title: An integrative model of subcortical auditory plasticity.
abstract: In direct conflict with the concept of auditory brainstem nuclei as passive relay stations for behaviorally-relevant signals, recent studies have demonstrated plasticity of the auditory signal in the brainstem. In this paper we provide an overview of the forms of plasticity evidenced in subcortical auditory regions. We posit an integrative model of auditory plasticity, which argues for a continuous, online modulation of bottom-up signals via corticofugal pathways, based on an algorithm that anticipates and updates incoming stimulus regularities. We discuss the negative implications of plasticity in clinical dysfunction and propose novel methods of eliciting brainstem responses that could specify the biological nature of auditory processing deficits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Center for Perceptual Systems, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, bchandra@utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Bharath
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chandrasekaran
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skoe
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kraus
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000465:Algorithms; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity