Neurophysiology Lab

PD Dr. Conny Kopp-Scheinpflug

Neurophysiology of Brain Plasticity

We explore how sensory experiences—especially sounds—shape neural activity in real time through the lens of neurophysiology. Our focus is on how neuromodulators, acting as context-dependent chemical messengers, influence synaptic processing and control the excitability of neurons and entire circuits. Using a combination of neurophysiological, anatomical, and behavioral techniques, we uncover the dynamic mechanisms that allow perception, support brain adaptability, and maintain function. Understanding these processes helps us reveal the neural basis of functional changes and identify new avenues for treating neurological disorders.

Specific projects

Tuning the Brain’s Wiring with Sound.

Our brains adapt the speed of nerve signals through myelin, the insulating sheath around axons. Sound experience shapes myelin locally, fine-tuning neural circuits for precise timing. This adaptive myelination is key to perception, learning, and maintaining healthy auditory function throughout life.

Encoding the End of Sound.

Specialized neurons in the brainstem detect the end of sounds, a process essential for perceiving speech and vocal patterns. Inhibitory inputs trigger precise spikes at sound offset, and the circuit adapts rapidly during development and after traumatic noise exposure to maintain accurate timing. This reveals how the auditory system encodes sound offset with remarkable precision and resilience.

Linking Ion Channels to Hearing and Movement.

Mutations in the Kv3.3 potassium channel disrupt high-frequency firing in auditory and cerebellar neurons, leading to sound-localization deficits and motor impairments in SCA13 in humans and mice. Our CRISPR-Cas9 mouse model shows how these mutations broaden action potentials, impair neural circuit timing, and trigger Purkinje neuron degeneration, revealing the mechanisms behind both sensory and motor deficits.

Publications

Selected Publications:

Stancu M, Wohlfrom H, Hess M, Grothe B, Leibold C & Kopp-Scheinpflug C. (2024). Ambient sound stimulation tunes axonal conduction velocity by regulating radial growth of myelin on an individual, axon-by-axon basis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 121, e2316439121.

Sinclair JL, Fischl MJ, Alexandrova O, Hebeta M, Grothe B, Leibold C & Kopp-Scheinpflug C. (2017). Sound-Evoked Activity Influences Myelination of Brainstem Axons in the Trapezoid Body. J Neurosci 37, 8239-8255.

Kopp-Scheinpflug C, Tozer AJ, Robinson SW, Tempel BL, Hennig MH & Forsythe ID. (2011). The sound of silence: ionic mechanisms encoding sound termination. Neuron 71, 911-925.

Kopp-Scheinpflug C, Sinclair JL & Linden JF. (2018). When Sound Stops: Offset Responses in the Auditory System. Trends Neurosci 41, 712-728.

Richardson A, Ciampani V, Stancu M, Bondarenko K, Newton S, Steinert JR, Pilati N, Graham BP, Kopp-Scheinpflug C & Forsythe ID. (2022). Kv3.3 subunits control presynaptic action potential waveform and neurotransmitter release at a central excitatory synapse. Elife 11.

Full list of publications can be found here: