Signal processing and stimulation potential within the ascending auditory pathway: a review
Alexandra E Quimby1, Kimberly Wei2, Dayo Adewole3
1Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|November 29, 2023
Summary
Hearing loss can be treated with cochlear implants, but optogenetics offers a promising new approach for better neural stimulation and hearing restoration. This review covers current and future strategies for auditory neuroprosthetics.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- The human auditory system possesses remarkable temporal and spectral resolution.
- Hearing loss impacts millions, with current treatments like cochlear implants offering partial restoration.
- Electrical stimulation in cochlear implants has inherent limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review signal processing in the ascending auditory pathway.
- To examine conventional and emerging neural stimulation strategies for hearing restoration.
- To highlight the potential of novel approaches like optogenetics.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of auditory signal processing.
- Analysis of current cochlear implant technology.
- Exploration of optogenetic and other emerging neural stimulation techniques.
Main Results:
- Cochlear implants provide partial hearing restoration via electrical stimulation of auditory neurons.
- Optogenetics presents a novel strategy with potential for enhanced hearing restoration performance.
- Various stimulation strategies are being explored at different levels of the auditory system.
Conclusions:
- Conventional neuroprosthetics have limitations in fully restoring auditory function.
- Emerging technologies like optogenetics offer significant potential for improving hearing restoration.
- Further research into advanced neural stimulation is crucial for overcoming hearing loss.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Auditory Pathway
5.4K
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...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
5.4K
01:31Hearing
52.4K
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.
52.4K
01:13The Cochlea
45.1K
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.
45.1K
01:21Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
217
The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
217
01:16Anatomy of the Ear
8.4K
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...
8.4K
01:29Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways
4.5K
Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
4.5K