The central auditory system is classically thought of as an ascending system, where acoustic information is processed across a step-by-step hierarchy of increasingly complex circuits. However, this model is simplistic because we know that higher order brain regions such as the auditory cortex also send descending projections back to “lower” circuits.
Clues to How the Auditory Cortex Controls Subcortical Circuits
Our results may provide broadly generalizable insight into how the mammalian brain dynamically processes incoming sensory information.
Using Algorithms to Measure Brain Response Times to Auditory Nerve Stimulation
The proposed algorithms could provide a clue on the signal response and its shifts in the brain during the development of hyperactivity, a neural mechanism of tinnitus, and lead to an in-depth understanding of the information flow inside the auditory pathway. This will help us to better understand the mechanisms of tinnitus.
Evidence of Brain Tissue Damage From Blast Overpressure
Our results indicate that a single unilateral blast significantly impairs the structural and functional integrity at all levels of the central auditory neuraxis, or the auditory pathway in the higher brain centers. Overall, it is evident that the structural integrity of brain tissue is compromised at all levels.
Mass Spectrometry Imaging Reveals Effect of Blasts on Neurotransmitter Levels in the Chinchilla Model
To date there are no clear, definitive management recommendations for tinnitus, whether non-pharmacological or pharmacological. This is mainly due to a poor understanding of the pathomechanism (causes) of tinnitus. An imbalance in the excitation and inhibition of neurotransmitters is implicated, but more research is warranted.