An introduction to the physiology of hearing / by James O. Pickles.

This edition originally published: Bingley: Emerald, 2012.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

reading--7. The Auditory Cortex:- Organization--Anatomy and projections--Tonotopic organization--Organization along the frequency-band strips--The responses of single neurones--Responses in the core--Responses in the belt--Cortical processing of sound location--Behavioural experiments--Electrophysiological responses--Cortical processing and stimulus complexity--Behavioural experiments--Physiological responses--Overview of functions of the auditory cortex--Summary--Further reading--8. The Centrifugal Pathways:- Introduction--The olivocochlear bundle--Anatomy--Neurotransmitters--Physiology and function--Centrifugal pathways to the cochlear nuclei--Anatomy--Neurotransmitters--Physiology and function--Centrifugal pathways in higher centres--Anatomy--Physiology and function--Summary--Further reading--9. Physiological correlates of auditory psychophysics and performance:- Introduction--The absolute threshold--Frequency resolution--A review of the psychophysics of frequency resolution--Quantitative relations between psychophysics and physiology in frequency resolution--Frequency resolution in the auditory central nervous system--Co-modulation masking release: analysis across filters--Frequency discrimination--Place and time coding--A psychophysical model for pitch perception and its relation to physiology--Intensity and loudness--Stimulus coding as a function of intensity--Loudness--Sound localization and spatial hearing--Introduction--Mechanisms of sound localization--Spatial release from masking and the binaural masking level difference--Speech:- What is special about speech?--Auditory nerve and brainstem responses--Cortical responses to vocalizations in non-human species--Responses to speech in the human cortex--Summary--Further reading--10. Sensorineural hearing loss:- Types of hearing loss--Sensorineural hearing loss of cochlear origin: mechanisms of pathology--Ototoxicity--Acoustic trauma--Genetic causes--Ageing--Sensorineural hearing loss of cochlear origin: functional changes--Physiological changes--Psychophysical correlates--Physiological aspects of the cochlear prosthesis--Introduction--Physiological background--Results--Cellular replacement, protection and gene therapy in the inner ear--Introduction--Production of new hair cells by transdifferentiation of supporting cells--Production of new hair cells by mitosis in the mammalian cochlea--Gene therapy--Stem cell therapy--Cell protection--Summary--Further reading.

1. The Physics and Analysis of Sound:- The nature of sound--The decibel scale--Impedance--The analysis of sound--Linearity -- Summary--2. The Outer and Middle Ears:- The outer ear: The pressure gain of the outer ear--The outer ear as an aid to sound localization--The Middle Ear: Introduction--The middle ear as an impedance transformer--The middle ear muscles--Summary--Further reading--3. The Cochlea:- Anatomy--General anatomy--The organ of Corti--The innervation of the organ of Corti--The mechanics of the Cochlea--The travelling wave--Current measurements of the travelling wave--Theories of cochlear mechanics--The fluid spaces of the cochlea--The endolymphatic and perilymphatic spaces--The endolymph--The perilymph--Hair cell responses:- Hair cell responses in vitro--Inner hair cell responses in vivo --Outer hair cell responses in vivo--The gross evoked potentials:- The cochlear microphonic--The summating potential--The gross neural potentials--Summary---Further reading--4. The Auditory Nerve:- Anatomy--Physiology--Response to tones--Response to clicks--Frequency resolution as a function of intensity and type of stimulation--Response to complex stimuli--Summary--Further reading--5. Mechanisms of transduction and excitation in the Cochlea:- Introduction--The structure of the transducer region--Stereocilia and cuticular plate--The cross-linking of stereocilia The mechanotransducer channels--The electrophysiological analysis of mechanotransduction--Cell membrane potentials--Mechanotransduction--The origin of sharp tuning in the cochlea--Is an active process necessary theoretically?--Models incorporating an active mechanical process--Outer hair cells: needed for low thresholds and sharp tuning--Active mechanical processes in the cochlea: cochlear emissions--Motility in outer hair cells--Cochlear micromechanics--Conclusions on cochlear mechanical amplification--Hair cells and neural excitation--Stimulus coupling to inner and outer hair cells--Activation of auditory nerve fibres--Neurotransmitter release--Cochlear non-linearity--The non-linear growth of cochlear responses--Two-tone suppression--Combination tones--Summary--Further reading--6. The Subcortical nuclei:- Considerations in studying the auditory central nervous system--The cochlear nuclei--Output pathways--Input pathways--The ventral binaural sound localization stream: the bushy cells of the anteroventral and posteroventral cochlear nucleus--Cells of the posteroventral cochlear nucleus: contributions to both binaural localization and to identification--The dorsal cochlear nucleus: sound identification and localization in the vertical plane--Excitation and inhibition in the cochlear nucleus--Functions of the cochlear nucleus--The superior olivary complex--Innervation and overall anatomy--The ventral sound localization stream: comparing the intensities of the stimuli at the two ears--The ventral sound localization stream: comparing the timing of the stimuli at the two ears--Summary of role of superior olivary complex in sound localization--Ascending pathways of the brainstem and the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus--The ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus--The dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus--The inferior colliculus--General anatomy--The central nucleus --The external nucleus and dorsal cortex--The medial geniculate body--Overall anatomy and inputs--The venitral nucleus--The medial and dorsal nuclei--Brainstem reflexes--Middle ear muscle reflex--Acoustic startle--Orientation--Audiogenic seizures--Summary--Further

This text deals with the way that the auditory system processes acoustic signals. Areas covered include: cochlear function; the auditory central nervous system; physiological correlates of auditory perception; and cochlear pathophysiology and sensorineural hearing loss.