Department Neuroscience
Principal investigator Gerard Borst
E-mail address g.borst@erasmusmc.nl
Website https://neuro.nl/research/borst
Thunder and lightning: do neurons that become hyperactive after sound overexposure cause tinnitus?
Suitable as a BEP? Yes
Suitable as a MEP? Yes
Suitable as an Academic Research Project? Yes
Techniques:
- Immunohistology
- Widefield fluorescent imaging
- Image analysis
- Machine learning
The day after a loud concert, you may experience a ringing in the ear. This often subsides, but if you are unlucky, you may be stuck with having tinnitus. In that case, little can be done, and therapy currently focuses on coping with the condition. In animals, following sound overexposure, some cells increase their spontaneous firing, and this has been considered to be an electrophysiological correlate for tinnitus. However, the properties of these cells are still largely unknown. In this project a genetic approach will be used to label these cells and you will employ a variety of imaging techniques to further characterize these cells. A better characterization of these cells might lead to a possible therapeutic target.
Further reading (click to link to article)
eNardo LA et al (2019). Temporal evolution of cortical ensembles promoting remote memory retrieval. Nat Neurosci 22: 460-469 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-018-0318-7
Tone vs Tinnitus: a fluorescent exploration of auditory brain activity
Suitable as a BEP? Yes
Suitable as a MEP? Yes
Suitable as an Academic Research Project? Yes
Techniques:
- Immunohistology
- Widefield fluorescent imaging
- Image analysis
- Machine learning
The day after a loud concert, you may experience a ringing in the ear. This often subsides, but if you are unlucky, you may be stuck with having tinnitus. In that case, little can be done, and therapy currently focuses on coping with the condition. In animals, following sound overexposure, some cells increase their spontaneous firing, and this has been considered to be an electrophysiological correlate for tinnitus. However, the properties of these cells are still largely unknown.
In this project a genetic approach will be used to label cells activated by tones of different frequencies. You will employ a variety of imaging techniques to visualize the tone representation within the mouse auditory system, and use this to estimate the pitch of tinnitus induced by sound overexposure. A better characterization of the cells that underlie tinnitus might lead to a possible therapeutic target.
Further reading (click to link to article)
DeNardo LA et al (2019). Temporal evolution of cortical ensembles promoting remote memory retrieval. Nat Neurosci 22: 460-469 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-018-0318-7