Age-dependent effects of acoustic deprivation on spherical cells of the rat anteroventral cochlear nucleus.
The effects of monaural deprivation by ligation of the external auditory meatus on spherical cells in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus of the rat were examined. Sound deprivation from postnatal days 10, 16, 24, and 36 resulted in a reduction in spherical cell size, with the most dramatic reduction produced by deprivation at 10 and 16 days after birth. The anteroventral cochlear nucleus was subdivided into dorsal, middle, and ventral zones which generally correspond to different frequency representations, and the effects of deprivation on cells in these regions were examined. Cells in the dorsal zone of the anteroventral cochlear nucleus were significantly smaller than cells in the middle or ventral zones, thus indicating a position-dependent effect of acoustic deprivation. Our results suggest a sensitive period during which alterations in normal acoustic input can significantly and differentially affect the development of cells in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D003056:Cochlear Nerve / Q000166:cytology; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains