Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Auditory Pathways”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Electrophysiologic assessment of auditory pathways in high risk infants.

This study evaluated auditory processing in a group of 59 infants at risk for subsequent hearing and language disorders due to low birthweight and/or perinatal asphyxia. Auditory system integrity was evaluated electrophysiologically by recording the auditory brainstem response (ABR), middle latency response (MLR) and the cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP). 63% of the babies had normal peripheral function or slight unilateral impairment; 84% had normal brainstem auditory system function; 82% showed normal MLRs; and 81% showed normal CAEPs. Fifty-three percent of the babies were normal on all tests and only 3% were deviant on all tests. The remaining infants showed diverse patterns of peripheral, brainstem and cortical abnormalities.

Auditory Cortex↗

Projections of cochlear root neurons, sentinels of the rat auditory pathway.

In certain rodents, the root of the cochlear nerve contains a population of large neurons, known as cochlear root neurons (CRNs), an essential element of the primary acoustic startle pathway. To characterize the projections of the CRNs, we made stereotaxically guided, iontophoretic injections of biotinylated tracers into the cochlear nerve root of albino rats. CRN axons, which are remarkably thick, enter the trapezoid body, cross the midline, and ascend in the rostral aspect of the lateral lemniscus to reach the upper levels of the midbrain. As a group, CRN axons produce a characteristic pattern of profusely ramified collaterals that innervate specific brainstem regions. The main target of CRN axons is the contralateral pontine reticular formation, where collaterals terminate in the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC) and, to a lesser degree, in the ventrolateral tegmental area, the oral pontine reticular nucleus, and the rostral and medial paralemniscal regions. Other targets of CRN axons include the lateral paragigantocellular nucleus of both sides, the ipsilateral facial motor nucleus and PnC, and the contralateral intercollicular tegmentum and superior colliculus. Notably, CRNs apparently do not innervate any of the nuclei of the auditory brainstem, as usually defined, even though their axons pass through or in close proximity to them. The fact that CRNs innervate several reticular and tectal structures that mediate auditory alerting and escape behaviors suggests that they are "early warning neurons," i.e., true sentinels of the auditory pathway.

Animals↗

[Clinical diagnosis of the auditory pathway using different acoustical evoked responses (author's transl)].

Evoked responses originating from cochlea, brain stem, and cortex are clinically used for differential diagnosis of hearing losses. The diagnostic range and the reliability of the different ERA methods are discussed. In our clinic brain stem potentials recorded by a nonsurgical method have been used as a routine audiometric test in more than 900 cases. The procedure has proved to be easier than electrocochleography and gives nearly the same information about cochlear and middle ear function if there is no VIIIth nerve or lower brain stem damage. For topical diagnosis of the lower auditory pathway additional recording of ECoG is necessary. In the examination of a cortical deafness the recording of brain stem potentials yields the same result as the electrocochleography according to Aran (Fig. 2). In a case of an Apallic syndrome (Fig. 3) brain stem potentials are found only for high intensity clicks, and latencies are abnormally increased. The cochlear potentials simultaneously recorded from the promontory are quite normal. So damage of the brain stem is confirmed.

Adult↗

Assessment of the functioning of peripheral auditory pathways after cochlear re-implantation in young children using intra-operative objective measures.

The intra-operative electrical auditory brainstem response (EABR), electrical stapedius reflex threshold (ESRT) and the early post-operative behavioural threshold level (T-level) were recorded in five children undergoing cochlear re-implantation. The aim of the study was to assess objectively the effect of re-implantation on intra-operative objective measures and to investigate neuronal function. The children were aged between 2.06 years and 4.5 years at first implantation. Following failure of the first device, re-implantation was carried out 1.42-5.52 years later. Characteristics of the EABR and ESRT across the electrode array were typical of the expected pattern of responses on both occasions. In particular, the slopes of the amplitude input/output (I/O) functions for wave eV of the intraoperative EABR were similar for both the first and second implants even though absolute thresholds were generally elevated after re-implantation. This elevation in intra-operative threshold was more pronounced than the change in early post-operative behavioural threshold level for electrical stimulation (T-level). Our findings confirm a high level of neuronal survival after re-implantation. Threshold of the intra-operative EABR at the time of re-implantation greatly underestimates the sensitivity of the subsequent early post-operative T-levels.

