The Study of cochlear synaptopathy

摘要 本研究将解决噪声诱导耳蜗学研究中的以下重要问题 人类的突触(NICS)：(1)接触噪声的工人是否发生突触； (2)如果是，如何测量人类的耳蜗性突触；及(3)两者之间的联系 噪声暴露的类型和NIC。将按如下方式处理这一问题： (1)收集大量有记录的噪声暴露数据的人体受试者 来自不同的工业环境。这将包括以下内容：i)数字记录 每个工人所暴露的噪声的完整移位-长时间波形 在各种重工业中工作(8小时)；ii)获取接触过的工人的听力图 到每个特定的噪声环境；iii)使用高频对对象进行筛选 测听和失真产物光声发射确认所选的 受试者具有正常的听力阈值和正常的耳蜗功能。 (2)采用三种超阈值方法检测耳蜗性突触 选定的研究对象。与人类NICS相关的四种假说及其相互关系 噪声暴露的类型和NICS之间的关系将使用这三个衡量标准进行测试。 这项拟议的研究将是第一次对暴露在噪声中的突触进行大规模调查。 工人们。该提案中概述的数据收集和测量技术非常 创新，并将帮助我们探索噪声暴露工人的NICS。在建议的5年内 在本研究过程中，将收集和调查11组100人/组的受试者。 该项目的成功将对理解如何测量突触非常有用 并将其应用于开发更准确的听力保护方案。

Summary This study will address the following important issues in research of noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy (NICS) in humans: (1) whether synaptopathy occurs in noise-exposed workers; (2) if so, how to measure cochlear synaptopathy in humans; and (3) the association between the type of noise exposure and NICS. This will be addressed as follows: (1) Collecting a large number of human subjects with well-documented noise exposure data from diverse industrial settings. This will consist of the following: i) digitally record complete shift-long temporal waveforms of the noise that individual workers are exposed to (8-hour) in a variety of heavy industries; ii) obtain audiograms from workers exposed to each of the specific noise environments; iii) screen subjects using high-frequency audiometry and Distortion product optoacoustic emission to confirm that the selected subjects have normal hearing thresholds and normal cochlear functions. (2) Conducting three supra-threshold measures for detecting cochlear synaptopathy in selected subjects. Four hypotheses related to NICS in humans and the relationship between the type of noise exposure and NICS will be tested using these three measures. The proposed study will be the first large investigation of synaptopathy in noise-exposed workers. The data collection and measurement techniques outlined in this proposal are very innovative and will help us to explore NICS in noise-exposed workers. Over the proposed 5-year course of this research 11 groups of subjects with 100/group will be collected and investigated. The success of the project will be extremely useful to understand how to measure synaptopathy in humans and apply it to develop a more accurate hearing protection protocol.