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Related Concept Videos

The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

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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.
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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.
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The inner ear assumes dual functionalities of auditory perception and equilibrium maintenance. The vestibule is the organ responsible for balance. This organ contains mechanoreceptors, specifically hair cells, endowed with stereocilia, which aid in deciphering information regarding the position and motion of our heads. Two intrinsic components, the utricle and saccule, help perceive head position, while the semicircular canals track head movement. Neurological messages initiated in the...
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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...
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Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.
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Electrically Evoked Stapedius Reflex Measurements in Cochlear Implantation and Its Application in the Postoperative Fitting Process
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Medial Olivocochlear Reflex Effect on Cochlear Response in Humans: Elicitor Side and Level.

Abdullah M Jamos1, Mark E Chertoff2, Wafaa A Kaf1

  • 1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri.

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
|November 3, 2021
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Summary

The uncrossed medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex pathway enhances human cochlear response (CR) more effectively than the crossed MOC pathway when noise is presented contralaterally. This finding clarifies MOC pathway function and its impact on auditory processing.

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Area of Science:

  • Auditory Neuroscience
  • Neurophysiology
  • Human Auditory System

Background:

  • Medial olivocochlear (MOC) neurons, both crossed and uncrossed, synapse on outer hair cells (OHCs) in the human cochlea.
  • Previous research on the relative strength of crossed versus uncrossed MOC pathways in humans yielded conflicting results.
  • Outer hair cells (OHCs) are crucial for generating the cochlear response (CR), which includes the cochlear microphonic.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional differences between crossed and uncrossed MOC reflexes (MOCR) in humans.
  • To determine the effect of eliciting the MOCR on the CR under varying noise conditions.
  • To clarify the relative strength and impact of crossed and uncrossed MOC pathways on auditory function.

Main Methods:

  • The study included 16 healthy young adults with normal hearing.
  • Cochlear response (CR) was measured using 500 Hz tone-burst stimuli at 80 dB nHL.
  • Broadband noise (BBN) was presented ipsilaterally or contralaterally at 40, 50, or 60 dB SPL to elicit the MOCR.

Main Results:

  • Contralateral broadband noise (BBN) significantly enhanced the CR amplitude compared to baseline.
  • The enhancement of CR amplitude was greater with contralateral BBN elicitors than with ipsilateral BBN elicitors.
  • No significant difference in CR enhancement was observed across the three tested BBN levels.

Conclusions:

  • The uncrossed MOC pathway, when activated by a contralateral elicitor, provides greater CR amplitude enhancement than the crossed MOC pathway activated by an ipsilateral elicitor.
  • Eliciting the MOCR modulates OHC function, influencing the overall cochlear response.
  • Using 500 Hz CR with moderate BBN levels can effectively assess MOCR effects, distinguishing them from middle ear muscle reflex effects.