EXPERIMENTAL-THEORETICAL STUDIES OF COCHLEAR MECHANISMS

描述：(改编自调查人员摘要)的长期目标 这项拟议的研究是为了了解内耳机制决定 将声音与发送到大脑的神经信息联系起来的神经编码。 了解这些机制很重要，原因有几个：(1)它是一种 涉及综合知识的本质有趣的科学问题 器官的机械、电气、生物和化学过程， 细胞、膜和分子水平。(2)结果应该有 一般意义上的感官接受，机械接受 特别是为了理解声学-侧支系统 包括在鱼和两栖动物中发现的侧线器官以及 所有脊椎动物的前庭和听觉器官。(3)这一知识具有 重要的实际应用-内耳疾病的描述 (以及相应的治疗建议)和设计 语音处理设备，如人工耳蜗、助听器、语音 通信系统和语音识别系统。 具体目标侧重于通过以下方式理解微机械过程 感受器的声音诱导运动刺激毛发的运动 捆绑在一起。覆盖层覆盖在机械敏感的头发上。 因此，必须在头发的机械刺激中发挥关键作用 细胞。然而，即使是最基本的材料性质也知之甚少。 覆盖层的膜。该材料的理论和实验研究 提出了保护膜的性质，其中直接测量 与将材料属性与分子相关联的模型进行了比较 覆膜的结构和体外实验测量 声音诱导的发束和覆盖层膜的运动 被提议直接表征覆盖膜在细胞中的作用 听证。

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the Investigator's Abstract) The long-term goal of the proposed research is to understand the inner ear mechanisms that determine the neural code that relates sounds to the neural messages sent to the brain. Knowledge of these mechanisms is important for several reasons: (1) It is an intrinsically interesting scientific problem involving integrated knowledge of mechanical, electrical, biological, and chemical processes at the organ, cellular, membrane, and molecular levels. (2) The results should have significance for sensory reception in general, for mechanoreception in particular, and especially for understanding the acoustico-lateralis systems which include the lateral-line organs found in fish and amphibia as well as vestibular and auditory organs found in all vertebrates. (3) This knowledge has important practical applications --- for the delineation of inner-ear disorders (and concomitant suggestions for treatment) and for the design of speech-processing devices such as cochlear implants, hearing aids, speech communication systems, and speech-recognition systems. The specific objectives focus on understanding micromechanical processes by which sound-induced motions of the receptor organ stimulate motions of hair bundles. The tectorial membrane overlies the mechanically sensitive hair bundles and must therefore play a key role in mechanical stimulation of hair cells. However, little is known about even the most basic material properties of the tectorial membrane. Theoretical and experimental studies of the material properties of the tectorial membrane are proposed, in which direct measurements are compared to models, which relate material properties to the molecular architecture of the tectorial membrane and in vitro experimental measurements of sound-induced motions of hair bundles and the overlying tectorial membrane are proposed to directly characterize the role of the tectorial membrane in hearing.