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Development of hemispheric specializations during Auditory Cortex critical periods

Award Number: R21DC019737
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/09/2021
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2024

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Development of hemispheric specializations during Auditory Cortex critical periods - Project Summary Although the organization of the neocortex includes many consistent patterns of connections between cells, individual cortical areas also contain unique circuit-motifs that enable them to perform specific functions. One such specialization is left-hemisphere language dominance, which is well known in humans. Mice and other mammals also use vocalizations for social and reproductive interactions and show hemispheric asymmetry in processing these vocalizations. This similarity suggests there may be shared mechanisms for vocal processing that can be studied using the powerful circuit analysis tools available in animal models. This proposal focuses on the mouse auditory cortex, which preferentially responds to particular sound combinations across frequencies and time, in a context-dependent fashion, and thus encodes important components of species-specific vocalizations. Our work has revealed connectivity differences between the left and right auditory cortices that are hearing-experience dependent, but it is unknown how these differences arise. The long-term goal of this laboratory is to identify specialized circuit features in the auditory cortex that underlie the ability to encode information that is important for social communication and how they go awry in neurodevelopmental communication disorders. The overall objective of this proposal is to identify hemispheric differences in the timing of critical periods, and emergence of the behavioral relevance of lateralized processing. This proposal will test the working hypothesis that hemispheric specializations in auditory processing arise from differences in the maturation rate between the left and right auditory cortices. Maturational differences will be identified through hemispheric comparison of molecular markers related to the onset and closure of critical periods, and circuit- motif development using electrophysiology. We will also identify differences in the emergence of lateralized function with behavioral assays. Preliminary data in this proposal demonstrate significant differences in the maturation rate between the left and right auditory cortices. This approach is innovative because it is the first study to dissect hemispheric differences at the circuitry and functional level in the auditory cortex, and test a novel hypothesis of its origin. The research proposed here is significant because it is expected to reveal fundamental insights into the development of specializations in auditory cortical function, which will provide powerful tools to study how the auditory cortex encodes communication sounds and how this encoding goes awry in neurodevelopmental disorders.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$13,735 )
2025	2022	RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	160 CONVENT AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10031	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	2	10/8/2024	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	-$2,611
2025	2022	RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	160 CONVENT AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10031	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	10/8/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$3,638
2025	2022	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	003	3	12/3/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	-$13,735
2025	2022	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	3	10/8/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$6,249
														Subtotal = -$13,735

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = -$237 )
2024	2022	RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	160 CONVENT AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10031	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	2	3/5/2024	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
2024	2022	RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	160 CONVENT AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10031	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	3/5/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$24,834
2024	2022	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	ONE BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63110	SAINT LOUIS CITY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	3	3/6/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$24,597
														Subtotal = -$237

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $386,730 )
2022	2022	RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	160 CONVENT AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10031	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	6/14/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$235,500
2022	2022	RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	160 CONVENT AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10031	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	2	6/22/2022	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$151,230
														Subtotal = $386,730

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $308,462 )
2021	2021	RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	160 CONVENT AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10031	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	7/9/2021	NEW	$184,850
2021	2021	RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	160 CONVENT AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10031	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	1	9/27/2021	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$123,612
														Subtotal = $308,462

Grand Total All Awards = $681,220

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Development of hemispheric specializations during Auditory Cortex critical periods

Award Number: R21DC019737

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/09/2021

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2024

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