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Auditory Learning Down‐Regulates Inhibitory Synaptic Function in the Sensory Striatum
Author(s) -
RodríguezDeliz Carla,
Trapp Gardiner,
Mowery Todd,
Kotak Vibhakar,
Sanes Dan
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.837.2
Subject(s) - neuroscience , striatum , sensory system , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , medium spiny neuron , auditory cortex , psychology , biology , dopamine
During associative learning a neutral sensory stimulus is paired with either an aversive event or a reward in order to establish an auditory‐guided behavior. This type of learning may affect several regions of the brain such as the striatum. However, nothing is known about the role of the sensory striatum in auditory learning. To determine whether changes occur within the synapses as a consequence of auditory learning, we assessed inhibitory synaptic function in the sensory striatum because inhibitory networks control brain excitability. Gerbils between the ages of postnatal day (P) 88 to 115 were trained on an amplitude modulation (AM) discrimination task since AM constitutes a core element of sound communication. On alternate days of training, we generated Corticostriatal brain slice preparations that preserved the ventral medial geniculate nucleus (MGv) with its projections to the auditory cortex (ACx), as well as layer 5 projections into auditory recipient regions of the striatum. Spontaneous inhibitory synaptic currents (sIPSCs) and minimum evoked IPSCs (mE‐IPSCs) were recorded in medium spiny neurons of the auditory striatum following a blockade of AMPA and NMDA receptors. Diminished amplitudes of both sIPSCs and mE‐IPSCs accompanied learning an auditory task and lasted several days before returning to control levels. Changes in sIPSC amplitudes were also observed to significantly correlate with changes in task performance. Therefore, a transient period of disinhibition in the Medium Spiny Neurons (MSN) of the auditory striatum could mediate auditory learning.