Development of medial efferent mechanisms in children

项目总结/摘要 （母体R01） 传出反馈是外周声音编码的一个标志， 听觉发育和可塑性，并提供了一个潜在的机制， 噪声诱发的耳蜗突触病和阈上感知缺陷。然而，在这方面， 我们对人类传出机制如何发展的了解极其有限。 本研究的总体目标是了解医学的发展， 人类的传出机制及其在听觉发育中的作用的 拟议项目的目标是系统地调查 传出效应的时间特征。我们的中心假设是儿童表现出 传出效应的发展变化是由于发育可塑性的结果， 脑干我们的理论基础是对传出神经如何工作和发育的详细了解 将导致更好地了解传出神经在听觉发育中的作用， 知觉缺陷该项目有两个具体目标：1）确定 的传出敏感性的时间波动的发展;和2）为了确定 传出效应时间动态的发展变化。拟议 这项工作在概念上是创新的，因为它将提供关于穷人的信息， 了解儿童传出效应的发展方面。的方法 包括一个引人注目的组合扫描音OAE测量与先进的信号 时频分析（Time Frequency Analysis）该研究将提供 关于传出神经如何在人类中发展的重要新知识， 影响（1）为了解参与传出阈上 听力，（2）形成听觉发展理论，（3）开发基于OAE的测试 传出功能预测噪声性听力损失的易感性，（4） 建立准确的听觉模型;（5）设计改进的听觉装置 算法首席研究员在进行此类研究方面经验丰富 在当前的环境中。总体而言，拟议项目将产生持续影响 我们对人类传出神经系统及其发展的理解， 儿科听力学领域。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT (parent R01) Efferent feedback—a hallmark of peripheral sound coding—plays a critical role in auditory development and plasticity and offers a potential mechanism for minimizing noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy and supra-threshold perceptual deficits. However, our knowledge of how efferent mechanisms develop in humans is extremely limited. The overarching goal of this research is to understand the development of medial efferent mechanisms in humans and their involvement in auditory development. The objective of the proposed project is to systematically investigate the development of the temporal features of efferent effects. Our central hypothesis is that children exhibit developmental changes in efferent effects as a result of developmental plasticity in the brainstem. Our rationale is that detailed knowledge of how efferents work and develop will lead to a better understanding of the role of efferents in auditory development and perceptual deficits. The proposed project has two specific aims: 1) To determine the development of the efferent sensitivity to temporal fluctuations; and 2) To determine the developmental changes in the temporal dynamics of efferent effects. The proposed work is conceptually innovative because it will provide information on the poorly- understood developmental aspects of efferent effects in the children. The approach involves a compelling mix of sweep-tone OAE measurements with advanced signal processing (time-frequency analysis) techniques. The proposed research will provide significant new knowledge regarding how efferents develop in humans, and has implications for (1) for understanding the involvement of efferents in supra-threshold hearing, (2) forming theories of auditory development, (3) developing OAE-based tests of efferent function for predicting susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, (4) constructing accurate auditory models, and (5) designing improved hearing device algorithms. The principal investigator is experienced in conducting this kind of research in the current environment. Overall, the proposed project will make a sustained impact on our understanding of the human efferent system and its development, and on the field of pediatric audiology.