Neuroscientist Michael Burger’s innovative research blends genetics and virtual reality to explore how the ear and brain work in harmony to process sound.
The field of neuroscience is ever evolving, driven by advancements in technology and the tenacity of researchers to push boundaries. Neuroscientist Michael Burger and members of his laboratory have yielded profound insights into the auditory system. From manipulating genes in embryonic chicken models to using virtual reality for synaptic analysis, his work aims to decode the intricate relationship between the ear and the brain.
Sound is everywhere, and categorizing and locating these sounds is critical as we navigate our surroundings. To make sense of sound, a major function of the ear is to separate frequencies, a process that allows you to appreciate the complexity of music and language. It achieves this by processing each frequency in a separate “channel,” as neurons in the ear respond to low or high frequencies independently. In the coiled tube of the inner ear, or cochlea, vibrations produced by sounds are converted to neural activity before being sent to the brain.
Hair cells, which respond to sound, convert sound into neural signals with neurons specialized to process specific frequencies. Due to mechanical properties within the cochlear duct, low frequencies resonate at one end and high frequencies at the other, like a musical instrument. It translates frequency into place, a fundamental organizing principle of auditory processing, Burger says. This mapping of “frequency to place” is called tonotopy.
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Michael Burger
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