# The impact of transient developmental HL on corticostriatal eLTP expression during auditory learning.

> **NIH NIH R01** · RBHS-ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON MEDICAL SCHOOL · 2020 · $241,006

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Auditory deprivation during the critical period of development can induce persistent changes along the entire
auditory neuraxis, as well as, brain regions downstream of primary auditory cortex. One such brain region, the
striatum, forms an excitatory circuit with the auditory cortex that drives decision-making. Recently, I have found
that transient developmental HL leads to persistent changes in the excitatory synaptic strength, inhibitory
synaptic strength, and cellular firing properties of gerbil auditory corticostriatal neurons. These changes involve
receptors that mediate long-term potentiation. Thus the behavioral impairments that remain after recovery
from developmental HL could in part be due to changes in the corticostriatal expression of excitatory long-term
potentiation (eLTP) during task acquisition. The core hypothesis of this proposal is that auditory associative
learning delay in HL subjects is caused by NMDA and GABA receptor mediated disruptions to eLTP
expression along the auditory corticostriatal circuit. Aim one will assess how NMDA receptor and GABAA/B
receptor function contributes to eLTP expression and auditory learning in the cortex and striatum. This will be
accomplished by 1) carrying out whole-cell recording from corticostriatal brain slices in adult gerbils in the
presence of NMDA or GABA receptor blockers during the induction of eLTP or 2) by infusing NMDA or GABA
blockers directly into the cortex or striatum via micro cannula during auditory discrimination training. Aim two
will assess how learning-induced changes to neural and synaptic properties in the cortex and striatum promote
eLTP during task acquisition. This will be accomplished by 1) using in vitro whole-cell recordings from ACx L5
or striatum to measure the learning-induced changes to NMDA and GABA receptor function and how they alter
the probability of eLTP expression during auditory discrimination learning or 2) by using in vivo
electrophysiological recordings from ACx L5 or striatum to measure how changes to neural firing rates and
patterns are correlated with increases in in vivo measures of eLTP during auditory discrimination learning. Aim
three will ask how developmental HL-induced changes to the set point of synaptic strength or neural firing
properties along the corticostriatal circuit affect eLTP expression during auditory learning. This will be
accomplished by 1) using in vitro whole-cell recordings from ACx L5 or striatum of adult animals that
experienced developmental HL to measure how the HL-induced changes to synaptic strength set points impact
the learning-induced changes that drive eLTP expression during auditory discrimination learning or 2) by using
in vivo electrophysiological recordings from ACx L5 or striatum of adult animals that experienced
developmental HL to measure how HL-induced changes to neural firing properties impact the learning-induced
changes that drive LTP during auditory discrimination learning. Together, t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10320528
- **Project number:** 7R01DC017163-03
- **Recipient organization:** RBHS-ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON MEDICAL SCHOOL
- **Principal Investigator:** Todd M. Mowery
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $241,006
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10320528

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10320528, The impact of transient developmental HL on corticostriatal eLTP expression during auditory learning. (7R01DC017163-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10320528. Licensed CC0.

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