The Auditory Midbrain

The Auditory Midbrain

Author: Lindsay Aitkin

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 1986-02-05

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1592594603

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Scientific investigations of a descriptive nature involve in creasingly refined definitions of a problem. An idea is trans formed after initial experiments into a working hypothesis that has a number of testable consequences. Rarely in the neurosci ences do such tests completely falsify the hypothesis; more commonly they lead to a modified, more general hypothesis. One could argue that in order to define a scientific problem, one must first understand it. This monograph is an attempt to draw together knowledge and understanding from various disciplines, collected from studies carried out over more than 80 yr, of the functions of the auditory midbrain. This part of the brain has been of continuing interest to me, from my days as a postgraduate student in the mid-1960s to the present time, because so many ideas about central auditory organization and function have developed from studies of this region. This book is dedicated to Jerzy E. Rose, Professor Emer itus of Neurophysiology at the University of Wisconsin. His intellect and clarity of mind have been responsible for many of the modern ideas of auditory neurophysiology. These ideas have been incorporated into a series of classic papers on audi tory neuroscience that will be important for a long time to corne. In addition, Jerzy Rose has been an inspired teacher whose precepts of brain structure and function have been a major influence on his students, including the author.


The Inferior Colliculus

The Inferior Colliculus

Author: Jeffery A. Winer

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2005-12-05

Total Pages: 720

ISBN-13: 0387270833

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Connecting the auditory brain stem to sensory, motor, and limbic systems, the inferior colliculus is a critical midbrain station for auditory processing. Winer and Schreiner's The Inferior Colliculus, a critical, comprehensive reference, presents the current knowledge of the inferior colliculus from a variety of perspectives, including anatomical, physiological, developmental, neurochemical, biophysical, neuroethological and clinical vantage points. Written by leading researchers in the field, the book is an ideal introduction to the inferior colliculus and central auditory processing for clinicians, otolaryngologists, graduate and postgraduate research workers in the auditory and other sensory-motor systems.


Hearing — the Brain and Auditory Communication in Marsupials

Hearing — the Brain and Auditory Communication in Marsupials

Author: Lindsay Aitkin

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 123

ISBN-13: 3642587399

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This monograph evolved from years of research into the auditory pathway and hearing of many species of marsupials. Its function is to give biologists, in par ticular neurobiologists, a broad description and review of what is known of the auditory sensory capacities and processing mechanisms in this large order of mammals. My initial interest in marsupials developed from collaborative work with Dr. Richard Gates at Monash and Melbourne Universities in the 1970s and by curiosity as to whether concepts about the auditory system was stimulated stemming from experiments mainly on domestic cats could be extended to mam mals of other orders. My subsequent interest in Australian marsupials, aroused by collaboration with Dr. John Nelson at Monash University in the 1980s and 1990s, concerned their auditory systems and behavior per se and not as primitive cousins of eutherians. More recently, I have collaborated with Dr. Bruce Masterton at Florida State University in studies of New World marsupials. His sad death in 1996 has robbed neurobiologists of one of our most provocative thinkers and hypothesis testers. I would like to thank the Department of Physiology at Monash University for making many facilities available to me, the National Health and Medical Research of Australia and the Australian Research Council for providing funds for Council research, and Jill Poynton and Michelle Mulholland, who illustrated this volume.


The Oxford Handbook of the Auditory Brainstem

The Oxford Handbook of the Auditory Brainstem

Author: Karl Kandler PhD

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2019-08-22

Total Pages: 512

ISBN-13: 0190849096

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The Oxford Handbook of The Auditory Brainstem provides an introduction as well as an in-depth reference to the organization and function of ascending and descending auditory pathways in the mammalian brainstem. Individual chapters are organized along the auditory pathway beginning with the cochlea and ending with the auditory midbrain. Each chapter provides an introduction to the respective area, and summarizes our current knowledge before discussing disputes and challenges the field currently faces. A major emphasis throughout this book is on the numerous forms of plasticity that are increasingly observed in many areas of the auditory brainstem. Several chapters focus on neuronal modulation of function and synaptic, neuronal, and circuit plasticity, especially under circumstances when they occur most prominently: during development, aging, and following peripheral hearing loss. In addition, the book addresses the role of trauma-induced maladaptive plasticity with respect to its contribution in generating central hearing dysfunction such as hyperacusis and tinnitus. The book is intended for students and postdocs starting in the auditory field, and researchers of related fields who wish to get an authoritative and up-to-date summary of the current state of auditory brainstem research. For clinical practitioners in audiology, otolaryngology, and neurology, the book is a valuable resource of information about the neuronal mechanisms that are major candidates for the generation of central hearing dysfunction.