Auditory Pathways↗

Comparison of hearing threshold determined by auditory pathway electric responses and by behavioural responses.

In order to evaluate their reliability for determing the hearing threshold, the cochlear microphonic potentials, the auditory nerve and brain stem neural evoked responses as well as the cortical evoked responses were compared with the behavioural hearing thresholds of the same subjects in the same session. The threshold for recording the cochlear microphonic potnetial was found to be appreciably higher than the behavioral threshold. The threshold for recording the auditory nerve and brain stem responses was within a few decibels of the behavioural threshold. The thresold of the cortical evoked response was several decibels higher. It is concluded that (1) the auditory nerve and brain stem neural evoked responses are the best indicators of hearing threshold; (2) the cortical evoked responses are usually comparable, and (3) all types of evoked responses are indispensable aids in the evaluation of hearing and the determination of site of lesion in the auditory system.

Audiometry↗

Neurogenesis in a marsupial: the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). I. Visual and auditory pathways.

The times of origin of neurons in the visual and auditory systems were studied in a marsupial, the brush-tailed possum, using tritiated thymidine autoradiography. Within the subcortical visual pathways, most neurons are generated between postnatal days 5 and 21, and the neurons of the primary visual cortex up to postnatal day 68. In the subcortical auditory pathways, most neurons are generated between postnatal days 5 and 28, and all auditory cortex neurons have appeared by postnatal day 46. Neurons in a single layer of cerebral cortex are generated during a period of about 2 weeks. Thus cortical neurogenesis in marsupials extends over a period similar to that seen in primates.

Animals↗

Reciprocal connections between primary and secondary auditory pathways in the telencephalon of the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus).

Among avian species that learn their vocalizations, budgerigars have been thought to be unusual in receiving auditory input to the vocal control circuitry of the telencephalon via an auditory component of nucleus basalis (NB), rather than via Field L2, the end station of the classical thalamofugal pathway. In the present study, however, the application of neural tracing techniques showed the two auditory pathways to be reciprocally connected within the telencephalon. The implication is, therefore, that auditory information essential for vocal learning and vocal production in the budgerigar is derived from the primary as well as the secondary auditory pathway.

Animals↗

Modification of auditory pathway functions in patients with hearing improvement after middle ear surgery.

We recorded auditory-evoked magnetic responses with a whole-scalp 122-channel neuromagnetometer from seven adult patients with unilateral conductive hearing loss before and after middle ear surgery. The stimuli were 50-msec 1-kHz tone bursts, delivered to the healthy, nonoperated ear at interstimulus intervals of 1, 2, and 4 seconds. The mean preoperative pure-tone average in the affected ear was 57 dB hearing level; the mean postoperative pure-tone average was 17 dB. The 100-msec auditory-evoked response originating in the auditory cortex peaked, on average, 7 msecs earlier after than before surgery over the hemisphere contralateral to the stimulated ear and 2 msecs earlier over the ipsilateral hemisphere. The contralateral response strengths increased by 5% after surgery; ipsilateral strengths increased by 11%. The variation of the response latency and amplitude in the patients who underwent surgery was similar to that of seven control subjects. The postoperative source locations did not differ noticeably from preoperative ones. These findings suggest that temporary unilateral conductive hearing loss in adult patients modifies the function of the auditory neural pathway.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Auditory pathways in the budgerigar. II. Intratelencephalic pathways.

