NEUR531 - Auditory & Vestibular Processing Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Describe the structure of the auditory system

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

Describe how the attenuation reflex protects the ear

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

Describe how the structural properties of the basilar membrane allow discrimation of frequencies

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

Give a DETAILED ACCOUNT of the process by which pressure waves lead to transduction of hair cell receptor potentials

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

Describe how outer hair cells function as a cochlear amplifier

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

Explain how neurons within the auditory pathway encode for sound intensity and frequency

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

Describe the mechansims by which the auditory system localises sound

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

Explain the function and mechanism of the vestibulo-ocular reflex

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

What is sound?

A

Audible variations in air pressure

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

What is the sound cycle?

A

Distance between successive compressed patches of air

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

What is sound frequency?

A

Number of cycles per second expresed in hertz (hz)

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

What frequency is high pitch?

A

High frequency

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

Draw out the auditory system

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

What are the components of the middle ear?

A
  • Tympanic membrane
  • Malleus
  • Incus
  • Stapes
  • Eustachian tube (pressure equalization)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the middle ear associated with?

A

Amplification of sound
Attenuation reflexes

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

What are the components of the inner ear?

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

Learn the basilar membrane physiology

A

Understand that the apex is wide and floppy associated with softer sounds 500Hz

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

Wha is the organ of corti associated with?

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

What is the basilar membrane assocated with?

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

What does the bending of stereocilia do?

A
  • Hair cell receptor potentials
  • Very sensitive
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

How is transduction by the hair cells work?

A

-

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is the function of the cholear amplifier?

A

Sound transduction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are the proteins that change length of outer hair cells?

A

Motor proteins

24
Q

What are the proteins that are required for outer hair cell MOVEMENT?

A

Prestins

25
Q

DRAW OUT THE AUDITORY PATHWAY STEP BY STEP

A

MGN: Medial geniculate nucleus (thalamus)

Auditory cortex: temporal lobe

26
Q

Encoding information about stimulus intensity is based on what 2 neuronal factors?

A
  • – Firing rates of neurons
    Number of active neurons
27
Q

Loudness perceived is correlated with… ?

A

number of active neurons.

28
Q

Membrane potential of activated hair
cells more depolarised or hyperpolarised

A

Encodes for sound intensity

29
Q

Low frequency sounds - Apex

High frequency sounds - move basilar membrane ‘stiff’ areas at base

A
30
Q

Are high frequencies phase locked?

A

No - they are not fixed

31
Q

Sound from left side, activity in left cochlear nucleus sent to what nucleus?

A

superior olive

32
Q

Vertical plane

A
33
Q

Do unilateral lesions in the auditory cortex have a significant influence on hearing?

A

No

34
Q

Learn the vestibular system

A
35
Q

What do the otolith organs do?

A
  • Detect head angle changes
  • Macular hair cells respond to tilt

Relies on crystals moving

36
Q

What is macular orientation associated with

A

Vertical & horizontal movement

37
Q

What lymph fluid is associated with the semicircular canal?

A
  • Endolymph fluid
38
Q

Central vestibular pathways

A

Draw these out

39
Q

What is the function of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)?

A

Fixating on a point during head movement

40
Q

What mechanisms does the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) use?

A

Semi circular canals

41
Q

KNOW THE 7 STEPS - DRAW THEM OUT

A
42
Q

Step by step auditory pathway mechanisms

A
  1. Pinna (outer ear) accoustics travel through external acoustic miatus
  2. acoustic sound waves vibrate the tempanic membrane causing it to compress and decompress
  3. Tempanic membrane vibrations cause ossicles to vibrate against oval window for cochlear transduction
  4. Oval window vibrations move basilar membrane within the organ of corti

(if vibrations are excessive, will move out via the round window to avoid damage)

  1. Basilar membrane vibrations cause hair cells to move, causig stereocillia to bend and send transductions along the tectoral membrane causing depolarization against afferent nerve endings and releasing glutamate
  2. Glutamatergic afferent excitation APs travel to the spiral ganglion and stimulate cochlear branch of CNVIII (vestibulocochlear nerve)
  3. CNVIII travels to the pons-medullary junction to stimulate ventral and dorsal cochlear nuclei

8.DORSAL and VENTRAL NUCLEI travel contraleterally to the nucleus of lateral leminiscus AND superior olivary nucleus

9.

43
Q

What are 2 dorsal cochlear nuclei cells in pons-medullary junction?

A

Stellate cells
Principal cells

44
Q

Where do fibers from the basilar membrane travel to (point 1)

A

Spiral ganglia

45
Q

Where does the spiral ganglia stimulate?

A

cochlear branch of CNVIII (vestibulocochlear nerve)

46
Q

Where does vestibulocochlear nerve (CNVIII) travel to?

A

ventral and dorsal cochlear nuclei (at pons-medullary junction)

47
Q

Where do the DORSAL and VENTRAL NUCLEI travel contraleterally to ?

A

nucleus of lateral leminiscus

superior olivary nucleus

48
Q

What are the names of the stria traveling from the cochlear nuclei ?

A

Dorsal
Intermediate
Ventral

Acoustic stria

49
Q

Where does the nucleus of lateral leminiscus travel to and via what stria?

A
  • Travels via lateral leminiscus to INFERIOR COLLICULUS
50
Q

What tract is associated with the auditory reflexes?

A

tectospinal tract (movement of body/head towards sounds)

51
Q

Where does the inferior colliculus travel to within the thalamus?

A

MEDIAL GENICULATE NUCLEUS

52
Q

Where does the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) travel to for auditory transduction?

A

The primary auditory cortex (within the superior temporal gyrus)

53
Q

What does Wernicke’s area associate with?

A

Speech comprehension

54
Q

What does the brocas area do?

A

Speech production

55
Q

Where does the superior temporal gyrus send signals to?

A

Wernicke’s and broca’s area

56
Q

What fasciculus connects the Wernicke’s and Broca’s area?

A

Arcuate fasciculus

57
Q

Step by step process for auditory pathway

  1. Sound waves enter the ear canal and cause the temporal membrane to vibrate.
  2. Vibrations from the temporal membrane are transmitted to the three small bones in the middle ear: the malleus, incus, and stapes (ossicles)
  3. The stapes bone transmits the vibrations to the oval window, a membrane-covered opening in the cochlea.
  4. The movement of the oval window creates fluid waves in the cochlea.
  5. The fluid waves cause the basilar membrane within the cochlea to move.
  6. Hair cells in the Organ of Corti, located on the basilar membrane, detect the movement of the fluid waves.
  7. The stereocilia on the hair cells bend in response to the fluid movement.
  8. Bending of the stereocilia opens ion channels in the hair cells, allowing ions to enter.
  9. The influx of ions generates electrical signals in the hair cells.
  10. The electrical signals are transmitted to the auditory nerve fibers connected to the hair cells.
  11. The auditory nerve carries the electrical signals from the hair cells to the brainstem.
  12. Within the brainstem, the auditory signals are relayed to the cochlear nucleus and then to the superior olivary complex.
  13. From the superior olivary complex, the signals are further transmitted to the inferior colliculus and then to the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus.
  14. Finally, the auditory information reaches the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe of the brain, where it is processed and interpreted as sound perception.
A