The Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory studies the neural mechanisms of hearing loss due to aging and noise trauma.
Hearing loss has become more prevalent than ever with the steady increase of life expectancy, which leads to the increase in age-related hearing loss (presbycusis), and over-exposure to sound from sources like personal electronic devices (leads to noise-induced hearing loss). We use various strains of mice as the animal model to mimic different pathological conditions of hearing loss in humans. The investigation mostly focuses on the cochlear nucleus, the first brain site of the central auditory system that processes information from the ear. We are also interested in the pathology of the ear and consequently expanded our research to the cochlea.
We conduct our study at molecular, cellular, circuit and system levels utilizing multidisciplinary techniques including electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology, optogenetics and behavioral assays.
Hearing loss has become more prevalent than ever with the steady increase of life expectancy, which leads to the increase in age-related hearing loss (presbycusis), and over-exposure to sound from sources like personal electronic devices (leads to noise-induced hearing loss). We use various strains of mice as the animal model to mimic different pathological conditions of hearing loss in humans. The investigation mostly focuses on the cochlear nucleus, the first brain site of the central auditory system that processes information from the ear. We are also interested in the pathology of the ear and consequently expanded our research to the cochlea.
We conduct our study at molecular, cellular, circuit and system levels utilizing multidisciplinary techniques including electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology, optogenetics and behavioral assays.
Our objectives
We aim to understand how the auditory nervous system processes sound information and how such neural processing is disrupted under aging and noise trauma conditions, and to explore strategies that postpone or reverse the hearing loss process and ultimately restore hearing.Our team
- Benjamin Seicol
- Zixu Guo
- Shengyin Lin
- Chuangeng Zhang
Our publications
- Zhang C, Wang M, Lin S, Xie R (2022). Calretinin-expressing synapses show improved synaptic efficacty with reduced asynchronous release during high-rate activity. J Neurosci. 2022 Mar 30;. doi: 10.1523/JEUROSCI.1773-21.2022. Featured on the cover page: (https://www.jneurosci.org/content/42/13.cover-expansion)
- Seicol BJ, Lin S, Xie R (2022). Age-related hearing loss is accompanied by chronic inflammation in the cochlea and the cochlear nucleus. Front Aging Neurosci. Mar 28, 2022. doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.846804.
- He S, Skidmore J, Conroy S, Riggs WJ, Carter BL, Xie R (2022). Neural adaptation of the electrically stimulated auditory nerve is not affected by advanced age in postlingually deafened, middle-aged, and elderly adult cochlear implant users. Ear Hear. 2022 Jan 3. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001184.
- Wang M, Zhang C, Lin S, Wang Y, Seicol BJ, Ariss RW, Xie R (2021). Biased auditory nerve central synaptopathy is associated with age-related hearing loss. J Physiol. 2021 Mar;599(6):1833-1854. doi: 10.1113/JP281014. Editor’s Choice article; featured on the cover page (doi.org/10.1113/tjp.14143) and highlighted in a Perspective article on the same issue (doi.org/10.1113/JP281348).
- Wu Y, Wang M, Wang Y, Yang H, Qi H, Seicol BJ, Xie R, Guo L (2020). A neuronal wiring platform through microridges for rationally engineered neural circuits. APL Bioeng. 2020 Dec 8;4(4):046106. doi: 10.1063/5.0025921.
- Wang Y, Wang M, Xie R (2019).D-stellate neurons of the ventral cochlear nucleus decrease in auditory nerve-evoked activity during age-related hearing loss.Brain Sci. 2019 Oct 31;9(11). doi: 10.3390/brainsci9110302.
- Manis PB, Kasten MR, Xie R (2019).Classification of neurons in the adult mouse cochlear nucleus: Linear Discriminant Analysis.PLoS One.2019 Oct 3;14(10):e0223137.doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223137.
- Lin S, Xie R (2019).Principal neurons in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus express cell-type specific glycine receptor a subunits.Neuroscience. 2019 Sep 1;415:77-88. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.07.019.
- Xie R, Ropp TF, Kasten MR, and Manis PB (2018).Age-related and noise-induced hearing loss: central consequences in the ventral cochlear nucleus.The Oxford Handbook of the Auditory Brainstem.Kandler K (Ed.).Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780190849061.DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190849061.013.6.