The projections of two telencephalic areas in receipt of projections from the auditory relay nucleus of the thalamus (nucleus ovoidalis) were studied in the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) with autoradiographic methods. These nuclei are called field 'L' and neostriatum intermedium pars dorsolateralis (NIDL). The results show that neurons in both fields project laterally to a portion of the neostriatum intermedium pars ventrolateralis (NIVL) and rostrally to the rostromedial archistriatum. Horseradish peroxidase experiments confirm these projections and indicate that field 'L', NIDL and NIVL also receive projections from neurons in the hyperstriatum ventrale (HV). The projections of field 'L' and NIDL neurons to the rostromedial archistriatum may act as pathways subserving auditory feedback. Neurons in this portion of the archistriatum project to the contralateral field 'L', NIDL and NIVL. Furthermore, the medial archistriatal projection field of neurons within field 'L', NIDL and NIVL (i.e. rostromedial archistriatum) is located adjacent to a large archistriatal neuronal field projecting to the medulla, including the lateral reticular formation of the medulla. This large archistriatal field includes the nucleus archistriatalis robustus, the telencephalic nucleus identified as the source of projections to the lower motoneurons of the syrinx. Thus, projections from auditory telencephalic areas to the rostromedial archistriatum may serve functions related to processes associated with learning and vocal motor control.

Animals↗

Morphological and electrophysiological study of the inner ear and the central auditory pathways following whole body fetal irradiation.

Pregnant CBA/CBA mice were whole body irradiated with 2 Gy on the 13th or 16th day of gestation, respectively. The exposed fetuses were raised to an age of 21 postnatal days. Auditory brainstem recordings of threshold levels showed a considerable elevation independent of if irradiation had been performed on either the 13th gestational day or the 16th gestational day. In exposed animals a latency difference occurs in the peaks that increases from peak 1 to peak 5, measuring in peak 5 up to 1.16 ms. Also the peak-to-peak length of waves 1-5 increases in irradiated animals. Scanning electron microscopy of the cochleae showed varying degrees of stereociliary derangement of both outer and inner hair cells, particularly in cochleae where irradiation had been performed on the 13th gestational day, but not loss of hair cells. Light microscopic analysis of auditory brainstem nuclei revealed normal conditions except that in inner ears exposed on the 16th gestational day the flocculus was fused to the lateral surface of the anterior ventral cochlear nucleus. It is concluded that the elevated threshold levels in irradiated animals are most likely due to pathological changes in the peripheral receptor organ whereas the increased latencies and the increased peak-to-peak length likewise reflect functional changes in the brainstem auditory nuclei.

Animals↗

[Clinical and electrophysiological studies of the organ of hearing in newborn infants. II. Study of maturity of the auditory pathway by brain stem responses (ABR) in newborn infants].

In a group of 130 tested children, 102 of whom a property had evaluated on brain stem responses, we tested the influence of newborn maturation on values of response parameters, their configuration and threshold values. It was shown that newborn maturation lowers in a statistically significant way the threshold values of acoustic stimulus. Also, the configuration of the monitoring changes with age of child tested. Newborn maturation increases the frequency of occurrence of waves II, IV, V and VI though decreases of incidence IV/V complex. In the group of the youngest pre-term babies IV/V complex were present in 50% of cases, whereas in the group of newborns carried to term its present could be verified only in 5-11% of cases. Newborn maturity also influences in an essential way the average latent time consecutive waves as well as central conduction time determined by interpeak latency I-V. Coefficient correlation values for these parameters shows a negative statistical significance correlation. That is, a decreasing of average values of these parameters with maturation of the newborn. It was also shown that structures of the hearing pathway responsible for generation of early and late components of brain stem responses nature at different periods. Peripheral structures of the hearing pathway are significantly more mature at birth than are central structures.

Age Factors↗

Sound localization: value in localizing lesions of the auditory pathway.

Reports in the literature suggest that patients with otosclerosis, neural lesions such as acoustic neuroma, pontine lesions, and temporal lobe lesions may show abnormal sound localization ability. In the present experiment, 15 normal subjects and 22 patients with various auditory pathway lesions had sound localization testing using special apparatus. The results confirmed that patients with otosclerosis were unable to localize low frequency sounds. Those with temporal lobe lesions made judgments not significantly different from normal subjects. Patients with unilateral sensorineural deafness made errors localizing high frequency sounds. Those with acoustic neuromas made greater errors than those without, but the difference between these two groups just failed to reach statistical significance. The number of cases was however small, and further studies are in progress to attempt to define numerical criteria to assist clinical decisions with regard to the selection of patients for invasive investigations such as oil cisternogram.

Deafness↗