15b. Inner Ear, Hearing, Vestibular Function Flashcards

1
Q

What is presbycusis?

A

Age-related bilateral hearing impairment

Unable to hear frequencies below 1500 Hz

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the risk factors for presbycusis?

A
Noise exposure
Ototoxins
Infections
Smoking, hypertension, vascular disease, diabetes
Immunological disorders
Genetics (mtDNA)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is sensorineural presbycusis?

A

Degeneration of the cilia on hair cells of organ of Corti or loss of cochlear nerve fibres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is conductive presbycusis?

A

Stiffening of the basilar membrane of the cochlea or ossicles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is metabolic presbycusis?

A

Atrophy of the stria vascularis

Loss of resting potential of endolymph

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the treatment for presbycusis?

A

Ear protection, avoid loud noises
Assistive devices
Lip reading
Amplification devices and cochlear implants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the function of hearing aids?

A

Amplify waves in the outer ear and auditory canal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the parts of a hearing aid?

A

Microphone, amplifier, speaker

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the use of both a hearing aid and a cochlear implant called?

A

Electric Acoustic Stimulation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the function of a cochlear implant?

A

Capture and convert sound to electrical signals

Goes to electrode array in cochlea via a stimulator

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What type of energy does the vestibular system rely on?

A

Hydraulic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the name of the sensory epithelium of the ampulla of the semi-circular canals?

A

Crista ampullaris

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What does the crista ampullaris detect?

A

Angular acceleration (rotation)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the utricle and saccule collectively known as?

A

Otolith organs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What do the otolith organs detect?

A

Position of the head with respect to gravity (linear acceleration)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What does the superior semi-circular canal detect?

A

Up and down movements

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What does the posterior semi-circular canal detect?

A

Head tilting to one shoulder

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What does the horizontal semi-circular canal detect?

A

Head turning side to side

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the name of the gelatinous mass that surrounds the crista ampullaris?

A

Cupula

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What happens to the endolymph when the semi-circular canals rotate?

A

Endolymph stays still

Pushes against cupula which bends stereocilia of hair cells

21
Q

What happens when the stereocilia are pushed against the kinocilium?

A

Influx of K+ and Ca+ via mechanoceptors causes depolarisation
Release of glutamate activates the vestibular nerve

22
Q

What happens in the opposite ear to the one with the activated vestibular nerve?

A

Stereocilia bend away from the kinocilium

Hair cells hyperpolarise

23
Q

What are the Otolith Organs?

A

Membranous labyrinths within the vestibule

24
Q

What is the saccule connected to?

A

Scala media

25
Q

What is the utricle connected to?

A

Semi-circular ducts

26
Q

What is the name of the sensory epithelium in the otolith organs?

A

Macula

27
Q

What is the macula composed of?

A

Supporting cells, sensory hair cells, vestibular dark cells

28
Q

What surrounds the macula?

A

Otolithic membrane

29
Q

Describe the make-up of the otolithic membrane

A

Gelatinous

Contains calcium carbonate crystals (otoliths, otoconia)

30
Q

What plane do the macular hair cells project into in the utricle?

A

Vertical

31
Q

What does the utricle respond to?

A

Horizontal linear acceleration

Head tilt

32
Q

What plane do the macular hair cells project into in the saccule?

A

Horizontal

33
Q

What does the saccule respond to?

A

Vertical linear acceleartion

Low frequency vibration

34
Q

What is the resting potential of the endolymph?

A

80mV

35
Q

What is the resting potential of the perilymph?

A

6mV

36
Q

What transport proteins maintain the resting potential of the endolymph?

A

Na/K
NKCC1 (Na, K and 2Cl into cell)
K+ leak channel

37
Q

What is motion sickness?

A

Continual movement of endolymph after head movement has stopped and visual cues tell the brain you are stationary

38
Q

What is Méniere’s disease?

A

Unilateral fluid imbalances in inner ear due to a build-up of endolymph or a reduction of blood flow to the ear

39
Q

What are the risk factors for Meniere’s disease?

A

Abnormal immune response
Viral infection
Genetics

40
Q

What are triggers for Meniere’s disease?

A

Stress, overwork, fatigue, emotional distress, migraine
Autoimmune disorders
Pressure changes
High salt, caffeine, alcohol

41
Q

What are the symptoms of Meniere’s disease?

A
Feeling of fullness in ear
Low-pitched tinnitus
Hyperacusis (more sensitive to changes in sound)
Sensorineural hearing loss
Nystagmus, vertigo, ataxia
Nausea and vomiting
Tumarkin's otolithic crisis
42
Q

What is Tumarkin’s otolithic crisis?

A

Spontaneous feeling of being pushed

Patient will fall to the ground without notice

43
Q

What diet changes can help with Meniere’s disease?

A

Reduce salt, caffeine, alcohol and smoking

44
Q

What lifestyle changes can help with Meniere’s disease?

A

Counselling and physical therapy

45
Q

What medications can help with Meniere’s disease?

A

Anxiolytics
Antiemetics
Diuretics
Steroid injection into inner ear (reduces inflammation)
Gentamycin injection into inner ear (purposefully damages to stop vertigo)

46
Q

What surgeries can help with Meniere’s disease?

A

Endolymphatic sac surgery

Endolymphatic duct blockage

47
Q

What is the procedure for endolymphatic sac surgery?

A

Bone is removed and shunt placed in endolymphatic sac to drain fluid

48
Q

What is the procedure for endolymphatic duct blockage?

A

Bone removed and clip placed on endolymphatic sac to prevent fluid build-up in rest of inner ear