ACOUSTIC RESPONSES OF COCHLEA AND MIDDLE EAR

描述（来自申请人的提案）：拟议研究的主题是基于在耳道中使用声学响应测试来增加我们对人类中耳和耳蜗的了解。这种测试本质上是非侵入性的，因此希望获得的关于听力基本机制的知识对临床应用具有重要意义。第一个目的是检查新形式的耳声发射（OAE），这将提供一个更清晰的了解机械过程的基底膜。OAE瞬变的时间-频率表示将描绘音调拓扑组织的耳蜗动力学的精细结构，其否则被常规波形或频谱表示部分地模糊。第二个目的是评估中耳和耳蜗机制，在一个综合的方式使用功率传输的方法。这种方法将联合收割机的宽带鼓室测量、耳反射和OAE测量的方面结合起来，以解释从耳道通过中耳到耳蜗并返回的功率流。第三个目标是将这些新的耳声发射类型和表征以及功率传输方法应用于正常耳、中耳和耳蜗损伤耳的大规模研究中。目标是改进预测传导性、耳蜗性和混合性听力损失的技术，并更好地了解声学响应变量如何组合，例如，耳道中的频率或静压，以了解正常和受损耳朵中的潜在耳蜗和中耳力学和耦合。所提出的实验结果将提供有用的数据的听觉周边的理论建模，并可以显着提高我们的能力，以识别传导性或耳蜗听力损失的人。

DESCRIPTION (From applicant's proposal): The main theme of the proposed research is to increase our knowledge of the human middle ear and cochlea based upon the use of acoustic response testing in the ear canal. Such tests are inherently noninvasive so that it is hoped that the knowledge gained on basic mechanisms in hearing will have significance for clinical utilization. The first aim is to examine new forms of otoacoustic emissions (OAE), which will provide a clearer understanding of mechanical processes on the basilar membrane. Time-frequency representations of OAE transients will delineate the fine structure of the tonotopically organized cochlear dynamics, which is otherwise partially obscured by conventional waveform or spectral representations. The second aim is to assess middle-ear and cochlear mechanisms in an integrated manner using a power-transfer approach. Such an approach will combine aspects of wideband tympanometry, otoreflectance and OAE measurements to interpret power flow from the ear canal through the middle ear to the cochlea, and back. The third aim will apply these new types and representations of OAEs and the power-transfer approach in large-scale studies of normal ears, and ears with middle-ear and cochlear impairments. The goal is to improve techniques to predict conductive, cochlear and mixed hearing losses, and to better understand how acoustic response variables can be combined, for example, across frequency or static pressure in the ear canal, in order to understand the underlying cochlear and middle-ear mechanics and coupling in normal and impaired ears. The results of the proposed experiments will provide useful data for theoretical modeling of the auditory periphery, and could significantly improve our ability to identify persons with conductive or cochlear hearing loss.