# Contribution of a corticofugal pathway to auditory perception

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2022 · $215,423

## Abstract

SUMMARY
Auditory perception is mediated by both bottom-up (feedforward) and top-down (feedback or corticofugal)
mechanisms. Top-down mechanisms filter the ascending bottom-up stream, which improves auditory
perception by enhancing the neuronal representations of behaviorally relevant stimuli, while simultaneously
suppressing neuronal representations of behaviorally irrelevant stimuli. As a consequence of this interaction
between bottom-up and top-down mechanisms, a listener can flexibly direct their perceptual and cognitive
resources in the pursuit of goal-directed behavior. Yet, despite their critical importance, we do not fully
understand the contribution of corticofugal activity to auditory perception, especially in primate models of
hearing. This R21 proposal begins to fill this knowledge gap by identifying a contribution of a corticothalamic
pathway (i.e., a pathway from the primary auditory cortex to the auditory thalamus) to primate auditory
perception. We identify contributions of a corticothalamic pathway to auditory perception by examining how its
functional connectivity is modulated during a monkey's performance on a neuroethologically relevant task, the
“vocalization-in-chorus” task. In this vocalization-in-chorus task, monkeys covertly attend to one of two
speakers' locations and detect a “target” vocalization that is embedded in a background “chorus” of vocalizations;
the target vocalization may or may not be presented at the attended location. We manipulate the listening
environment by (1) changing the sound level of the target vocalization relative to the background chorus and (2)
changing the locus of the monkeys' spatial attention. We have three hypotheses. We hypothesize that task-related
changes in AC-to-MGB functional connectivity will increase in low signal-to-noise regimes. We also hypothesize
that this functional connectivity will increase when the monkey attends to the location of the target vocalization
than when they do not. Finally, we hypothesize that task-related changes in AC-to-MGB functional connectivity
will be greater between AC and lemniscal components of the MGB than between AC and non-lemniscal MGB
components. Individually and collectively, the findings of this proposal provide valuable, quantitative insights
into the role of corticothalamic circuits in primate auditory behavior.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10465655
- **Project number:** 1R21DC019826-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Yale E Cohen
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $215,423
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-02-15 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10465655

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10465655, Contribution of a corticofugal pathway to auditory perception (1R21DC019826-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10465655. Licensed CC0.

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