title: Disruption of lateral efferent pathways: functional changes in auditory evoked responses.
abstract: The functional consequences of selectively lesioning the lateral olivocochlear efferent system in guinea pigs were studied. The lateral superior olive (LSO) contains the cell bodies of lateral olivocochlear neurons. Melittin, a cytotoxic chemical, was injected into the brain stem using stereotaxic coordinates and near-field evoked potentials to target the LSO. Brain stem histology revealed discrete damage to the LSO following the injections. Functional consequences of this damage were reflected in depressed amplitude of the compound action potential of the eighth nerve (CAP) following the lesion. Threshold sensitivity and N1 latencies were relatively unchanged. Onset adaptation of the cubic distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) was evident, suggesting a reasonably intact medial efferent system. The present results provide the first report of functional changes induced by isolated manipulation of the lateral efferent pathway. They also confirm the suggestion that changes in single-unit auditory nerve activity after cutting the olivocochlear bundle are probably a consequence of disrupting the more lateral of the two olivocochlear efferent pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0506, USA. colleng@umich.edu
authors.forename: Colleen G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Le Prell
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Shore
authors.forename: Larry F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Sanford C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bledsoe
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003056:Cochlear Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D017626:Cochlear Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D004056:Differential Threshold; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous / Q000502:physiology; D010469:Perceptual Distortion; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016708:Synaptophysin