ANATOMY OF THE AUDITORY SYSTEM

本研究的目的是发现感觉的结构特征 神经元定义了它们编码信息的能力。重点是 关于特定类型的细胞学设计和连接方式的探讨 听神经元及其在耳蜗处的突触收缩 细胞核、上橄榄和耳蜗核。这项研究依赖于高尔基和 展示神经元结构的经典银质技术， 银变性、组织化学和放射自显影示踪方法 连接和定位与发射器相关的分子，以及电子 显微镜适用于正常材料和实验材料。足够的细节 与感觉的电生理记录相关联 神经元，递质相关分子的神经化学研究，以及 感觉性突触的电子显微镜观察。这些活动的重点是 研究的是对特定形态类型的回路的定义 将内外毛细胞与这些特定种类的毛细胞联系起来的神经元 耳蜗核中的神经元投射到这些类型的神经元 在上橄榄复合体中形成橄榄-耳蜗束。这个 由此产生的相关性为解释这些机制提供了基础 解释听觉中的刺激编码和信息处理 系统。噪声和声剥夺对人体结构的影响 中枢性听觉突触也在研究中。

The goal of this research is to discover the structural features of sensory neurons that define their capacities to code information. The emphasis is on the cytological design and pattern of connections of specific types of auditory neurons and their synaptic contracts at the levels of the cochlear nucleus, superior olive, and cochlea. This study relies on the Golgi and classical silver techniques to demonstrate neuronal architecture, silver-degeneration, histochemical, and autoradiographic methods to trace connections and to localize transmitter-related molecules, and electron microscopy applied to normal and experimental material. Sufficient details are obtained to correlate with electrophysiological recordings of sensory neurons, neurochemical studies of transmitter-related molecules, and electron microscopic observations of sensory synapses. The focus for these studies is on a definition of the circuits of specific morphological types of neurons linking inner and outer hair cells with those particular kinds of neurons in the cochlear nucleus which project to those types of neurons in the superior olivary complex forming the olivo-cochlear bundles. The resulting correlations provide a basis for exloring the mechanisms accounting for stimulus coding and information processing in the auditory system. The effects of noise and acoustic deprivation on the structure of central auditory synapses are also being studied.