# Synaptic mechanisms of auditory thalamic cross-modal communication

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN · 2023 · $327,827

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Healthy subjects rapidly shift their attention in response to a dynamic sensory environment and
changing cognitive demands. Failure to quickly shift perceptual resources between auditory and
other modalities has been hypothesized to be a core deficit in both dyslexia and autism. Precisely
how the brain shuttles information between sensory systems is not known, but recent work
suggests that the thalamus contains circuits that have the capacity to rapidly transition between
different sensory modalities. Specifically, the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), a thin shell of
GABAergic neurons surrounding the thalamus, may serve as a link to allow communication
between different areas of the sensory thalamus, a phenomenon we refer to as thalamic “cross-
talk.” Based on recent data and our preliminary findings, we hypothesize that thalamo-TRN-
thalamic circuits provide critical connections between thalamic nuclei and therefore permit rapid
switching between auditory and other thalamocortical pathways. We propose to test this
hypothesis using a novel combination of anatomical, chemogenetic, optical stimulation and optical
imaging approaches in the mouse, using both slice and in vivo approaches. Specifically, we will
determine which of multiple potential circuit pathways is/are used to permit auditory, visual and
auditory thalamic nuclei to communicate with each other. Next, we will determine whether and
how such thalamic cross-talk influences synaptic responses at the level of the auditory cortex.
Finally, the impact of the TRN on cross-modal processing will be directly examined by optically
modulating the TRN while imaging cortical responses to combined sensory stimulation in awake
mice. Successful completion of this project will provide the first circuit-level characterization of the
role of the TRN in communication between the auditory thalamus and other thalamic regions. In
addition, this work will lay the groundwork for a greater understanding of how thalamoreticular
systems break down in disorders of communication.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10540232
- **Project number:** 5R01DC016599-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
- **Principal Investigator:** DANIEL A LLANO
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $327,827
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-01-01 → 2025-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10540232

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10540232, Synaptic mechanisms of auditory thalamic cross-modal communication (5R01DC016599-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10540232. Licensed CC0.

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