The cochlear mechanical basis of otoacoustic emissions

耳声发射的耳蜗机械基础

• 批准号: G0500773/1
• 负责人: Nigel Cooper
• 金额: $ 11.93万
• 依托单位: Keele University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2006 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=G0500773%2F1
• 关键词: cochlear; mechanical; basis; otoacoustic; emissions

This project will investigate the physical mechanisms underlying sounds that come out of the ears. These sounds, which are known as otoacoustic emissions, are of great scientific interest and potentially huge clinical importance. They provide an objective measure of inner ear function, and are highly relevant to a form of hearing loss that affects over 8 million people in the UK. The project will fund animal experiments (performed on rodents) which will compare the otoacoustic emissions evoked by various combinations of sounds with the mechanical events that are evoked in the inner ear by the same sounds. We will use a purpose-built laser interferometer to monitor the sound-evoked motion of membranes in various parts of the inner ear, and we will combine this with the use of novel combinations of acoustic stimuli to allow us to distinguish between the motion patterns of sounds travelling ?into? and ?out of? the ear. This will allow us to determine exactly where the otoacoustic emissions are produced within the ear, and should lead to significant improvements in the way that we understand the normal ear to function. The mechanisms that we will study, including both the amplification and reflection of sound within the inner ear, are likely to be almost identical to those occurring in humans. The project should therefore be of direct relevance to human hearing. The main outcomes of the study will be reported in internationally-respected scientific journals, and presented at joint scientific and medical conferences in the UK and abroad. The knowledge created during the project will also be incorporated into public presentations about hearing and deafness.

这个项目将研究从耳朵发出的声音背后的物理机制。这些声音被称为耳声发射，具有重大的科学意义和潜在的巨大临床意义。它们提供了内耳功能的客观测量，并且与影响英国800多万人的听力损失高度相关。该项目将资助动物实验（在啮齿动物身上进行），将各种声音组合引起的耳声发射与相同声音在内耳引起的机械事件进行比较。我们将使用专用的激光干涉仪来监测内耳不同部位的声音引起的膜运动，并将其与使用新颖的声学刺激组合相结合，以使我们能够区分声音进入？然后呢?的啊?耳朵。这将使我们能够准确地确定耳声发射在耳内产生的位置，并将大大改善我们对正常耳朵功能的理解。我们将要研究的机制，包括声音在内耳中的放大和反射，可能与人类的机制几乎相同。因此，该项目应与人类听力直接相关。该研究的主要结果将在国际知名的科学期刊上发表，并在英国和国外的联合科学和医学会议上发表。在项目中创造的知识也将被纳入关于听力和耳聋的公开演讲中。