Cross-Modal Plasticity in Postlingual Hearing Loss Predicts Speech Perception Outcomes After Cochlear Implantation.

Sensory loss may lead to intra- and cross-modal cortical reorganization. Previous research showed a significant correlation between the cross-modal contribution of the right auditory cortex to visual evoked potentials (VEP) and speech perception in cochlear implant (CI) users with prelingual hearing loss (HL), but not in those with postlingual HL. The present study aimed to explore the cortical reorganization induced by postlingual HL, particularly in the right temporal region, and how it correlates with speech perception outcome with a CI.

Gain control of sensory input across polysynaptic circuitries in mouse visual cortex by a single G protein-coupled receptor type (5-HT).

Response gain is a crucial means by which modulatory systems control the impact of sensory input. In the visual cortex, the serotonergic 5-HT receptor is key in such modulation. However, due to its expression across different cell types and lack of methods that allow for specific activation, the underlying network mechanisms remain unsolved.

Distal but not local auditory information supports spatial representations by place cells.

Sound is an important navigational cue for mammals. During spatial navigation, hippocampal place cells encode spatial representations of the environment based on visual information, but to what extent audiospatial information can enable reliable place cell mapping is largely unknown. We assessed this by recording from CA1 place cells in the dark, under circumstances where reliable visual, tactile, or olfactory information was unavailable.

Changes in hippocampal volume, synaptic plasticity and amylin sensitivity in an animal model of type 2 diabetes are associated with increased vulnerability to amyloid-beta in advancing age.

Type-2 diabetes (T2D) is a metabolic disorder that is considered a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cognitive impairment can arise due to hypoglycemia associated with T2D, and hyperamylinemia associated with insulin resistance can enhance AD pathology. We explored whether changes occur in the hippocampus in aging (6-12 months old) female V-Lep-/- transgenic (tg) mice, comprising an animal model of T2D.

Elevated NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation Is Associated with Motor Neuron Degeneration in ALS.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron degeneration in the central nervous system. Recent research has increasingly linked the activation of nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome to ALS pathogenesis. NLRP3 activation triggers Caspase 1 (CASP 1) auto-activation, leading to the cleavage of Gasdermin D (GSDMD) and pore formation on the cellular membrane.

Metronome-guided cochlear implantation for slower and smoother insertions of lateral wall electrodes.

Introduction: Achieving a slow and smooth electrode array insertion is paramount for preserving structural and functional integrity during cochlear implantation. This controlled study evaluates the efficacy of a metronome-guided insertion technique in enhancing the smoothness and speed of electrode array insertions.

Methods: In a prospective cohort study, patients undergoing cochlear implant surgery between 2022 and 2023 with lateral wall electrode arrays were included.

Electrically evoked compound action potentials are associated with the site of intracochlear stimulation.

Objectives: Objective measurements to predict the position of a cochlear electrode during cochlear implantation surgery may serve to improve the surgical technique and postoperative speech outcome. There is evidence that electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAP) are a suitable approach to provide information about the site of stimulation. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge about the association between the intraoperative intracochlear ECAP characteristics and the site of stimulation.

Optical Genome Mapping Reveals Genomic Alterations upon Gene Editing in hiPSCs: Implications for Neural Tissue Differentiation and Brain Organoid Research.

Genome editing, notably CRISPR (cluster regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9), has revolutionized genetic engineering allowing for precise targeted modifications. This technique's combination with human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) is a particularly valuable tool in cerebral organoid (CO) research. In this study, CRISPR/Cas9-generated fluorescently labeled hiPSCs exhibited no significant morphological or growth rate differences compared with unedited controls.

Effect of Cochlear Implant Electrode Insertion Depth on Speech Perception Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Objective: The suitable electrode array choice is broadly discussed in cochlear implantation surgery. Whether to use a shorter electrode length under the aim of structure preservation versus choosing a longer array to achieve a greater cochlear coverage is a matter of debate. The aim of this review is to identify the impact of the insertion depth of a cochlear implant (CI) electrode array on CI users' speech perception outcomes.

Rodent models for mood disorders - understanding molecular changes by investigating social behavior.

Mood disorders, including depressive and bipolar disorders, are the group of psychiatric disorders with the highest prevalence and disease burden. However, their pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Animal models are an extremely useful tool for the investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders.

Performing Repeated Intraoperative Impedance Telemetry Measurements during Cochlear Implantation.

Impedance measurements are routinely performed during cochlear implantation (CI) after finalized electrode insertion. They may allow conclusions on the electrode's and implant's function. In the postoperative setting, the analysis of impedance changes enables the identification of scarring or inflammation processes around the electrode.

