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Neuro Exam III > 4-3 Cranial Nerve VIII, Auditory Systems and Tracks > Flashcards

4-3 Cranial Nerve VIII, Auditory Systems and Tracks Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 3 parameters of sound that we can detect?

A

Frequency

Amplitude

Localization

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2
Q

Sound is transmitted in waves. What is the term for frequency of waves?

A

Pitch, can be measured in Hz (cycles/second)

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3
Q

How is intensity of sound measured?

A

By the bel scale, with log10 units

Most sounds are in decibels, 0 decibels as the threshold of hearing

Note: Intensity is not pitch, they are very different

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4
Q

From the pinna to the tympanic membrane, how does the external anatomy of the ear help us perceive sounds?

A

Pinna acts like a (symmetrical) funnel for sound

Sound is funneled down external auditory meatus to tympanic membrane

  • big force is funneled into small area, like a fat guy on a scooter
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5
Q

How is sound transmitted from the tympanic membrane to the oval window?

A

Sound waves vibrate tympanic membrane

malleus attached to other side of TM is vibrated

vibration transferred to incus

vibration transferred to stapes

stapes is connected to oval window, and vibrates oval window

This compound lever/transformer setup will increase energy of sound through mechanical transduction 15x.

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6
Q

What 2 components make up the housing for the sensory apparatus for the inner ear?

A

Vestibule

Cochlea

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7
Q

What is the bony labyrinth in the inner ear called? What is it filled with?

A

Modiolus - filled with perilymph

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8
Q

What is the membranous portion of the inner ear labyrinth called? What is this filled with?

A

membranous labyrinth, which is inside modiolus

filled with endolymph, and sensory organs technically

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9
Q

What is Meniere’s disease? What are the 3 main symptoms?

A

Pathology caused by defective circulation or absorption of endolymph

Symptoms include:

Vertigo

Hearing loss

Tinnitis

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10
Q

What is endolymph high in? Perilymph? Which one resembles CSF?

A

Endolymph: High K+, low Na+

Perilymph: High Na+, low K+, like CSF

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11
Q

What makes up the turns of the cochlea? How many turns are there? What is at the top?

A

Spongy bone modiolus makes up scaffolding for cochlear ducts

  • osseous spiral lamina will project through the cochlear duct form modiolus

2 3/4 turns, helicotrema up top

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12
Q

What is the purpose of the osseous spiral lamina?

A

Separates scala vestibuli from scala tympani

  • except for helicotrema, which isn’t partitioned
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13
Q

What are the 7 major components of a cochlear duct? What fluid is in each compartment? What houses sensory organs/fibers?

A
  1. Scala vestibuli - perilymph
  2. Scala tympani - perilymph
  3. Scala media - endolymph, organ of corti
  4. Spiral ligament
  5. Basilar membrane
  6. Osseous spiral lamina
  7. Spiral ganglion
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14
Q

What are the 3 borders of the scala media?

A

Reissner’s membrane - separates scala media from scala vestibuli

  • also physically separates endolymph from perilymph

Basilar membrane - continuation of spiral ligament

Spiral ligament - continuation of periosteum

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15
Q

What is on top of the basilar membrane? What does the basilar membrane separate?

A

Organ of corti

Separates scala tympani from scala vestibuli and scala media

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16
Q

What does the organ of corti, sitting on top of the basilar membrane and the spiral ligament, contain?

A

Contains 20-30k basilar fibers

attached at one end to modiolus

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17
Q

How do the fibers in the organ of corti respond to frequencies?

A

Fibers not fixed at distal ends, can vibrate

Lengths of fibers increase proximal to distal, and diameters decrease

  • short stiff fibers at proximal end respond to high frequency
  • long flexible fibers at distal end near helicotrema respond to low frequency
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18
Q

What does the organization of fibers within the organ of corti help create?

A

Tonotopic map

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19
Q

How many different types of hair cells does the organ of corti contain? What is the relative abundance of each? Do they do the same thing?

