| First Author | Wang Y | Year | 2021 |
| Journal | Nat Commun | Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 2449 |
| PubMed ID | 33907194 | Mgi Jnum | J:336929 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6713758 | Doi | 10.1038/s41467-021-22796-8 |
| Citation | Wang Y, et al. (2021) Efferent feedback controls bilateral auditory spontaneous activity. Nat Commun 12(1):2449 |
| abstractText | In the developing auditory system, spontaneous activity generated in the cochleae propagates into the central nervous system to promote circuit formation. The effects of peripheral firing patterns on spontaneous activity in the central auditory system are not well understood. Here, we describe wide-spread bilateral coupling of spontaneous activity that coincides with the period of transient efferent modulation of inner hair cells from the brainstem medial olivocochlear system. Knocking out alpha9/alpha10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, a requisite part of the efferent pathway, profoundly reduces bilateral correlations. Pharmacological and chemogenetic experiments confirm that the efferent system is necessary for normal bilateral coupling. Moreover, auditory sensitivity at hearing onset is reduced in the absence of pre-hearing efferent modulation. Together, these results demonstrate how afferent and efferent pathways collectively shape spontaneous activity patterns and reveal the important role of efferents in coordinating bilateral spontaneous activity and the emergence of functional responses during the prehearing period. |
