U01DC018537

Developmental Determination of Central Auditory Physiology by the Inner Ear - Project Summary:

A longstanding and fundamental question of neural development in sensory pathways is: what is the role of the organization of the sensory epithelium in establishing central topographic organization? In the auditory system, a direct approach to addressing this question has been elusive because it has not been possible to manipulate the input to the brain from the auditory periphery without either complete ablation of the inner ear or induction of hearing dysfunction.

The proposed experiments will establish, for the first time, a model of repatterned frequency representation in the chick inner ear by utilizing a new genetic manipulation in embryos. This manipulation takes advantage of the known genetic factors that establish the organization of the ear at a very early developmental stage that precedes the auditory nerve innervation of the central nervous system. By overexpressing one of these factors, bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7), inner ears develop almost exclusively low-frequency hair cell phenotypes.

In the first brain structure to receive auditory nerve input, the cochlear nucleus, neurons express a number of well-characterized biophysical and morphological specializations for processing sound in specific frequencies. Frequency-specific tuning is topographically mapped in both the ear and auditory brain regions, a feature known as 'tonotopy.' Thus, neural specialization occurs along an orderly tonotopic map in the cochlear nucleus.

The central hypothesis of this proposal is that tonotopic refinement of specializations in the cochlear nucleus is developmentally determined by patterned input from the inner ear and is not independently induced by local cues in the developing brain. This hypothesis is now testable using animals with tonotopically altered inner ears.

The first aim of this proposal is to examine whether the BMP7 manipulation indeed induces repatterning of hair cell tuning mechanisms in the inner ear. The second aim investigates the electrical input response properties of cochlear nucleus neurons in animals that have developed with tonotopically altered inner ears. Finally, the third aim will investigate the dependence of cochlear nucleus structure on normal topographic innervation from the auditory nerve.

These research objectives, if successful, will provide new insights into the mechanisms that establish the functional organization of auditory structures. Revelation of these mechanisms may be informative to optimization strategies for therapeutic interventions in early deafness or hearing loss that aim to preserve normal function and capacity in auditory circuitry.

Lehigh University

TO INVESTIGATE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEAFNESS OR DISORDERS OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION IN THE AREAS OF HEARING, BALANCE, SMELL, TASTE, VOICE, SPEECH, AND LANGUAGE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS (NIDCD) SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING, INCLUDING INVESTIGATION INTO THE ETIOLOGY, PATHOLOGY, DETECTION, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION OF DISORDERS OF HEARING AND OTHER COMMUNICATION PROCESSES, PRIMARILY THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH IN ANATOMY, AUDIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, BIOENGINEERING, EPIDEMIOLOGY, GENETICS, IMMUNOLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, THE NEUROSCIENCES, OTOLARYNGOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, PHARMACOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY, PSYCHOPHYSICS, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY, AND OTHER SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES. THE NIDCD SUPPORTS: (1) RESEARCH INTO THE EVALUATION OF TECHNIQUES AND DEVICES USED IN DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, REHABILITATION, AND PREVENTION OF DISORDERS OF HEARING AND OTHER COMMUNICATION PROCESSES, (2) RESEARCH INTO PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION AND DIAGNOSIS OF HEARING LOSS AND SPEECH, VOICE, AND LANGUAGE DISORDERS AND RESEARCH INTO PREVENTING THE EFFECTS OF SUCH DISORDERS BY MEANS OF APPROPRIATE REFERRAL AND REHABILITATION, (3) RESEARCH INTO THE DETECTION, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION OF DISORDERS OF HEARING AND OTHER COMMUNICATION PROCESSES IN THE ELDERLY POPULATION AND ITS REHABILITATION TO ENSURE CONTINUED EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS, AND (4) RESEARCH TO EXPAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AGENTS THAT INFLUENCE HEARING OR OTHER COMMUNICATION PROCESSES. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO ENCOURAGE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.173 - Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) [HHS - NIH]

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 180154731 United States

Single Zip Code

NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (PA-20-185)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 205% from $376,002 to $1,144,987.