Cochlear Implants Improve Hearing Abilities

Essay On Cochlear Implants
A cochlear implant consists of an internal and external component. The internal component is
surgically inserted under the skin behind the ear, and a narrow wire is threaded into the inner ear.
Unlike hearing aids, cochlear implants convert sound waves to electrical impulses and transmit them
to the inner ear, providing people with the ability to hear sounds and potentially better understand
speech without reading lips. Speech and language ability varies among individuals, with many
cochlear implant recipients developing age appropriate linguistic ability. Ability to produce accurate
speech, ability to understand speech and writing and reading ability have all been studied. In May
1998, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) had been
demonstrated in the long–term benefits of cochlear implants that children were not limited to speech
recognition. However, it would do that as well as went into far more detail into other ways they have
dramatically improved their language ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is vulnerable to injury, as it is found close to the area on the face where a surgeon puts the
cochlear implant. If an injury occurs, the patient may experience either temporary or permanent
weakening, or complete paralysis on the part of the face where the implant lies. Individuals with
abnormal formations of inner ear structures are at a higher risk of meningitis, which is an infection
of the brain's surface lining, states the FDA. Meningitis is considered a rare but severe complication.
Cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurs when the surgery causes a hole to form in the inner ear or a
region in the brain's covering, says the FDA. The fluid surrounding the brain oozes out of the hole.
It is also possible for the fluid in the inner ear to secrete through the hole made by the surgeon to
insert the cochlear
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

The Central Auditory System
The receptive organ for audition is the organ of Corti, located on the basilar membrane (Carlson &
Birkett, 2017). The inner hair cells form synapses with the dendrites of the bipolar neurons whose
axons give rise to the cochlear branch of the eighth cranial nerve. The central auditory system
involves several brain stem nuclei, including the cochlear nuclei, superior olivary complexes, and
inferior colliculi. The medial geniculate nucleus relays auditory information to the primary auditory
cortex on the medial surface of the temporal lobe. The primary auditory cortex contains three
separate tonotopic representations of auditory information and is surrounded by two levels of
auditory association cortex: the belt region, which contains seven

The Prevalence Of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is prevalent, treatable and frequently undetected (Uhlmann, 1989). It is widely
accepted that the prevalence of hearing impairment increases with age. This age related hearing loss
is known as presbycusis. Acar, Yurekli, Babademez, Karabulut and Karasen (2011) described
presbycusis as a social problem in which people deliberately restrict physical and social activities.
There is a prediction for an increasing prevalence of hearing loss due to the greater aging
population, the use of personal listening devices, and increased military action.
Aging Auditory System and Speech Understanding
Aging is the single factor that is most responsible for irreversible hearing loss due to weakening of
the tympanic membrane, disordered ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Yet, the understanding of distorted speech declines rapidly and dramatically with aging and hearing
ability (Divenyi et al., 2005). Even with a favorable speech–to–noise ratio, like in a sound treated
suite, a mild high frequency hearing loss can affect speech understanding (Lunner, Rudner, &
Rönnberg, 2009). Reverberation and signal processing in noise are the greatest obstacles to
understanding speech (Gordon–Salant, 2005). Reverberation has a smoothing effect on the sound
waveform which causes distortion of the signal (Gordon–Salant, 2005). This phenomenon occurs in
large, open rooms which is why many adults complain about understanding speech in noisy
restaurants. Elderly, hearing–impaired listeners indicate that they have the most difficulty
understanding continuous input in the presence of noise as opposed to difficulty understanding just
single words and phrases in the presence of noise (Pichora–Fuller, 2003).When the peripheral
auditory system is already damaged from typical auditory aging processes, adding more distortion to
the signal decreases the listener's ability to understand. These deficits indicate a slowing of
perceptual processes. The question remains, how quickly do these components decline, at what rate
and to what degree does speech understanding diminish (Divenyi et al., 2005)?
Audiological Evaluation
In order to determine the

The Brain And Its Effects On Human Brain
Through neurological processes, pattern–recognition, and analytical resolutions that the human brain
achieves when interpreting sound, unknown scientific truths and developments of society can be
exposed through various examinations of auditory data in conjunction with traditional visual data.
Following an advanced series of steps, the brain transforms sound waves into interpretable
information. Once the sound wave has passed the eardrum and reaches the inner ear, the behavior of
the wave is converted into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. The spiral–shaped cochlea in
the inner ear is lined with sensory cells (or hair cells) with different levels of sensitivity, allowing
the ear to perceive sounds of varying frequencies. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Graphs and charts allow data to be mapped by means of two or three variables, limiting the analysis
of the star. Yet, parameter mapping accounts for various features of sound as shown in Figure 2.
On the other hand, audificaiton is "the direct translation of data samples to audio samples"
(ScienceFriday, 2016). Being the most basic method of sonification, each data point is translated
into a signal level, which a digital–to–analog converter reads (Vogt, 2008). This converter takes the
finite number of signal levels (e.g., four in the Potts model) and translates them into a state with an
infinite number of levels, allowing the data to sound continuous, just as human speech does.
Most recognizably, sonification can also be in the form of auditory icons. They have images that
correspond to a specific sound. For example, the trashcan icon on the computer is accompanied by
the auditory icon's sound of a crumpled piece of paper thrown into a metal trashcan (Vogt, 2008).
Additionally, the "beep... beep... beep" of a heartrate monitor can easily be recognized. The auditory
icon of a beep relays the beat of a patient's heartrate so that physicians and caretakers may
accurately monitor the patient.
Model–based sonification uses the data to control a model that produces sound (Vogt, 2008). This
includes the human perception of pitch when filling up a water bottle; an individual can determine
the level of water in the bottle (Tünnermann et al., 2009) Water bottles

The Effects Of Explosion Exposure On Central Auditory...
The health effects following exposure to blast impact are a growing concern in the United States,
especially in the military population. The United State's involvement in warfare in recent years has
led to many unseen developments not only psychologically but also physically in the service men
and women returning home. Technological changes in current years have allowed for the
development of various types of lethal weaponry, such as with high–intensity explosive devices.
Improvised explosive devices, known as IEDs have largely been used in recent wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. The use of IEDs in combat has led to debilitating losses and handicaps experienced by
some of our military personnel, including traumatic brain injury (TBI). The ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
One of the breakthrough studies (Gallun et al., 2012) tested 36 blast–exposed and 29 non blast–
exposed participants. Participants were tested on batteries of behavioral and physical tests whose
scores can demonstrate a connection to problems with central auditory processing (Gallun et al.,
2012). The purpose of the study was to see if participants with blast exposure performed worse on
these tests than participants without blast exposure, especially with hearing in complex auditory
environments and speech–in–noise types of measures (Gallun et al., 2012). The blast exposure
group included veterans seeking treatment at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center post–Iraq War.
They identified as having exposure to a high–intensity blast at least once within the past year. They
were excluded from the study if they had any TBI higher than the moderate diagnosis, and were also
excluded if they had a hearing loss over 50 dB HL. Subjects without blast–exposure were also
recruited for the study and were tested at the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research
in Portland. These subjects' data were used as a baseline comparison to obtain data reflecting the
general population that has been unaffected by blast exposure. The non–blast exposure group was
recruited into the study based on similar age and hearing capabilities as those with blast exposure.
Participants from both groups underwent

