Journal article
Electrical stimulation induces synaptic changes in the peripheral auditory system
Journal of comparative neurology (1911), Vol.528(6), pp.893-905
04/2020
DOI: 10.1002/cne.24802
PMID: 31658367
Abstract
Since a rapidly increasing number of neurostimulation devices are used clinically to modulate specific neural functions, the impact of electrical stimulation on targeted neural structure and function has become a key issue. In particular, the specific effect of electrical stimulation via a cochlear implant (CI) on inner hair cell (IHC) synapses remains unclear. Importantly, CI candidacy has recently expanded to include patients with partial hearing loss. Unfortunately, some CI recipients experience progressive hearing loss after activation of electrical stimulation. The mechanism(s) accounting for loss of residual hearing following electrical stimulation is unknown. Here normal‐hearing guinea pigs were implanted with customized CIs. Intracochlear electrical stimulation with an intensity equal to or above electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP) threshold decreased the excitability of auditory nerve. Furthermore, the number of synapses between IHCs and the afferent spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) also decreased after electrical stimulation with higher intensities. However, no significant change was observed in the packing density and perikaryal area of SGNs as well as the quantity of hair cells. These results carry important implications for use of CIs in patients with residual hearing and for an increasing number of patients treated with other neurostimulation devices. Notably, the results were based on acute electrical stimulation. Considering the complex interaction between CIs and targeted tissues, it is urgent to conduct further research to clarify whether the similar changes could be induced by chronic electrical stimulation.
The present study demonstrated that intracochlear electrical stimulation with charge‐balanced biphasic pulses delivered by cochlear implant induced changes in the structure and function of peripheral auditory system, including the loss of inner hair cell (IHC) synapses and decrease of auditory nerve excitability, while no change was observed in the quantity and morphology of IHCs and spiral ganglion neurons.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Electrical stimulation induces synaptic changes in the peripheral auditory system
- Creators
- Qiang Li - Fudan UniversityTianhao Lu - Fudan UniversityChen Zhang - Fudan UniversityMarlan R. Hansen - University of IowaShufeng Li - Fudan University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of comparative neurology (1911), Vol.528(6), pp.893-905
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc
- DOI
- 10.1002/cne.24802
- PMID
- 31658367
- ISSN
- 0021-9967
- eISSN
- 1096-9861
- Number of pages
- 13
- Grant note
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (81171482; 81670927)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/2020
- Academic Unit
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics; Neurosurgery; Otolaryngology
- Record Identifier
- 9984297494902771
Metrics
8 Record Views