Effects of cochlear ablation on noise induced hyperactivity in the hamster dorsal cochlear nucleus: implications for the origin of noise induced tinnitus

Chronic increases in multiunit spontaneous activity are induced in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) following exposures to intense sound. This hyperactivity has been implicated as a neurophysiological correlate of noise induced tinnitus. However, it is not known whether this hyperactivity originates centrally, or instead, reflects an increase in the level of spontaneous input from the auditory nerve. In the present study we addressed this issue by testing whether hyperactivity, induced in the DCN by previous exposure to intense sound, persists after ipsilateral cochlear input to the DCN has been removed. To induce hyperactivity, Syrian golden hamsters were exposed under anesthesia to an intense pure tone (122-127 dB SPL at 10 kHz) for 4 h. Additional hamsters, which were anesthetized for 4 h, but not tone exposed, served as controls. Electrophysiological recordings of spontaneous activity were performed on the surface of the left DCN in animals in which the ipsilateral cochlea was either intact or ablated. The degree of cochlear removal was determined by microdissection and histologic evaluation of the cochlea after completion of each recording session. Comparisons between the levels of activity recorded in animals with and without intact cochleas revealed that the induced hyperactivity in the DCN persisted after both partial and complete cochlear ablations. These results indicate that the maintenance of hyperactivity is not dependent on input from the ipsilateral cochlea, implying that hyperactivity originates centrally. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.