Early Intervention Essay
Recently in the United States, there has been a drive at both the state and national level to provide
universal screening for newborns to detect hearing loss. Although the idea of a universal screening
in newborns is a new phenomenon, research has examined the impact of early intervention and
screening for children with hearing loss. "Most professionals in the field feel strongly that early
identification of hearing loss and early implementation of intervention enhances the child's social,
communicative, and academic development" (Calderon, 1998, p. 54). With that, the two studies used
participants in the same early intervention program and mainly focused on the importance of the age
of enrollment. Furthermore, the age of enrollment ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Even though there is a great deal of research on the long term benefits of early intervention,
continued screening and research will allow to further prove research that has shown "stronger and
more consistent evidence of the benefits of early identification and intervention (prior to 12 months)
on the development of language and communication skills" (Calderon, 1998, p. 55). Moreover,
children are found to have better language scores when they enter early intervention before twelve
months. With this, the two studies further explain the importance of early intervention. The first
study deals with the age at which each participant started, the degree of their hearing loss and
children's speech production, language development, and auditory skills that were evaluated when
they finished the program. Also, during this study information from the family was taken regarding
their view on the time they started early intervention for their child. The first set of results found that
the pretest scores of Group one, the youngest children scored the lowest on expressive and receptive
language while the oldest group, Group three, scored the highest. On the other hand, when given the
posttest, Group one scored higher than Group three. For speech production and auditory
discrimination, all groups were at a basic level. At the

Comparison Of ITD And ILD For Binaural Processing
(Grothe, Pecka & Mcalpine, 2010). The comparisons of ITD and ILD for binaural processing in the
auditory system begin at the superior olivary complex (SOC) where bushy cells in the CN target the
nuclei of the SOC (Stotler, 1953; Lindsey, 1975). The processing of monaural cues originate from
specialized cells in the AVCN and DCN to the lateral lemniscus, or directly to the inferior colliculus
(IC) on the contralateral side (Schwartz, 1992). The IC receives almost all ascending fibres as a
synaptic station and exhibits more complex response characteristics than the lower brainstem nuclei.
It appears that binaural processing and hence localization is completed at the level of the IC
although information on binaural processing mechanisms at ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The results of the study suggested that the buildup of precedence effect relates to N1 refractoriness,
event related potential 'lead domination' and mismatch negativity differences.
Neuronal processing of spectral cues
The various types of DCN neurons appear specialized for processing spectral cues. Responses of
type IV neurons seem to be determined by neural circuits within the DCN (Oertel & Young, 2004)
and show small "islands" (lateral inhibition) at high–intensity stimulation. This inhibitory network
of type IV neurons may be a provision for the tuning of neural inputs from primary auditory nerve
fibers. Therefore, the neural network and inhibition in the DCN render these specialized neurons
sensitive to notches in the acoustic spectrum generated by the interaction of sound with the various
structures of the torso (Imig, Bibikov, Poirier, Samson, 2000; Young, Spirous, Rice, Voigt, 1992).
The main target of type IV neurons in the DCN is type O neurons in the IC. Type O neurons in the
IC exhibit an inhibitory receptive field with a small area of excitation at low stimulus intensities. IC
neurons show response to the frequency of a spectral notch with opposite characteristics to type IV
neurons in the DCN, showing considerable excitatory responses for a single notch frequency,
particularly at higher sound intensities, flanked by inhibitory regions

Characteristics Of The Human Auditory System
The human auditory system is one of the most complex and remarkable systems of the human body.
Without all components working in a harmonious manner, a person can easily become alienated
from society. There are four key areas that one needs to understand in order to comprehend how an
individual is able to hear. They include the outer, middle, and inner ear as well as the central
auditory nervous system. The collaboration of all of these components allow humans to hear sound.
One of the most important concepts to understand, before delving into the anatomy of the human
ear, is what exactly individuals are receiving as the signal that is commonly referred to as sound.
Although there are many definitions for sound, it can be easily understood as "a disturbance in an
elastic medium that propagates through the medium in a longitudinal motion" (Darrow 2017). This
disturbance occurs in the form of vibrations. The three characteristics of a sound include intensity,
frequency, and duration, which all play an integral part in how an individual interprets a sound. The
first area that a sound arrives at in its journey to be perceived is the outer ear. At this point, sound is
being transmitted in terms of acoustic energy. The outer ear consists of two major parts, the pinna
and the ear canal. The pinna serves as a funnel, where several of its cavities act as sound enhancing
mechanisms. The ear canal acts as a quarter length resonator. What this means is that it enhances

Superior Temporal Gyrus Research Paper
It's hard to understand how people can say dance is easy when it's so complex to be thinking about
every single part of your body at the same time making sure it's in perfect position from one
movement to the next throughout a whole routine and even before that during the hour–long
practices for months. The body endures too much with bumps and bruises, stretching and soreness,
and pops and cracks but that's only the physical aspect of what a dancer has to go through. The mind
is worked and conditioned along the journey to improve what you see externally. The brain
undergoes critical thinking of the song playing, beats, timing, when and how to move certain body
parts until the end of every performance.
The Superior temporal Gyrus is responsible for processing sounds with the primary auditory cortex.
Some areas of the superior temporal gyrus are specialized for processing combination of frequencies
while other areas are specialized for processing changes in amplitude or frequency. This contributes
to hearing rhythm with steady beats and fluctuations in music which is just vibrating air molecules
connecting with the eardrum with different ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Thalamus tells whether the signals been received are any signs of danger by communicating with
the hippocampus. The hippocampus stores historical sound/danger associations while the thalamus
links to the amygdala to initiate an emotional response. The amygdala is an important part of the
limbic system. The limbic system in involved without emotions, feelings of pleasure, and memories
while the amygdala is specifically for the processing of emotions, memories, and motivation. For a
dancer to truly perform, they give off emotion based on the music. Whether the music is sad they
show it in their facial expressions and play out a character that is perceived by the

Project 2: Hearing Loss
Project 2– Hearing Loss
According to IDEA "hearing loss means a loss of hearing, weather permanent or fluctuating, that
adversely affects a child's educational performance but that is not included under the definition of
deafness... (Heward, 365)." There are three different types of hearing losses: conductive hearing
loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss.
Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is a problem with the transmission of sound waves to the
inner ear. Conductive hearing loss usually is caused by an abnormality of the outer or middle ear.
The treatment for conductive hearing loss can include surgery or assistive technology like a hearing
aid (Howard, 372). A hearing aid amplifies sounds that it detects from a built in microphone through
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The goal of a hearing aid is to make speech more audible and improve speech intelligibility (Robb,
377). Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the cochlea or the auditory nerve
pathway leading from the cochlea to the brain. If a sensorineural hearing loss is present it would not
be treated with a hearing aid because most of the time the electro mechanical energy that is to be
sent to the brain is distorted or not sent at all (Heward, 372–373). A person with sensorineural
hearing loss would rely on auditory implants to help them communicate with a hearing person. An
auditory implant does not restore normal hearing; rather it helps the user of the implant sense the
sound that they are not able to hear. There are four main types of auditory implants: bone anchored
hearing aid, cochlear implants, auditory brain stem implant,

