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Encoding of acquired sound-sequence salience by auditory cortical offset responses
Joonyeup Lee1, Gideon Rothschild2
1Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Cell Reports
|November 3, 2021
Summary
Neural "Off-responses" in the auditory cortex encode sound sequences. Learning enhances these responses, indicating acquired sound-sequence salience and memory.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Perception
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Behaviorally relevant sounds are sequential, with meaning often realized upon termination.
- Neural mechanisms for processing sound sequences, especially their endings, are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if neural responses to sound sequence termination (Off-responses) encode acoustic history and behavioral importance.
- To explore how learning affects these Off-responses in the auditory cortex.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two-photon calcium imaging in the auditory cortex of behaving mice.
- Recorded neural activity during and after the presentation of sound sequences.
- Compared neural responses before and after associative learning (sound sequence paired with reward).
Main Results:
- Auditory cortical Off-responses were found to encode preceding sound sequences.
- Associative learning enhanced Off-responses compared to On-responses (during sound sequence).
- Learning improved network-level discriminability of sound sequences via Off-responses, with lasting effects into the next day.
Conclusions:
- Auditory cortical Off-responses are crucial for encoding acquired sound-sequence salience.
- These Off-responses reflect the acoustic history and learned behavioral significance of sound sequences.
- Plasticity in Off-responses, but not On-responses, demonstrates long-term memory formation for sound sequences.
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