OBJECTIVE MEASURES IN AUDITORY IMPLANTS 6TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

描述（由申请人提供）：第六届听力植入物的客观测量国际研讨会将于2010年9月23-25日在密苏里州圣路易斯华盛顿大学医学院举行。本申请要求部分资金用于支持国内受邀演讲者的旅行和住宿费用，学生旅行奖励，并在研讨会期间提供实时字幕。会议将汇集人工耳蜗领域和邻近学科的研究人员和临床医生，他们采用一系列客观措施，包括电生理学和成像技术，来研究耳聋和通过电刺激恢复听力的影响。人工耳蜗植入术目前被认为是耳聋患者的标准治疗方法，然而结果的可变性很大，而且人们对其了解甚少。1995年美国国立卫生研究院赞助的《关于人工耳蜗的共识声明》强调研究高级认知过程的作用，强调通过大脑神经成像来探索中枢听觉系统，强调神经活动和听觉之间的关系。14年后，表现的可变性仍然无法解释，从外围到皮层的听觉可塑性研究仍然迫切需要推动该领域的发展。此外，进一步发展客观的方法来评估功能和促进植入系统在儿科人群的安装是必要的。研讨会的总体目标是在与会者之间分享，扩展和产生研究和临床想法，以提高对人工耳蜗患者神经生理学和行为结果的理解，最终可能提高患者的表现。本次会议提案的具体目的是：1)为使用外围和皮层客观测量的最新工作提供讨论途径；2)允许主要关注成像技术的科学家和临床医生与使用电生理学技术研究听觉系统对电刺激的反应的科学家和临床医生之间的思想交流；3)让学生和新研究者有机会向有经验的研究者学习和交流。受邀演讲者（各自研究领域的专家）和从提交的摘要中选出的演讲者将参加五个计划会议之一：1)外围产生的电诱发电位；2)外周电极/神经接口成像/电生理技术；3)中央产生的电诱发听觉电位；4)集中生成的成像技术；5)突破界限——新应用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Objective Measures in Auditory Implants 6th International Symposium will be held September 23-25, 2010 in St. Louis, MO at the Washington University School of Medicine. This application requests partial funds to support travel and lodging costs for domestic invited speakers, student travel awards, and to provide real-time captioning during the symposium. The conference will bring together researchers and clinicians in the field of cochlear implants and neighboring disciplines who employ a range of objective measures, including both electrophysiology and imaging techniques, to study the effects of deafness and restoration of hearing via electrical stimulation. Cochlear implantation is currently considered the standard of care for individuals who are deaf, however variability in outcomes is large and poorly understood. The 1995 NIH sponsored Consensus Statement on Cochlear Implants included an emphasis on studying the role of higher level cognitive processes, on neuroimaging of the brain to explore the central auditory system, and on the relationship between neural activity and auditory perception. Fourteen years later, variability in performance remains unexplained and research in auditory plasticity from the periphery to the cortex is still critically needed to advance the field. In addition, further development of objective methods to evaluate function and facilitate fitting of implant systems in pediatric populations is warranted. The Overall Goal of the symposium is to share, expand and generate research and clinical ideas among attendees to improve understanding of neurophysiology and behavioral outcomes in cochlear implant patients which ultimately may improve patient performance. The Specific Aims of this conference proposal are to 1) provide an avenue for discussion of the latest work using objective measures at the periphery and the cortex, 2) allow for the exchange of ideas between scientists and clinicians who focus primarily on the use of imaging techniques with scientists and clinicians whose use electrophysiologic techniques to study the response of the auditory system to electrical stimuli, and 3) allow students and new investigators an opportunity to learn from and network with experienced investigators. Invited Speakers (experts in their respective areas of study) and presenters selected from submitted abstracts will participate in one of five planned sessions: 1) Peripherally-Generated, Electrically Evoked Potentials; 2) Peripheral Electrode/Nerve Interface Using Imaging/Electrophysiologic Techniques; 3) Centrally-Generated, Electrically Evoked Auditory Potentials; 4) Centrally- Generated, Imaging Techniques; and 5) Pushing the Boundaries-New Applications. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This proposal seeks partial funding for a symposium to bring together scientists and clinicians to share and generate research and clinical ideas to improve understanding of the hearing system in people with deafness. In particular, the symposium will focus on methods to study the hearing system from the inner ear to the brain of cochlear implant patients.