Cholinergic modulation of sensory perception and plasticity

Abstract

Sensory systems are highly plastic, but the mechanisms of sensory plasticity remain unclear. People with vision or hearing loss demonstrate significant neural network reorganization that promotes adaptive changes in other sensory modalities as well as in their ability to combine information across the different senses (i.e., multisensory integration. Furthermore, sensory network remodeling is necessary for sensory restoration after a period of sensory deprivation. Acetylcholine is a powerful regulator of sensory plasticity, and studies suggest that cholinergic medications may improve visual and auditory abilities by facilitating sensory network plasticity. There are currently no approved therapeutics for sensory loss that target neuroplasticity. This review explores the systems-level effects of cholinergic signaling on human visual and auditory perception, with a focus on functional performance, sensory disorders, and neural activity. Understanding the role of acetylcholine in sensory plasticity will be essential for developing targeted treatments for sensory restoration.

Keywords: Acetylcholine; Auditory; Cholinergic; Hearing; Neuromodulation; Neuroplasticity; Perception; Plasticity; Sensory; Vision; Visual.

Figure 1.

Diagram of cholinergic signaling (green arrows) in the visual (pink) and auditory (blue) pathways. Neurons in the basal forebrain release acetylcholine onto the primary visual (V1) and auditory (A1) cortices. Neurons in the pontomesencephalic tegmentum release acetylcholine onto the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) of the thalamus and the basal forebrain.

Figure 2.

Diagram of cholinergic signaling (green arrows) in multisensory (purple) pathways. Neurons in the basal forebrain release acetylcholine onto the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and superior temporal cortex (STC). Neurons in the pontomesencephalic tegmentum release acetylcholine onto the thalamus (Th) and superior colliculus (SC).