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Electrogenic N ‐methyl‐ D ‐aspartate receptor signaling enhances binaural responses in the adult brainstem
Author(s) -
Siveke Ida,
Ammer Julian J.,
Gleiss Sarah A.,
Grothe Benedikt,
Leibold Christian,
Felmy Felix
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/ejn.13859
Subject(s) - inferior colliculus , lateral lemniscus , brainstem , neuroscience , binaural recording , midbrain , sensory system , stimulus (psychology) , nucleus , superior olivary complex , auditory system , chemistry , biology , psychology , central nervous system , medicine , audiology , psychotherapist
In sensory systems, the neuronal representation of external stimuli is enhanced along the sensory pathway. In the auditory system, strong enhancement of binaural information takes place between the brainstem and the midbrain; however, the underlying cellular mechanisms are unknown. Here we investigated the transformation of binaural information in the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus ( DNLL ), a nucleus that connects the binaural nuclei in the brainstem and the inferior colliculus in the midbrain. We used in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology in adult Mongolian gerbils to show that N ‐methyl‐ D ‐aspartate receptor ( NMDAR s) play a critical role in neuronal encoding of stimulus properties in the DNLL . While NMDAR s increase firing rates, the timing and the accuracy of the neuronal responses remain unchanged. NMDAR ‐mediated excitation increases the information about the acoustic stimulus. Taken together, our results show that NMDAR s in the DNLL enhance the auditory information content in adult mammal brainstem.