title: Does Size Really Matter? The Role of Tonotopic Map Area Dynamics for Sound Learning in Mouse Auditory Cortex.
abstract: This commentary centers on the novel findings by Shepard et al. (2016) published ineNeuro. The authors interrogated tonotopic map dynamics in auditory cortex (ACtx) by employing a natural sound-learning paradigm, where mothers learn the importance of pup ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), allowing Shepard et al. to probe the role of map area expansion for auditory learning. They demonstrate that auditory learning in this paradigm does not rely on map expansion but is facilitated by increased inhibition of neurons tuned to low-frequency sounds. Here, we discuss the findings in light of the emerging enthusiasm for cortical inhibitory interneurons for circuit function and hypothesize how a particular interneuron type might be causally involved for the intriguing results obtained by Shepard et al.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, Basel University , Basel 4056, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hans Sperup
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Brünner
authors.affiliation: The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University , Aarhus C 8000, Denmark.
authors.forename: Rune
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5833-4383
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001303:Auditory Cortex; D007858:Learning; D051379:Mice; D013016:Sound; D013045:Species Specificity; D014465:Ultrasonics
keywords: auditory cortex; inhibition; interneurons; learning; plasticity; tonotopic map