Shemesh, NoamSevero, Frederico2025-06-052025-03-032024-12-02http://hdl.handle.net/10362/183880"The role of subcortical structures in binaural integration is of significant interest in auditory neuroscience, as these structures are pivotal for processing and interpreting spatial auditory cues. The inferior colliculus (IC), as the primary auditory midbrain center, serves as a critical hub where ascending and descending auditory projections converge. It has been suggested that the IC encodes auditory information through a push-pull mechanism mediated by interactions between the two ICs. However, the origins of this push-pull mechanism within the brain, as well as its interactions with upstream and downstream subcortical areas, remain topics of substantial debate. In this study, we utilize functional MRI (fMRI) in combination with IC lesions in the rat model to investigate the push-pull interaction from a pathway-wide perspective, shedding light on its role in subcortical auditory processing. We provide evidence supporting the existence of the push-pull mechanism in the IC, demonstrated by the presence of negative and positive fMRI signals in the ipsilateral and contralateral ICs, respectively, in response to monaural stimulation. By unilaterally lesioning the contralateral IC, we establish the necessity of both collicular integrity and intercollicular interactions for the proper functioning of the push-pull mechanism.(...)"engAuditory processingsound localizationinferior colliculuschemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST)magnetic resonance imagingneuroplasticitypush-pull mechanismfunctional MRIdoctoral thesis101818289