regardless of induction technique.