Handbook of Ultrasonic Vocalization

Handbook of Ultrasonic Vocalization

Author: Stefan M Brudzynski

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2018-04-27

Total Pages: 582

ISBN-13: 0128097736

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Handbook of Ultrasonic Vocalization: Window into the Mammalian Brain, Volume 25, is an exhaustive resource on ultrasonic vocalizations in vertebrates, providing full coverage of all aspects of these vocalizations. The book also demonstrates the usefulness of ultrasonic vocalizations in studies of animal communication, sociobiological states, and in mammalian models of affective disorders, addictions and neurodevelopmental disorders, making it an indispensable resource for researchers using animal models. The book begins with the evolution of vocal communication before discussing mechanisms of ultrasound production, perception and the brain systems involved in emotional arousal that are responsible for the generation of vocalization and emotional states. In addition, the book covers studies of neuroactive agents and sociopsychological conditions that can regulate the outcome of ultrasonic vocalization and provide clues about animals’ internal states. Critically, the book also includes thorough coverage of pharmacological investigations using ultrasonic vocalizations, increasingly being utilized for studies in affective disorders, psychoses, addiction and alcoholism. No other book provides such extensive coverage of this rapidly growing field of study. Represents a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates evolution, communication, behavioral homeostasis, emotional expression and neuropsychiatric dysfunction Provides a systematic review of ultrasonic vocalizations in major groups of rodents widely used in laboratory research Discusses numerous other species across vertebrates that emit ultrasounds


The Auditory Cortex

The Auditory Cortex

Author: Jeffery A. Winer

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2010-12-02

Total Pages: 711

ISBN-13: 1441900748

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There has been substantial progress in understanding the contributions of the auditory forebrain to hearing, sound localization, communication, emotive behavior, and cognition. The Auditory Cortex covers the latest knowledge about the auditory forebrain, including the auditory cortex as well as the medial geniculate body in the thalamus. This book will cover all important aspects of the auditory forebrain organization and function, integrating the auditory thalamus and cortex into a smooth, coherent whole. Volume One covers basic auditory neuroscience. It complements The Auditory Cortex, Volume 2: Integrative Neuroscience, which takes a more applied/clinical perspective.


Descending Control of Responses in the Auditory Midbrain

Descending Control of Responses in the Auditory Midbrain

Author: Kumar Seluakumaran

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13:

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[Truncated abstract] The mammalian inner ear is innervated by the efferent olivocochlear system which is divided into medial and lateral systems. In anaesthetised animals, medial olivocochlear (MOC) axons can be electrically stimulated at the floor of the IVth ventricle. MOC stimulation suppresses the spontaneous activity and sound-evoked responses of primary afferents by its actions on outer hair cells. Effects of MOC stimulation have been also reported on responses of neurons in the cochlear nucleus, the first central auditory center receiving cochlear input. However, very little is known about the net results of MOC effects in higher order neurons. This issue was investigated by electrically stimulating MOC axons at the IVth ventricle and recording extracellular single unit activities in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CNIC) of anaesthetised guinea pigs. For the first part of the study, anatomical and neurophysiological studies were carried out to establish that the focal midline MOC stimulation can selectively stimulate MOC axons without any current spread to adjacent ascending fibers. The MOC stimulation and CNIC recordings were then carried out in a series of experiments that included normal hearing animals, animals treated acutely with gentamicin (in which the acetylcholine-mediated peripheral suppression of the olivocochlear efferents is selectively eliminated) and partially deafened animals. ... However, in other CNIC neurons, effects could not be so explained, showing either additional suppression or even marked excitatory effects. (4) MOC stimulation also suppressed the spontaneous activity of CNIC neurons in normal hearing animals. When similar efferent stimulation was carried out in partially deafened animals, the abnormally high spontaneous activity of some CNIC neurons in the deafened frequency regions was also transiently suppressed by MOC shocks. The results from this study clearly demonstrate that the MOC system can modulate the responses of midbrain neurons in a more complex manner compared to the effects seen in the periphery. The more complex effects seen for responses to tones in quiet and in noisy background are likely to result from a complex interplay between altered afferent input in the cochlea and central circuitry. In addition, the ability of MOC efferents in suppressing the normal and abnormal spontaneous activity in the midbrain also could have implications for the role of the descending system in the pathophysiology and treatment of tinnitus.