Cochlear Implantation
Cochlear Implantation is not as new of an idea as society may think. Interest in stimulating hearing
in deaf individuals can be traced back as far as the 18th century. Since then many scientists, doctors
and even audiologists from all areas of the world have worked to develop sophisticated high–tech
implant systems. Which has resulted in varying viewpoints between the Deaf and Hearing
Communities.
In the 18th century Italian Physicist Alessando Volta developed the electrolytic cell. Volta
experimented with electric current, becoming the first to stimulate the auditory system electrically.
In which he attached two metal rods to a battery of approximately 50V and inserted one rod in each
ear. When the circuit was completed, he felt a sensation ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A cochlear implant does not restore normal hearing, but can give a deaf person a useful
representation of sounds in the environment and in some help with understanding speech. The
Cochlear implant consists of external components that usually are behind the ear and internal
components that are surgically implanted under the skin these two parts work together to allow the
user to perceive sound. The external components include a microphone, a speech processor, and a
transmitter. The microphone is located at the top of the speech processor, which resembles a behind
the ear hearing aid. It picks up sounds from the environment and transmits them to the speech
processor. The speech processor can either look like the behind the ear hearing aid or be a small box
worn in a chest pocket. It is a computer that analyzes, digitizes, and arranges the sound signals
picked up by the microphone and sends them to the transmitter. The transmitter is a small magnetic
disc or circle coil worn on the head just behind the ear it receives signals from the speech processor
and convert them into electric coded signals, sending them to the receiver/ stimulator implanted just
under the skin using a special radio frequency. The internal components include the receiver/
stimulator and the electrode array. The receiver/stimulator decodes the electrical signals from the
transmitter and sends a corresponding pattern of rapid, tiny electrical pulses to electrodes on the
electrode array that has been surgically inserted and winds through the cochlea. The electrical pulses
stimulate the fibers of the auditory nerve where the brain categorizes the sounds and assigns
meaning to them. The Cochlear Implant to

Auditory System
Rohini Mukherjee Intro to Neuroscience Dr. Laura Symonds Auditory System and hearing loss In
the auditory system the pressure waves in the outer ear are taken and send down the auditory canal
to the tympanic membrane the cochlea can then transduce. The inner membrane has inner hair cells
that synapse onto afferent auditory nerves make physical signals into electrical signals. The hair
cells have specialized stereocillia that are connected and attached to ion channels called TRPA 1 and
the deflection of the hair causes the channels to open and close. The news article I selected was A
billion at risk for hearing loss from exposure to loud music. The article talked about how people,
even young people can be at a risk for hearing loss due to loud music. They talk about how listening
to music above 100 dB is unsafe for more than 15 min. They then talk about how the World health
organization has launched initiative to help spread knowledge about this issue to inform the public
and give the public more reason to be careful when listening to music and offer suggestions on how
to help ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The article served as almost a public service announcement on why you shouldn't listen why loud
music is a problem. The journal article while the article itself may have been looking for the
problems in of music but it wasn't really framed as good or bad but simply as information. News
articles have to inform and interest the public it's something they have to do to sell stories. They also
have to frame something as why it might immediately pertain to its audience. In this case so one
wants to be deaf and would want to prevent it if it's possible. Journal articles don't have to do this
they must only report things as they are and they have to hope the content by itself will be enough to
interest

Cochlear Auditory Essay
Introduction Medical professionals all over the world have paved the road for further research and
technological advances in the hearing impaired spectrum. Implantations, such as the cochlear
implant (CI), have given patients with profound sensorineural hearing loss newfound hope for
habilitation and rehabilitation services. However, "there exists a small subset of deaf individuals
who will not benefit from the CI due to (1) a small or absent cochlea, (2) a small or absent auditory
nerve, or (3) injury or scarring of the inner ear or auditory nerve secondary to meningitis, trauma, or
tumor" as stated by Kaplan et al. (2015). A treatment option for those who did not meet the
candidacy qualifications for a cochlear implant needed to be implemented. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The internal receiver and non–magnetic plug are then placed under the skin away from the incision.
Sennaroglu and Ziyal (2012) state that "care must be taken so that the incision does not directly
cross the area where the receiver/stimulator is to be placed. Failure to do this may cause device
extrusion." After the surgeon removes the temporal bone and the schwannoma, he identifies the
landmarks of the lateral recess, specifically the foramen of Luschka (senna). The foramen of
Luschka can be found by locating the IX cranial nerve. "In the surgical setting, where there is almost
always distortion of the brain stem from the tumor, the foramen of Luschka is located superior to the
ninth nerve" (senna). After identifying the landmarks of the lateral recess, dissection is stopped, and
the posterior fossa is occluded with gelfoam. At this point, the surgeon secures the receiver in the
outer table of the skull. Dissection then continues in the posterior fossa. Next, the ground electrode
is placed under the temporalis muscle, and the electrode array's side mesh is trimmed to fit inside
the lateral recess. Finally, the electrodes are carefully inserted into the cochlear nucleus (Wilkinson).
Placement of the electrode array is determined by using electrophysiological

Neonatal Auditory System
Auditory development starts from 23 to 24 weeks of gestational age. At this time fetal auditory
threshold is approximately 65dB.Auditory system development continues during intrauterine life,
and the threshold is gradually diminished to that of an adult level(1). Some parts of neonatal
auditory system develop after birth shortly . persistence of appropriate sensory stimulants is
important for normal growth and development (2). Preterm newborns are susceptible to negative
effects of environmental stimuli due to immature central nervous system, and decreased autonomic
and self–regularity abilities of dealing with stress. They are unable to coordinate autonomic
responses to environmental and tactile stimulation until 32 to 34 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA).
because of excessive ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Excessive sound may affect the neuroendocrine system and may have indirect effect on
immunity(5). Stress from noise causing activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, and
causes growth–inhibition through the action of corticosteroids possibly(8). Neonatologist should
monitor the sound in the NICU, and in incubators. A noise level 45 dB is recommended by the US
Environmental Protection Agency(9). NICU personnel should do simple instruction to reduce noise
in the nicu (no tapping no writing on the incubators tops and hoods, closing the incubator doors
carefully, wearing soft shoes).lowering sound level can be done also by earmuffs or earplugs. These
earmuffs, which are laid on infants' external ears, diminish the sound intensity to at least 7 dB and
the sound pressure level by over 50%, so that they do not block infants' necessary hearing
stimulation for nervous system development(4). If this simple strategies fail to reduce noise levels,
more technical strategies should be considered (incubator covers, use of equipment causing less