- Xie R, Manis PB (2017).Radiate and planar multipolar neurons of the mouse anteroventral cochlear nucleus: intrinsic excitability and characterization of their auditory nerve input.Front Neural Circuits 11:77. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00077.
- Xie R, Manis PB (2017).Synaptic transmission at the endbulb of Held deteriorates during age-related hearing loss.J Physiol 2017 Feb 1; 595(3):919-934.
- Xie R (2016).Transmission of auditory sensory information decreases in rate and temporal precision at the endbulb of Held synapse during age-related hearing loss.J Neurophysiol. 2016; 116(6):2695-2705.Special issue: Auditory System Plasticity.
- Xie R and Manis PB (2014).GABAergic and glycinergic inhibitory synaptic transmission in the cochlear nucleus studied in VGAT channelrhodopsin-2 mice.Front Neural Circuits 2014 July 24;8:84
- Xie R and Manis PB (2013).Glycinergic synaptic transmission in the cochlear nucleus of mice with normal hearing and age-related hearing loss. J Neurophysiol. 2013 Oct; 110(8): 1848-1859
- Xie R and Manis PB (2013).Target-specific IPSC kinetics promote temporal processing in auditory parallel pathways.J Neuroscience.2013 January 23; 33(4): 1598-1614.* Featured article in “This Week in The Journal”
- Manis PB, Xie R, Wang Y, Marrs GS, and Spirou GA (2012).The Endbulb of Held.In: Springer Handbook of Auditory Research (Vol. 41): Synaptic Mechanisms in the Auditory System.pp 61-93.Edited by Trussell LO, Popper AN and Fay RR.New York: Springer. ISBN: 9781441995179.
- Pollak GD, Xie R, Gittelman JX, Andoni S, and Li N (2011).The dominance of inhibition in the inferior colliculus.Hear Res. 2011 Apr; 274(1-2):27-39.
- Pollak GD, Gittelman JX, Li N, and Xie R (2011).Inhibitory projections from the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus and superior paraolivary nucleus create directional selectivity of frequency modulations in the inferior colliculus: A comparison of bats with other mammals.Hear Res. 2011 Mar; 273(1-2):134-44.
- Rich AW, Xie R, and Manis PB (2010).Hearing loss alters quantal release at cochlear nucleus stellate cells.Laryngoscope. 2010 Oct; 120 (10): 2047-53.
- Xie R, Gittelman JX, Li N, and Pollak GD (2008).Whole cell recordings of intrinsic properties and sound-evoked responses from the inferior colliculus.Neuroscience. 2008 June 12; 154(1):245-56.
- Xie R, Gittelman JX, and Pollak GD (2007).Rethinking tuning: in vivo whole cell recordings of the inferior colliculus in awake bats.J Neuroscience. 2007 Aug 29; 27(35):9469-81.
- Xie R, Meitzen J. and Pollak GD (2005).Differing roles of inhibition in hierarchical processing of species-specific calls in auditory brainstem nuclei.J Neurophysiol. 2005 Dec; 94(6):4019-37.
- Xie R, Wan YF, Zhang Y and Wang DW (2001).HMW glutenin subunits in multiploid Aegilops species: composition analysis and molecular cloning of coding sequences.Chinese Science Bulletin (now: Science Bulletin). 2001, 46 (4): 309-313.
For our latest publications, please click here.
Current clinical trials, research studies and support
Project title: Auditory nerve central synaptopathy during noise-induced hearing loss
Funding: R56DC019093 | NIH/NIDCD (2021-2022)
Objective: The goal of this project is to characterize the auditory nerve synapses in two transgenic mice models for the study of noise-induced hearing loss.
Project title: Auditory nerve synaptopathy and the central mechanisms underlying noise-induced hearing loss
Funding: R01DC020582| NIH/NIDCD (pending, 2022-2027)
Objective: The long-term goal of this project is to investigate the mechanisms of noise-induced hearing loss by characterizing the pathological changes of auditory nerve synapses and cellular changes of the cochlear nucleus neurons after noise damage.
Project title: Cellular mechanisms of age-related hearing loss
Funding: R01DC016037 | NIH/NIDCD (2017-2023)
Objective: The long-term goal of this project is to investigate the cellular mechanisms of age-related hearing loss using CBA/CaJ mice.
Contact us to learn more about our lab or make a referral
Email: Ruili.Xie@osumc.edu
Phone: 614-293-7271