Medial Olivocochlear Reflex in Children

 描述(申请人提供)：听觉传出形成传入听觉处理。儿童内侧橄榄耳蜗区(MOC)传出效应的正常特征及其功能意义尚不清楚。尽管MOC反射在足月出生时已经成熟，但有证据表明，它的力量可以通过短期的训练和经历来改变。这项拟议工作的总体目标是描述MOC反射的特征，并调查其在典型发育正常听力儿童的听觉感知中的功能意义。本研究的中心假设是，在发育过程中，在噪声环境中，听觉注意的强度对听觉活动起着重要作用，听觉注意在调节听觉注意活动中起着重要作用。在这个项目中将使用感知和生理(耳声发射)测试的组合。在具体目标1中，通过创新和改进的短声诱发OAE方法测量的MOC反射强度的分布或连续体将描述儿童的特征。据预测，可以获得对MOC反射的稳健测量，这将允许观察到由于实验操作而导致的MOC反射的细微变化。在听力正常的儿童中，MOC反射预计会显示出从弱到强的正常强度变化。进一步控制听觉注意力有望改变MOC反射的大小，并可能减少儿童的可变性。将从成年人那里获得数据以供比较。在具体目标2中，将研究儿童和成人在噪声中的MOC反射和听觉知觉之间的关系。具体地说，在噪声中的频率辨别表现将与在无任务和听觉任务条件下测量的MOC反射的大小相关。在儿童和成人中，MOC反射的强度(在听觉任务条件下测量)和听觉知觉之间都有显著的相关性。这项拟议研究的长期目标是了解传出机制在听觉知觉发展中的作用。在这项工作中开发的MOC测试应该在临床和科学上对审计师障碍的诊断和监测(特别是噪声中的听力缺陷)有用，可以指导康复(培训)努力，并应该展示MOC反馈在开发过程中的作用。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Auditory efferents shape afferent auditory processing. The normative features of the medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent effects and their functional significance in children are not known. Although the MOC reflex is mature around full-term birth, evidence suggests that its strength can be altered through short-term training and experiences. The overall goal of the proposed work is to characterize features of the MOC reflex and investigate its functional significance in auditory perception in typically developing, normal-hearing children. The central hypothesis is that the MOC strength is important for listening in noise during development and that auditory attention plays a prominent role in modulating MOC activity. A combination of perceptual and physiologic (otoacoustic emissions) tests will be used in this project. In Specific Aim 1, the distribution or continuum of the MOC reflex strength, measured via innovative and refined click evoked OAE methods, will be characterized in children. It is predicted that robust measurements of the MOC reflex can be obtained that will allow for observing subtle changes in the MOC reflex due to experimental manipulation. The MOC reflex is expected to show a normal variation in strength from weak to strong across normal hearing children. Further controlling auditory attention is expected to alter the size of th MOC reflex and may reduce the variability among children. Data from adults will be obtained for comparison. In Specific Aim 2, the relationship between the MOC reflex and auditory perception in noise will be investigated in children and adults. Specifically, performance in frequency discrimination in noise will be correlated with the magnitude of the MOC reflex measured in no-task and auditory task conditions. A significant correlation is expected between the strength of the MOC reflex (measured in the auditory task condition) and auditory perception in both children and adults. The long-term goal of the proposed research is to understand the role of efferent mechanisms in auditory perceptual development. The MOC tests developed in this work should be useful both clinically and scientifically in the diagnosis and monitoring of auditor disorders (specifically listening-in-noise deficits), may guide habilitative (training) efforts, an should demonstrate the role of MOC feedback during development.