A Study On Diabetes Mellitus
An Electrophysiological Study on Brainstem in Type–2 DM Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a
generalized, chronic metabolic disorder manifesting itself, in its fully developed form, by
hyperglycemia, glycosuria, increased protein breakdown, ketosis and acidosis. If the disease is
prolonged, it is usually complicated by degenerative disease of the blood vessels, the retina, the
kidneys and the nervous system1. T2DM is the predominant form of diabetes worldwide,
accounting for 90% cases globally. Globally, the number of people with diabetes is expected to rise
from the current estimate of 285 million in 2010 to 438 million in 2030, both figures substantially
higher than even recent estimates.T2DM has become one of ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Nonenzymatic glycisilation is the process by which glucose attaches to proteins without the action
of any enzymes. The initial products that form over hours to days is a Schiff base or an Amadori
product, during which the process is reversible4. Intracellular hyperglycemia activates the enzyme
aldose reductase. This increases the formation of sorbitol in cells, which in turn reduces cellular Na,
K ATPase. In addition, intracellular glucose can be converted to so – called Amadori products, and
these in turn can form advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs), which cross– link matrix
proteins. This damages blood vessels. The AGEs also interfere with leukocyte responses to
infection5. A minor hemoglobin derivative called HbA1C is produced by glycation, the covalent
binding of glucose to hemoglobin6. Glycosilated hemoglobin testing provides an index of average
blood glucose levels over the prior two to three months. It has been established that improved
glycemic control is associated with preventing or delaying the progression of micro vascular
complications in diabetes7.long– term blood glucose regulation can be followed by measurement of
glycosilated hemoglobin8. Glycated hemoglobin provides an accurate and objective measure of
glycemic control over a period of weeks to months. The rate of formation of HbA1C is directly
proportional to the ambient blood glucose concentration; a rise of 1% in HbA1c corresponds to an
approximate

Primary Visual Cortex
Throughout history, a human being was always reliant on the primary sensory areas. An ability to
communicate and contract languages is considered to be a unique ability of human nation as no
other species show an equal amount of complexity in terms of the structure and sound combination.
On the other hand, primary visual cortex provides a skill set in order to identify the objects
presented in the world, the distance towards them as well as to design a set of actions in order to
incorporate some items such as a stone or a pen. The understanding of these systems is crucial,
especially for those who suffer from strokes and tumors and as a result lost the ability to visually
recognize objects or hear other people. This work will focus of the structure ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
The system consists of the eyes where the information is collected, geniculate lateral nucleus and
visual cortex. The visual cortex could be subdivided into the primary visual cortex and the striate
cortex. This sensory system is located at the back of a brain parts of which are located in both
hemispheres. Recent studies obtained a sufficient amount of information in order to construct the
two–stream hypothesis, which describes the ventral and dorsal streams. The ventral stream begins at
the primary visual cortex and goes to the inferior temporal cortex. Main functional responsibilities
of this area include identification of objects and the emergence of the long–term memory the origins
of which are placed in this area (Rauschecker, Josef P and Sophie K. Scott 722). Dorsal stream also
begins at the primary visual cortex and ends at the posterior parietal cortex. It is mainly responsible
for the body part control required in order to manipulate an object. The research shows that these
"what" and "why" systems are not directly related, and the damage in one affect the other only to a
certain extent. It could be explained by the fact that that input is transformed differently via action
and

An Introduction To Admittance And Impedance
#1:
Immitance is a general term to describe admittance and impedance. Impedance is the measure of
opposition to energy flow (sound) into the ear at the plane of the tympanic membrane. Admittance is
the total energy flow through the vibrating system. Immitance audiometry is a test battery using
acoustic impedance or acoustic admittance to estimate hearing sensitivity and function of the middle
ear system. Impedance is typically measured as compliance now. Tympanometry is the test battery
for measuring the compliance of the ear in equivalent volume across a range of pressures. It
provides an estimation of hearing sensitivity and middle ear function in relation to ear canal volume,
compliance, and middle ear pressure.
To perform an ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
If the pressure is not within that range, it could suggest Eustachian tube dysfunction.
The compliance, or mobility, of the tympanic membrane is also noted as a tympanometric
compliance value. Compliance is measure in cubic centimeters (cc) or milliliters (ml). The point on
the pressure scale where the maximum compliance occurs is essentially equal to middle ear pressure
of the ear tested and is known as the point of maximum compliance. The peak compliance should be
within the range of .2 cc to 2.0 cc. If the compliance is considerably lower than .2 cc, it may lead to
a diagnosis of tympanosclerosis or otosclerosis; however, if it is much higher than 2.0 cc, it may
imply ossicular disarticulation or a hypermobile tympanic membrane.
Compliance is plotted over a range of pressures on a tympanogram. There are five possible types of
tympanograms that may result from the test: type A, type As, type Ad, type B, and type C. A type A
tympanogram suggests a normal conductive system functioning. The peak pressure is noted within
the normal range (–150 daPA to 50 daPa) and the point of maximum compliance occurs within a
normal range (.2 cc to 2.0 cc), as well. The ECV should also fall between .65 cc and 1.75 cc. There
is no indication of a middle ear pathology if a client receives a type A tympanogram. It is important
to note that this test battery is not designed to detect a sensorineural hearing loss, because it solely
reports outer and middle ear functioning.
A

The Four Flash Videos
The first flash video shows the outer part of the ear (pinna) that serves as the funnel catching the
sound and the ear canal that carries the sound to the eardrum (tympanic membrane). The second
flash video shows the eardrum that vibrates as the acoustic energy (sound) hits it, transforming the
acoustic energy into mechanical energy. The third flash video shows the middle part of the ear,
housing the Ossicular Chain (incus, malleus, and stapes) that moves as the mechanical energy is
transferred to the chain from the vibration of the eardrum. The movement of stapes (last bone in the
chain) causes the round window to move. The fourth flash video models the transfer of the
mechanical energy into hydraulic energy within the cochlea as the round window vibrates with the
stapes (from the Ossicular Chain). ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The fifth flash video shows a cross section of the basilar membrane that moves as the fluid within
the cochlea is displaced. The sixth and last flash video models the conversion of the hydraulic
energy into electrical energy as the hair cells are displaced, transferring the electrical energy from
the hair cells into the auditory nerve that consequently passes the information to the auditory cortex
in the brain for

