Optogenetically-Evoked Somatosensory Inputs Enhance sound Processing in the Auditory System

Abstract

Brain-wide cross-modal interactions are important for building an accurate perception of the external world. Yet, whether and how somatosensory inputs influence the auditory processing remains unclear. Our recent study showed that low frequency optogenetic stimulation of somatosensory thalamus induced activation in auditory cortex (AC), but did not explore the functional effects on auditory system. This study investigated whether propagation of low frequency inputs from somatosensory system influences auditory processing. The results demonstrated that low frequency long-range propagation from somatosensory system enhanced auditory responses in most auditory structures, including lateral lemniscus, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body and AC.