A

Inner hair cells

Outer hair cells - 3x as much

Inner hair cells transduce frequencies and intensities

Outer hair cells help modify input to inner hair cells

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20
Q

What does the tunnel of corti contain?

A

All the efferent axons for cochlear portion of VIII

Full of perilymph and outer hair cells

21
Q

What is the primary sensory organ of the auditory system?

A

Organ of corti

22
Q

Are the inner hair cells right next to outer hair cells?

A

No - inner hair cells are separated by tunnel of corti

23
Q

What membrane is in direct contact with outer hair cells?

A

Tectorial membrane

24
Q

What causes transduction in the organ of corti, from movement at the oval window to opening the tip link channels?

A

Oval window is moved

perilymph is moved through tunnel of corti

moving perilymph moves basement membrane

inner hair cells are moved against tectorial membrane, which causes shearing action

shearing works on stereocilia of inner hair cells

tip link channels opened

(‘Floor’ of system will move stereociliated inner hair cells into tectorial membrane)

25
Q

What causes an inner hair cell to fire on to a spiral ganglion?

A

Shearing motion opens tip link channels

(bathed in endolymph)

K+ influx

Ca++ influx

Ribbon synapses - Glutamate released

26
Q

What is the purpose of the round window? What is the clinical application?

A

Round window ‘catches’ the energy moving in the system due to inertia of perilymph and endolymph moving in a closed system. (Round window is elastic)

Movement of round window will often cause fibers to move in opposite direction, called optoacoustic emission. This can be measured in hearing tests for infants.

27
Q

How is the basilar membrane tonotopic?

A

Detects both frequency and amplitude of soundwaves

Narrow base of basilar membrane is ‘tuned’ for high frequencies

Wider apex is ‘tuned’ for lower frequencies

Range of basilar fibers/inner hair cells can be stimulated with harmonics (many different frequencies coming together) or with high amplitude (enough energy to stimulate fibers of many different frequencies)

Brain then uses range of basilar fiber signals to determine intensity and loudness

28
Q

Where else is there tonotopic organization?

A

Primary auditory cortex

Brain will still be able to detect different frequencies/pitch despite a high intensity signal due to this organization

29
Q

What is the SSE component of CN VIII, functionally speaking? How does this function protect inner hair cells?

A

Outer hair cells

Not a sensory cell, but mechanical

  • stimulus causes them to grow or shrink

Outer hair cells are attached to the tectorial membrane, and can grow or shrink to lift tectorial membrane away/towards inner hair cells and keep those cells protected

30
Q

How is background noise filtered out?

A

Via outer hair cells raising or lowering tectorial membrane so that only ‘interesting’ stimulus makes it through, instead of background noise

31
Q

What is the efferent input into outer hair cells?

A

medial olivocochlear system

efferents from medial superior olivary nucleus

32
Q

What is the pathway from medial superior olivary nucleus to the outer hair cells (OHCs)?

A

Superior olivary nucleus in pons

lateral nucleus gets input from inner hair cells

medial nucleus innervates OHCs

Sensory input to a lateral nucleus on one side will cause medial nucleus on other side to affect OHCs, and sound will only be detected on one side

System allows for lateralization of sound

33
Q

What is the pathway from inner hair cells to primary auditory cortex?

A

Inner hair cell sends afferents to cochlear nuclei in rostral medulla

Cochlear nuclei send fibers that ascend to pons

In pons, fibers can synapse in superior olivary nucleus -OR-

they can decussate through trapezoid body

Fibers ascend through lateral lemniscus to inferior colliculus

Synapse at inferior colliculus

Inferior colliculus sends fibers up through brachium of inferior colliculus

Fibers arrive at medial geniculate nucleus and synapse there

MGN sends fibers to auditory cortex

34
Q

What happens to CN VIII at the ponto-medullary junction? (A more specific pathway question.)