The Stapedial Or Acoustic Reflex ( Ar )
ABSTRACT:
The Stapedial or Acoustic Reflex (AR) is the contraction of the stapedius muscle in response to an
adequately loud sound. Bilateral reflex pathways are involved in this occurrence. The aim of the
study was to compare the test–retest variability on an individual, following a short interval, after the
initial test, and also to compare the ARs with pure–tone thresholds. The subject had a normal
hearing sensitivity, with bilateral "A" type tympanogram, which indicated normal functioning of the
middle–ear, and bilateral AR thresholds within normal limits. It was delineated that AR was elicited
with requisite intense acoustic signal and this test can be used as a diagnostic tool in collaterally
with pure–tone audiometry.
INTRODUCTION:
When a sufficiently intense acoustic signal is presented to either of the ears, stapedius muscle in
both the ears contract, as a response to this sound. This phenomenon is termed as AR.
Stapes, the smallest middle ear ossicle is attached with a small striated muscle (stapedius muscle) on
the side. In response to a loud sound, this muscle contracts, pulling the stapes laterally, which in turn
reduced the force by which the footplate of the stapes propels against the oval window. This action
permits a considerable protection against "loud" and "stable" background noise, but not against
sudden loud sounds (e.g.: bomb–blast).
There are several theories stating the need for AR.
 Protection theory: states that AR protects the cochlear

Essay On Presbycusis
Please answer these questions as thoroughly as you possibly can.
1. Please describe presbycusis of the cochlea giving the types and the anatomical site effect and the
implications.
Presbycusis is an acquired hearing loss associated with aging. There are four types of presbycusis:
sensory presbycusis, neural presbycusis, metabolic presbycusis, and mechanical presbycusis.
Sensory presbycusis occurs as a result of damage to the outer hair cells and inner hair cells of the
organ of Corti. More damage is noted with the outer hair cells than the inner hair cells. Speech
discrimination is typically normal in this population because the hearing loss is typically confined to
high–frequencies.
Neural presbycusis affects hearing all frequencies of pure tones. The hearing loss associated with
this type of presbycusis increases as the frequency of the sound increases. Speech discrimination is
approximately 60% accurate. Neural presbycusis is degeneration of the spiral ganglion and the loss
of auditory neurons throughout the cochlea and auditory pathways. Neural presbycusis is not evident
until the number of normally functioning neurons fall below a critical minimum. The impact of this
type of presbycusis varies in age of onset and severity. It is also thought to be simultaneous with
phonemic regression. Phonemic regression occurs ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Since the stria vascularis is responsible for maintaining chemical balance within the cochlea,
dysfunction in this structure will obviously result in auditory system deficits. In this type, the
audiogram is typically flat, as an indication of 30–40 dB HL at all frequencies. The degree of
degeneration in stria vascularis is directly related to the magnitude of the hearing loss. Patients with
metabolic presbycusis commonly have very good speech recognition

Deafness : What It Is?
What is deafness?
Deafness is very different to people's general perception of what it actually is. The most common
view is that it is a complete loss of hearing however deafness is defined as the lack or loss of the
ability to hear. You can either be born deaf or gradually lose the ability to hear later on in life
(Presbycusis). Pre natal or congenital causes of deafness may be due to a specific X chromosome
being passed on through generations of families even though there may be no previous history of
deafness in the family. Deafness at birth can also be caused by illness during pregnancy such as
herpes, rubella or even toxoplasmosis.
Causes of deafness include the birth of premature babies. This ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Mixed hearing loss– This is when there is a combination of SNHL and conductive hearing loss so
the damage may occur in the outer/inner ear or the auditory nerve. As the source of the problem is
unknown, this is known as mixed hearing loss.
Facts about Deafness
With approximately ten million people who suffer from hearing loss, it makes up the second largest
disability in the UK. The majority being of retirement age or above.
Out of the 10 million people (approx.) only around two million people use hearing aids.
There are many different types of sign language for example, American Sign Language (ASL),
British Sign Language (BSL), International Sign (IS) and many more. All have subtle differences in
them.
Approximately 840 children are born deaf in both ears each year. 90% of deaf children are born to
hearing parents with little or no experience of deafness or knowledge of how to communicate with a
deaf person.
Most of the time tinnitus (the constant ringing sound in people heads) will accompany hearing loss
which makes the effect of deafness even more frustrating. The tinnitus can be mild or severe
depending on each person and their age.
By 2031, it is estimated that there will be 14.5 million people with hearing loss in the UK.
Approximately 360 million people

Can They Hear Me Now Research Paper
John Newman
PHYS: Science of Music
Sr. Kathy Duffy, SSJ
30 April 2015 Can They Hear Me Now?
I have listened to myself on video or a voice recording and thought it didn't sound
anything like me. I have also misheard something someone said. I do these things all the time.
Why do these things happen? What is the process of how which we hear? It has to do with the
different parts of the ear. They are the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. Each part has a very
important role in the way we hear things. However, our perception of the world around us is
strongly shaped by our expectations. Expectations alter the auditory cortex of your brain and can
change the messages the ear has sent. The outer ear contains the pinna, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
It is pushed inward and outward by the pressure
waves in the ear.
The three middle ear bones (stirrups,hammer, and anvil) are connected to the eardrum
and consequently vibrated when the eardrum oscillates. These bones are called ossicles. All the
energy from the vibrations is centered in other smaller areas of the bones. Once a sound is
produced it stays near the start of the inner ear which is called the cochlea. Inside the inner ear
there is hairs that have nerve cells. Each nerve has a frequency that resonates. It strikes the

cochlear faceplate that sends waves through the cochlea. If the frequency matches
any of the frequencies of the hair cells in the cochlea, those hair cells will vibrate and resonate
with a higher amplitude. This process excites nerve cell so they get rid of electrical impulses to
the brain for processing. That how the ear works but what about things we hear? When people speak
sound travels
through their vocal chords and other parts directed to the cochlea. Your head enhances it to have
a much deeper sound and have a much lower frequency than what you are used to hearing. When
you listen to yourself on recording, the bone conducted pathway that is your "normal" voice

The Term Cochlear Amplifier, Coined By Thomas Gold
The term cochlear amplifier, coined by Thomas Gold in 1948, can be described as a positive
feedback mechanism whereby outer hair cells amplify displacements of the basilar membrane in the
cochlea. It characterises 'the collection of processes that increase sound vibrations in the inner ear'
(Ashmore & Gale, 2004). Sounds are generated by movement of air molecules that create changes
in air pressure. These changes in pressure are called compressions, when the molecules are closer
together, and rarefication, when the molecules are less densely packed and are cyclic, thus making a
pressure wave. The human auditory system is able to respond to these pressure waves over a range
of about 20 hertz (Hz) to 20,000 Hz. The intensity of a sound is ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This electromotility of the OHCs has been attributed to the motor protein, prestin, which is
embedded in the cell membrane, and it is the role of these mechanical changes that has been
identified in amplifying the vibrations of the cochlea in the transduction of sound (Zheng et al.,
2000). The outcome is an enhancement of the basilar membrane amplitude by more than one
hundred times (Davies, 2014).
The key to the cochlea amplifier mechanism is the prestin motor protein as it is this that underlies
the activity of the OHCs. On the apical surface of sensory hair cells are finger–like projections,
forming hair bundles, called stereocilia. These stereocilia bathe in a cochlear fluid containing about
145 mM of potassium which is called endolymph. The deflection of a single stereocilium invokes a
pull on a spring which links to the tip of the neighbouring stereocilium and thus pulls it in the same
direction. A domino effect subsequently occurs until the whole hair bundle has been moved. This
process causes mechanically–gated transducer channels, which are non–selectively permeable to
cations and are located at the base of the tip links, to open. This provides a passage for potassium to
enter the hair cells down its electrochemical gradient as the electric potential of the endolymph, +80
mV, is much greater than that of the hair cell body, between –55 mV and –70