Accuracy of Preoperative Cochlear Duct Length Estimation and Angular Insertion Depth Prediction.

Objective: In cochlear implantation with flexible lateral wall electrodes, a cochlear coverage of 70% to 80% is assumed to yield an optimal speech perception. Therefore, fitting the cochlear implant (CI) to the patient's individual anatomy has gained importance in recent years. For these reasons, the optimal angular insertion depth (AID) has to be calculated before cochlear implantation.

Comparing linear and non-linear models to estimate the appropriate cochlear implant electrode array length-are current methods precise enough?

Purpose: In cochlear implantation with flexible lateral wall electrode arrays, a cochlear coverage (CC) range between 70% and 80% is considered ideal for optimal speech perception. To achieve this CC, the cochlear implant (CI) electrode array has to be chosen according to the individual cochlear duct length (CDL). Here, we mathematically analyzed the suitability of different flexible lateral wall electrode array lengths covering between 70% and 80% of the CDL.

Defects in Glutathione System in an Animal Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progredient neurodegenerative disease characterized by a degeneration of the first and second motor neurons. Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased levels of glutathione, which are important defense mechanisms against ROS, have been reported in the central nervous system (CNS) of ALS patients and animal models. The aim of this study was to determine the cause of decreased glutathione levels in the CNS of the ALS model wobbler mouse.

A map of spatial navigation for neuroscience.

Spatial navigation has received much attention from neuroscientists, leading to the identification of key brain areas and the discovery of numerous spatially selective cells. Despite this progress, our understanding of how the pieces fit together to drive behavior is generally lacking. We argue that this is partly caused by insufficient communication between behavioral and neuroscientific researchers.

Learning to predict future locations with internally generated theta sequences.

Representing past, present and future locations is key for spatial navigation. Indeed, within each cycle of the theta oscillation, the population of hippocampal place cells appears to represent trajectories starting behind the current position of the animal and sweeping ahead of it. In particular, we reported recently that the position represented by CA1 place cells at a given theta phase corresponds to the location where animals were or will be located at a fixed time interval into the past or future assuming the animal ran at its typical, not the current, speed through that part of the environment.

Modeling the function of episodic memory in spatial learning.

Episodic memory has been studied extensively in the past few decades, but so far little is understood about how it drives future behavior. Here we propose that episodic memory can facilitate learning in two fundamentally different modes: retrieval and replay, which is the reinstatement of hippocampal activity patterns during later sleep or awake quiescence. We study their properties by comparing three learning paradigms using computational modeling based on visually-driven reinforcement learning.

What do windsurfers and kitesurfers in Germany know about surfer's ear and how is it influenced by protective measures?

Objective: This study investigated the frequency of ear canal protection use and looked at its influence on external auditory exostosis severity and knowledge about external auditory exostosis among windsurfers and kitesurfers on the German coast.

Method: This retrospective cross-sectional study interviewed 130 windsurfers and kitesurfers along the German coast on knowledge of external auditory exostosis, exposure time, use of neoprene hoods and earplugs, and otological complaints. Participants underwent bilateral video-otoscopic examination.

CoBeL-RL: A neuroscience-oriented simulation framework for complex behavior and learning.

Reinforcement learning (RL) has become a popular paradigm for modeling animal behavior, analyzing neuronal representations, and studying their emergence during learning. This development has been fueled by advances in understanding the role of RL in both the brain and artificial intelligence. However, while in machine learning a set of tools and standardized benchmarks facilitate the development of new methods and their comparison to existing ones, in neuroscience, the software infrastructure is much more fragmented.

A model of hippocampal replay driven by experience and environmental structure facilitates spatial learning.

Replay of neuronal sequences in the hippocampus during resting states and sleep play an important role in learning and memory consolidation. Consistent with these functions, replay sequences have been shown to obey current spatial constraints. Nevertheless, replay does not necessarily reflect previous behavior and can construct never-experienced sequences.

Persistent Firing in Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Cells in Young and Aged Rats.

Persistent neuronal firing is often observed in working memory and temporal association tasks both in humans and animals, and is believed to retain necessary information in these tasks. We have reported that hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells are able to support persistent firing through intrinsic mechanisms in the presence of cholinergic agonists. However, it still remains largely unknown how persistent firing is affected by the development of animals and aging.

Optimizing the Effect of tDCS on Motor Sequence Learning in the Elderly.

One of the most visible effects of aging, even in healthy, normal aging, is a decline in motor performance. The range of strategies applicable to counteract this deterioration has increased. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that can promote neuroplasticity, has recently gained attention.