Gregory J. Basura, M.D., Ph.D.

The Research

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Synaptic organization and plasticity in the auditory cortex following cochlear ablation: role of serotonin neurotransmission

The long-term objective of this proposal is to investigate mechanisms of plasticity in auditory cortex neurons following bilateral cochlear ablation. The evaluation of auditory cortex neuronal functioning in an animal model of deafness and the progressive identification of neurotransmitter receptor systems that may modulate their activity after hearing loss, may lead to the development of pharmacologic tools to facilitate restorative hearing.