Ear Lab Report
Kristen Rodriguez
Speech 1
October 4, 2015 Outline
Introduction: *demonstrate a sound*
Describe the structure of the ear. The Pinna is a ridged cartilage flap covered by skin. The Meatus is
made up of skin and bone. The Tympanic Membrane, is a concave shaped layer of membrane with
the visual of a flattened cone (AAC). The hammer doesn't really live up to its name, it looks more
like a golf club. The Anvil resembles a snag tooth while the stirrup mirrors its name. The Cochlea is
a membrane covered spiral shaped tube. The Auditory nerve is made up of several tubes ending in
terminals.
How sound makes its way through the parts of the ear. Sound travels through the outer ear hitting
the Pinna, traveling through the Outer Ear Canal. Vibration ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Outer Ear: The Pinna gathers sound and sends it down the ear canal. The twists and folds of the
pinna enhance high frequency (pitched) sounds and also help us to determine the direction of the
sound source (AAC). Ear wax is developed by two thirds of the ear's external canal, the remaining is
bone. The Meatus or "ear canal" is a 2–3 cm of cartilage that strengthens the sound coming in.
Middle Ear: The Tympanic Membrane is hit by sound waves causing the "eardrum" to vibrate as
such then transferring that energy into mechanical energy. Out of the eardrum and onto three bones,
"Malleus" which is connected to the drum passing sounds on to the "Incus" that sits on top of the
hammer and collects vibrations. Ending with the "Stapes" which is responsible for compression of
the waves so they can travel through the inner ear. The Cochlea is home to many nerve cells that are
capable of damaging and are impossible to grow back. The Cochlea's frequency selectivity refers to
the ability of the auditory system to identify tonal components in complex sound. It largely depends
on the filtering ability of the cochlea and its tuning properties are determine by the amplification
mechanisms of the cochlear outer hair cells (BioMedical Engineering). The Auditory Nerve sends
all electrical impulses to the brain, starting the process of

Dr. Ruth Litovsky Cocktail Party Effect Summary
Dr. Ruth Litovsky conducts research in the Communication Sciences and Disorder department. Her
expertise is in binaural hearing and cochlear implants. It is amazing how our brains are able to focus
our auditory attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out the "noise," a phenomenon known
as the cocktail party effect. When Dr. Litovsky gave statistics on hearing loss, I was shocked to learn
that 360 million people, or approximately 5.3% of the world population, suffer from disabling hear
loss. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that males experience hearing loss more commonly than
females, give the statistics.
The pinna is the outermost part of the ear, helping to collect sound and direct the sound waves to the
inner structures

Middle Ear Case Study
Bianca Wert.
Homework 7 Ch 11
1.) When speaking of the conduction of sound, the middle ear bones deal with the conduction of the
energy of sound. Movements are made by the ossicles of the middle ear in response to a change in
air pressure. When air is pushed into the tympanic membrane, the bottom of the malleus goes in
where the ossicles act as a lever, making the footplate of the stapes go in towards the oval window.
This middle ear movement in the ossicles is what causes what we call sound.
2.) The perilymph is the fluid that is found within the scala vestibule and the scala tympani. It
contains an ionic content of low potassium and high sodium concentrations. In the scala media is
endolymph. Endolymph is an extracellular fluid that contains the opposite ionic content; high
potassium and low sodium concentrations. Due to this concentration difference, the endolymph's
electrical potential is 80mV more positive than its neighboring perilymph, being named an
endocochlear potential. The inner hair cell stereocilia is surrounded by endolymph.
3.) ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Hair cells are the auditory receptors of the auditory system. Inner hair cells are those located
between the modiolus and the rods of the Corti. They are positioned with 3500 in one row. The outer
hair cells on the other hand are located farther out than the rods of Corti and are arranged in three
rows of a total of 15,000 to 20,000 hair cells. The stereocilia extend with their tips ending at either
the outer hair cells' gelatinous substance or below the tectorial membrane in the inner hair cells.
Outer hair cells are found only in mammals and function by vibtrating to produce a sound in our
ears, while the inner hair cells are geared towards a release of neurotransmitter to the synapses
which allows them to react quickly to any mechanical

Personal Narrative: The Biology Of Sensation
Introduction Throughout every summer I remember waking up in a cold sweat to school bells
ringing, and for the first few days of summer I would think that I was going to be late to school.
Whenever I hear that sound now, I become annoyed because I am reminded of this memory. To this
day I have an impeccable memory of this experience which can be understood through the biology
of sensation and perception, emotion, and memory.
Biology of Sensation and Perception Mentioned above, the sense that triggers this memory is
hearing, or audition; this paragraph will explore how we hear. When fluctuations in air pressure
create a sound wave, it first meets the outer ear which then travels down the auditory canal until it
meets the eardrum; the eardrum ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
One article discusses how the long–term memory is contains knowledge about, "What the self is,
has been, and can be;" whereas, the short–term memory monitors what is entered into long–term
memory (Conway, 2005). This was in conjunction with how I perceived my memory because if it
wasn't important enough the memory would have been lost. In order to store memory in the brain it
starts as the encoding phase, which is when information learned is changed into a form that can be
stored in memory (Gazzaniga et al, 2016). Next is the storage phase, which is when the nervous
system changes an experience into an everlasting memory (Gazzaniga et al, 2016). Now I am in the
retrieval stage, which is the last stage, here we reach into memory storage to pull a previously stored
memory to mind (Gazzaniga et al, 2016).
Conclusion
When I heard the bells ringing it was stored in my short term memory, and it was later stored in
long–term memory. Today if I hear alarm clocks it may trigger the same response as the school bell
due to overlap within consolidation. Consolidation is when an event is encoded and stored into a
memory (Mastin, 2010). These emotional memories are stored so vividly within memory

Effect of Using a Hand-Held Cellular Phone and Listening...
The effect of using a hand–held cellular phone and listening to radio broadcast on driving
performance will be explored. There are many careless drivers on the road who are mostly talking
on the hand–held cell phone. It is predicted that using a hand–held phone would take the driver's
attention away and would cause driving slowly. Since many accident reports show that cell phone
use while driving is dangerous it is questionable if listening to radio will also be detrimental on
driving task. Many people turn on the radio for entertainment or to fight from drowsiness especially
if there is no other passenger in the vehicle. It is predicted that having a conversation with using a
hand–held cell phone while driving will decrease the driving performance, while listening to a radio
broadcast will not have significant effect. Important implications for the results for driving
performance and for future research will be discussed. The Effect of Using a Cell Phone and
Listening to Radio on Driving Performance Many researchers agree that numerous drivers engage in
dual task that includes eating, talking or listening to radio, which take away their visual attention
(Ünal, Platteel, Steg & Epstude, 2013). It is suggested that talking and driving at the same time
increase the risk of accident and that it produces the same consequence of driving while intoxicated
(Atchley, Dressel, Jones, Burson & Marshall, 2011). While there are positive and negative aspects of
listening to

