Research Interests:
 Our long-term goals are to understand neuronal mechanisms that underlie
hearing in mammals. In the auditory nervous system, all acoustic
information from the environment enters the brain by passing through the
auditory nerve and terminating in the cochlear nucleus. The cochlear
nucleus serves as the gateway to the central auditory system because it
gives rise to all ascending pathways. How auditory information is
processed will depend greatly on the structural organization of auditory
nerve inputs.
The relatively homogeneous responses of incoming auditory nerve fibers are
transformed into a variety of different response patterns by the different
classes of resident neurons in the cochlear nucleus. These signals are in
turn transmitted to higher centers by the ascending pathways. The
spectrum of the responses depends not only upon the synaptic organization of the
auditory nerve but also on intrinsic neurons and descending inputs; the
types and distribution of receptors, ion channels, and G proteins; and
second messengers. These features form the signaling capabilities for
each cell class. In order to understand how sound is processed, there is a need
to study identified cell populations, to analyze their synaptic
connections, and to reveal features of their signal processing capabilities.
Inner ear pathology (e.g., hair cell damage resulting in deafness) causes
synaptic reorganization in the cochlear nucleus. Consequently, there may
be additional abnormalities induced at higher auditory centers due to
transneuronal influences. The cochlear nucleus is not only a key
structure in normal hearing but also for the consequences of deafness. Our studies
seek to provide new knowledge toward understanding basic mechanisms of
hearing and the role of hearing in the development of the central auditory
system.
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[ PUBLICATIONS ]
Our Laboratory is an outstanding example of how discoveries in basic science alter and expand our knowledge base, generate new avenues of scientific inquiry and fundamentally influence how physicians think about the treatment strategies they offer to patients. For almost 20 years at Johns Hopkins, we have been pursuing the line of research that examines the effects of congenital deafness on the structural and functional development of the central auditory system. This is an enormous, fascinating and ongoing endeavor that would not be possible without external financial and philanthropic support. We invite you to consider the Ryugo Lab as one of your top philanthropic priorities. Please contact James Kelley III at 410-516-4625 or jkelley4@jhmi.edu to schedule a tour of the lab and to learn more about how a gift supporting our understanding of hearing and its restoration can be made. |
