Acoustic modulation of the neuroendocrine axis

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

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Abstract

Fhe temporal structure of acoustic signals, including human speech, plays an important role in :ommunication. The goal of this research is to determine how temporal features of acoustic signals are ntegrated and processed in the central auditory systemto modulate activity of reproductive neuroendocrine [unreadable]egions of the brain. Acoustic signals can act as important regulators of reproductive behavior. For example, acoustic courtship signals have been shown to play an integral role in coordinating mating behavior among [unreadable]nembers of same species. Such behavioral effects are often mediated by gonadal steroids whose production can be modulated by acoustic activation of hypothalamic neuroendocrine cells. The proposed [unreadable]esearch will focus on the auditory systemof anurans because of the well established role that vocal signals y in reproduction for this group. The central processing of auditory information in anurans is likely to be directly relevant to many other vertebrate species as well, including humans, given that the central auditory pathways among vertebrates are largely conserved in their overall structural organization and numerous unctional homologies have been identified in the central auditory pathways.