Basic And Clinical Physiology Of The Inner Ear Receptors And Their Neural Pathways In The Brain

H. Sohmer*, S. Freeman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The six receptors of the inner ear (cochlea, two otolith organs and three semicircular canals) share a common transduction unit made up of a sensory hair cell, a first order sensory neuron and the synapse between them. Displacement of the stereocilia in a particular direction leads to excitation of the hair cell and activation of the neuron. Electrical and mechanical reflections of these stages of transduction can be recorded non-invasively in humans and in animals. These include cochlear microphonic potentials, otoacoustic emissions, auditory and vestibular evoked potentials. The ability to record these activities can be used to track the development of inner ear function in the fetus and neonate and to study the effects of various ototoxic agents (e.g. noise) and drugs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)367-374
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology
Volume11
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2000

Keywords

  • cochlea
  • development
  • evoked potentials
  • ototoxicity
  • vestibule

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