A

Cochlear nerve/spiral ganglion afferent fibers arrive

Synapse in dorsal and ventral cochlear nuclei

Dorsal nucleus will send fibers to loop above inferior peduncle, called dorsal acoustic stria

Dorsal acoustic stria will b/l enter lateral lemniscus and ascend to inferior colliculus

Ventral nucleus will send fibers to loop below inferior peduncle, called ventral acoustic stria

Stria will head b/l to superior olivary nucleus

Ipsilateral sup. olivary nucleus will get signal first

Contralateral fibers will decussate in trapezoid body, innervate an inhibitory interneuron that synapses on contralateral sup. olivary nuc

35
Q

What is the major function of the superior olivary nucleus? What are the differences between the medial and lateral divisions?

A

Major discriminator of system of spatial detection

Receives input from both ears

Medial:

Compare time lag

Send descending pathway of olivocochlear bundle to outer hair cells

Lateral:

Compare intensity

36
Q

Other than laterality, what other way is sound localized?

A

Localized via intensity

Louder sounds go to superior olive, lateral and medial divisions

lateral divisions can potentially synapse on medial division, and cause innervation of descending pathway of olivocochlear bundle to outer hair cells (my notes were not clear on this, edits are welcome for add’l clarification)

37
Q

Where does the lateral lemniscus terminate?

A

At the inferior colliculi

Ascending fibers from the dorsal cochlear nucleus come here and then hop on the brachium to head to the MGN to synapse

38
Q

Where does auditory information go after synapsing in the MGN? What are some other names for this area?

A

Heads to primary auditory cortex

AKA - Heschl’s gyrus

Brodman’s area 41

located in transverse temporal gyrus

39
Q

What are the belt and parabelt areas around Brodman’s area 41? What do they do?

A

Association cortices for auditory information

Help localize sound

40
Q

You are sleeping on your right side and can hear your dog snoring loudly through your left ear. Which side of your brain/which auditory cortex processes this sound? Explain.

A

Both sides of your brain will process this noise

Neurons from dorsal cochlear nucleus will enter lateral lemnisci and will ascend bilaterally to inferior colliculus

Fibers will enter inferior colliculus b/l and will use ipsilateral brachium to head to ipsilateral MGN to synapse - both MGNs will get synapses

MGN from each side will send efferent fibers to primary auditory cortex and belt parabelt areas on both sides

41
Q

On a physical/gross brain, where is Heschl’s gyrus?

A

Inferior portion of insula

42
Q

What is the function of tensor tympani?

A

Tenses, pulls malleus medially, tenses tympanic membrane

Dampens noise produced by chewing

Innervated by trigeminal nerve

43
Q

What is the action of stapedius?

A

Smallest skeletal mm in the human body

Pulls outward on the neck of the stapes to dampen vibration

44
Q

What is the reflex pathway that protects the inner ear from high noise levels? What is the outcome of this pathway?

A

Ventral cochlear nucleus ⇒ bilateral superior olive ⇒ bilateral facial motor nuclei

In by VIII, out by VII

Stapedius and tensor tympani act together to make tympanic membrane more rigid and reduce sound transduction, protect inner ear from high noise levels

45
Q

What is hyperacusis?

A

Defect in the reflex pathway that protects inner ear from high noise levels (and possibly dampens background noise)

Ipsilateral side will sound too loud

High sensitivity to sound and poor ability to filter background noise will result

46
Q

What is the occurrence of deafness in adult population?

A

10%

47
Q

What is central deafness?

A

Related to brain damage

Inability to process incoming auditory information

No deficits in conduction or transmission

48
Q

What is conductive deafness?

A

Inability to conduct sound energy into mechanical energy

  • otosclerosis - stapectomy
  • OM
  • outer ear origin
49
Q

What is sensorineural deafness?

A

Inability to transduce mechanical energy into nerve stimulus

  • cochlear damage
  • high frequency hearing loss - presbycusis
  • common with aging

Neuro Exam III (9 decks)

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