Implications of Neurotrophin Supported Auditory Neuron Survival for Maintenance of the Tonotopic Organization of the Central Auditory Pathway

Abstract

Recent experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness of members of the neurotrophin family of growth factors in supporting the survival of primary auditory neurons following ototoxic trauma. In this report, we examined the implications of these results in light of current knowledge about activity dependent central nervous system reorganization. We suggest that the use of trophic factors in conjunction with patterned stimulation of afferent nerve fibers could preserve the majority of the tonotopic arrangement of the central pathway. We propose experiments to test the effects of NT-3 induced neuron survival on the organization of primary auditory cortex.

Key Words:

• cochlear implants
• central auditory system
• neural plasticity
• neurotrophins
• growth factor therapy