Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025
11:02
Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Tool to Induce Plasticity in Pathways Relevant for Extinction Learning
Published on: August 21, 2015
23.5K
Precise sound characteristics drive plasticity in the primary auditory cortex with VNS-sound pairing
Michael S Borland1,2, Elizabeth P Buell1,2, Jonathan R Riley1,2
1Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|September 21, 2023
Summary
Pairing specific speech sounds with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) enhances auditory cortex responses. Neural plasticity in the auditory pathway is shaped by the acoustic contrasts presented during VNS-sound pairing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Neuroplasticity
Background:
- Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with auditory stimuli can modify neural responses in the auditory pathway.
- Previous research shows VNS-sound pairing enhances primary auditory cortex (A1) responses to specific sounds.
- The influence of altered acoustic contrasts during VNS pairing on neural plasticity remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how different speech sounds paired with VNS affect neural plasticity in the primary auditory cortex.
- To test the hypothesis that the specific sounds presented during VNS pairing influence observed neural plasticity.
Main Methods:
- Responses were recorded from the primary auditory cortex (A1).
- VNS was repeatedly paired with two speech sounds ('rad' and 'lad') or only one ('rad'), with the other as background.
- Neural plasticity was assessed by changes in A1 responses to the presented sounds.
Main Results:
- Pairing both 'rad' and 'lad' with VNS significantly increased response strength and neural discriminability in A1.
- Unexpectedly, pairing only 'rad' with VNS did not alter A1 responses.
- These findings highlight the importance of acoustic contrast in VNS-induced plasticity.
Conclusions:
- Specific acoustic contrasts presented during VNS pairing critically shape neural activity and plasticity in the auditory system.
- This suggests potential therapeutic applications for auditory processing disorders by manipulating sound-based VNS protocols.
- Further research into sound contrast and neural activity patterns could yield significant clinical insights.
More Related Videos
09:29Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain
Published on: October 11, 2017
11.6K
11:39Assessment of Audio-Tactile Sensory Substitution Training in Participants with Profound Deafness Using the Event-Related Potential Technique
Published on: September 7, 2022
2.2K
Related Concept Videos
01:31Hearing
52.5K
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
52.5K
01:17Auditory Perception
357
The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the...
357
01:01Perception of Sound Waves
4.5K
The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...
4.5K
01:15Auditory Pathway
5.5K
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
5.5K
01:21Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
233
The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
233
01:13The Cochlea
45.2K
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
45.2K