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The Auditory System

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18 views19 pages

The Auditory System

Uploaded by

blissjames249
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE AUDITORY SYSTEM

UNO, VICTOR KANU


NEUROANATOMY
ANATOMY AND FUNCTION
The auditory system is built to allow us to hear. It is remarkable for its
sensitivity

 It is especially important in humans because it provides the sensory input


necessary for speech recognition.

Sound waves converge through the pinna and outer ear canal to strike the
tympanic membrane

The vibrations of this membrane are transmitted by way of three ossicles


(malleus, incus, and stapes) in the middle ear to the oval window, where the
sound waves are transmitted to the cochlear duct.
 Two small muscles can affect the
strength of the auditory signal: the
tensor tympani, which attaches to the
eardrum, and the stapedius muscle,
which attaches to the stapes.

 These muscles may dampen the


signal; they also help prevent damage
to the ear from very loud noises.

 The inner ear contains the organ of


Corti within the cochlear duct.

 As a result of movement of the stapes


and tympanic membrane, a traveling
wave is set up in the perilymph within
the scala vestibuli of the cochlea.
 The human cochlea contains more
than 1 5,000 hair cells. These
specialized receptor cells transduce
mechanical (auditory)stimuli into
electrical signals.

 The traveling waves within the


perilymph stimulate the organ of
Corti through the vibrations of the
tectorial membrane against the
kinocilia of the hair cells

 The mechanical distortions of the


kinocilium of each hair cell are
transformed into depolarizations,
which open calcium channels within
the hair cells.
Influx of calcium, after opening of these channels, evokes release of
neurotransmitter, which elicits a depolarization in peripheral branches of
neurons of the cochlear ganglion.

As a result, action potentials are produced that are transmitted to the brain
along axons that run within the cochlear nerve.
AUDITORY PATHWAY
Auditory Nerve - Axons from hair cells

Cochlear Nucleus - Sends information from the auditory nerve to the Superior
Olive and to the Inferior Colliculus

Superior Olive - Analogous to the Optic Chiasm - information from both ears
crosses over to be sent to both hemispheres

Inferior Colliculus - Analogous to the Superior Colliculus for vision - Orienting


and reflexive localization -- recent studies show multimodal neurons in the
colliculus which share visual and auditory information for orientation
movements

Medial Geniculate Nucleus (MGN) Relays information from the SO to A1


The Structure of the Auditory System
• Auditory pathway stages
• Sound waves
• Tympanic membrane
• Ossicles
• Oval window
• Cochlea fluid
• Sensory neuron response
• Brain stem nuclei output
• Thalamus to MGN to A1
HEARING LOSS
Conduction Deafness - any damage to the middle ear which impairs hearing

Nerve Deafness or Presbicusis- Effects High Frequencies - Less elasticity in the


Basilar membrane - Loss of nutrients to cochlea - Cumulative effects of noise

• Noise Exposure - Effects High Frequencies - Both Sudden and prolonged


exposure
• When high Frequency hearing is impaired speech perception becomes
increasingly difficult
TYPES OF IMPAIREMENT
Conduction Deafness

Nerve Deafness

Cortical Deafness
Treating Conduction
Deafness
 Remove Obstruction

 Repair Eardrum

 Repair Ossicles

 Open Eustacian Tube


NERVE DEAFNESS
Damage to the Cochlea, Or
Path to Cortex
1. Cilia or Hair Cells
2. Basilar Membrane
3. Auditory Nerve
4. Olive
5. Auditory Tract
6. Inferior Colliculus
7. MGN of Thalamus
8. Auditory Projections
CAUSES OF TYPE 1 NERVE DEAFNESS
• Presbycusis – Old Ear -- High Frequency hearing loss

• Noise Induced Hearing Loss: Also effects high frequencies – Damage to cilia
or Bassilar membrane – Tinitus

• Infection of Cochlea – Damage to cilia

• Menier’s Disease: Excessive fluid pressure in Cochlea damages Organ of Corti


TREATMENT OF TYPE 1 NERVE DEAFNESS:
COCHLEA IMPLANT
CAUSE OF TYPE 11 NERVE DEAFNESS
• Degenerative nerve disease

• Congenital disorder

• Infection

• Stroke

• Trauma
TREATING TYPE II NERVE DEAFNESS

• No cure at present

• Stem cells research is designed to allow new nerve growth in damaged

areas.

• Has already worked with Parkinson’s

• Should work for vision, audition, Alzheimers, Epilepsy, stroke, etc.

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