Optogenetics Laboratory

Highlights • Optogenetic coding strategies can build on neural integration of millisecond stimuli built from microsecond light pulses, which optimally accommodate power-efficient laser diode operation and allows for multiplexed emitter control. • Activation of the auditory pathway primarily depends on pulse energy, but large intensities applied for shorter duration are most efficient, which ideally matches power-efficient laserdiode operation.

Introduction Hearing impairment (HI) is the most prevalent sensory deficit worldwide and is associated with significant socio-economic burden. Disabling HI [i.e., a pure tone threshold of greater than 35 decibels (dB) in the better hearing ear] (WHO, 2021) affects people of all age groups.

1. Introduction Octopus cells are tonotopically arranged in the cochlear nucleus and connected to several auditory nerve fibers via their dendritic trees. Phenomenologically, octopus cells fire in the presence of broadband acoustic stimuli in response to constellations of spike trains from the associated auditory nerve fibers in their local receptive fields.