Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2026

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
09:38

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities

Published on: January 29, 2014

Reduced medial olivocochlear bundle system function in children with auditory processing disorders

Chava Muchnik1, Daphne Ari-Even Roth, Rima Othman-Jebara

  • 1Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. muchinik@post.tau.ac.il

Audiology & Neuro-Otology
|February 26, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Children with auditory processing disorders (APD) show reduced medial olivocochlear bundle (MOCB) activity, impacting their ability to hear in noisy environments. This study highlights a potential auditory inhibitory function deficit in APD.

Area of Science:

  • Auditory Neuroscience
  • Pediatric Audiology

Background:

  • Children with auditory processing disorders (APD) often struggle to understand speech amidst background noise.
  • The medial olivocochlear bundle (MOCB) is implicated in enhancing speech perception in noise.
  • MOCB function is assessed via the suppression of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) by contralateral acoustic stimulation (CAS).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the MOCB's suppression effect on TEOAE in children diagnosed with APD.
  • To determine if reduced MOCB activity is a characteristic of APD in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • Compared TEOAE suppression effects between 15 APD children (8-13 years) with learning disabilities and 15 age/gender-matched controls.
  • Evaluated MOCB function by measuring TEOAE levels with and without contralateral acoustic stimulation (CAS).

Main Results:

  • APD children exhibited a significantly reduced TEOAE suppression effect compared to controls.
  • Higher baseline TEOAE levels were observed in the APD group.
  • These findings suggest reduced MOCB activity in APD children.

Conclusions:

  • Some children with APD demonstrate diminished activity in the MOCB system.
  • This reduced activity may signify impaired auditory inhibitory function.
  • Deficits in auditory inhibition could explain difficulties in understanding speech in noisy settings for APD children.

More Related Videos

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder09:13

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 22, 2015

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations06:34

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Hearing01:31

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...
The Auditory Ossicles01:11

The Auditory Ossicles

The auditory ossicles of the middle ear transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The auditory ossicles consist of two malleus (hammer) bones, two incus (anvil) bones, and two stapes (stirrups), one on each side. These bones develop during the fetal stage and are the ones to ossify first. They are fully mature at birth and do not grow afterward.
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...