Unit3_Audio&Vestibular&Otology Flashcards
___?___: series of pressure waves of alternating compression (increased density) and rarefaction (decreased density) of air molecules
Sound
Intensity: increase of intensity in a sound is when the air is compressed more forcefully during peak compression each cycle → _______ density of air
increased density
pressure at peak of compression = ?
“Loudness”
Sound above ___dB → permanent hearing loss
120dB
What makes up the External Ear?
- Pinna
- External auditory meatus
- ends at the tympanic membrane
Pressure waves then moves tympanic membrane.
___1___ → TM bulges out
___2___ → TM presses in
- Rarefaction
2. Compression
What makes up the Middle ear?
The ossicles
- Malleus
- Incus
- Stapes
How are the ossicles of the middle ear moved?
Via the movement of the Tympanic Membrane
Acoustic impedance mismatch: Air-fluid boundary causes most acoustic energy to be reflected away,:
water → __1__ impedance
air → __2__ impedance
water → HIGH impedance
air → LOW impedance
How does the middle ear and ossicles allow us to overcome the 30dB loss to impedance mismatch?
- area of the TM is 20x greater than that of the stapes. This amplifies any vibration at the TM.
- Ossicle oreintation → levering action = LARGER force.
Damage to or loss of hair cells and/or nerve fibers is known as __________ hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss: damage to or loss of hair cells and/or nerve fibers
Degradation of mechanical transmission of sound engery in the middle ear is known as __________ hearing loss.
Conductive hearing loss: degraded mechanical transmission of sound energy through middle ear.
What are the common causes of Sensorineural hearing loss?
1) Excessively loud sounds
2) Exposure to ototoxic drugs (diuretics, aminoglycoside antibiotics, ASA, cancer therapy drugs)
3) Age (presbycusis) - lose high frequency hearing, as we age
What are the common causes of conductive hearing loss?
1) Filling of middle ear with fluid during otitis media
2) Otosclerosis - arthritic bone growth impedes ossicle movement
3) Malformation of ear canal (swimmer’s ear, cauliflower ear)
4) Perforation/rupture of tympanic membrane
5) Interruptions of ossicular chain
6) Static pressure in middle
How can you differentiate conductive vs. sensorineural hearing loss?
Can overcome conductive hearing loss by placing tuning fork against bone
BM more flexible, wider, and thicker at apex → ___FREQUENCY VIBRATION
APEX = LOW FREQUENCY VIBRATION
BM thinner narrower, and more rigid near oval and round window at base of cochlea
→ ___ FREQUENCY VIBRATION
BASE = HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION
What are the three compartments of the Cochlea?
scala vestibuli, scala media, scala tympani
What sits on top of the BM and in the scala media?
Organ of Corti
What seperates the scala media and the scala tympani?
Basilar Membrane (BM)
Mechanical properties of BM key for discrimination of sound frequency.
_________: hole in BM at apex of cochlea, connects scala tympani to scala vestibuli, relieves pressure → both have perilymph
Helicotrema
Describes the process by which sound elicits movements of the BM.
Stapes hits oval window (during peak of compression) → oval window bulges into scala vestibuli = “traveling wave” - reaches max amplitude at certain location along length of BM.
Particles itself are NOT traveling with wave, just going up and down → downward movement of BM to relieve compressio → compress fluid in scala tympani → round window bulges out towards middle ear (pressure relief)
Opposite happens with rarefaction - round bulges in, oval bulges out
_____________ : sensory receptor responsible for detecting sound pressure and converting mechanical vibration into a membrane potential change (transduction)
Inner hair cell (IHC)
Where are stereocilia located on the inner hair cells?
Apical surface of IHC
Pushing stereocilia bundle in direction toward longest stereocilia (Kinocilla) does what?
Depolarization
Pushing stereocilia bundle in direction toward the shortest stereocilia does what?
Hyper-polarization
creasing a potential of 130mV, resulting in an end potential of +80mV (from the resting potential of -50mV)
What is the fluid that is K+ rich that fills the scala media and bathes stereo cilia on the APICAL side of the hair cells called?
Endolymph
What is the function of Stria Vascularis?
actively pumps K+ into the endolymph to maintain a high [K+] → creating endocochlear potential
MUTATION in gap junction subunit, connexin 32 → collapse of endocochlear potential, congenital deafness is associated with what?
Stria Vascularis
What is perilymph?
ionic composition similar to blood (high Na, low K+), fills scala vestibuli and scala tympani
ionic composition similar to blood (high Na, low K+), fills scala vestibuli and scala tympani is known as what?
perilymph
What connects the apex of stereocilla to the next adjacent taller stereocilla and plays a key role in the opening and closing of mechanically gated channels at the tips of stereocilla?
Tip-links
The following describes what?
- Generates shearing force (between basilar and tectorial membrane) that results in bending of hair cells.
- Directly attached to outer hair cells.
Tectorial membrane
Auditory nerve fibers: ______ fibers located at basal end of hair cells
Auditory nerve fibers: AFFERENT fibers located at basal end of hair cells
Auditory nerve fibers: afferent fibers located at ______ end of hair cells
Auditory nerve fibers: afferent fibers located at BASAL end of hair cells
Auditory nerve fibers: afferent fibers located at basal end of hair cells.
Cell bodies in ______1______.
Projects to _____2______ of brainstem.
- spiral ganglion
2. cochlear nucleus
From the hair cells, how are APs generated and sent to the second order neurons in the brainstem?
Hair cell depolarizes → open Ca2+ basolateral channels → synaptic vesicles release glutamate → excitation of afferent axon → AP sent to second order neurons in brainstem
What is the cochlear amplifier?
Efferent innervation from central auditory system act upon OHCs to amplify movements of BM.
Does the cochlear amplifier deal with IHC or OHC?
OCH - Outer Hair Cells
OHCs responding to changes in voltage with a change in length is a process called __________.
“Electromotile”
Voltage sensitive _________ protein → change length of OHC
Voltage sensitive PRESTIN protein → change length of OHC
With regards to the cochlear amplifier, → OHC pulls BM toward or away from tectorial membrane → changes mechanical frequency selectivity of BM
→ Contributes __?_dB of cochlea’s sensitivity to sound.
OHC _________ movement of BM in a frequency dependent manner.
50dB
enhances
What are Medial olivocochlear neurons (MOC)?
efferent neurons that innervate OHCs.
- senses contexts of sound env. and acts as feedback control of cochlear sensitivity (cochlear amplifier) and adjusts it to suit whether you are in a loud or quiet env.
Uses ACh.
Is sensorineural deafness due to damage of IHCs or OHCs?
OHCs.
OHCs are more sensitive to damage from ABX and loud sounds.