Hearing And Balance Flashcards
What are the three main components of the temporal bone?
Petrous - interior ridge containing the middle ear
Mastoid - auricular muscle attachment, many foramina to allow things to pass through, composed of air cells that can be repositories for infection
Squama Temporalis - thin and transparent, place where the Temporalis muscle attaches
Where are the mechanoreceptors that transducer fluid movements induced by sounds and head movement?
The inner ear within the petrous part of the temporal bone
What is a major repository for infections in the temporal bone?
The air cells that compose the mastoid of the temporal bone
How is sound intensity measured?
In decibels
What is the equation for calculating decibels?
dB = 20*log(P/P0)
What is dB SPL?
Same reference for all frequencies
Relative to 2x10^-5 N/m2
What Is dB HL (SL)?
Relative to the lowest sound pressure detected by individuals
Different reference level for each frequency
What is linearity?
What you put in is what you get out
What system is the middle eye?
A linear system
If you put in two frequencies you get two out
What type of system is the cochlea?
Nonlinear
If you out in two frequencies you get out multiple ones out, the ones different from your input and distortion products
How does (asymmetric) cauliflower ear happen?
Shearing to the anterior auricle causes it to separate from the elastic cartilage and tears the blood vessels
The subsequent hematoma stimulate cartilage growth
What are the four sensory nerves to the external ear?
Greater auricular (c2,3)
Lesser occipital
Auricular branch of the vagus nerve
Auriculartemporal branch of the mandibular nerve (V3)
Stimulation of what nerve can evoke then vago-vagal reflex resulting in fainting?
The auricular branch of the vagus nerve
What nerves innervate the tympanic membrane?
Auricular temporal of V (trigeminal)
Auricular branch of X (vagus)
Tympanic branch of IX (Glossopharyngeal)
What does vibration of the tympanic membrane do?
Cause the malleus and incus to pivot resulting in the stapes footplate vibration at the oval window
GAIN of pressure results in air conduction being better than bone conduction
Around how many decibels are lost due to conductive hearing loss because of sound reflection?
40-55dB
How is energy loss minimized in hearing conduction?
By impedance matching by the ossicles and tympanic membrane
What are the three aspects of the middle ear that minimize energy loss of sound?
- Areal ratio - the area of the tympanic membrane is much larger than the round window
- Lever ratio - the length of the malleus arm is greater than the incus arm
- Buckling action - force is transmitted from the center of the tympanic membrane
What two properties determine an objects resonant frequency (determined by acoustic impedance)?
Mass - heavier objects vibrate at lower frequencies
Stiffness - less elastic objects vibrate at a higher frequency
What structures affect mass and stiffness of the middle ear?
Ossicles contribute mass
Volume of the middle ear space affects stiffness
What do you worry about with otitis media?
Speech development
Maximal loss of 40-55dB
Low freq sounds like speech are affected first
High freq sounds are not affected until the mass of middle ear bones is increases
How do diseases of the middle ear progress with hearing loss?
Low freq (stiffness/space) first
High freq (mass/ossicles) later
What is otosclerosis?
Abnormal growth of bone in the middle ear
Results in immobilization of the stapes
Can occur in the cochlea adding sensorineural loss
Common cause of bilateral gradual hearing loss I’m adults
70% hereditary
2x in females
More common in whites
Repaired surgically
Where is the Na rich perilymph?
In the bony labyrinth
Where is the K rich endolymph?
In the membranous labyrinth
What is contained in the membranous membrane?
Receptor hair cells in a gelatinous matrix
Where are the six receptive fields of the inner ear?
3 cristae ampullaris. 1 in each semicircular canal
2 maculae ( one in each the saccule and utricle)
1 organ of corti (cochlea)
What is the common histology of the 6 receptive areas?
I and II type receptors
Supporting (sustentacular) cells are the hair cells
Gelatinous matrix overlying the hair and supporting cells
Afferent and efferent innervation
What receptors do sensory fibers usually have?
Type I hair cells
What receptors do motor fibers usually have?
Type II hair cells
Where does CN VIII exit?
The cranial vault with CN VII through the internal auditory meatus
What for things does the Vestibularcochlear nerve split into when it is in the auditory meatus?
- Cochlear nerve to the organ of corti
- Superior division of the vestibular nerve to and from the utriclar macula, and the ant. and lat. ampullaris
- Inferior division of the vestibular nerve to and from the saccular macula
- Nerve to and from the posterior cristae ampullaris
What are the two types of hair cells?
Type 1 - true receptors
Type 2 - amplifiers
What is the shape of type 1 hair cells?
Pyriform in shape
Have a globular base containing the nucleus