The main objectives of this module are:
After completion of the course, students are able to
- define important aspects of the molecular structure in relation to function of the inner ear
- explain consequences of molecular defects in the cochlea for hearing
- explain strategies for molecular therapies in zebrafish as a model of hereditary hearing impairment in humans
- understand the psychophysics and speech perception of the severe and profoundly hearing- impaired
- apply principles of auditory physiology as it relates to cochlear implants
- explain how to evaluate the effectiveness of a cochlear implant device in analyzing acoustic signals and transmitting this information to the auditory brain
- gain insight in the importance of binaural hearing
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The module
This course focuses on the healthy and impaired auditory system in which sound waves are transformed into nerve signaling from the periphery to the auditory cortex. The structure-function correlation for the cochlea will be addressed at the molecular level. Unraveling the genetics of hearing impairment has provided important insights into the molecular aspects of hearing. Examples of consequences of genetic defects for hearing will be studied e.g. at the level of hair cells, the primary auditory sensory cells. The zebrafish will be addressed as a model for development of (genetic) therapeutic strategies.
As long as prevention/curation of hearing loss remains impossible, the cochlear implant will remain the most successful neural prosthesis. We will demonstrate that insights into fundamental principles has led to the successful development of the cochlear implant for restoring hearing in otherwise deaf people. Furthermore, we will discuss sound processing at the peripheral and central level of the auditory system. In turn, the application of the cochlear implant has led to a better understanding of the auditory system. Spiral ganglion cell survival is crucial to the operation of a cochlear implant devices; however survival cannot explain the large variation in performance with a cochlear implant. Plasticity in the central auditory system at the level of the brainstem and the level of the cortex will be discussed in relation to the maturation of central auditory pathways. Underlying neural mechanisms for directional hearing are emphasized and students will experience how psychophysical and electrophysiological methods can be used to study, and subsequently improve, hearing, speech perception, and binaural hearing.
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