Middle-ear assessment via reflectance measurements

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的目标是支持全国最大的女子文理学院史密斯学院听觉科学的跨学科研究计划。有三个主要目标：（1）提供发展耳道能量反射测量作为中耳功能诊断测试所需的中耳基本结构/功能关系;（2）让本科生参与有意义的研究经验;（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的描述，是必不可少的非侵入性的中耳功能的医学测试为基础的发展。客观的医学测试并不存在，以诊断大多数中耳疾病，尽管他们的患病率。一种具有高潜力的拟议测试是基于耳道的耳能量反射率的非侵入性测量。这里提出的工作使用的组合的测量的能量反射率的尸体耳朵和数学建模的中耳，以确定如何在特定的结构特征的变化影响的能量反射率。这项工作提供了有关中耳声功率流在异常耳朵需要开发能量反射作为临床诊断工具的基本科学背景。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为中心的研究实验室，她们通过努力开发中耳诊断测试，将学会系统思考并制定和解决开放性研究问题。这项工作将加强史密斯学院的研究环境，并为本科生提供大量的研究经验。

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.