Auditory System Essay
The world contains all kinds of energy that translates into information about what we see, hear,
smell, touch and taste. A sensory system is a part of the nervous system responsible for processing
specific sensory information. The components of a sensory system include sensory receptors, neural
pathways, and parts of the brain involved in sensory perception. To begin, energy from the
environment stimulates the receptor cells in whichever sense organ is being used. If this information
were auditory, the ear would convert sound waves in the air into electrical impulses that would
further be interpreted by the brain as sound. A sound wave first enters the pinna, the fleshy part of
the ear on the outside of the body. It then travels through ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The movements of the membranes then send the vibrations down the scala tympani. A structure
called the Organ of Corti, which is situated on the basilar membrane, becomes stimulated as the
membrane vibrates and sends nerve impulses to the brain. Within the Organ of Corti are a group of
specialized cells called hair cells, which are covered by the tectorial membrane. As the basilar
membrane vibrates, the hair cells are bents and push up against the tectorial membrane. This causes
the hair cells to fire and send nerve impulses to the auditory cortex on each of the brains
hemispheres through the cochlear nerve. How we determine pitch can be explained with two
different theories. The Place Theory states that the entire basilar membrane does not vibrate at once
so different parts of the basilar membrane respond to different frequencies of sound. Lower
frequency sounds vibrate the basilar membrane near the apex of the cochlea while higher frequency
sounds produce vibrations closer to the base. The Frequency Theory states that the frequency of
firing matches the frequency of the sound wave. Hearing loss can occur for a number of reasons.
Damage to the eardrum due to age and prolonged exposure to loud noise may cause the hairs or
nerve cells in the cochlea to wear out and become less effective. A buildup of earwax can block the
ear canal and prevent of sound waves from entering the eardrum. Otosclerosis, a genetic form of
hearing loss in which the stapes is fixed

Evolution And Evolution Of Evolution
There are many different factors that can lead to the evolution of organisms over time. Evolution is
one of the many ways that researchers have found to help in the understanding of selection.
Convergent evolution, which involves different lineages evolving similar traits independently, is just
one of the many ways. This type of evolution is seen in echolocation in mammals. Echolocation is a
phenotypic trait that is known to have evolved independently in two groups of bats
(Yangochiroptera and Rhinolophoidea) and in toothed whales such as dolphins. This process
involves many different factors, with the most important being production/amplification, nerve
transmission/reception, and signal recoding/processing of ultrasonic pulses. The species described
above both use echolocation for things such as obstacle avoidance, orientation, and hunting/feeding.
Hearing in mammals involves over 50 candidate genes. The hearing process has evolved into a
variety of systems over time. In bats, laryngeal echolocation is shared by all members of the
suborder Yangochiroptera, but only some members of the other suborder, the Yinpterochiroptera. In
Yinpterochiroptera, the Old World fruit bats cannot echolocate, demonstrating that echolocation has
either evolved separately in the Yangochiroptera and Yinpterochiroptera, or that it was lost in the
Old World fruit bats.
Researcher Davies and colleagues (2012) investigated whether adaptive convergence in Prestin is
unique, or if similar

The Outer Ear
One afternoon in the library, a college student was studying hard for his Hearing Science exam. He
removed his earplugs when he overheard a loud conversation behind him. The sound waves traveled
around the library and began to swirl around his head. The sound wave, named Sam, became
amplified and reflected down towards the student's left concha. The Outer Ear has many structures
that help to guide sound waves into the External Auditory Canal. The concha is the deepest groove
and funnels the sound wave down the "s" shaped ear canal. Sam was fascinated at how the Outer Ear
was shaped in order to localize sounds and push them down to the External Acoustic Canal. As
acoustic energy, Sam traveled down the canal observing all the earwax trapping foreign objects like
bugs and dirt. He immediately noticed how his sound seemed louder as the External Acoustic Canal
enhances sounds. The External Auditory Canal is a ¼ wavelength resonator. It is a tube open at one
end, the opening to the external auditory canal, and closed at the other, the tympanic membrane.
This resonator has the ability to boost sounds at a frequency of nearly 2800 Hz. This resonance
feature increases pressure to help transform acoustic energy into mechanical energy. Disgusted by
the buildup of earwax, Sam was relieved when he reached the osseous portion at the end of the
External Auditory Canal, which was just a thin layer of skin. No hair or wax to be found. Sam was
amazed at the monstrous Tympanic Membrane that

The Effect Of An Auditory Signals On One's Perception Of...
In this article, the researchers studied the effect of an auditory signal on one's perception of eye
gaze. They mention that people are born with the ability to differentiate between direct and adverted
gaze, and this ability becomes increasingly important throughout adulthood. Another important
social signal involves a person's auditory system. In infancy, children become sensitive to hearing
their own name. This auditory signal often occurs at the same time as direct eye contact. The
researchers in this study were trying to determine the correlation between someone hearing his/her
own name and that person's perception of the speaker's gaze. The article mentioned earlier studies
have shown that a person's gaze tends to gravitate ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There were 6 males and 11 females with a mean age of 24.8 years and a standard deviation of 5.03
years. They used gray–scale photographs with neutral expressions, and altered the position of the
iris by increments of 1 pixel per image. This created the seven gaze deviations, including: direct
gaze and gaze shifts (to both the left and right) of 4, 7, and 10 pixels. For the auditory stimuli, the
researchers used recordings of four male speakers who would either say the participant's actual
name or a control name. For the experiment, the researchers placed a monitor in front of the
participants and performed 256 randomly presented trials (64 trials represented at direct gaze and 64
trials for each of the three gaze deviations). Each trial started with a central fixation cross on the
screen between 500 and 1,750 ms. A variable interval approach was used in order to make sure the
participants did not expect the stimuli. After the cross, the participant were shown a face for 600 ms,
and they heard a name through headphones. They were given a 2,000 ms interval to press a button,
reporting if they perceived the gaze of the face to be looking to the left, right, or directly at them.
Result
After the experiment, the researchers calculated the range of gaze deviations for the two conditions,
own–name and other–name. They called these ranges

