Functional Anatomy of the Auditory Pathways

Brett Schofield, Ph.D.

 Associate Professor
Department of Neurobiology

Northeastern Ohio Universities
College of Medicine
4209 St. Rt. 44, P.O. Box 95
Rootstown, Ohio 44272-0095
Phone: (330) 325-6655
Fax: (330) 325-5916
Email: bschofie@neoucom.edu
Hearing Anatomy Laboratory
Department of Neurobiology

 

Education:

1986 Ph.D. Anatomy, Duke University, Durham, NC
1981 Honors BA Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE

Professional Experience:

2005-present Associate Professor, Dept. of Neurobiology, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
2003-2005 Associate Professor, Dept. of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville
1999-2003 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville
1996-1999 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Anatomy and Structural Biology, University of South Dakota
1991-1996 Research Associate, Dept. of Neurobiology, Duke University
1986-1991 Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Anatomy, Duke University

Research Interests:

The auditory system consists of ascending pathways that transmit information from the ear to the cerebral cortex, where sound is perceived, and descending pathways from the cortex that modulate the processing and flow of ascending information. The descending pathways play a role in a wide variety of functions, including selective attention, learning, frequency selectivity, sound localization, and discrimination of speech sounds. We have been interested in how the descending pathways accomplish these tasks.

Our work is focused on the anatomical relationships between the ascending and descending pathways. We use multi-labeling techniques to identify specific neural circuits.  We combine these methods with immunohistochemistry to identify the neurotransmitters used by specific components of each circuit. We analyze the data with light and electron microscopy, digital imaging and computer-aided reconstruction to characterize the circuits that are involved in processing different aspects of sounds.

 

 

Selected Publications:

  • Thompson, A. M. and B. R. Schofield 2000 Afferent projections of the superior olivary complex. Microscopy Research and Technique, 51:330-354.

  • Schofield, B. R. 2001 Origins of projections from the inferior colliculus to the cochlear nucleus in guinea pigs. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 429:206-220.

  • Coomes, D. L., M. E. Bickford, and B. R. Schofield 2002 GABAergic circuitry in the dorsal division of the cat medial geniculate nucleus. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 453:45-56.

  • Schofield, B. R. 2002 Ascending and descending projections from the superior olivary complex in guinea pigs: different cells project to the cochlear nucleus and the inferior colliculus. Journal of Comparative Neurology,453:217-225.

  • Behrens, E. G., B. R. Schofield and A. M. Thompson 2002 Aminergic projections to cochlear nucleus via descending auditory pathways. Brain Research, 955:34-44.

  • Coomes, D. L. and B. R. Schofield 2004 Separate projections from the inferior colliculus to the cochlear nucleus and thalamus in guinea pigs. Hearing Research, 191:67-78.

  • Coomes, D. L. and B. R. Schofield 2004 Projections from the auditory cortex to the superior olivary complex in guinea pigs.European Journal of Neuroscience, 19:2188-2200.

  • Schofield, B. R. and D. L. Coomes 2005 Auditory cortical projections to the cochlear nucleus in guinea pigs. Hearing Research, 199:89-102.

  • Schofield, B. R. 2005 Connections of the superior olivary complex and lateral lemniscus with the inferior colliculus. In: Winer, J.A and C.E. Schreiner, (Eds.), The Inferior Colliculus. Springer, New York, pp. 132-154.

  • Coomes, D. L., R. M. Schofield and B. R. Schofield. 2005 Unilateral and bilateral projections from cortical cells to the inferior colliculus in guinea pigs. Brain Research, 1042:65-72.

  • Schofield, B. R. and D. L. Coomes 2005 Projections from auditory cortex contact cells in the cochlear nucleus that project to the inferior colliculus. Hearing Research, 206:3-11.