Older mice were less capable than younger mice at "turning off" certain actively firing neurons when exposed to ambient noise. The result causes a fuzzy soundscape that makes it difficult for the brain to focus on one type of sound and filter out other surrounding sounds.
For the first time, researchers have captured in near-atomic detail the structure of a key part of the inner ear responsible for hearing. The results could pave the way for developing new treatments for those with hearing impairments.
Under anesthesia, neuron assemblies that respond to sound become indistinguishable from spontaneously active neurons. Findings suggest the state of unconsciousness produced by anesthesia forces the cerebral cortex to mask sensory input with spontaneous neural activity.
A new study casts old theories about hearing into doubt. Researchers found many cells in the inner ear react simultaneously to low-frequency sounds. This makes it easier for us to hear low-frequency sounds as the brain is able to receive input from many sensory cells at the same time.
Researchers identified a new mechanism by which auditory sensitivity is regulated. The mechanism can temporarily reduce sensitivity in the auditory system to protect itself from loud sounds that can cause hearing damage.
Muffled sounds experienced in the womb prime the brain’s ability to interpret some sounds and may be key for auditory development.
Dopamine drives neuroplasticity in the auditory pallium region of the zebra finch brain, researchers report.
Temporal sound processing can be maintained in mouse models of congenital hearing loss with exposure to broadband sounds embedded with pauses, a new study reports.
The auditory system tracks the speed and location of moving sounds.
Studying auditory regions and brain pathways in humans, apes, and monkeys, researchers have identified a language pathway that interconnects the auditory cortex with frontal lobe regions. The language pathway in other primates suggests an evolutionary basis in auditory cognition and vocal communication.
The brain activity response to sound in older children with hearing loss was lower than their peers with normal hearing.
Rodent study reveals noise-induced hearing loss is associated with elevated expression of proinflammatory cytokines and microglia activation in the primary auditory cortex. Pharmacologically depleting microglia helps prevent tinnitus in mice with noise-induced hearing loss.