Jim Hall, Ph.D.

Research Statement

Research in my laboratory focuses on the neural mechanisms mediating the recognition of biologically relevant sounds, such as speech. Our approach has been comparative in nature, investigating the neural basis of sound recognition in a diversity of species including crickets, fiddler crabs, frogs, bats, guinea pigs, mice and humans. We are currently conducting two distinct, but related, lines of research. The first, carried out in conjunction with the Department of Hearing and Speech, focuses on nicotine and its effect on the ability of humans to discriminate speech sounds in both quiet and noise. Specifically, we are developing an animal model, the guinea pig, whereby the effects of nicotine on hearing can be explored at the cellular level. The second line of research focuses on nitric oxide and its role in auditory function. Specifically, we are investigating nitrergic signaling at the level of the inferior colliculus in both the mouse (Mus musculus) and frog (Rana pipiens). We employ several techniques in conducting our animal studies including single cell recording, microiontophoresis, histochemistry and immunocytochemistry. Human studies incorporate both psychophysical and electrophysiological techniques - the latter being used to record a variety of electrical potentials including auditory brainstem evoked responses, mismatch negativity, electroencephalograms and P300s.

Selected Publications

Fuzessery ZM, Wenstrup JJ, Hall JC and Leroy S (2003) The role of inhibition in shaping response latency in the inferior colliculus. JARO. 4: 60 – 73.

Zheng W and Hall JC (2000) GABAergic inhibition shapes frequency tuning and modifies response properties in the superior olivary nucleus of the leopard frog. J. Comp. Physiol. A. 186: 661 – 671.

Hall JC (1999) GABAergic inhibition shapes frequency tuning and modifies response properties in the auditory midbrain of the leopard frog. J. Comp. Physiol. A. 185: 479 – 491.

Fuzessery ZM and Hall JC (1999) Sound duration selectivity in the pallid bat inferior colliculus. Hearing Res. 137: 137 – 154.

Fuzessery ZM and Hall JC (1996) Role of GABA in shaping frequency tuning and creating FM sweep selectivity in the inferior colliculus. J. Neurophysiol. 76(2): 1059 - 1073.

Hall JC and Bunker MC (1994) Acetycholinesterase staining in the auditory brainstem nuclei of the northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens. Neurosci. Letters 182: 222 - 226.

Hall J (1994) Central processing of communication sounds in the anuran auditory system. Am. Zool. 34: 670 - 684.

Contact Information

Office:
Room F-219
Walters Life Sciences
Phone: (865) 974-3069

Lab:
Room A-203
Walters Life Sciences
Phone: (865) 974-3980

Email: jhall1@utk.edu