The Importance Of Human Communication
What differentiates humans from animals is their ability to use their words to communicate their
desires and the basic necessities of life. Communication can involve gestures such as pointing,
spoken words between two people or it could involve a conversation with a large group of people.
An important part of human communication is our ability to hear normal speech. In typical
conversation, with ordinary people, a person has normal hearing functions. Unfortunately, there are
people who might have difficulty processing what they hear, or in some extreme cases the anatomy
of their ear is imperfect. Due to modern technology and the advancement in medicine there are ways
to assist people with their speech comprehension. Atypical speech patterns can be a detriment to a
person because it causes them to be withdrawn and isolated. People who might have anatomical
issues might get a surgical procedure to correct the issue. If it is a more complex neural issue, there
are treatments available that could assist with the problem. Auditory Integration Training is an
intervention that professionals such as Speech Language Pathologists or audiologists as well as
others can learn and perfect to help their patients succeed with their speech.
Auditory Integration Training (AIT) also referred to as "Berard's method" was established by the
French otolaryngologists Guy Berard and Alfred Tomatis in 1982 (Sinha, Silove, Wheeler &
Williams, 2006), (Madell, 1999). Alfred Tomatis and Guy Berard never

Ear: Auditory System and Semicircular Canals
The ear is an organ of the body that is used for hearing and balance. It is connected to the brain by
the auditory nerve and is composed of three divisions, the external ear, the middle ear, and the inner
ear. The greater part of which is enclosed within the temporal bone.
The ear is looked upon as a miniature receiver, amplifier and signal–processing system. The
structure of the outer ear catching sound waves as they move into the external auditory canal. The
sound waves then hit the eardrum and the pressure of the air causes the drum to vibrate back and
forth. When the eardrum vibrates its neighbour the malleus then vibrates too. The vibrations are then
transmitted from the malleus to the incus and then to the stapes. Together ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This is called the Eustachian tube.
This tube is made up of both bone and hyaline cartilage and connects to the middle ear with the
nasopharynx which is the upper part of the throat. This is generally closed at the medial end. When
swallowing or yawning occurs, it opens. This allows the air to enter or leave the middle ear until the
pressure in the middle ear equals the atmospheric pressure. When both pressures are balanced, the
eardrum then vibrates freely as the sound waves hit it. If these pressures are not balanced, an intense
pain, hearing impairment, ringing in the ears or vertigo could develop.
The Inner Ear or Labyrinth– consists of two main divisions an outer bony labyrinth which
encloses an inner membranous labyrinth and the bony labyrinth which is a series of cavities in the
temporal bone and it is divide into three areas. These are the semicircular canales, the vestibule and
the cochlea. Both the semicircular canals and the vestibule contain receptors for equilibrium. The
Cochlea contains receptors for hearing.
The labyrinth is lined with periosteum and contains perilymph. This fluid surrounds the
membranous labyrinth, which is a series of sacks and tubes inside of the bony labyrinth and has the
same common form. The vestibule is the oval central proportion of the bony labyrinth. Attached to
the vestibule are three bony semicircular canals. They are named based upon their positions,

Taking a Closer Lookt at Our Auditory System Essays
Hello, again. In this section we are going to have a closer look on our auditory system, so as to
understand its basic function. Why should we learn about that? Because as listeners, we owe to
know some basic things about this magnificent human mechanism. Our auditory system is one of
our 'gates' to the outer world. It helps us pick up sound stimuli from our environment, transduce
these stimuli into neural impulses and finally, carry these impulses to specific locations in the brain.
In fact, its basic function, if we could summarize that, is the transduction of mechanical energy (that
is, those sound vibrations in the air) into electrical energy (electrical pulses in the brain).
Now... When we say 'mechanical energy' we mean a sound wave ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This pinna is more or less oval shaped, flexible and can vary in size. Due to the fact that there are
only few muscles in the area of the external ear, humans need to turn their heads towards the sound
source location, in order to achieve a more accurate detection of the position of this sound source.
As far as the middle ear is concerned, its purpose is to transform the energy of a sound wave into
internal vibrations, which take place in the bone structure of the middle ear and ultimately transform
these vibrations into a compressional wave, which will be received by the inner ear. The middle ear
could be described as an air–filled cavity that consists of the eardrum and 3 tiny interconnected
bones (in fact, they're the smallest bones of our body), the well–known the hammer, anvil, and
stirrup, which serve to amplify the vibrations. What actually happens there, is that the compression
of the sound wave forces the eardrum inward, while a rarefaction forces the eardrum outward, thus
vibrating the eardrum at the same frequency of the sound wave. After the eardrum's vibrations are
passed through the middle ear bones, they go on to the cochlea. Basically, the movements of the
eardrum are connected to the hammer and as a result, those movements set the hammer, anvil and
stirrup in motion, at the same frequency of the sound wave, as we said

Hearing Loss : A Partial Or Total Loss Of Hearing
Hearing loss can simply be defined s a partial or total loss of hearing and can be classified into three
main types viz; Conductive loss where mainly the outer or middle ear function is affected,
sensorineural hearing loss which involves the damage to cochlea or the auditory nerve and mixed
hearing loss having both conductive as well as sensorineural components present. Mechanism
involved in normal hearing is very complex. Sound waves enter the outer ear and set the tympanic
membrane into vibrations. These vibrations are conveyed via the ossicular chain to the inner ear
through the oval window setting the inner ear fluids and the basilar membrane in motion. These
vibrations take form of "travelling wave" that travels from the base of the cochlea to the apex. This
wave peaks at the place tuned to the frequency and dies away rapidly. These in turn stimulate the
sensory hair cells of organ of Corti which activate the auditory nerve and the signal is now a neural
code that can be processed by the nervous system (Gelfand, 2009). Damage to any part of the ear,
thus disrupts the hearing mechanism and results in hearing loss of varying degrees depending on the
severity and the site of destruction. Ototoxicity, trauma, noise exposure, ageing, infections , tumors,
temporal bone fracture etc are few of the many other reasons that disrupt the hearing mechanism and
elevate the hearing thresholds. Prevalence of hearing loss dropping with age has been well
documented and falls below 35%

Hearing Loss On Spectral And Temporal Aspects Of Sound...
Study Purpose
The purpose of the hearing research experiment is to understand the effects of experimentally
induced conductive hearing loss on spectral and temporal aspects of sound transmission through the
ear. The ability to hear is a critical aspect to understanding the world around us. The hearing process
occurs by sound waves entering the auditory canal, coming in contact with the eardrum and causing
it to vibrate. These vibrations cause sound waves which are then passed through the ossicles that
lead to the inner ear. As the vibrations are passing thought through, the motion is setting fluid into
the inner ear moving the inner hair cells. This processes into vibrations to the nerve impulses which
are then carried to the brain by the auditory nerve and is transmitted into the sound that we hear
however many people do not experience this due to hearing loss. Causes of hearing loss may be
congenital of which would be hearing loss at birth or acquired hearing loss which would be hearing
loss after birth. Other causes may be severe ear infections, extreme noise, ototoxic medications, and
chemical exposure effects. The type of hearing loss that the study focused on was conductive
hearing loss that occurs when "sound is not conducted efficiently through the outer ear canal to the
eardrum and the tiny bones (ossicles) of the middle ear" (ASHA 2015). What is significant about
this type of hearing loss is that due its normality of a reduction of sound level or the ability to

Cochlear Implants Improve Hearing Abilities

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from Carmen Martin

More from Carmen Martin (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Cochlear Implants Improve Hearing Abilities