# Cerebellar Modulation of Auditory Function

> **NIH NIH R21** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $204,688

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT:
Signal processing in central auditory pathways depends both on acoustic information transmitted from the
auditory periphery and on contextual modulation by distributed brain circuits. Healthy hearing throughout the
lifespan relies on the ability to adaptively modify central auditory gain under conditions of ambiguous or
degraded acoustic information, such as in noisy environments or after hearing loss. Auditory perception is
also influenced by where we look and what we pay attention to, but the mechanisms mediating these
contextual effects are poorly understood. Increasing evidence indicates that neural circuits outside of the
classical auditory pathways may be particularly important for adaptive gain control in the auditory system.
This proposal focuses on the role of the cerebellum, a brain structure historically associated with motor control
but more recently recognized for its involvement in optimizing sensory processing. The long-term goal of this
exploratory project is to identify the influence of the cerebellum on auditory function, with a particular interest
in harnessing cerebellar plasticity mechanisms for therapeutic improvements in hearing. Little is known
about the anatomical substrates or physiological effects of the cerebellum on the auditory system. The
specific aims of the proposed research are to (1) Identify the neural circuit substrates for cerebellar
modulation of the auditory system and (2) Examine the physiological influence of the cerebellum on midbrain
auditory activity. Experiments in Aim 1 will take advantage of modern viral anterograde, retrograde, and
transsynaptic circuit tracing reagents to identify brainstem and thalamic neurons that are anatomically
positioned to connect the cerebellum with the inferior colliculus. Aim 2 will leverage optogenetic stimulation of
the cerebellum to assess the physiological influence of manipulating cerebellar activity on spontaneous firing
and auditory evoke responses in inferior colliculus neurons. This research will lay the foundation for
understanding the circuits, mechanisms, and functional effects of cerebellar-auditory interactions. There are
strong clinical implications for adaptive cerebellar control of hearing, as non-invasive cerebellar stimulation
could provide a new therapeutic strategy for improving auditory sensitivity after hearing loss.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9964758
- **Project number:** 5R21DC017600-02
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** SASCHA DU LAC
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $204,688
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9964758

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9964758, Cerebellar Modulation of Auditory Function (5R21DC017600-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9964758. Licensed CC0.

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