title: Plastic Change in the Auditory Minimum Threshold Induced by Intercollicular Effects in Mice.
abstract: In the auditory pathway, the commissure of the inferior colliculus (IC) interconnects the two ICs on both sides of the dorsal midbrain. This interconnection could mediate an interaction between the two ICs during sound signal processing. The intercollicular effects evoked by focal electric stimulation for 30 min could inhibit or facilitate auditory responses and induce plastic changes in the response minimum threshold (MT) of IC neurons. Changes in MT are dependent on the best frequency (BF) and MT difference. The MT shift is larger in IC neurons with BF differences ≤2 kHz than in those with BF differences >2 kHz. Moreover, MTs that shift toward electrically stimulated IC neurons increase with the increasing MT difference between the two ICs. The shift in MT lasts for a certain period of time and then returns to previous levels within ~150 min. The collicular interactions are either reciprocal or unilateral under alternate stimulating and recording conditions in both ICs. Our results suggest that intercollicular effects may be involved in the acoustic experience-dependent plasticity of the MT of IC neurons.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; School of Sport, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Xian
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
authors.forename: Zi-Ying
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior, CCNU, Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China; School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Hubei Key Lab of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
authors.forename: Qi-Cai
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007245:Inferior Colliculi / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology