Serotonin and Serotonin Receptors in the Central Auditory System

Immunohistochemical and ligand-binding techniques were used to visualize the neurotransmitter serotonin and one of its receptors, the 5-HT_1A subtype, in auditory nuclei of the brainstem. Serotonergic fibers and terminal endings were found in all auditory nuclei extending from the cochlear nucleus to the inferior colliculus, including the superior olivary complex and the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus. The density of the innervation varied between and within each nucleus. All serotonergic cell bodies were located outside the auditory nuclei. The 5-HT_1A receptor subtype was found in the cochlear nucleus as well as in the inferior colliculus. With no serotonergic cell bodies present in the auditory nuclei, the present neuroanatomic and neurochemical findings support behavioral and neurophysiologic findings that the serotonergic system may modulate central auditory processing.