Evidence of peripheral auditory activity modulation by the auditory cortex in humans

At the auditory periphery, the medial olivocochlear system is assumed to be involved in complex sound processing and may be influenced by feedback from higher auditory nuclei. Indeed, the descending auditory pathway includes fibers coming from the auditory cortex that are anatomically well positione...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience 2001-01, Vol.104 (2), p.347-358
Main Authors: Khalfa, S, Bougeard, R, Morand, N, Veuillet, E, Isnard, J, Guenot, M, Ryvlin, P, Fischer, C, Collet, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Audiometry
Auditory Cortex - cytology
Auditory Cortex - physiology
Auditory Cortex - surgery
auditory descending pathways
Auditory Pathways - cytology
Auditory Pathways - physiology
Auditory Perception - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Cochlea - cytology
Cochlea - physiology
Denervation - adverse effects
Ear and associated structures. Auditory pathways and centers. Hearing. Vocal organ. Phonation. Sound production. Echolocation
Efferent Pathways - cytology
Efferent Pathways - physiology
Epilepsy - pathology
Epilepsy - physiopathology
Epilepsy - surgery
Evoked Potentials, Auditory - physiology
Feedback - physiology
Functional Laterality - physiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
medial olivary nucleus
medial olivocochlear system
Middle Aged
Neural Inhibition - physiology
temporal lobe
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
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Summary:At the auditory periphery, the medial olivocochlear system is assumed to be involved in complex sound processing and may be influenced by feedback from higher auditory nuclei. Indeed, the descending auditory pathway includes fibers coming from the auditory cortex that are anatomically well positioned to influence the superior olivary complex, and thus the medial efferent system. The aim of the present study was to verify the hypothesis of an implied influence of the auditory cortex on the peripheral auditory system. In three rare cases of patients presenting with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy, Heschl’s gyrus (i.e. the temporal superior gyrus) was surgically removed in the right hemisphere in two patients and in the left hemisphere in a third patient, in order to minimize epilepsy attacks, as preoperative stereoencephalography had shown the epileptic focus or tumor to be situated in those locations. In all three cases, several weeks after the operation the medial olivocochlear system was clearly less functional on both sides, but especially on the side contralateral to the resection. In healthy controls, no such pattern was obtained. In four other epileptic patients, who were operated unilaterally at the anterior temporal pole, amygdala and hippocampus with the temporal gyrus partially spared, efferent suppression grew stronger in the ear ipsilateral to surgery. These results revealed that, in humans, the primary and secondary auditory cortex play a role in modulating auditory periphery activity through direct or indirect efferent fibers. In accordance with previous findings, this descending influence may improve the auditory afferent message by adapting the hearing function according to cortical analysis of the ascending input.
ISSN:0306-4522
1873-7544
DOI:10.1016/S0306-4522(01)00072-0