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Sequential maturation of stimulus-specific adaptation in the mouse lemniscal auditory system
Patricia Valerio1, Julien Rechenmann1, Suyash Joshi1
1Department of Biomedicine, Basel University, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Science Advances
|January 3, 2024
Summary
Stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) develops sequentially in the auditory system during adolescence. This neural process matures at different times in the thalamus and auditory cortex, influenced by experience and specific neural circuits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory System Development
- Sensory Processing
Background:
- Stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) is a crucial neural mechanism for efficient sensory processing, reducing responses to familiar stimuli.
- While SSA is well-understood in adults, its developmental trajectory and underlying neural circuits during adolescence remain largely unexplored.
- Understanding SSA development is key to comprehending how the brain learns to predict and respond to novel or surprising events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental timeline of stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) in the mouse auditory pathway during adolescence.
- To identify the specific neuronal circuits and layers involved in the maturation of SSA in the auditory cortex and thalamus.
- To determine the role of sensory experience in the development of SSA in different auditory brain regions.
Main Methods:
- In vivo electrophysiology was employed to record neural activity in the auditory system of mice at various developmental stages.
- Optogenetics was utilized to manipulate specific neuronal circuits and investigate their role in SSA development.
- Experiments focused on the lemniscal pathway, examining the inferior colliculus, auditory thalamus, and primary auditory cortex (A1).
Main Results:
- SSA was found to be stable from postnatal day 20 (P20) in the inferior colliculus.
- SSA maturation continued until P30 in the auditory thalamus and extended even later in the primary auditory cortex (A1).
- Experience-dependent maturation of SSA was observed in A1, but not in the thalamus, and was linked to deep cortical layers. Corticothalamic projections were implicated in thalamic SSA development.
Conclusions:
- The maturation of stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) follows a distinct temporal sequence across different auditory brain regions during adolescence.
- Experience plays a critical role in the development of SSA in the auditory cortex, involving specific neuronal layers and corticothalamic circuits.
- These findings provide insights into the neural basis of predictive coding and surprise detection, highlighting the dynamic development of sensory processing.
