Cochlear Mechanics

描述（由申请人提供）：皮质骨力学测量对于理解许多临床和心理物理现象至关重要。当没有足够的数据来限制解释时，有许多方法可以“解释”耳蜗力学，这些方法与实际的听力物理学几乎没有关系。这些研究的一个中心目标是提供数据库，用于解释从耳蜗神经的生理研究或心理物理学研究中获得的观察结果，这些研究的数据是由听觉外周产生的转换之后获得的。大多数耳蜗机械测量已经在耳蜗的基底区域中进行，而顶端区域是处理大多数人类交流声音的地方。将在顶端和中频区域进行测量，以使用位移测量激光干涉仪直接观察这一关键区域的力学。这些测量应确定耳蜗放大是否存在并从基部到顶点连续减小。耳蜗力学中的压缩非线性的结果是不能基于纯音响应来预测对复杂信号的响应。拟议的研究旨在确定在耳蜗的基部、中部和顶部区域的多音调和语音样（两共振峰）信号复合体的表示。这些区域中的基底膜的瞬态响应将通过用从压电晶体驱动器递送的理想脉冲直接驱动镫骨来确定，以避免中耳的贡献。将在正常动物和听神经病动物模型中同时测量畸变产物耳声发射和机械振动。将在去大脑受试者中使用对侧耳的声刺激来研究耳蜗的交叉传出调制。将机械测量与相同物种中使用相同信号的听觉神经反应进行比较。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cochlear mechanical measurements are crucial to understanding many of clinical and psychophysical phenomena. There are many ways to 'explain' cochlear mechanics that have little to do with actual I physics of hearing when there is insufficient data to constrain interpretations. A central goal of these studies is to provide the database for interpreting observations obtained from physiological studies of the cochlear nerve or from psychophysical studies from which data are subsequent to transformations engendered by the auditory periphery. Most cochlear mechanical measurements have been made in the basal region of the cochlea while the apical region is where most human communication sounds are processed. Measurements will be made in both the apical and mid-frequency regions to provide direct observations of mechanics in this critical region using a displacement measuring laser interferometer. These measurements should settle whether cochlear amplification exists and decreases continuously From base to apex. An outcome the compressive nonlinearity in cochlear mechanics is that the response to complex signals cannot be predicted based on pure-tone responses. Proposed studies are designed to determine the representation of multi-tone and speech-like (two-formant) signal complexes in the base, middle and apical region of the cochlea. The transient response of the basilar membrane in these regions will be determined by directly driving the stapes with an ideal impulse delivered from a piezocrystal driver to avoid the contribution of the middle ear. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions and mechanical vibrations will be measured simultaneously in both normal animals and an animal model of auditory neuropathy. Crossed efferent modulation of the cochlea will be studied using acoustic stimulation of the contralateral ear in a decerebrate subject. Mechanical measurements will be compared I to auditory nerve responses in the same species and using the same signals.