Abstract
The auditory system is regulated by various adaptive mechanisms that modify sound as it passes upstream to the cortex. Studying these adaptive mechanisms, such as the middle ear muscle (MEM) reflex and the medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex, reveals how the normal auditory system adjusts to challenging listening tasks and how abnormal reflexes may contribute to perceptual difficulties experienced by patients with sensorineural hearing loss. Studies in laboratory animals reveal that MOC and MEM reflexes result in neural antimasking at the output of the auditory nerve. Antimasking effects at the level of the middle ear and at the level of the cochlear hair cells should carry over to effects observed at the output of the auditory nerve. Antimasking due to MEM and MOC reflexes has been difficult to study in humans since measurement approaches are limited to non-invasive techniques with only a single output variable (e.g., ear canal pressure). In these studies, we assess MEM and MOC function by simultaneous measurements of ear canal pressure and electrocochleography, including the cochlear microphonic potential and compound action potential. Simultaneous measurements are expected to reveal the antimasking effects of MEM and MOC reflexes to middle ear, hair cell, and auditory nerve responses.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.