Middle-ear assessment via reflectance measurements

描述(由申请者提供)：这项提案的目标是支持美国最大的女子文科学院史密斯学院在听觉科学方面的跨学科研究计划。它有三个主要目标：(1)提供中耳的基本结构/功能关系，以发展耳道能量反射率测量作为中耳功能的诊断测试；(2)让本科生参与有意义的研究经历；(3)加强史密斯学院的研究环境。这里提出的工作将提供基本的科学和技术描述，这些描述在中耳功能的非侵入性听觉医学测试的发展中是必不可少的。目的尽管大多数中耳疾病很常见，但目前还没有医学测试来诊断这些疾病。一种建议的高潜力测试是基于耳道的非侵入性测量耳朵的能量反射率。这里提出的工作结合了对身体耳朵的能量反射率的测量和对中耳的数学建模，以确定特定结构特征的变化如何影响能量反射率。这项工作提供了有关异常耳朵中耳声功率流作为临床诊断工具所需的能量反射的基本科学背景。这里提出的研究旨在通过与本科生合作进行的研究，对听觉科学做出重大贡献。这项工作将支持一个以年轻女本科生干部为中心的研究实验室，通过开发中耳诊断测试，她们将学会系统思考，并制定和解决开放式研究问题。这项工作将加强史密斯学院的研究环境，并为本科生提供丰富的研究经验。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this proposal is to support an interdisciplinary research program in auditory science at Smith College, the nation's largest women's liberal arts college. There are three major objectives: (1) To provide fundamental structure/function relationships of the middle ear needed for the development of ear-canal energy reflectance measurements as a diagnostic test of middle-ear function; (2) to involve undergraduates in meaningful research experiences; and (3) to strengthen the research environment at Smith College. The work proposed here will provide fundamental scientific and technical descriptions that are essential in the development of noninvasive auditory-based medical tests for middle-ear function. Objective medical tests do not exist to diagnose most middle-ear disorders, despite their prevalence. A proposed test with high potential is the noninvasive ear-canal based measurement of the energy reflectance of the ear. The work proposed here uses a combination of measurements of the energy reflectance made on cadaver ears and mathematical modeling of the middle ear to determine how variations in specific structural features affect the energy reflectance. This work provides the fundamental scientific background regarding middleear acoustic power flow in abnormal ears needed to develop energy reflectance as a clinical diagnostic tool. The research proposed here has been designed to make significant contributions to auditory science through research conducted in collaboration with undergraduate students. The work will support a research lab centered on a cadre of young women undergraduate students, who by working to develop a middle-ear diagnostic test, will learn to think systematically and formulate and solve open-ended research questions. This work will both strengthen the research environment at Smith College and provide substantial research experiences for undergraduate students.