Chapters 9,10 Auditory and Vestibular Systems.ppt

Chapters 9,10 Auditory and Vestibular Systems Chris Rorden University of South Carolina Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders University of South Carolina Audition The ear converts sound energy into patterns of neural firing: transduction Outer ear: collect and amplify sound, aid in localization Middle ear: impedance matching Cochlea: frequency and intensity analysis Auditory pathway: complex signal processing Ear structures Peripheral Outer ear Middle ear Inner ear Auditory nerve Central Brainstem Midbrain Cerebral Anatomy and function Pinna: the projecting part of the ear lying outside of the head (also called auricle, or just ear lobe) Reflection of sound in pinna provides spectral cues about elevation of a sound source Outer Ear – Auditory Canal External auditory meatus Provides communication between middle and inner ears by conducting sound to the ear drum S-shaped tube @ 2.5cm long and @ 7mm wide Lining of the lateral 1/3rd of canal has cilia and glands Cerumen (ear wax): protects ear canal from drying out and prevents intrusion of insects Outer Ear - Ear drum Tympanic membrane Separates outer and middle ear Compliant Thin, three-layered sheet Epithelium of EAM: outer layer Middle layer: fibrous (strong) tissue Inner layer of middle ear: mucous membrane Outer Ear - Ear drum Slightly concave to EAM, cone-shaped Most depressed and thinnest point is called the umbo End of the attachment of malleus ‘Cone of light’ from umbo to periphery reflects light when viewed with otoscope Slightly oval, taller than wide Otoscope: if you pull the pinna up and back the tympanic membrane is visible Middle Ear – Tympanic Membrane Role of outer ear To augment the sound shadow Ear canal protects delicate parts of middle and inner ear from impact. To heighten our sensitivity to sounds Ear canal boosts sounds 15 to 16 dB between 1.5 and 8 kHz (in the area of speech) This is due to resonance of ear canal Just like vocal tract t